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The authorities have issued urgent alerts about a possible rise in blast disease -- one of the most destructive diseases of staple-food rice -- following recent rain and hailstorms in many parts of the country.
The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) issued the warnings and recommended preventative measures, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Boro paddy, the main rice cropping season, provides 55 per cent of the country's rice needs. This year, the target is to harvest 22 million tonnes of rice from 5 million hectares of land.
The DAE reports that over 4.85 million hectares are currently under cultivation for Boro, while harvesting is expected to begin in the haor region within the next three weeks.
Referring to meteorological forecasts, BRRI mentioned the current rain and the possibility of heavy showers and hailstorms across the country for the next week.
The institute in its red alert says that paddy leaves could be affected by leaf blast, and plants transplanted earlier could also be susceptible to neck blast.
BRRI has recommended spraying "Tricyclazole"-type fungicides twice daily for the next seven days, depending on the region and condition of the plants.
BRRI's chief scientific officer Dr Quazi Shireen Akhter Jahan said her organisation has sent a red alert to all relevant government agencies, including the DAE.
"We are requesting the DAE to circulate the alert immediately and take necessary actions based on BRRI's recommendations to prevent possible losses," she said.
Dr Jahan said blast disease is a fungal infection that can affect all above-ground parts of a rice plant, including the leaves, collar, nodes, neck, panicle and sometimes the leaf sheath.
The initial symptoms appear as white to grey-green lesions or spots with dark green borders.
As the disease progresses, the affected paddy sheaths dry out.
DAE Director General Badal Chandra Biswas told The Financial Express that the department has issued a cautionary message to district offices for immediate action.
Extension workers from district to union level have been instructed to provide farmers with all necessary information about the disease, he said. "Taking early action can help minimise losses."
Mr Biswas added that farmers are enthusiastic about rice farming this year due to the strong rice market.
Dr Prof Abdul Hamid, an agronomist and chairman of the Agrarian Research Foundation, Bangladesh (ARF), said rice blast disease destroys enough rice to feed more than 60 million people worldwide.
"The fungus is known to occur in over 90 countries and is now the most devastating fungal plant pathogen globally," he said.
"Boro farming has become increasingly vulnerable to climate change, as rain and hailstorms in March and April increase the chances of fungal infection."
Dr Hamid urged for immediate government action, including utilising state machinery and media to raise awareness among farmers across the country.