Bangladesh Sugarcrop Research Institute (BSRI), located in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna, has recently developed a new variety of sugarcane which is higher yielding and has high sugar contents in it. This new variety of sugarcane, invented by BSRI after 10 years of research, has been released subject to approval. This new variety, capable of producing more sugar has been named ‘BSRI Akh-48’.
The authorities of Bangladesh Sugarcrop Research Institute (BSRI) have claimed that compared to the high yielding verities of sugarcanes that the farmers of the country are cultivating now, the newly developed sugarcane variety can be up to 7.37 percent more productive.
In the meantime, experimental cultivation of this new variety of sugarcane has already been done in Pabna’s Ishwardi, Rajshahi, Thakurgaon, Jamalpur and Gazipur areas of the country, sources informed.
BSRI Director General Dr Md Amzad Hossain said the recent meeting of the National Seed Board approved the new variety of sugarcane. The process started in 2009 on two high yielding varieties of sugarcane originated in India and Pakistan. After the selection of clones by crossing two varieties of these two countries in 2011, the work of developing the new variety started. Success of the new variety has been confirmed through long research, experimentation and field cultivation.
He added, various sugar crop research institutes would produce seeds of this new sugarcane specimen shortly and the seeds will be widely delivered to the farmers within the next one year. Farmers will benefit by cultivating this variety of sugarcane which is thick as well as resistant to smut, wilt and red rot diseases. Moreover, the edge of its leaves is less sharp and so, the workers can work in the field effortlessly.
Dr Md Amzad Hossain said the new variety was introduced for release at the 105th meeting of the National Seed Board on June 17 last. The new variety of sugarcane was released with the consent of all the members present at the meeting. The board meeting was chaired by the senior secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Md Mesbahul Islam.
Among the other guests, Bangladesh Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Lutful Hasan and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council Executive Chairman Dr Sheikh Mohammad Bakhtiyar were present. The present guests praised the new variety of sugarcane invented by BSRI.
According to BSRI, a yield of 93.50 to 121.52 metric tonnes per acre can be received from this newly developed variety of sugarcane. Earlier, Chekjat-39 was one of the highest yielding sugarcane in the country. BSRI Akh-48 will produce about 7.36 percent more yield than Chekjat-39. About 0.38 percent more sugar and 0.85 percent more molasses could be extracted from BSRI Akh-48 compared to checkjat-39.