Farmer Lal Mian of village Char Patrokhata under Chilmari upazila of Kurigram has achieved bumper yield of 4.5 tonnes paddy of the flood tolerant BINA dhan11 rice per hector even after sustaining 24-day submergence at a stretch.The miraculous success of Lal Mian has created enthusiasm among farmers of the area after harvesting of the crop on one acre of his land at a field day on Sunday in presence of over 500 male and female farmers, agriculture experts and scientists.While narrating his success, Lal Mian said the growing plants of his BINA dhan11 successfully sustained 24-day submergence at a stretch to resume normal growth again after recession of floodwater during this Aman season.“I prepared seedbed on June 25 and transplanted the 40-day old seedling little lately due to prolonged drought this season in my land on August 9 last when the plants started growing like other traditional Aman rice plants in surrounding areas,” he said.“After one week of seedling transplantation, floodwater of the Brahmaputra inundated my growing BINA dhan11 plants along with all other growing traditional variety Aman rice fields in the surrounding areas on August 15 last,” he continued.He said the floodwater receded after 24 days of inundation on September 9
last when only little sign of transplanted BINA dhan11 seedling remained in rotten state and the traditional variety Aman fields were completely damaged all-around.“After one week since recession of floodwater, the rotten hills (remains) of transplanted BINA dhan11 seedling started growing again giving birth to new tillers and my field again turned green miraculously within next two weeks,” Lal Mian said.On the other hand, all other traditional variety Aman rice plants were completely damaged leaving no sign of existence for prolonged submergence and the land owners cultivated other crops on the same land after few days, he said.“Now, I am extremely happy to get 4.5 tonnes paddy yield per hectare following superb growth of the submerged flood tolerant variety BINA dhan11 rice plants after recession of floodwater,” a happy Lal Mian said.The other farmers expressed desire to cultivate BINA dhan11 rice on their
lands during next season with a hope to get similar results as floodwater damages traditional variety Aman rice plants every year with no output in the low-lying area.Bangladesh Nuclear Agriculture Institute (BINA) and the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) jointly organised the farmers’ field day near the ripe BINA dhan11 rice field of Lal Mian for harvesting the crop.Principal Scientific Officer and Head of the Department of Biotechnology Davison of BINA from Mymensingh Dr Mirja Mofazzal Islam attended the field day as the chief guest with Chilmari Upazila Agriculture Officer Nazrul Islam in the chair.Deputy Director of the DAE for Kurigram Shawkat Ali Sarker, Head of the Training, Communication and Publication Division of BINA Dr Feroz Hassan and In-charge of Rangpur Sub-station Habibur Rahman were present as special guests.In their speech, Dr Mirja Mofazzal Islam lauded the success achieved by
farmer Lal Mian in farming of flood tolerant BINA dhan11 rice and asked farmers for its expanded cultivation adopting latest technologies and agronomical managements. Growing plants of BINA dhan11 rice have excellent submergence tolerance capability and its expanded cultivation would increase rice production substantially to ensure national food security coping with adverse impacts of climate change, he said.It may be mentioned that the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) extends cooperation through the Stress Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia (IRRI-STRASA) Project for expanded farming of flood tolerant rice in
Bangladesh with funding of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through GO-NGO collaboration.Under the seed multiplication programme of the IRRI-STRASA Project, the farmers have been cultivating flood tolerant BRRI dhan51, BRRI dhan52 and BINA dhan11 and BINA dhan12 rice varieties successfully in the country during the past four years. -BSS, Rangpur
