SCIENTISTS of Dhaka University’s Biochemistry and Molecular Biology have made the breakthrough in developing four transgenic rice varieties; which are capable of producing the crop in high salinity level of the soil. Our scientists need resources available for research activities for innovation. News reports said a team of scientists led by Prof Zeba Islam Seraj achieved the feat of discovering the new varieties in their decade long laborious research work which may allow increasing food production in the coastal belt where high salinity and intrusion of sea water on arable land were so far big problem to rice production. We acclaimed the scientists and hope that the Agricultural Ministry would take practical steps to put the new rice varieties to production in the field. Bangladesh is already producing enough rice to supply domestic demand and make partial export. The new discovery is expected to bring new boost to rice production to make the nation more self-reliant with the exponential rise in population.Bangladesh is the second riskiest country facing the impact of global warming and sea level rise but the new salt-tolerant rice varieties would beat the climate change effect now to turn the coastal belt major rice producing areas. Scientists said the discovery was possible by infusing a particular pea gene – helicase – into four high yielding rice varieties (HYVs) that helped rice plants to become higher salt tolerant and achieve higher yield potentials. The gene was procured from International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) and then using Agrobacterium as carrier to infuse the salt-tolerant vigour into the home-grown rice varieties. The team crossed the helicase-infused rice with four HYVs of BRRI family plants developed by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI). The new plants were tested in lab and net-house culture and the transgenic varieties showed the potential to yield up to 50 percent more crop than the available salt-tolerant HYVs in saline-stressed soil.In fact, some BRRI varieties of rice in non-saline condition could yield up to 7 tonnes per hectare but the harvest fall to half in saline condition. In Bangladesh, one million hectares out of a total nine million hectares of cultivable land are salinity affected and the vulnerability is more profound in the dry season. Now if we can cover 50 percent of the moderate salinity-prone farmland under transgenic rice, the country’s rice productivity is expected to get a tremendous boost. Transgenic rice could also fit to the government’s new policy of promoting Boro in the southern region and rain-fed Aman in the northern region. The Dhaka University scientists have made a very significant discovery to resolve the salinity problem affecting agriculture in the coastal belt. The saddest part is that our education system is thoughtless.
