RICE AS THE LIFELINE OF BANGLADESH: CULTURAL HERITAGE AND PRODUCTION DYNAMICS - Tapon Kumar Roy; Md. Asib Biswas; Momena Akter Sweety; SMM Shahriar Tonmoy; Md Ashiqur Rahman; Tamal Patra Suvo; S. M. Abdul Alim; Anamika Sannal (Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2026)
Rice is the cornerstone of Bangladesh’s food system, culture and tradition, daily life, employment and economy, which is sustaining more than 170 million people and shaping national identity for centuries. However, the long term sustainability of rice production is increasingly challenged by climate variability, resource constraints and nutritional limitations, necessitating a comprehensive synthesis of its current status and future direction. Present review synthesis the cultural heritage, dynamics of production and future prospects of rice in Bangladesh by integrating nutritional, agronomic, socio-cultural and abiotic-biotic perspectives. Rice is deeply associated in cultural traditions, festivals and livelihoods, while also serving as the primary source of dietary energy and significant contributor of protein and micronutrients in Bangladesh. The historical evolution of rice cultivars; indigenous landraces decrease and widespread adoption of high yielding varieties (HYV) and hybrids in diverse ecosystems. Some of them are stress tolerant has driven remarkable gains in productivity and food self-sufficiency. Moreover, the improvement of zinc, vitamin E, antioxidant, iron enriched and diabetic bio-fortified rice contribute to recover from malnutrition. The production increased from 9.77 MT (1971) to 40.62 MT (2024) within 54 years and average yield more than doubled (1.50 to 3.54 t ha-1) due to HYV, improved irrigation, government policy (subsidy for fertilizer, electricity for irrigation, seed). Although, Aman (monsoon) season cover more area than Aus (pre-monsoon), and Boro (irrigated), but total production is high in Boro season due to improved management & irrigation. Despite achievement, rice cultivation faced multifaceted challenges, including abiotic stresses (salinity, flash flood, submergence, drought, temperature), biotic pressures (insect pests, diseases, weeds) and socio-economic constraints till now. Rice based crop diversification (integration of legumes, oilseed and vegetable), varietal diversification (use of stress tolerant, bio-fortified and specialty rice) can enhance system resilience, nutritional security and farmer income. The future of rice cultivation in Bangladesh depends on enhancing abiotic and biotic resilience through climate smart varieties, integrated pest management, mechanization and supportive policies, alongside diversification, value addition and sustainable resource use to ensuring long-term food security and socio-economic stability.
Keywords: journal article; abiotic stress; biotic stress; nutrition value; stress resilient; local landraces; perennial rice