RANGPUR, Sept 14 (BSS): The submerged plants of flood tolerant rice varieties survived inundation for up to two weeks and resumed normal growth after recession of the floodwater in the country's flood-prone areas this season.
The inundated plants of flood tolerant BRRI dhan51, BRRI dhan52, BINA dhan11 and BINA dhan12 Aman rice plants sustained submergence for 15 days in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Jamalpur, Sirajganj, Mymensingh and other districts.
According to beneficiary farmers of the Stress Tolerant Rice for Poor Farmers in Africa and South Asia (STRASA) Project, their submerged and 'apparently' rotten flood tolerant variety Aman rice plants are growing now normally after recession of floodwater.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is funding the STRASA-IRRI Project to expand cultivation of stress tolerant rice by implementing the Seed Multiplication Programme with GO-NGO collaboration.
Farmers Ariful Haque Batul, Shahjada Mian and Salek of village Najirdigar in Rangpur said their growing plants of BRRI dhan51, BRRI dhan52 and BINA dhan12 remained submerged for 13 to 14 days at a stretch during the recent floods.
Farmer Rafikul Islam of village Farshkura under Nageswari upazila in Kurigram said that growing plants of BINA dhan11 successfully sustained submergence for 10 days at a stretch at the end of last month.
Farmers Nadalal of village Dakshin Rajpur and Mohammad Shamim of village Katapara in Lalmonirhat said their submerged plants of BRRI dhan52 and BINA dhan11 sustained submergence for 15 days in two phases respectively this season.
After a few days of recession of floodwater, the 'rotten' remains of the 'damaged' tender plants of these flood-tolerant rice varieties started growing again and their crop fields turned green within the next two weeks, they said.
"The apparently damaged rice plants of flood-tolerant rice varieties resumed normal growth despite inundation for two weeks after recession of floodwater while traditional variety submerged Aman rice plants were completely damaged," they said.
Farmers Shaheron Begum, Asadul and Ojifa Begum of village Char Najirdaho under Kawnia upazila in Rangpur said the growing plants of BINA dhan11 rice were submerged in their fields on August 21 last and the floodwater water was yet to recede.
Farmer Janab Ali of village Dorsha in Mymensingh said floodwater submerged his BRRI dhan51 rice plants on 1.05 acres of land for two weeks in the first phase and still remain under water since September 9 in the second phase.
Submerged flood tolerant rice plants survive inundation
FE Team | Published: September 15, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
Share if you like