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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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20211
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Subject: Plant Pathology × Author: J N, NITHIN KUMAR × Start date: 2015 × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Studies on variability and holistic management of Sarocladium oryzae
    (Dr.RPCAU, Pusa, 2021) J N, NITHIN KUMAR; Rai, Bimla
    Rice is worlds' second most important cereal crop, with approximately twothirds of the world's population relying on it for survival. Rice production is influenced by various biotic and abiotic factors. Among the many biotic variables impacting rice production and productivity, fungus, bacteria, virus, and nematodes are the most significant constraints responsible for low productivity. Sheath rot has emerged as a serious disease that causes qualitative and quantitative yield losses ranging from 3-85%. During Kharif 2018 and 2019 survey conducted in seven districts of Bihar (Zone I) indicated the maximum disease incidence in Madhubani and the lowest in Sitamarhi districts. All the villages in seven districts showed significant variance in disease incidence. Fourteen Sarocladium oryzae isolates collected, two from each districts of the Bihar (Zone I) observed significant variability in Mycelium color, colony diameter, conidiophores and conidia length and conidia per sq. cm on PDA media. All the isolates had fluffy irregular growth on PDA, eight isolates had mycelia colour were whitish with pale orange, two isolates whitish with deep orange and four isolates whitish with orange ochre. Isolate Sob-8 (0.85cm) and Sob-11 (0.95cm) had the least growth while isolate Sob-7 (3.20cm) had maximum radial growth, maximum dry weight was observed in Sob-7 (0.95g) while the mycelial dry weight was found to be the smallest in Sob-8 (0.32g), maximum length of Conidiophore was recorded in isolate Sob-4 (57.9μm) while the least length of Conidiophore was recorded in isolate Sob-8 (46.7μm). Longest length of conidia was observed in isolate Sob-10 (5.95μm) while the least conidial length was observed in Sob-5 (4.65μm). Sob-7 isolate found to be most virulent in the assessment of pathogenic variability study. Azoxystrobin 11 % + Tebuconazole 18.3 % and carbendazim 25 % + Mancozeb 50% showed 100 % growth inhibition of S. oryzae when tested in vitro using the poisoned food technique at three different dosages. Clove oil was shown to be efficient with 66.60 % suppression at 100ppm and 100% inhibition at remaining concentrations, whereas botanical extracts of Datura and Calotropis inhibited S. oryzae isolate growth by more than 50% at 40% concentration. At all three concentrations, the homoeopathic drug Sulpher showed 100% inhibition. When four isolates of Trichoderma spp. and a isolates of Pseudomonas fluorescens were assessed for their in vitro antagonistic effect against Sob-7 isolate, Pseudomonas fluorescens isolate led to a considerable influence on S. oryzae growth. In field conditions carbendazim 25 % + Mancozeb 50 % WS found to be the most effective among fungicides controlling disease (57.02%), lemongrass oil effective with 31.12% disease control followed by Niragundi oil, clove oil. Both the homeopathic drugs were not effective against the disease in field conditions. Among 148 germplasms screened against sheath rot disease of rice three germplasms viz., IR- 64, IET 25618 and IET 26178 were found to be highly resistant to sheath rot disease.