Drought-and-flood- tolerant rice
Photo: Quddus Alam / Driknews
We have learnt from a news report that Department of Agricultural Extension has taken a scheme to distribute 450 tonnes of seeds of high-yielding drought-tolerant rice named Nerica among farmers in 30 districts for sowing in 18,500 acres of land. However, Nerica is a cross between an African variety and a high-yielding Asian one, developed by the scientists of West Africa Rice Development Association. Bangladesh brought Nerica from Uganda in 2009 and it underwent adaptive trials in selective fields. Nerica has the strength to survive in drought up to 21 days and matures in 100 days. It can be grown in all crop seasons- Aus, Aman and Boro. In fact, the scope for good rice harvesting in Aus season has increased through this scheme. We know once 'Aus' was the second biggest crop of the country. So this is a good initiative no doubt for this particular season in the uplands. But on the whole, most parts of our country are vulnerable to frequent and serious flooding. Even so we can not think of only flood-tolerant rice because after the floodwaters recede, rice plants face drought-like situation. So, ultimately we need drought-and-flood-tolerant rice. Plant scientists at the University of California discovered a variety of rice plants that have combined tolerance to flooding and drought. Scientists said that a gene responsible for flood or submergence tolerance in rice which allows it to conserve energy until the floodwaters recede is transferred into high-yielding, good grain quality, and pest and disease resistant rice. Scientists also found that the newly developed rice properly coordinates physiological and molecular responses to cellular water deficit when this deficit occurs independently, as in a time of drought. We hope the authorities concerned and the plant scientists of our country would think about developing the rice variety that would be tolerant to drought and flood simultaneously.
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