Crop science research eyes sustainable dev goals

Staff Reporter, Mymensingh :

Agriculture is the basis of the development of Bangladesh. Besides, ensuring food security is the one of essential landmark of the sustainable development goals of Bangladesh Government. Both farmers and agriculturists have played the biggest role in the development of the country and food security since its independence in 1971. Self-sufficiency in food grain production has also been achieved due to the increase in agricultural production. The graduates and researchers from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) have a vital and pioneering role in food security through the development of modern technologies, techniques and crop varieties.
At present, the area of agricultural land is decreasing day-by-day but the population is increasing. In such a situation, ensuring food security of the people of the country has become a big challenge. Professor Dr. Arif Hasan Khan Robin, a dedicated researcher and plant breeder of the Department of Genetics and Plant Bleeding of BAU, is working to overcome that challenge to ensure food security of the people of the country. He has been working on high-yielding mustard and sweetpotato for a long time. Now he has started a new research program on high-yielding varieties of rice, wheat and tomatoes. His undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students are working with him. I had a chance to come-across research field very recently. In a close discussion, I learnt that his research are not only located at BAU campus but also in several other districts of Bangladesh.
In the university research field laboratories, he has separate research blocks for mustard, sweetpatoto and tomatoes during this winter (rabi) season. Professor Robin said my sweetpotato research is currently ongoing in three locations including one in the char area of the Brahmaputra River. Here we are growing 23 selected sweet potato genotypes in 10 square meters replicated research plots. These are the selections from large number 540 genotypes obtained from the headquarters of CIP (International Potato Centre, Peru). A tuber of BAU sweetpotato-5, developed by his research group, weighs generally 300-400 g. The tubers are pinkish-red in colour and very attractive. The tubers have around 30% dry matter and nutritious. He added that in his selected genotypes there are orange-flesh, purple-flesh and white-flesh variants. More importantly these selected genotypes can be harvested within 90 days. Farmers will be able to produce more in less time. Besides, the farmers can also grow another crop quickly. This will increase the cropping intensity. Farmers living in char areas are very interested in cultivating sweet potato as the production cost is low. Besides, this crop can meet the nutritional deficiency of the farming families as we give importance to anthocyanin and carotene-rich varieties.
Fabiha Haque, a doctoal student researching on sweet potato said, “in our research, we are focusing on short duration, nutrition such as carotene or anthocynin and higher yield.”
Next to the sweet potato I saw a plot of mustard and tomato. Professor Robin informed us that he is trying to develop larger tomato varieties that will be nutritionally improved as well. Then I went to the mustard research field. Bees are working to collect honey from mustard flowers. I saw several students working in the field. Athkia Abida, an MS research student, said “I’m doing hybridization among genotypes as per instructions of my research supervisor. She added, after mating I am looking at whether there is any change in this way or if any new features are available.
Professor Robin said that a total of ten varieties of mustard have been developed so far from the Department of Genetics and Plant Bleeding of BAU. These are Sampad, Sambal and BAU Sarisha-1 to BAU Sarisha-8. The mustard research at BAU was initially led by Professor Dr. Lutfur Rahman and Professor Abdul Quddus. BAU Sarisha-1,2,3 are the three salt tolerant varieties developed by BAU and that research was led by Professor Dr. Lutful Hassan. I was also on the research team.