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

20191
Reset filters
Subject: Entomology × Author: G, Santhosh × Start date: 2019 ×
Reset filters

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Studies on the stunt nematode, Tylenchorhynchus mashhoodi Siddiqi and Basir on maize crop
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur (Bihar), 2019) G, Santhosh; Singh, Uma Shankar
    Studies on the stunt nematode, Tylenchorhynchus mashhoodi Siddiqi and Basir on maize crop were conducted to know i) intensity and frequency of distribution of plant parasitic nematodes in general and stunt nematode, Tylenchorhynchus spp. In particular in maize growing fields around Pusa-Dholi. ii) Pathogenicity of stunt nematode, Tylenchorhynchus mashhoodi on maize cv. Dewaki to determine threshold level in terms of plant growth characters, nematode reproduction, quantum root index, yellowing index and effects of stunt nematode infection on chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll contents of leaf, iii) Screening of different maize varieties/lines for source(s) of resistance against stunt nematode T. mashhoodi during 2018-2019. The salient findings are as under. i) Important plant parasitic nematodes namely species of Tylenchorhynchus, Pratylenchus, Rotylenchulus, Helicotylenchus, Hoplolaimus were found in dominating population around the rhizosphere of maize in Pusa-Dholi area. Frequency of occurrence was found to be higher in Garhia and Harpur village of Samastipur District. ii) An inoculums level of 100 nematodes and above /plant proved detrimental to the growth and development of maize cv. Dewaki. The nematode population/ plant significantly increased progressively with an increase in nematode inoculums from 10 to 10,000 nematode/ plant. Nematode reproduction rate was maximum (88.5 times) at 10 nematodes/ plant and minimum (9.5 times) at 10,000/ plant. Chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll contents significantly reduced with an increase in inoculums levels from 100 to 10,000 nematodes/ plant. Un-inoculated plants had significantly more chlorophyll contents over other treatments. iii) Screening of 8 maize varieties/ lines namely Shaktiman-1, Shaktiman-2, Shaktiman-3, Shaktiman-4, Shaktiman-5, Laxmi, Dewaki, Ganga safed-2 against T. mashhoodi indicated that none of variety/ line was resistant. All the varieties tested were categorized as susceptible to T. mashhoodi.