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Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa

In the imperial Gazetteer of India 1878, Pusa was recorded as a government estate of about 1350 acres in Darbhanba. It was acquired by East India Company for running a stud farm to supply better breed of horses mainly for the army. Frequent incidence of glanders disease (swelling of glands), mostly affecting the valuable imported bloodstock made the civil veterinary department to shift the entire stock out of Pusa. A British tobacco concern Beg Sutherland & co. got the estate on lease but it also left in 1897 abandoning the government estate of Pusa. Lord Mayo, The Viceroy and Governor General, had been repeatedly trying to get through his proposal for setting up a directorate general of Agriculture that would take care of the soil and its productivity, formulate newer techniques of cultivation, improve the quality of seeds and livestock and also arrange for imparting agricultural education. The government of India had invited a British expert. Dr. J. A. Voelcker who had submitted as report on the development of Indian agriculture. As a follow-up action, three experts in different fields were appointed for the first time during 1885 to 1895 namely, agricultural chemist (Dr. J. W. Leafer), cryptogamic botanist (Dr. R. A. Butler) and entomologist (Dr. H. Maxwell Lefroy) with headquarters at Dehradun (U.P.) in the forest Research Institute complex. Surprisingly, until now Pusa, which was destined to become the centre of agricultural revolution in the country, was lying as before an abandoned government estate. In 1898. Lord Curzon took over as the viceroy. A widely traveled person and an administrator, he salvaged out the earlier proposal and got London’s approval for the appointment of the inspector General of Agriculture to which the first incumbent Mr. J. Mollison (Dy. Director of Agriculture, Bombay) joined in 1901 with headquarters at Nagpur The then government of Bengal had mooted in 1902 a proposal to the centre for setting up a model cattle farm for improving the dilapidated condition of the livestock at Pusa estate where plenty of land, water and feed would be available, and with Mr. Mollison’s support this was accepted in principle. Around Pusa, there were many British planters and also an indigo research centre Dalsing Sarai (near Pusa). Mr. Mollison’s visits to this mini British kingdom and his strong recommendations. In favour of Pusa as the most ideal place for the Bengal government project obviously caught the attention for the viceroy.

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Subject: Agricultural Biotechnology × Author: Kumari, Kumkum × End date: 2018 × Start date: 2018 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Candidate gene markers based molecular profiling for grain zinc accumulation in rice
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, 2018) Kumari, Kumkum; Sharma, V.K.
    A study was conducted to determine the genetic variation and divergence in relation to grain zinc accumulation amongst rice varieties using candidate gene based panel of reported primers and to examine the genetic importance of zinc transporter candidate gene based panel of designed primers in discrimination for differential zinc accumulation amongst rice varieties. Twenty-eight locally adapted varieties and advanced breeding lines of rice were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications and the seeds collected after harvesting of the crop were utilized for determination of zinc content in unpolished grains. Eighteen entries selected from the two extremes of grain zinc distribution range constituted the final experimental material and utilized during molecular characterization. Genomic DNA was extracted from two to three weeks old seedlings of purposefully selected set of 18 varieties and then targeted amplification of the genomic DNA was achieved by using a panel of 14 candidate gene specific 14 reported primers and 14 designed primers. Exploitable extent of variability was observed with respect to grain zinc accumulation amongst the set of 28 rice varieties initially evaluated as experimental materials. Zinc content, which varied from 8.18 ppm to 21.53 ppm, was found to be considerably higher in unpolished grains of RAU 3036, Sanwal Basmati, Rajendra Nilam and Rajendra Bha gwati. Using a panel of 14 candidate genes specific 14 reported primer pairs, reproducible amplification was successfully achieved with 12 primer pairs amongst which only eight primer pairs generated polymorphic amplified products. Successful amplification with two candidate genes specific reported primers, namely, OsNAC and OsNRAMP6a was notachieved. Contrarily, each of the 14 designed primer pairs exhibited reproducible amplification, but polymorphic amplified products were generated with only eight primer pairs. Appearance of amplified products in the form of bands at different positions on the gel revealed differential migration due to differences in overall size of the products generated from targeted amplification of specific region of genome. Molecular level genetic polymorphism among the entries was recognized on the basis of variation in respect of position of bands. Ample genetic differentiation and divergence was revealed at the molecular level amongst the rice varieties subjected to molecular characterization using the candidate genes specific and polymorphic panels of reported as well as designed primer pairs. Results from reported primers and designed primers based analysis were in well agreement with each other. Furthermore, hierarchical classification pattern of rice varieties was almost completely corroborated by principal coordinate analysis based spatial distribution pattern of genetic profiles of rice varieties. Hierarchical cluster analysis as well as principal coordinate analysis based on a combination of polymorphic and informative eight reported and eight designed primer pairs provided better expression of differentiation and divergence amongst the rice varieties subjected to molecular characterization. Thus, the use of 14 candidate genes specific 16 polymorphic markers in the genetic analysis exhibited a remarkably higher level of genetic polymorphism, which allowed unique genotyping of eighteen entries included in the analysis. Hence, these markers can be effectively and efficiently utilized for grain zinc accumulation related discrimination of rice genotypes and selection of parental genotypes for genetic improvement in relation to grain zinc biofortification. Microsatellites were detected within the candidate genes and within the amplicons, thereby providing a basis to deduce that the variation present in candidate genes, as observed in terms of differences in the molecular size of the genomic regions spanned by the primer pairs, may be a role player in the differential grain zinc accumulation in rice varieties. Single marker analysis established the association of four markers, namely, OsNACK, OsZIP1-1, OsNRAMP7 and OsNRAMP7K with grain zinc accumulation. These four markers can be effectively used in marker-assisted selection program for grain zinc biofortification in rice. Inter-crossing diverse genotypes from different clusters can lead to successful pyramiding of desirable alleles through molecular breeding program. Parental genetic diversity will undoubtedly increase the probability of identifying desirable recombinants during screening for improvement in relation to grain zinc biofortification.