Arpan Das

Rice is a staple food consumed by billions of people worldwide, particularly in Asia. However, outdated rice cultivars and poor cultivar replacement have led to a decline in rice productivity in Bangladesh. To address this, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) developed three mega rice varieties: BR11, BRRI dhan28, and BRRI dhan29. BR11 is a popular Transplanted Aman (T. Aman) rice variety known for its high yield potential, excellent cooking quality, and moderate resistance to diseases. BRRI dhan28 is characterized by clean, medium-slender grains, high amylose content, and moderate resistance to blast disease. BRRI dhan29 has a longer growth duration, high amylose content and yield potential. These three mega varieties have demonstrated high adaptation rates across different rice ecosystems in Bangladesh. The breeding history and pedigree of BR11, BRRI dhan28, and BRRI dhan29 reveal their origins from IRRI varieties, such as IR20 and IR5. These varieties have been extensively utilized as parent lines in the development of other rice cultivars with desired agronomic traits. The genetic analysis of these mega varieties has identified favorable alleles and genes associated with traits like anaerobic germination tolerance, drought tolerance, blast resistance, bacterial blight resistance, low chalkiness, and high amylose content. Mega rice varieties such as BR11, BRRI dhan28, and BRRI dhan29 have made substantial contributions to rice production in Bangladesh. Continued research and breeding efforts based on the pedigree and genetic information of these varieties can further improve rice yields, grain quality, and stress tolerance, ensuring food security for the growing population.