BRRI Breakthrough: Three New Rice Varieties Introduced
The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has developed three new rice varieties that are salt-tolerant, high-yielding, and blast-resistant, expanding the institute’s total portfolio to 121 varieties, including eight hybrids.
The newly released varieties include BRRI dhan112, a salt-tolerant, medium-duration transplanted Aman variety; BRRI dhan113, a high-yielding Boro season variety intended as a potential alternative to the widely cultivated BRRI dhan29; and BRRI dhan114, a long-duration Boro variety resistant to blast disease.
The announcement came after the 114th meeting of the National Seed Board (NSB), chaired by Agriculture Secretary Dr. Md. Emdad Ullah Mian. The meeting also included notable participants such as BRRI Director General Dr. Md. Khalequzzaman, Seed Certification Agency DG Md. Zainal Abedin, and Dr. Md. Abdullah Yusuf Akhand, Director General of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS), along with senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and representatives from the private sector and farming communities. The approval notice was released on June 17 and shared publicly by the BRRI Rice Museum on June 18.
According to BRRI Rice Museum sources, BRRI dhan112 can tolerate salinity levels of 12 dS/m for up to three weeks at the seedling stage. It also withstands 8 dS/m of salinity during all critical stages from vegetative to reproductive phases. The grain is medium slender, and the variety is non-shattering. Due to its relatively shorter growing period, it offers a window for cultivating sunflower or salt-tolerant mustard in medium to high land coastal areas after harvesting.
BRRI dhan113 is a high-yielding variety with medium slender grains, featuring erect, wide, and long flag leaves that remain green even after grain maturity. Mature plants grow to a height of 102–105 cm. Its sturdy stem helps resist lodging. The average lifespan of this variety is 143 days. The average weight of 1,000 grains is 19.4 grams. Its white grains resemble those of Najirshail and contain 28% amylose and 8.4% protein, resulting in fluffy cooked rice. It has yielded 11.5% more than BRRI dhan88 in trials, averaging 8.15 tons per hectare and potentially reaching up to 10.1 tons per hectare under optimal management—making it a strong candidate to replace BRRI dhan29 in the Boro season.
BRRI dhan114, developed for the Boro season, is a long-duration variety with proven resistance to blast disease. It features erect, wide, and long leaves with deep green coloration. It averages 7.76 tons per hectare, but under proper care, yields can reach up to 10.23 tons per hectare. Its grain is medium bold with a golden hue. The plant matures in 149 days, aligning with the popular BRRI dhan89. A thousand grains weigh about 17.4 grams, with amylose content at 27% and protein at 7.7%, producing fluffy rice. The presence of the Pi9 gene makes this variety highly resistant to blast, confirmed through artificial inoculation tests with a score of 0 (high resistance).
Since its establishment in 1970, BRRI has played a critical role in increasing rice productivity in Bangladesh. Through continuous research and innovation, the institute has released numerous high-yielding varieties. Notably, its Kalijira and Kataribhog rice varieties have been registered as Geographical Indication (GI) products of Bangladesh. Over the past five decades, national rice production has more than tripled, largely due to BRRI’s ongoing contributions.
