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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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2014 - 20192
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Subject: Plant Pathology × Author: Kumari, Ritu × End date: 2019 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Characterization and management of bacterial wilt of potato
    (DRPCAU, Pusa, Samastipur, 2019) Kumari, Ritu; Ranjan, Rajesh Kumar
    Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the important food crops after wheat, maize and rice around the world. ). Bacterial wilt or brown rot, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, considered as destructive disease of potato crops. It has an extensive host range of ~ 450 crop species across 54 families. In the present research work the bacterial wilt infected potato plant were collected from different location of Samastipur districts of Bihar. 20 strains of R. solanacearum were isolated and identified on the basis of different biochemical characteristics. The strains of R. solanacearum showed fluidal, irregular and creamy white with pink at the centre on TZC medium. The strains of R. solanacearum showed positive result for pathogenicity test and brown rot symptoms in potato tubers. The results of biochemical studies showed that, all the 20 isolates were gram-negative, rod shaped and positive for potassium hydroxide test, oxidase test, catalase test, nitrate reduction test, production of hydrogen sulphide and citrate utilization test but they showed negative reaction for indole test. Race characterization showed that strains of R. solanacearum, causing bacterial wilt disease in potato, belong to race 3 and isolate obtained from wilted tomato plant belonged to race 1. The result of biovar demonstrated that the strain of R. solanacearum collected from different location of Samastipur districts of Bihar belong to bv2 (80%) & bv2T (20%) and tomato isolates belong to bv3. A total of 32 isolates of rhizobacteria were selected on the basis of fluorescent production and evaluated against R. solanacearum in which 22 isolates were found to be effective. Inhibition zone was ranging from 10.33 mm to 31.16 mm, KSP-2 isolates produced highest inhibition zones (31.16 mm). Eleven aqueous and ethanol extracts of botanicals were studied in vitro against R. solanacearum. In both aqueous extract and ethanolic, garlic extract (Allium sativum) at 100% concentration found to be most effective and showed an inhibition zone of about 30.21 mm and 29.77mm respectively. After screening, four aqueous extracts of botanicals (garlic, guava, marigold and turmeric) and four ethanol extracts of botanicals (garlic, guava, marigold and papaya) which showed inhibition zone ≥ 15mm was evaluated against R. solanacearum at1%, 5%, 10% and 15% concentration. Among them garlic showed superiority over all the botanicals extract at all the levels of concentration. Tulsi did not show antimicrobial property in aqueous extracts of botanicals whereas in ethanolic extracts it showed antibacterial property by producing inhibition zone of 14.10 mm. Six antibacterial chemicals (3 antibiotics & 3 bactericides) were evaluated against R. solanacearum. Among the antibiotics Chloramphenicol showed highest antibacterial activity at 100ppm and 250ppm (15.96 and 19.60 mm inhibition zone respectively) whereas at 500ppm Streptocycline produced highest inhibition zone (28.03 mm). Among the bactericides Azoxystrobin showed highest antibacterial activity at all the three concentrations (0.1%, 0.2 % and 0.3 %) produced inhibition zone 10.10mm, 11mm and 12.26 mm respectively.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Studies on native fungi in Relation to crop health of Tulasi.
    (Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2014) Kumari, Ritu; Jha, P. K.
    Rhizosphere of Tulsi plant comprised of diverse range of fungal population as compared to phylloplane which harbored less diverse fungal spectrum. The fungal species isolated from rhizosphere were Trichoderma harzianum ,Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp. and Fusarium sp. The fungal species isolated from phylloplane were Alternaria sp., Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp. and Fusarium sp. All the rhizosphere fungi were found to be non- pathogenic whereas among phylloplane fungi Alternaria sp. showed pathogenic effect under pot condition and also through detached leaf technique. Some of the fungal species such as Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp. and Fusarium sp. were common in both rhizosphere and phylloplane. Among rhizosphere fungi Trichoderma harzianum, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. were found to exhibit growth promoting effect and favoured healthy and vigrous growth of plant. Likewise the phylloplane isolates, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. showed marked effect and favoured plant growth. All the benificial fungal isolates showed antagonistic effect against pathogenic isolate Alternaria in dual culture. Among these Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma harzianum were found to exhibit stronger antagonistic effect. All these benificial fungi were found to supress the pathogenic effect of Alternaria under pot condition. Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp. showed greater inhibition of pathogenic effect and favoured healthy and vigrous growth of plant. Antagonistic effect of Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp. and Trichoderma harzianum under lab and pot condition and their growth promoting behaviour may be exploited for evolving disease management strategy against leaf spot of Tulsi caused by Alternaria sp.