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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: Entomology × Author: Sagar, Ritu × End date: 2015 × Start date: 2010 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Studies on the biodiversity of micro-arthropods and annelids in relation to physico-chemical parameter of soil
    (Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2014) Sagar, Ritu; Misra, A. K.
    The variety and galaxy of micro-arthropods and annelids with their natural beauty occupy prime place in the biological world. Only a fraction of total micro-arthropods and annelids wealth had been subjected to scientific scrutiny. A little efforts had been made during the investigation of unravel the unexplored and hidden wealth of micro-arthropods and annelids in soil of Bihar in general at Pusa in particular. The present study was carried out to know the “Biodiversity of micro-arthropods and annelids in relation to physico-chemical parameter of soil”. Five experimental sites namely paddy field, teak plantation, soil fertility trial plot, mango orchard and litchi orchard were taken during the investigation in the month of July to September 2013 at Pusa Research Farm, Rajendra Agricultural University. This investigation describes specific features of soil biodiversity characteristics of main group of micro-arthropods such as collembolan, soil mite and enchytraeids with population in sites, their habitat in soil and also with aboitic factors. At each sites five pitfall trap and ten core samples were taken at the depth of 0-15 cm, 15-30 cm and 0-20 cm taken for the extraction of collembolan, soil mite and enchytraeids with the extraction apparatus Tullgren Funnel and OʿConnorʾs Funnel. Highest population of collembolan and soil mites were found in teak plantation and enchytraeids in paddy field .The month of July to August were found to be the peak period of these micro-arthropods at Pusa. The soil of this area were calcareous in nature. To determine physico-chemical parameter (pH, EC, organic carbon, soil moisture, bulk density, N, P, K, S and micro-nutrient) of soil were studies from each sites. A high population of micro- arthropods and annelids signifies the good health of soil including good structure and high organic matter content .Soil micro- arthropods play important role in nutrient recycling and build up the soil fertility. Mango orchard, litchi orchard and teak plantation were rich in leaf litter, organic matter and nutrient which signifies presence of high number of collembolan, soil mite and enchytraeids in the soil in and around Pusa. The presence of micro-arthropods and annelids also influenced by abiotic factor (temperature, rainfall, relative humidity). Collembola, soil mite and enchytraeids showed negative correlation with soil temperature. Relative humidity showed positive correlation with collembolan, soil mite and enchytraeids. However, collembola and soil mite showed negative correlation with rainfall whereas enchytraeids showed positive correlation with rainfall.