Thumbnail Image

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.

Browse

20231
Reset filters
Subject: Biotechnology and molecular Biology × Author: Murmu, Anju Kumari × End date: 2024 × Start date: 2020 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
Reset filters

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Role of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in alleviation of arsenic mediated phytotoxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
    (RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) Murmu, Anju Kumari; Kumar, Shailesh
    The present study was done to study the effects of different concentrations of arsenic and iron oxide nanoparticles combinations on rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings. The objective for the study were: 1. To study the effects of different concentrations of arsenic and iron oxide nanoparticles on seed germination and seedling growth of rice. 2. To investigate the effectiveness of iron oxide nanoparticles in reducing the toxicity of arsenic based on physiological and biochemical changes in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Two rice genotypes (Rajendra Neelam & Gautam) were used for this experiment work. The experiment was carried out in two different ways: 1. In pots 2. In paper cups. In both the experiments the seeds and seedlings were subjected to different treatments and treatment combinations of arsenic and iron oxide (nanoparticles or bulk form). For paper cups experiment, the seeds were soaked in different concentrations of arsenic and iron oxide and the germination parameters were taken in 10-day old seedlings. For pot experiment, the seeds were first sown in soil filled pots and after it reached seedling stage, the plants were transplanted to plastic cups and were subjected to different combinations of arsenic and iron oxide. The treatments were as follows: T1: Control, T2: 25 µM As, T3: 50 µM As, T4: 25 mg/L FeNP, T5: 50 mg/L FeNP, T6: 25 mg/L Fe Bulk, T7: 50 mg/L Fe Bulk, T8: 25 µM As + 25 mg/L FeNP, T9: 25 µM As + 50 mg/L FeNP, T10: 50 µM As + 25 mg/L FeNP, T11: 50 µM As + 50 mg/L FeNP T12: 25 µM As + 25 mg/L Fe Bulk T13: 25 µM As + 50 mg/L Fe Bulk, T14: 50 µM As + 25 mg/L Fe Bulk and T15: 50 µM As + 50 mg/L Fe Bulk. The results showed that iron oxide reduced the germination %, shoot length, root length and also the seedling dry weight thereby, reducing the seedling vigor index I and II of seedlings exposed to Arsenic stress. The relative heavy metal injury rate increases on As treatment. The total biomass of the seedlings also reduces on As exposure. However, it gradually increases on iron oxide exposure. The relative water content (RWC) in leaves is reduced on exposure to As and it is increases on exposing it to different concentrations of iron oxide. Arsenic reduced the photosynthetic pigments, stomatal conductance and photosynthesis in leaves. On exposure of seedling to stress there is accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) like hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) inducing oxidative stress, damaging the membrane lipids raising the electrolyte leakage (EL). Also there is peroxidation of lipid membrane causing rise in malondialdehyde (MDA). Iron oxide strengthen the antioxidant enzymes (Superoxide dismutase and Ascorbate peroxidase), thereby alleviating oxidative stress and reducing EL and MDA content. The results reveal that iron oxide (nanoparticles and bulk) had a positive influence on morphological, seed germination parameters, physiological and biochemical parameters. However, better results were seen in case of iron oxide nanoparticles. This shows that supplementation of iron oxide nanoparticles to arsenic stressed condition can help alleviate arsenic mediated phytotoxicity.