Importance of rice in agrarian economy of India is enormous. In order to meet demand of this staple crop for increasing population, productivity enhancement is a key research and development agenda. Improving seed replacement rate is widely held as a critical area to boost rice productivity in the country. This study based on secondary data revealed merely sowing quality seeds may not result in desired level of yield increase unless quality seeds of a good and appropriate variety is sown. Punjab, with its 38% SRR, registers 3.97 ton per ha yield whereas it is just 1.51 ton per ha in Chattisgarh where SRR is 44%. There are many varieties, quite older than stipulated 10 years, that are largely indented and grown due to lack of substitutes and poor varietal awareness. Because of this slow varietal awareness and replacement, rice yield still stagnates despite seeds are of assured quality. This shows varietal replacement rate is as important as seed replacement rate. The available studies also indicate that current seed system further needs to rationalize variety selection, production and multiplication of breeder seeds for ensuring seed security of farmers and this should be supplemented by measures taken to promote varietal promotion and replacement, quality seed production interventions at farmers’ level, and decentralized seed production system.

While the accumulation of arsenic in rice (Oryza sativa L.) has been highlighted as a major concern in Bangladesh, sustainable measures are critically needed to reduce the uptake of arsenic by rice plants. In the present study, a pot-experiment was conducted using a Boro rice variety (BRRI dhan-29) in two geomorphologically different soils from Holocene floodplains and Pleistocene terraces, in which silicon-rich fresh rice husk (FRH) and rice husk ash (RHA) were applied, as silicon fertilisers, in the soils at the rate of 1% (w/w) of rice residue:soil.In the Holocene floodplain soils, the application of FRH was found to decrease arsenic in grain, husk and straw by 42, 56 and 51%, respectively, whereas the soil incorporation of RHA decreased arsenic in grain, husk and straw by 26, 37.5 and 36%, respectively. In the Pleistocene terrace soils, the application of FRH reduced the grain, husk and straw arsenic by 38, 38 and 44%, respectively, whereas the RHA decreased the grain, husk and straw arsenic by 26, 30 and 29%, respectively. Fresh rice husk was found to be more effective in alleviating arsenic accumulation in rice than RHA. In both the Holocene floodplain and Pleistocene terrace soils, the grain concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, silicon, and zinc were found to be increased with the decrease of arsenic in the grain due to the use of FRH and RHA. The present study suggests that silicon-rich rice husk residue scan be used as silicon fertilisers to reduce arsenic accumulation in rice in Bangladesh. Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res.56(3), 195-206, 2021