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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: Genetics and Plant Breeding × Author: Krishna, Bal × End date: 2018 × Start date: 2016 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Evaluation of Sugarcane Mid-late Clones under Waterlogging conditions
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2017) Krishna, Bal; Kamat, D. N.
    A study was conducted with sixteen genotypes received from Sugarcane Research Institute, D.R.P.C.A.U., Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar. The experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design with three replications during spring season 2016 in paddy block, to evaluate the midlate sugarcane clones for waterlogging tolerance. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among the genotypes for all the characters under study in waterlogging condition. The numerical values of phenotypic variation were higher than their genotypic counterpart for all the characters. Among quality characters viz. brix, pol, purity and CCS percentage at 10 and 12 months stage respectively had low GCV and PCV values indicating the presence of limited variability for these traits. Moderate to high heritability estimates were noticed for almost all the characters under study suggesting that selection of clones for these characters will be effective. Out of all twenty-five traits, high heritability with moderate GCV and PCV coupled with high genetic advance observed by sugar yield (CCS t/ha), cane yield (t/ha), leaf area index before waterlogging, leaf area index at 30 days after waterlogging and leaf area index at 60 days after waterlogging indicating the suitability of these traits for selection. Cane yield (t/ha) had significant and positive correlation with germination percentage at 45 DAP, number of shoots at 120 DAP (000/ha), number of shoots at 240 DAP (000/ha), number of millable canes at harvest (000/ha), sugar yield (t/ha), plant height at 240 DAP, plant height at 360 DAP, single cane weight, cane diameter at harvest leaf area index before waterlogging, leaf area index 30 days after waterlogging, leaf area index 60 days after waterlogging, number of fully emerged leaves at 30 days after waterlogging and number of fully emerged leaves at 60 days after waterlogging. Thus, these traits play a greater role as important contributing characters for higher cane yield. Highest positive direct effect on cane yield was exerted by pol percent at 12 months stage, sugar yield, brix percentage at 10 months stage, single cane weight and purity percentage at 10 months stage at phenotypic level, hence these traits can be used for clonal selection programme on sugarcane for sub-tropical regions. Ranking of clones based on selection index and three other criteria revealed that CoP2061 is the most suitable clone among the clones studied for waterlogging condition. Other clones which can withstand waterlogging situation are BO154 (check), CoP15439 and BO155. From the result and their conclusive interpretation, it can safely concluded that germination percentage at 45 DAP, number of shoots at 120 DAP (000/ha), number of millable cane at harvest (000/ha), sugar yield (CCS t/ha), cane yield, brix percentage at 10 months stage, single cane weight, leaf area index before waterlogging, after 30 and 60 days after waterlogging can be associated together in a positive direction towards an ultimate aim of developing high yielding sugarcane clones combining high sucrose for waterlogging condition.