Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) researchers have developed a new rice variety, BRRI dhan-64, which is enriched with higher zinc content and is capable of providing higher yields, according to local sources.
BRRI dhan-64 is the second high-zinc rice variety developed by the BRRI scientists, reports oryza.com.
They developed the first high-zinc rice variety, BRRI dhan-62, last year.
The BRRI scientists told local sources that the newly developed BRRI dhan-64 contains zinc level at 25 parts per million (ppm) and yields over 6 tons per hectare, while the earlier developed BRRI dhan-62 contains around 19 to 20 ppm zinc and yields around 4.2 tons per hectare.
BRRI dhan-62 has been particularly developed for Aman season (May – December) and BRRI dhan-64 is developed for Boro season (January – May).
The National Seed Board (NSB) is likely to release the BRRI dhan-64 later this week, according to sources at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Both BRRI dhan-64 and BRRI dhan-62 are developed through application of biological fortification (bio fortification) and are capable of fighting stunted growth as well as diarrhoea and pneumonia-induced childhood deaths in children.
Bio fortification is a process in which breeders crossbreed high-nutrient varieties with high-yielding varieties to provide seeds with high yield and high nutritional value.
So far, BRRI dhan-62 seeds have been supplied to around 10,000 farmers during the ongoing Aman season, according to the BRRI researchers.
Lately, the Bangladesh government has been promoting bio fortified crops to fight mal-nutrition and hidden hunger among children in the country.
BBN/ANS-18Aug14-7:50pm (BST)