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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 Physiology × Author: Kumari, Suman × End date: 2014 × Start date: 2014 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Physio-biochemical Response of Salt Stress in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Genotypes during Germination
    (Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2014) Kumari, Suman; Mandal, M. P.
    The present investigation was carried out to screen different genotypes of rice (Oryza sativa L.) during seedling growth stage and to identify some useful physiological parameters for selection of the tolerant and susceptible rice genotypes against salt stress. The salt solution was prepared by using NaCl:CaCl2:Na2SO4 in the ratio of 7:2:1(w/v) and its electrical conductivity of different salinity levels were maintained on direct reading conductivity meter. Paddy seeds were sterilized by soaking in 0.1% HgCl2for four minutes thoroughly washed with de-ionized water and germinated in petri-dishes with blotting paper at 25±2°C. Screening of 22 genotypes was done on the basis of Germination per cent, Germination Relative Iindex (GRI), Vigour index (VI) & Mobilization efficiency (ME). Out of these four rice genotypes belonging to two groups viz. tolerant and susceptible were subjected to different salt stress condition 0.0, 8.0, 12.0 dSm-1 .The impact of salt stress on 10-day-old seedling of rice genotypes was evaluated on the basis of certain physiological and biochemical parameters under laboratory condition. Salt stress of paddy was examined on seed germination and seedling growth of four (kishori, Rajshree, Marcha & Jeeravati) rice genotypes, the salt solution reduced seed germination and seedling growth of rice seeds. On the value of per cent reduction in seed germination, GRI, ME and VI the inhibitory effect of different salt stress was maximum in susceptible genotypes ( Marcha and Jeeravati ) followed by tolerant genotypes ( Kishori and Rajshree). On an average, the germination percentage, germination relative index, vigour index of tolerant genotypes was 86.22, 595.39, 918.09 and 43.41 significantly higher than that of susceptible genotypes 77.22, 512.33, 745.98 and 46.27, respectively. Salt stress of paddy showed inhibitory effect on reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar, total sugar, peroxidase, soluble protein content, catalase activity, potassium and phosphorus content and stimulatory effect on starch content, total free amino acids, protease activity, proline content, sodium content and sodium potassium ratio of rice seedlings.