Aman rice now ripples across the fields, some at flowering and some at the milking stage. But early Aman varieties developed by the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) have already been harvested, reaching farmers' homes about a month early.

Early harvests are being celebrated in many areas because the high-yielding varieties produced well this year at low cost. BINA's short-duration varieties BINA dhan7, 11, 16, 17, 20 and 22 are gaining popularity nationwide. They yield about six tonnes per hectare, one to one and a half tonnes more than conventional Aman varieties, and the early harvest lets farmers grow a Rabi crop on land that used to lie fallow until Boro.

Ibrahim Khalil of Shalabari, Niamatpur, Naogaon, grew BINA dhan17 on four bighas and harvested on 12 October, while no other rice in the field had ripened. He said irrigation, fertiliser and pesticide costs were much lower; compared with Swarna-5, his costs fell by 2,000 to 3,000 taka a bigha and yields rose by four to five maunds a bigha. In Naogaon, Aman covered 197,110 hectares this year, with BINA dhan17 on 1,030 hectares.

Dr Md Hasanuzzaman, senior scientific officer at BINA's Chapainawabganj sub-station, said farmers now get almost two months before Boro to grow mustard, lentil, potato or sesame, turning two-crop land into three-crop land and improving soil fertility. BINA dhan16 and 17 are called "green super rice" because they need a third less urea and 50 per cent less irrigation; BINA dhan17 has a 110-115-day life, 200-250 grains per panicle and yields of 22 to 25 maunds a bigha.

In Mymensingh, flood-tolerant BINA dhan11 was grown most. Abu Sayeed of Chhatiantola harvested his 33 decimals on 16 October; it can survive 20 to 25 days under floodwater and regrow from the roots.

BINA Director General Dr Mirza Mofazzal Islam, who developed BINA dhan11, said these varieties can end monga (seasonal hunger) for good. BINA dhan16 lasts 95-100 days and averages 6 tonnes per hectare (24 maunds a bigha); BINA dhan17 lasts 110-115 days and averages 6.5 tonnes (27 maunds a bigha), against older Aman varieties of 160-170 days. Plants were kept short to avoid lodging. Seedbeds should be made from the last week of June to the second week of July, and 20-25-day seedlings transplanted. Overall costs are at least 30 per cent lower, and early straw supplies fodder at good prices.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.