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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: Soil Science × Author: Alam, Md. Mahtab ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Soil Carbon Fractions as Influenced by Long-Term Integrated Nutrient Management under Rice-Wheat cropping system
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2018) Alam, Md. Mahtab; Suman, S. N.
    A laboratory study was conducted in an ongoing field experiment started during Rabi 1988-89 under AICRP on ―Soil Test Crop Response Correlation‖ in calcareous soil at Research Farm of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar. The experimental design was split-plot with four fertilizer levels (0, 50, 100 & 150% NPK) in main plots and four levels of manures (no manures, compost @10 t ha-1, crop residues and compost @10 t ha-1 plus crop residues) in sub-plots. The present investigation was undertaken with objectives to investigate the effect of combined use of NPK and different organics (compost and crop residues) on soil organic carbon fractions, mineralization of carbon and carbon management index under rice–wheat-cropping system. Post-harvest surface soil samples after 57th wheat crop were analyzed for pH, EC, organic carbon (OC), total organic carbon, oxidisable organic carbon fractions under gradient of sulfuric acid, mineralizable carbon, potassium permanganate oxidisable carbon (KMNO4- C), soil carbon pools and carbon management index. Application of fertilizers along with compost and crop residues resulted in significant buildup of soil organic carbon fractions. Very labile soil organic carbon was the maximum (3.75 g kg-1) in the treatment receiving both compost (10 t ha-1) and i crop residues and it was 34.30% higher than that in the treatment receiving no manure application. The maximum non-labile soil organic carbon (6.06 g kg-1) was found to be in the treatment receiving both compost and crop residue and was 2.9, 3.41 and 36.48% higher than that in the treatments crop residue, Compost @ 10 t ha-1 and no manure application, respectively. The improvement in non-labile carbon fraction was more than labile carbon fractions suggesting higher carbon sequestration in the soil. The positive and significant correlation among soil carbon fractions viz. VL, L, LL, NL, KMnO4-C, SOC and TOC, suggested that they are in dynamic equilibrium in soil and enhance nutrient availability and uptake by plants. All the levels of fertilizers significantly affected the KMnO4-C content of soil. The maximum KMnO4-C (0.86 g kg-1) was found to be in the treatment receiving both compost and crop residue which was 45.76% higher than that no manure application. Effect of different levels of treatments of NPK and manures as well as their interactions effect on carbon dioxide evolution was significant. Carbon management index increased from 123.46 to 155.68 with increasing in fertilizer levels from No NPK to 150% NPK treatments. The maximum carbon management index (155.68 %), obtained in the treatment receiving 150% NPK, was 4.71, 15.10 and 26.09% higher than the treatments receiving 100%, 50% and No NPK, respectively. The treatment receiving 100% NPK was at par with the treatment receiving 150% NPK. Integrated nutrient management resulting in enhanced carbon management index indicated favorable impact of integrated nutrient management on carbon stabilization in soil.