BRRI advice on protecting Aman seedbeds and seedlings in very heavy rain

In July 2026 the Bangladesh Meteorological Department forecast heavy to very heavy rain across most of the country from 12 to 14 July, easing in many areas on 15 and 16 July but with moderate to heavy rain still possible in some regions. Against that forecast, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) issued advice for farmers raising Aman seedbeds and transplanting seedlings. Jagonews24 published it on 13 July.

On 12 July the Met Office said Dhaka had recorded 97 millimetres of rain from the previous day to 6am, and a further 95 millimetres between 6am and 3pm. It warned of heavy to very heavy rain in parts of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions. According to BRRI's Agronomy Division, the right time to transplant Aman seedlings is from mid-July to mid-August, so the rain fell squarely in the seedbed and transplanting season.

• In areas where heavy to very heavy rain is forecast, put off new seedbeds and transplanting until the rain eases, because heavy rain and running water can wash seedlings away or destroy them.
• Keep drainage channels in seedbeds and transplanted fields clear and working.
• If water collects in newly transplanted fields, drain it quickly, but keep a shallow layer rather than draining it all at once, so seedlings do not lodge or float away.
• If seedbeds may go under, make alternative seedbeds on high, safe ground, taking the seedlings' age and condition into account; if needed, raise the soil to make beds 15-20 cm above the normal field surface.
• Do not apply urea or other fertilisers, insecticides or fungicides before or during heavy rain: fertiliser washes away and pesticides lose their effect.

For areas at risk of flooding or waterlogging, BRRI advised short-duration Aman varieties suited to local conditions, and good-quality, mature, well-filled seed. BRRI's Agronomy Division lists BRRI dhan51 and BRRI dhan52 as flood-tolerant varieties.

BRRI's advice is to use a salt-water test to discard poorly filled and floating seed. Where needed, the seed is treated with an approved fungicide, soaked in clean water for about 24 hours, incubated for 24 to 48 hours and sown once sprouted. Farmers should ask their upazila agriculture officer which fungicide to use and how much. If flooding is forecast, a temporary polythene sheet or shelter can shield seedbeds from the direct force of the rain but must allow drainage and air and come off once the rain eases.

Where land stays under water for long, BRRI recommended dapog, floating or tray-based seedbeds, placed where floodwater is unlikely to reach and drainage is possible. Its Agronomy Division describes the floating seedbed as one of the main alternatives in flood conditions: seed sown on a 2-3 cm layer of soil on a bamboo or banana-stem raft gives good-quality seedlings within 20-25 days.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the dapog method originated in the Philippines. Seedlings are raised on a thin layer of mud or soil spread over a plastic sheet or banana leaves, in a field or on a cement floor, and are ready to transplant in 10 to 14 days.

Once the water goes down, BRRI advised inspecting seedbeds and transplanted fields and quickly filling gaps left by dead, weak or washed-away seedlings with healthy ones. Its Agronomy Division notes that after floodwater recedes, two or three tillers can be split from each hill in a better field and planted in new land, and that photoperiod-sensitive varieties can be transplanted up to mid-September after a flood.

In long spells of cloudy, humid weather, check regularly for disease, and do not spray pesticides without confirming a disease or pest. When the rain eases, fields return to normal and no heavy rain is expected for the next two or three days, BRRI said farmers could go ahead with new seedbeds, transplanting, gap filling and fertiliser management; the upazila agriculture officer can advise on fertiliser doses. The institute also urged farmers to time this work by the latest district and upazila weather and flood warnings.

Photo: MdRamjanAliWiki / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

Sources: Jagonews24, The Daily Ittefaq, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)