BRRI at a Glance

Background

Rice, as a staple food, accounts for about 92% of the total food grains produced in the country. Seventy-five percent of necessary calories and 55% of protein are met from rice in the average daily diet of the people. Rice production employs almost 44% of our labour forces providing national food security. Rice Research started in this part of the sub-continent in 1910. However, the modern, era of rice research and development started in the mid-sixties of the last century.
The demand for rice is increasing because of increasing population. So to meet up the increasing food demand, an autonomous organization in the name of East pakistan Rice Research Institute (EPRRI) was established on 1 October 1970 with 76.82 hectares of land at Joydebpur, Gazipur; 36 km north of Dhaka. After liberation in 1971, it was renamed as the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) through the parliamentary act in 1973 (Act X of 1973). In order to bring dynamism in the management system , an amendment was made by a parliamentary act in 1996 (Act V of 1996).
The institute operates with 18 rerearch divisions and nine regional stations,three support service divisions and five sections.Total manpower of the institute is 676 , of which 238 are scientists. Most of them are highly trained professionals with MS and PhD degrees.  

Mandate

Governance

BRRI is an autonomous organization under the ministry of Agriculture. A 13 Member Board of Management (BOM) headed by the Director General determines and executes the polices and undertakings of the institute.

Research Programme and Management

Eighteen research divisions at BRRI HQ and nine regional stations across the country execute the research and technology development programme of BRRI. Multi-disciplinary, problem orientated annual research programmes are developed and executed by involving all level of scientists. Research at BRRI is organized in seven programmes areas. Each of the area is composed of one or more research divisions called the programme performing Units (PPU). The programme areas, component resaerch divisions and regional stations are:

Program Area	Component Divisions (PPU)
Varietal Development	Plant Breeding
	Bio Technology
	Genetic Resources and Seed
	Grain Quality and Nutrition
Crop-Soil-Water Management	Agronomy
	Soil Science
	Irrigation and Water Management
	Plant Physiology
Pest Management	Entomology
	Plant Pathology
Rice Farming Systems	Rice Farming Systems
Farm Mechanization	Farm Machinery and Post Harvest Technology
	Workshop Machinery and Maintenance
Socioeconomics and Policy	Agricultural Economics
	Agricultural Statistics
	Farm management
Technology Transfer	Adaptive Research
	Training

BRRI Regional Stations

Name	Establishment	Main Research area
BRRI RS, Barisal	1970	Tidal non-saline ecosystem
BRRI RS,Habiganj	1970	Deep water ecosystem and Boro
BRRI RS, Comilla	1970	Favourable ecosystem
BRRI RS ,Sonagazi	1977	Coastal ecosystem
BRRI RS, Rajshahi	1978	Drought Prone ecosystem
BRRI RS, Bhanga	1986	Deep water ecosystem and Boro
BRRI RS, Rangpur	1991	Cold and Upland ecosystem
BRRI RS, Kushtia	1996	Upland ecosystem of genetic flood plain
BRRI RS ,Satkhira	1999	Saline ecosystem

Annunal research Programme is developed and finalized in three steps: a) Intra divisional meeting; b) Programme area meeting and c) Programme committee meeting. Annual research plans are prepared based on priority area and implemented under the follwing ecosystems:

 

Irrigated lowland	Transplant Boro
Rainfed lowland	Transplant Aman
Rainfed Upland	Broadcast/ dibbling Aus
Tidal Wetlands(saline/ non-saline)	Rainfed Aus and T.Aman
Deepwater (floodprone)	Broadcast Aman

After finalization, the research programme is executed by the programme performing units at the HQ, regional stations and at the farmers' field. The concerned heads of the research divisions monitor the programme approved for the execution. In addition, Director (Research) and the the Director General supervise the overall research activities of the institute. Thereafter, results of the executed programme are presented in the Annual Research Review Workshop, Where all the scientists of the institute and expert members from other institutions take part as a final evaluation process. Director Reseach is the chief coordinator of all research activities of the institute assisted by a coordinator for Advanced studies and Reserch (CASR).

Major Achievement

Impact

The impacts of BRRI are as follows:

Table 1. BRRI released rice varieties from 1970 to 2010

serial no	Rice variety	Growing season	Plant heigh (cm)	Growth duration (day)	Average yield (t/ha)	Releasing year
01.	BR1 (Chandina)	Aus Boro	88 88	120 150	4.0 5.5	1970
02.	BR2(Mala)	Aus Boro	120 120	125 160	4.0 5.0	1971
03.	BR3(Biplob)	Aus T. Aman Boro	100 100 95	130 145 170	4.0 4.0 6.5	1973
04.	BR4(Brrisail)	T. Aman	125	145	5.0	1975
05.	BR5(Dulabhog)	T. Aman	120	150	3.0	1976
06.	BR6(IR28)	Aus Boro	113 100	110 140	3.5 4.5	1977
07.	BR7(Brribalam)	Aus Boro	125 125	130 155	4.5 4.5	1977
08.	BR8(Asha)	Aus Boro	125 125	125 160	5.0 6.0	1978
09.	BR9(Sufala)	Aus Boro	125 125	120 155	5.0 6.0	1978
10.	BR10(Progati)	T. Aman	115	150	6.5	1980
11.	BR11(Mukta)	T. Aman	115	145	6.5	1980
12.	BR12(Moyna)	Aus Boro	105 105	130 170	4.5 5.5	1983
13.	BR14(Gazi)	Aus Boro	120 120	120 160	5.0 6.0	1983
14.	BR15(Mohini)	Aus Boro	100 90	125 165	5.0 5.5	1983
15.	BR16(Shahibalam)	Aus Boro	110 90	130 165	5.0 6.0	1983
16.	BR17(Hashi)*	Boro	125	155	6.0	1985
17.	BR18(Shahjalal)	Boro	115	170	6.0	1985
18.	BR19(Mongol)*	Boro	110	170	6.0	1985
19.	BR20(Nizami)	B. Aus	120	115	3.5	1986
20.	BR21(Niamat)	Aus	100	110	3.0	1986
21.	BR22(Kiron)	T. Aman	125	150	5.0	1988
22.	BR23(Dishari)	T. Aman	120	150	5.5	1988
23.	BR24(Rahmat)	B. Aus	105	105	3.5	1992
24.	BR25(Naya Pajam)	T. Aman	138	135	4.5	1992
25.	BR26(Sraboni)	Aus	115	115	4.0	1993
26.	BRRI dhan27	B. Aus	140	115	4.0	1994
27.	BRRI dhan28	Boro	90	140	5.0	1994
28.	BRRI dhan29	Boro	95	160	7.5	1994
29.	BRRI dhan30	T. Aman	120	145	5.0	1994
30.	BRRI dhan31	T. Aman	115	140	5.0	1994
31.	BRRI dhan32	T. Aman	120	130	5.0	1994
32.	BRRI dhan33	T. Aman	100	118	4.5	1997
33.	BRRI dhan34	T. Aman	117	135	3.5	1997
34.	BRRI dhan35	Boro	105	155	5.0	1998
35.	BRRI dhan36	Boro	90	140	5.0	1998
36.	BRRI dhan37	T. Aman	125	140	3.5	1998
37.	BRRI dhan38	T. Aman	125	140	3.5	1998
38.	BRRI dhan39	T. Aman	106	122	4.5	1999
39.	BRRI dhan40	T. Aman	110	145	4.5	2001
40.	BRRI dhan41	T. Aman	115	148	4.5	2001
41.	BRRI dhan42	Aus	100	100	3.5	2004
42.	BRRI dhan43	Aus	100	100	3.5	2004
43.	BRRI dhan44	T. Aman	130	145	5.5	2005
44.	BRRI dhan45	Boro	100	145	6.5	2005
45.	BRRI dhan46	T. Aman	105	124	4.7	2007
46.	BRRI dhan47	Boro	105	152	6.0	2007
47.	BRRI dhan48	Aus	105	110	5.5	2008
48.	BRRI dhan49	T. Aman	100	135	5.5	2008
49.	BRRI dhan50 (Banglamoti)	Boro	82	155	6.0	2008
50.	BRRI dhan51	T. Aman	90	142 a 154 b	4.5 4.0	2010
51.	BRRI dhan52	T. Aman	116	145 a 155 b	5.0 4.5	2010
52.	BRRI dhan53	T. Aman	105	125	4.5	2010
53.	BRRI dhan54	T. Aman	115	132	4.5	2010
54.	BRRI hybrid dhan1	Boro	110	155	8.5	2001
55.	BRRI hybrid dhan2	Boro	105	145	8.0	2008
56.	BRRI hybrid dhan3	Boro	110	145	9.0	2009
57.	BRRI hybrid dhan4	T. Aman	112	118	6.5	2010
Note: a=if not submerged, b=if submerged for 14 days, *=for hoar areas only

Recognition

BRRI is honoured with the follwing prestigious national and international awards for its outstanding contribution to the science and technology.

Future Strategy

If the present population growth rate continues the demand for rice will be 25% higher than that of the present production level. BRRI is committed to meet-up this demand to save the nation from hunger and has taken the following strategies to fulfil this commitment.