An attack of Neck blast virus disease has occurred in Sirajganj's Tarash Upazila. The farmers in the area are in distressed due to the sudden attack of this disease. Although the disease has already spread in hundreds of bighas of land, the statement of the local agriculture department is that the situation is now under control. For this, the Agriculture Office has taken various steps. However, according to the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, this problem has arisen due to the negligence. Due to higher yield and price, BRRI-90, which is a crop for Aman season, has been affected by blast disease when planted in Boro season.
Tarash Agriculture Office sources said that Boro rice has been cultivated in 22 thousand 448 hectares of land in the current season in Tarash Upazila. Out of this BRRI-90 has been planted in 6 thousand 959 hectares. In the last Amon season, 13 thousand 680 hectares of land were cultivated in this upazila of different varieties of paddy. Out of that 4 thousand 517 hectares of land was cultivated with BRRI-90.
According to information from Krishi Batayan, BRRI-90 is a variety of Aman rice developed by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRI). Life span of this paddy is 115-125 days. The grain size is similar to BRRI-34, but there is a mild aroma. The stem is strong, does not bend easily and the plant remains green even after the rice is ripe.
After selection of hemozygous kaulik lines in the research field of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, the yield test was conducted in the research field for 5 years. In 2017, the mentioned kaulik row was tested for yield in farmers' fields in different parts of the country. In 2018, in 9 regions of the country, the National Seed Board carried out yield tests and evaluation of farmers' fields due to satisfactory results in regional yield tests. Due to satisfactory yield test results across the country, variety Kaulik Sari was released by the National Seed Board in 2019 for cultivation during the sowing season among farmers.
Noorun Nabi has been working with rice seeds for a long time in the Greater Chalanbil region, which is known as the granary of north. He says BRRI-90 looks like BRRI-34, with a slight aroma. Due to the good yield and unexpected price, the farmers of Chalan Beel resorted to this rice cultivation. If this variety of saplings is cultivated in 2022 by the farmers of Chalan Beel region even in the Boro season, good yield is obtained. In the financial year 2022-2023, cultivation in Aman yielded at the rate of 18 maunds per bigha. It is sold at the price of 2500 to 3000 taka per maund. Seeing that in the current season, BRRI-90 has been cultivated on a large scale in Boro season, this problem thus has happened.
After researching, it is known that after the invention of each rice of BRRI, the scientists research the results, then the farmers themselves also research when it comes to the hands of the farmers. Farmers in the region were also doing research on BRRI-90, the results were also good. But this time the result is the opposite. That is, if scientific data is ignored, such disasters can happen again and again, claims the agriculture department. Earlier, the same incident happened in Katari rice in the region.
The weather is unfavorable like the rest of the country and the Chalan Beel region, which is known as a granary, is experiencing intense heat. According to Tarash Agriculture Meteorological Office sources, the average heat level in the region was 35.5 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the environment is favorable for blast disease. Therefore leaflets have been distributed among the farmers by the Department of Plant Pathology. It has been mentioned that, according to the weather forecast, conditions are favorable for rice ear/neck blast disease across the country for the next few days. Applying the fungicide Tupper or Nativo before disease occurs is recommended.
Neck blast attacks are seen in most of the fields of the 8 unions of Tarash upazila. They are spraying fungicides to control the disease in their affected land. But this disease has spread so much that even half of the production from the affected land is not possible. Talked in the morning with farmer Sabur (43) of Binsara village of Baruhas union of upazila. He said, I planted BRRI-90 in my 5 bigha land. All lands are affected by blast disease.
Abdul Malek Talukdar, a farmer in Majhdakhina village of Desigram union, Abbasuzzaman, a farmer of Tarutia village in Talam union, said the same thing.
Tarash Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdullah Al Mamun said, "Even though we give proper advice to the farmers, they still follow their own ideas. As a result disaster comes. We are already doing counseling and awareness by holding yard meetings, distribution of leaflets, miking to prevent neck blast. The situation is now somewhat under control.
Adil Badsha, head of the Sirajganj regional office of the Rice Research Institute, said that the results of the research should be accepted by the farmers. Otherwise, it is not possible to prevent this disaster. Cultivation of marked varieties should be done according to the season with the advice of the agronomist.
