Sr. Staff Reporter, Kishoreganj :
Farmers in Kishoreganj are expressing concerns over the early sprouting of hybrid rice, a new variety that has been introduced under government incentives. Despite the farmers’ worries, agricultural experts believe that the impact on overall production will be minimal.
The hybrid rice variety, known as ‘Tia,’ promoted by the Lal Teer Seed Company, has begun to sprout earlier than expected. According to agricultural officials, the early emergence is due to several factors, including the planting of older seedlings, planting multiple seedlings per bunch instead of the recommended single seedling, and delayed irrigation practices.
During a visit last Friday to the Gaglail block in Danapatuli Union, Kishoreganj Sadar, it was observed that farmers Nurul Islam, Siddiq Hossain, Abdul Hai, and Ishaq Mia had cultivated hybrid Tia rice on various plots of land. Nurul Islam cultivated it on three bighas, while Siddiq Hossain and Abdul Hai planted it on one bigha each. Ishaq Mia cultivated the hybrid rice on 40% of his land. Farmers were concerned because while other varieties like Bridhan-29 and Bridhan-89 would produce rice ears after another month and a half, the hybrid rice’s ears were already emerging.
The farmers expressed their concern that although the hybrid Tia rice was expected to yield 30 maunds per bigha, the premature emergence of ears may affect this anticipated production. Normally, the Ufshi varieties such as Bridhan-29 yield 25 maunds per bigha.
Agricultural officials, including Imrul Kayes, Additional Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Shahinul Islam, Assistant Deputy Director (Grains), and Abu Taleb, Agriculture Officer of Sadar Upazila, visited the fields for an inspection. Upon hearing the farmers’ concerns, they visited the lands and reviewed the situation. Following the inspection, Omar Faruk, regional manager of Lal Teer Seed Company, also visited the area. According to the officials, the hybrid Tia rice has a shorter lifespan of 135 to 140 days compared to the Ufshi rice varieties, which require 160 to 165 days.
The seedlings for Ufshi rice are typically planted at 35-40 days old, while Tia rice seedlings should ideally be planted at 21 days old. This difference in growth cycle is one reason for the early sprouting of the hybrid rice.
The officials also pointed out that the farmers had planted seedlings that were around one and a half months old, rather than the recommended age of one month. As a result, the interval between planting and ear emergence was shorter. Additionally, farmers had planted three seedlings per bunch, which led to faster growth and denser fields. Delayed irrigation in the area also contributed to the premature emergence of rice heads, as the hybrid Tia rice was planted after the Ufshi seedlings, which are typically irrigated later.
Despite the premature emergence, agricultural experts reassured that the situation would not drastically affect the overall yield. They emphasized that, in the coming two weeks, the fields would fully sprout, and any minor disruptions to the growth cycle would not be a major setback. However, they advised that following proper planting guidelines in future seasons would prevent such issues.
Shahinul Islam, the agriculture officer, mentioned that the premature sprouting issue had been reported to the Rice Research Institute and that he would also inform the Agricultural Research Institute. He noted that planting older seedlings not only affects hybrid rice yields but also leads to an annual loss of approximately Tk 11,000 crore in the country’s rice production.
The agriculture officials also acknowledged that similar issues have arisen in other areas and emphasized that this experience would be valuable for farmers moving forward to improve practices and mitigate such problems in future hybrid rice cultivation.
