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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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2017 - 20182
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Subject: Processing and Food Engineering × End date: 2019 × Start date: 2017 × Thesis Type: M.Tech. ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Study of Osmotic dehydration of Pointed Gourd (Trichosanthesdioica)
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, 2018) Kumari, Nisha; Sharma, P. D.
    Fresh, good quality Swarnarekha variety of pointed gourds were procured from the local market of Pusa and washed under running water followed by cutting into discs of size approximately (30 mm diameter and 4 mm thickness). Osmotic dehydration experiments were conducted employing CCR Design for three independent variables with five levels each [Salt Concentration (SC) -5, 10, 15, 20, 25%; Solution Temperature (ST) -30, 35, 40, 45, 50oC; Immersion Time (IT) -30, 60, 90, 120, 150 min.]. A total 20 combinations of these independent variables were formed to see their effect on different dependent variables like Water Loss (WL, %), Solute Gain (SG, %) and Moisture content of osmo-dehydrated product (MC, %). Out of total 20 experiments, the best combination was selected on the basis of optimization by Response Surface Methodology. Second order multiple regression equations were developed for all the dependent variables which were optimized using Response surface methodology. A laboratory model tray dryer was used for drying pointed gourd discs. Three different samples of pointed gourd discs viz. untreated, blanched and osmosed (optimized) were taken for drying experiment at each level of drying air temperature (50, 60 and 70oC). Drying time, drying rate and moisture reduction were calculated later on the basis of observed data. The dehydrated pointed gourd discs were taken for quality evaluation by sensory method, rehydration and proximate composition analysis. Osmotic dehydration treatment facilitated better results with optimum solution of SC-10.27 %, ST- 45oC and IT- 120 minutes with an optimized yield as WL- 43.113%, SG- 8.304% and MC of osmo-dehydrated sample- 74.604 %. Drying of osmosed pointed gourd samples at 60oC drying air temperature provided shortest drying time to produce best quality dried product as compared to blanched and untreated pointed gourd samples. The drying time of osmosed sample was reduced to 480 minutes as compared to 600 and 840 minutes taken by blanched and untreated pointed gourd samples respectively. The above osmotically dehydrated pointed gourd samples showed best rehydration characteristics to yield good quality rehydrated sample which can be preserved and used during off-season.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Storage behaviour of Green Gram (Vigna radiata) in Hermetic and other types of Storage Bags.
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2017) Kumari, Asha; Shrivastava, M.
    Green gram (Vigna radiate) grains were procured from local market, cleaned and graded by two screen cleaner-cum-grader. Large sized grains were divided in three sub-lots of 70 kg each to prepare experimental lots of three different initial moisture contents (12.32, 14.04, 16.04 % w.b.). Storage study was conducted by storing 10 kg green gram grains in 4 types of bags (jute, plastic, polythene, hermetic) with and without treatment (aluminium phosphide tablets) at 3 different initial moisture contents. Total 21 such bags were kept in laboratory for 33 weeks duration during September, 2016 to April, 2017. Daily observation of ambient temperature and relative humidity was taken throughout the study period. Weekly observations of five dependent quality parameters - water activity, 1000 grain weight, moisture content, germination and grain damage were recorded for 27(jute bags) to 33 weeks (hermetic bags). All standard methods/instruments were used to measure/determine dependent parameters. It was observed that water activity, moisture content, and grain damage goes on increasing with increasing storage duration, while 1000 grain weight and germination decreased with advancement of storage duration across all 21 experimental combinations. The overall variation range for water activity was 0.551 - 0.989, for 1000 grain weight was 49.04 - 33.20 g, for moisture content was 12.32 – 25.67 % w.b., for germination was 81.7 to 1.3 %, and for grain damage was 2.33 to 78.67 %. Variation was more in case of untreated samples as compared to treated samples. Hermetic bags stored green gram was found better in all quality parameters even after 33 weeks of storage duration. On the contrary, green gram stored in jute bags got damaged with heavy infestation of pulse beetle in 27 weeks of storage duration. Statistical analysis through UNIANOVA revealed that initial moisture content emerged as most significant independent variable to affect 1000 grain weight, moisture content, germination and grain damage with exception of water activity which was affected by treatment the most. The interaction of bags*imc affected 1000 grain weight, germination and grain damage, while the interaction of bags*trt and trt*imc affected water activity and moisture content respectively. Hence the hermetic bag could be recommended safely for storing green gram for longer duration without affecting its quality.