Some 10 paddy varieties have been registered and released for cultivation in Boro season.
Of these, two inbreed varieties were invented by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), while one inbreed variety by Bangladesh Atomic Research Institute (BINA), one inbreed variety by Brac and six hybrid varieties by other institutions.
The approval came from the 106th meeting of the National Seed Board with Agriculture Secretary and board chairman Md Sayedul Islam in the chair.
The meeting was held at the conference room of the Agriculture Ministry at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Speaking at the meeting, Sayedul Islam said the yield of hybrids is high and that is why the ministry is now focusing on innovation and cultivation of high-yielding varieties to increase production from less land.
He said 218 paddy varieties have already been registered and from now on, importance will be given to the registration of paddy varieties that will benefit the farmers for a longer period.
BRRI-101 variety, invented by BRRI, is resistant to burn disease caused by bacteria and BRRI-102 is a zinc-enriched variety, the agriculture secretary said.
In the trial, he said, the average yield of BRRI-101 was 7.72 metric tonnes per hectare, while BRRI-102 was 8.11 tonnes per hectare.
The amount of zinc in BRRI-102 rice was 25.5 mg per kg, Sayedul Islam said, adding that during trial, the average yield of BINA-25 was 7.64 tonnes per hectare.
He said the rice of BINA-25 is very long and thin, which is white, crisp and delicious, and its lifespan is 145 days.
Director general of the ministry (seed wing), Abdullah Sazzad, additional secretary Kamalaranjan Das, BARC executive chairman Dr Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) AFM Hayatullah, BRRI director general Shahjahan Kabir and BINA director general Dr Mirza Mofazzal Islam were, among others, present at the meeting.
