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Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour

Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour established on 5th August, 2010 is a basic and strategic institution supporting more than 500 researchers and educationist towards imparting education at graduate and post graduate level, conducting basic, strategic, applied and adaptive research activities, ensuring effective transfer of technologies and capacity building of farmers and extension personnel. The university has 6 colleges (5 Agriculture and 1 Horticulture) and 12 research stations spread in 3 agro-ecological zones of Bihar. The University also has 21 KVKS established in 20 of the 25 districts falling under the jurisdiction of the University. The degree programmes of the university and its colleges have been accredited by ICAR in 2015-16. The university is also an ISO 9000:2008 certified organisation with International standard operating protocols for maintaining highest standards in teaching, research, extension and training.VisionThe Bihar Agricultural University was established with the objective of improving quality of life of people of state especially famers constituting more than two third of the population. Having set ultimate goal of benefitting society at large, the university intends to achieve it by imparting word-class need based agricultural education, research, extension and public service.

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2016 - 201912020 - 20211
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Author: Kumari, Priyanka × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Knockdown of movement protein (MP) of Potato Leaf Roll Virus (PLRV) using RNA interference technology
    (Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, BAU, Sabour, 2021-03) Kumari, Priyanka; Ranjan, Tushar
    Viruses cause many severe plant diseases, resulting in immense losses of crop yield worldwide. Potato crop is severely affected by various biotic stresses and among which viruses play a significant contribution in terms of huge loss in crop yield worldwide including India. Potato is affected by deadly viruses especially more potential infection via seed tubers due to the vegetative reproduction of the crop. More than 40 viruses and viroids hampering the cultivation of potato across the globe. The crop is infected by more than 30 RNA viruses, out of which 13 are mainly transmitted by aphids. Potato leaf roll virus (PLRV), belongs to genus Polerovirus and family Luteoviridae, is widely spreaded potato virus worldwide and responsible for more than 20 million tonnes yield loss (up to 90 %) globally. PLRV is only transmitted by aphids, namely, Myzus persicae. It is widely multiplied in the phloem tissue and the symptoms of disease reflect this position. Because potato is a vegetatively propagated crop, once it gets infected with viruses, they can easily disseminate in the progeny tubers. These viruses are found in single or most of the time as a mixed infection within the potato crops. Tubers used for planting in next season can harbor latent viruses that subsequently reduce emergence, plant vigor and yield. All daughter tubers produced by infected mother tubers (secondary infection) will become infected via systemic translocation of the virus during growth. Therefore, developing novel approaches to control plant viruses is crucial to meet the demands of a growing world population. Recently, RNA interference (RNAi) has been widely used to develop virus-resistant plants. Once genome replication and assembly of virion particles is completed inside the host plant, viral genomes spread cell-to-cell through plasmodesmata (PD) by interacting with the virus-encoded movement protein (MP). MPs help in the enlargement of PD pore size and active transport of the viral nucleic acid or mature viral particle as well into the adjacent cell, thereby allowing local and systemic spread of viruses in plants. We used the RNAi approach to suppress MP gene expression, which in turn prevented potato leafroll virus (PLRV) systemic infection in Solanum tuberosum cv. Khufri Ashoka. Potato plants agroinfiltrated with MP siRNA constructs exhibited no rolling symptoms upon PLRV infection, indicating that the silencing of MP gene expression is an efficient method for generating PLRV-resistant potato plants. Further, we identified novel ATPase motifs in MP for the first time that may be involved in viral nucleic acid binding and their translocation through plasmodesmata during viral maturation process. We also showed that the putative ATP binding motifs viz., walker A, walker B, sensor motif, arginine finger I and II together forms a fantastic binding site for substrate ATP. Intriguingly, in silico data also fetched DNA binding domain in MP. Based on the above findings, we proposed a hypothetical model for transportation of mature virion particles or their naked genome across the PD. Overall, our findings provide a robust technology to generate PLRV-resistant potato plants, which can be extended to other species. Phylogenetic analysis of MP from different families of plant viruses showed that Luteoviridae has ancestral existence, which later on diversed into multiple variants during course of evolution. These findings will further complement in developing biochemical and structural approaches to study the plant virus transportation mechanisms through PD. Moreover, this approach contributes to the study of genome translocation mechanisms of plant viruses.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Economics of Banana Production in Bhagalpur district of Bihar
    (Department of Agricultural Economics, BAU, Sabour, 2016-07) Kumari, Priyanka; Wadhwani, Mukesh Kumar
    Banana is an important fruit crop grown (34310 ha, NHB :2013-14) in the state of Bihar .The state ranks 7th in the country in terms of annual production of 1435.78 thousand metric tonne. There are two distinct banana growing areas; viz. old Vaishali region and new North- Eastern (Kosi) region, endowed with congenial climatic conditions favourable for growth and development of banana. It is an important source of income and employment for small as well as large category growers. The banana in the state has been reportedly being cultivated under traditional system. It is considered as high feeder crop in terms irrigation and nutritional requirement. Regional variation in costs and returns including resource use efficiency has been found. Further, within the region there is variation among different farm size group. The profitability of the banana production has not been quite substantial due to fluctuating prices and inability of the growers on the part of marketing including post-harvest management. The review of banana production and marketing has revealed that there exist several gaps in the knowledge and information on all the above issues. The banana fruit, which has become an integral component of socio-economic fabric of the people of state, is now facing various constraints. Therefore, in view of obtaining present status of the above aspects present study has been conducted. The study is based on primary data, collected from a sample of 60 banana growers, consisted of 26 (43 %), 25 (42 %) and 9 (15 %) marginal & small, semi-medium and medium & large category. The data were collected from the sample growers with the help of specifically prepared pre-tested schedules through Survey Method by interviewing them, selected through Multi-Stage Sampling Technique from a cluster of 3 villages of Nawgachia block of Bhagalpur district. The statistical measures like mean, percentage, ratio, frequency distribution etc. were used to accomplish objectives of study. The study revealed that per ha average total cost of cultivation of banana var. robusta was found ranging between Rs.1, 00,566.45 on marginal & small farms to Rs.95, 294.42 on medium & large farms. The variable costs included material cost (72.55 %) and labour cost (23.60 %). The material cost was found highest (Rs.72364.71 per ha) on marginal & small farms. The average labour cost was estimated as Rs.22512.93 per ha. The average cost of irrigation and fertilizer constituted 35.59 per cent and 16.01 per cent of total cost, respectively while labour cost constituted of 23.60 per cent. The yield (number of bunches per ha) was found ranging from 2768 to 2847 among three categories of farms and the average price received by the banana growers was Rs. 129.91 per bunch. The average gross income has been estimated as Rs. 3, 64,007.87 per ha, which was ranging in ascending order to size of farms; i.e. higher on large farms and less on marginal farms. The “return to total cost ratio” was estimated at 3.78, which was also in ascending order to size group. The scarcity of labour was considered as the most important limiting factor (88.89 per cent) by medium & large category growers. The non-availability of credit was important to the extent of 88 and 77 per cent by semi-medium and marginal & small growers, respectively. Heavy rainfall as well as frequent cyclone was the major natural calamity due to which their crop was damaged, resulting heavy economic loss to them. There was no provision of crop insurance also. Non-availability of proper market, dominance of pre-harvest contractors, price-fluctuation and no practice of grading were considered as factors affecting banana production by all categories of growers. Most of the quantity of produce is marketed through pre–harvest contractors, which were reported to be their financer. Marketing linkages have not yet been developed and stabilized in the area due to large number of small un-organized banana producers. The growers in general (76.67 %) were found selling banana in ‘local market’. The semi-medium and medium & large category (36.0 and 56.0 per cent) growers were also found selling it to ‘distant markets’. The ‘contract sale’ was pre-dominantly prevailed as ‘mode of sale’ in the area. The ‘cash sale’ as-well-as ‘credit sale’ was prevailing in the area. The marginal & small category growers sold banana to the pre-harvest contractors. The study suggest that Banana being heavy feeder and labour intensive nature of crop, the growers should be trained on its nutrient and water management including that of ratoon crop as well as on post-harvest management technology. The predominance of pre-harvest contractors and large number of un-organized marginal & small banana growers restricts growers to harvest benefits of scale of production. Therefore there is need of organizing growers to form Producer Company on the lines of MAHGRAPES, MAHAMANGO, MAHABANANA etc. prevailing in Maharashtra state. After repealing of APMC Act (since 2006) no alternate marketing method has been developed/implemented in the state. Direct marketing by producer to the consumers has been experimented through ‘APNI MANDI’ is the state of Punjab, Haryana etc. The same may be implemented in Bihar to safeguard the interest of farming community in general, with some modification, if any. Disposal of large quantity of bio-waste in form of pseudo-stem is generated every year poses great problem to banana growers. This can be a source of fiber which has high value in market for its durability and strength. Therefore efforts should be made towards sustainable waste utilization by extraction of fiber and its conversion into various value added products like bags, wall hangings, pot-hangers, tablemats etc. to the extent possible. Though the State Govt. has launched various programmes under Agriculture Road Map aimed to increase production, productivity and profitability of horticultural crops, their benefits are yet to be harvested by the farming community.