Wheat grown in about five per cent oft he areas under cultivation in the northern region of the country this season has become 'grossly sterile' (cheeta).

This, however, is in contrast with the well-grown wheat in the rest of the fields.

While visiting wheat fields in. different areas of greater Rangpur and Dinajpur districts along with two experts recently, this correspondent heard fanners attributing the sterility of wheat to poor quality of some varieties of imported wheat seeds. These were imported from India and Pakistan, sources pointed put.

The government had imported some 9.000 tonnes of wheat seeds following last year’s devastating floods to supplement BADC's efforts to provide farmers with 18.000 tonnes of seeds. BADC normally supplies hardly 20 per cent of wheat seeds needed in the country while growers themselves preserve their own seeds — mainly HYV variety Kanchan.

As the imported varieties of Inqllab, UP and Raj are now on the 'suspect list' for resulting in sterility, experts have once again reminded the government of the need for building up a buffer stock of wheat seeds.

"It was a fairly well intended decision on the part of the government to import wheat seeds but we think it will be a more prudent a decision if it goes for internal procurement of seeds from the growers", said a wheat

Meanwhile, experts from the Wheat Research Centre (WRC) at Nashipur in Dinajpur are collecting samples ol sterile wheat

and examining 'geo-physiologi-cal conditions’ to determine the cause behind.

Wheat expert Dr Craig A Meisner and WRC expert Sai-fuzzaman visited the fields with sterile wheat.

Lokman All of Sonapukur in Parbatipur thana of Dinajpur repented that he had sowed imported wheat seeds that resulted in sterility .

At Nasnia under Rangpur Sadar thana, landless Khur-shid Alam cultivated wheat in two plots. He sowed imported seeds in one plot and have similar experience.

"There 1 sowed imported seeds — I don't know which variety — and now 1 see no grain".