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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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20121
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Subject: Plant Pathology × Author: Kumar, Sunil × End date: 2020 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Epidemiology and Ecofriendly Management of Pigeonpea Wilt
    (2012) Kumar, Sunil; Upadhyay, J. P.
    Wilt of Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L) Millisp.) incited by Fusarium udum (Butler) is a serious threat to the production and productivity of this crop in India and abroad. In Bihar, 18.3 per cent average incidence of wilt has been reported. Effect of soil texture on wilt incidence revealed maximum wilt incidence of 74.75 per cent in loam soil and least in clay soil (49.50%). The effect of soil pH on disease indicated maximum wilt incidence (51.50 %) at soil pH 5 followed by pH 7 (47.25%). Correlation coefficient between wilt incidence and pH of the soil revealed that wilt incidence was negatively (-0.960*) and significantly correlated with soil pH. Disease appearance was early i.e. 19 days at highest inoculum load of 30 g/kg soil where the mean population of F. udum was 12.92 x 103 cfu/g soil and wilt incidence was also highest 70.25 per cent after 30 days of inoculation. The inoculum load of F. udum @ 20 g/kg soil was the optimum inoculum load of for creation of disease epiphytotic as the wilt incidence appeared in 20 and 30 g inoculum load did not differ significantly. Correlation between inoculum density of F. udum (cfu/g soil) and days of disease appearance showed significant and negative correlation and ‘r’ value -0.890* and -0.867* at 30 and 60 days after sowing. Whereas wilt incidence was significantly and positively correlated with inoculum density and ‘r’ values were 0.920* and 0.898* at 30 and 60 days after sowing respectively. The mean values of coefficient of determination (R2), indicated that 85 and 81.0 per cent variation in wilt incidence at 30 and 60 DAS respectively were contributed by inoculum density. It is, therefore, concluded that wilt incidence mainly depended on the initial population of F. udum. Significantly maximum population of F. udum (4.83 x 103 cfu/g soil) was recorded in 1st July and 16th July sowing at upper (0-15) soil strata followed by the subsequent date of sowing on same depth of soil strata. At crop harvest stage maximum population of F. udum 15.17 x 103 cfu/g soil in 1st July sowing in upper soil strata (0-15 cm). The minimum population of F. udum was recorded in 16th August sowing at 31-45 cm soil strata. Sowing of pigeonpea in first fortnight recorded maximum wilt incidence 89.58 % in 1st July sowing which was at par with 16th July sowing (86.83 %) and significantly higher than August sowing. Correlation coefficient (r) between the wilt incidence and weather factors in pigeonpea cultivar ICP 2376 showed a negative and significant correlation between disease incidence and minimum temperature (0C), soil moisture (%), rainfall (mm) and number of rainy days and observed ‘r’ values were -0.591*, -0.987**, -0.593** and -0.664*, respectively whereas it was non significant with R.H at 7hrs (-0.223) and 14hrs (-0.527). Maximum temperature and soil temperature had negative and non significant correlation and observed ‘r’ values were lower i.e. 0.141 and 0.170, respectively. Population F. udum was positively (0.706**) and significantly correlated. Best fitted equation for prediction of wilt disease on cultivar ICP 2376 is Y8 =177.419+0.021(F. udum population) +0.308(Soil temp.0C)-6.347(Soil moisture %) R2 = 0.980