BRRI Develops Climate-Resilient 'BRRI Dhan-119' Yielding Up To 7.6 Tonnes In Saline Soils

Addressing soil salinity and production bottlenecks across vulnerable coastal belts, plant geneticists at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) have developed a climate-resilient inbred rice variety designated as ‘BRRI Dhan-119’. Tailored for both saline and non-saline agro-ecological zones during the Transplanted Aman (T. Aman) season, the high-yielding variety delivers between 4.8 and 7.6 tonnes per hectare depending on salinity levels.

The variety secured formal clearance for commercial cultivation in the Aman season during the 116th session of the National Seed Board (NSB) on 28 October 2026. Concurrently, following successful agronomic validation, the National Technical Committee has recommended the line for the winter Boro cycle, awaiting final gazette notification by the NSB.

Rapid Breeding Pipeline via Genomic Tools: The accelerated development of BRRI Dhan-119 was driven by modern molecular and accelerated breeding strategies, including Targeted Crossing Design, Modified Field Rapid Generation Advance (RGA), Trait Panel Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Detection, and Hotspot-Based Strategic Forward Breeding. The combined implementation allowed scientists to release the line in 7.5 years, cutting standard selection durations by nearly four years. The research program was led by Dr. Mohammad Ekhlasur Rahman, Chief Scientific Officer at BRRI's Plant Breeding Division, alongside Senior Plant Breeder and Salinity Researcher Nusrat Jahan Jyoti.

Morphological Attributes and Grain Quality: Field evaluation data indicates that BRRI Dhan-119 generates roughly 1.0 tonne per hectare higher yields than the benchmark salt-tolerant check variety BRRI Dhan-73. The crop exhibits an average plant height of 113 cm with sturdy culms, demonstrating lodging resistance against standard coastal winds. Driven by the expressivity of the functional Gn1a gene locus, each panicle bears an average of 215 well-filled grains—surpassing BRRI Dhan-73 by 70 to 80 grains.

The physical grain profile is slender and long, matching domestic market preferences. Operational metrics include a 1,000-grain weight of 16.8 grams, grain length of 5.9 mm, width of 1.8 mm, length-to-breadth ratio of 3.2, and an amylose profile of 25.9 percent.

Dual-Season Deployment and Coastal Horizons: With a growth duration of 115 days (under four months), the line fits seamlessly into intense cropping rotations, allowing timely field preparation for subsequent rabi crops. Multi-location Proposed Variety Trials (PVT) managed by the Seed Certification Agency across 20 distinct coastal and non-saline plots confirmed stable performance.

Researcher Nusrat Jahan Jyoti highlighted that securing dual-season approval across both Aman and Boro cycles will allow farmers to cultivate both rotations using uniform seed lots, reducing logistical strain and curbing crop loss risks linked to seasonal salinity fluctuations, official sources confirmed.

//DBTech/RAHA/SMP/MIST//