Thumbnail Image

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.

Browse

20211
Reset filters
Subject: Plant Pathology × Author: KUMAR,CHANDAN × Start date: 2020 × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
Reset filters

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Studies on Variability and Management strategies of Maydis leaf blight disease of maize caused by Helminthosporium maydis Nisik.
    (Dr.RPCAU, Pusa, 2021) KUMAR,CHANDAN; Chand, Phool
    Maydis leaf blight (MLB) caused by Helminthosporium maydis (Nisikado and Miyake) Shoemaker is one of the major disease of maize. The disease is present in almost all maize growing areas and is a major limiting factor in increasing yield. Therefore, in vitro and field studies were conducted to elucidate different aspects of pathogen biology, disease progress and effective management of disease. Pathogen produced grey to dark grey conidial colonies and the mycelium was fluffy, cottony, grey to olivaceous in colour. Conidia were 5-11 septate olivaceous brown, spindle-shaped with tapering to round ends and bipolar germination. Conidia originated on straight to flexous, pale to dark brown conidiophores, appearing as single or in small groups. At, the base of conidia a small, protruding, slightly papillate hilum was observed Potato Dextrose agar media and Richard‘s agar media, 2 C temperature, pH 8, were found best for growth and sporulation of H. maydis. In vitro evaluation studies revealed that among the fungicides Propiconazole, Carboxim, Thiram and Mancozeb were found most effective in inhibiting growth of pathogen. While in non-chemical methods of management, Turmeric, Garlic and Neem extract and RT-6 isolate of Trichoderma harzianum, were found most effective. Under field conditions, observations on loss estimation revealed that lower disease index resulted in increased grain yield in T5 (Carbendazim+Mancozeb ST + Propiconazole spray) treated plants. The study on effect of spacing and nitrogen doses on the disease also conducted. Under glass house and field conditions, sixty five days old plants were found most vulnerable to infection. In biochemical studies for elucidation of defence induction, biochemical markers reached maximum on third day after pathogen inoculation and INA treatments were found most effective.