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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: Plant Pathology × Author: ADHIKARY, BARNITA × Start date: 1980 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Liquid Spawn Production Technology for Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach
    (DRPCAU, PUSA, 2022) ADHIKARY, BARNITA; Nandni, Sudha
    Mushroom, a wonder of nature comes under fungal biota. They are very delicious, with ample amount of nutrition, medicinally important and easily obtainable source of human food. One of the best, cultivated edible mushrooms in the world is button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). Though production and consumption of this delicacy are rising day by day all over the world, India shows comparatively less awareness on its production according to its ascending demand among people. The lack of good quality spawn is the main obstacle to India's button mushroom output. There are many variables contributing to this issue, such as slow technological adoption, high input costs, transportation issues, a shortage of skilled labour, etc. In this present research work, a genuine effort was made to resolve all those parameters which caused the production barrier in the field of button mushroom production. Liquid spawn technology for production of button mushroom was studied on different substrate based liquid culture media under different environmental conditions. To standardize the best liquid culture media for the growth of Agaricus bisporus strain AVTB-20-201, six different substrates based liquid media viz., Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB), Wheat Grain Extract Broth (WGEB), Sawdust Extract Broth (SDB), Honey Broth (HB), Corn Flour Broth (CFB) and Malt Extract Broth (MEB) were evaluated at combination of three different pH (5 pH, 6 pH and 7 pH) and three different temperature (22±1 °C, 25±1 °C and 28±1°C). Among these, 05 best liquid culture media viz., Wheat Grain Extract Broth at 5 pH and 22±1 °C, Potato Dextrose Broth at 5 pH and 22±1 °C, Potato Dextrose Broth at 5 pH and 25±1 °C, Wheat Grain Extract Broth at 5 pH and 25±1 °C and Potato Dextrose Broth at 6 pH and 22±1 °C were shortlisted. These 05 liquid culture media were also used as liquid inoculum to evaluate the colonization of the liquid culture for grain spawn production. Among those liquid inoculated grain spawn, grain spawn inoculated by Wheat Grain Extract Broth culture at 5 pH and 22±1 °C and grain spawn inoculated by Potato Dextrose Broth culture at 5 pH and 22±1 °C were shortlisted. Theses 05 liquid spawn, 02 liquid inoculated grain spawn and 01 solid inoculated (PDA) grain spawn were evaluated on various parameters. Both Wheat Grain Extract Broth medium at 5 pH and 22±1 °C temperature and Potato Dextrose Broth medium at 5 pH and 22±1 °C temperature were found statistically most suitable for the growth of test strain of Agaricus bisporus (AVTB-20-201). Among different liquid and solid inoculum used for colonization of wheat grain for production of grain spawn, Wheat Grain Extract Broth culture medium at 5 pH and 22±1 °C showed the best result. Minimum days for spawn run period, pin head formation and days for first harvest were observed in the liquid spawn of Wheat Grain Extract Broth culture at 5 pH and 22±1 ° C. Maximum ratio of pileus diameter and stipe length is observed in liquid spawn of Potato Dextrose Broth culture at 5 pH and 22±1 °C. Maximum number of fruiting bodies, total yield, biological efficiency and maximum shelf life were observed in the liquid spawn of Wheat Grain Extract Broth culture at 5 pH and 22±1 °C. Least prevalence of contaminants was found in liquid spawn culture media as well as in substrate bags. Contaminant observed in liquid culture media and substrate bags, was identified as Trichoderma spp. Maximum amount of exopolysaccharide from culture broth and the maximum amount of total sugar, reducing sugar and non-reducing sugar from exopolysaccharide were recorded in liquid spawn of Wheat grain extract broth culture medium at 5 pH and 22±1 °C of Agaricus bisporus strain AVTB-20-201. The production of button mushroom by using liquid spawn of Wheat Grain Extract Broth culture at 5 pH and 22±1 °C was found most profitable as it had maximum benefitcost ratio at farm gate level.