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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: MEENA, MADHU BAI × End date: 2024 × Start date: 2023 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Efficacy of potential bio-control agents isolated from Papaya rhizosphere and new generation fungicides against root rot of Papaya incited by Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc.
    (RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) MEENA, MADHU BAI; SINGH, S.K.
    Papaya (Carica Papaya L.) the versatile tropical fruit is a globally important crop which supports livelihood of millions of people. India is ranked first in production of Papaya and Bihar is ranked fourteenth among major Papaya producing states.Root rot incited by a soil borne fungi i.e. Fusarium solani is one of the most devastating disease of Papaya since last decade. This disease of Papaya has emerged as a serious threat for the Papaya crop cultivation in Bihar’s agro-climatic condition. The disease needs immediate attention as 90-95 per cent crop failure has been reported and mostly all existing varieties of Papaya are highly susceptible to this disease. Disease can only be managed effectively by use of resistant varieties which are scanty at present. Due to soil borne nature of pathogen, chemical and cultural methods are also not effective. Hence biological control is only plausible and explorable approach. Hence, this study was aimed to isolate microflora from rhizosphere of Papaya plants to evaluate their antagonistic potential against Fusarium solani causing root rot. Among total 38 isolates obtained from Papaya rhizosphere 07 isolates were selected on basis of their promising antagonistic potential against Fusarium solani. The selected isolates showed Percent inhibition as follows: RB-13(79.59%), RB-15(80.70%), RB-24 (83.95%), RB-32 (86.48%), RB-25(89.30%), RB-29, (91.00%) and RB-34(93.85%). Preliminary identification based on Gram reaction and KOH test, revealed that RB-13, RB-15, RB-24, RB-25, RB-29, RB-32 were gram positive and RB-34 was gram negative bacterial isolates. Furthermore, qualitative study of biochemical characters revealed that among 07 isolates, RB-32 was positive for catalase test, NH3 production and Siderophore production whereas none of the isolates were found to be producing HCN. Out of these 07 isolates, further screening was done and 04 isolates exhibiting more than 85% Percent inhibition were selected. These isolates RB-25, RB-29, RB-32 and RB-34 were molecularly identified as Bacillus cereus (Bacterium te30A), Bacillus subtilis, Alcaligenes sp. and Bacillus velezensis respectively. All these bacterial biocontrol agents were first time isolated from Papaya rhizosphere and tested against Fusarium solani (Root rot disease causing pathogen). In vitro evaluation of ten new generation fungicides at 50,100,150,250, and 500 ppm against Fusarium solani. Metalaxyl + Mancozeb was found most effective @100 ppm exhibiting inhibition percent of 93.41% followed by Tebuconazole @ 91.18 as compared to check. Moreover, Fosetyl-Al @ 100ppm was found least effective among all fungicides showing the inhibition percent of 25.92%.