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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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20181
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Subject: Entomology × Author: Kumar, Pankaj × End date: 2023 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Biochemical and molecular studies on different chickpea genotypes against infestation of pod borer, Helicoverpaarmigera (Hübner)
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2018) Kumar, Pankaj; Ahmad, Md. Abbas
    During the course of investigation, Helicoverpa armigera was observed on chickpea genotypes from 51 to 114 days after sowing. The overall lowest mean larval population was recorded on Pusa 391 closely followed by RSG 888 during crop season 2017-18. The overall highest mean larval population (4.46) was recorded on JGK 1 which was at par with GJG 3, JAKI 9218, JG 315, JG 63 and JG 218.The maximum per cent pod damage (15.52%) was observed on JGK 1 genotype and minimum per cent pod damage (2.77%) in Pusa 391. Results of biochemical experiments indicated that genotype JGK 1 recorded the lowest phenol (0.045 mg/g), flavonoids (0.047 mg/g) and tannin content (0.675 mg/g) and highest protein content (17.27g/100g) as compared to other genotypes. In genotype KAK 2 protease inhibitor activity was very high(18.22 mg/g), where as it was lowest (7.42%) in GJG 3. The genotypes JGK 1, GJG 3 and JG 315 with high protein content recorded higherper cent pod damage(15.52%, 13.25% and 12.44%, respectively) indicating that the genotypes were more preferred by the H. armigera. On the other hand, low per cent pod damage on Pusa 391 (2.77%) and Vishal (4.74%)may be attributed to low protein content.Highly significant and negative correlation was observed between pod damage (%) and all major biochemical parameters studied. .On the basis of molecular studies, all the fifteen chickpea genotypes were divided into seven clusters. Eachcluster contains chickpea genotypes with similar characteristics. Cluster A comprised of JG 11, cluster B consisted of ICCV 2 and KAK 2, cluster C consisted of Pusa 391 and RSG 888, cluster D consisted of JGK 1, cluster E contains GJG 3, JG 315, JG 218 and JG 63, cluster F contains ICCV 10, RSG 44 and Vishal, and the cluster G consisted of JAKI 9218 and KPG 59 genotype.