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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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20211
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Subject: Soil Sciences × Author: DAS, RAJESWARI × Start date: 2013 × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Soil health and nutrient fractions (P, K, and Zn) as influenced by long-term application of organics and inorganics in calcareous soil under rice-wheat cropping system
    (Dr.RPCAU, Pusa, 2021) DAS, RAJESWARI; Kumar, Mukesh
    To examine the sustainability of any management practices long-term experiments are regarded as important tools. The long-term experiments could precisely evaluate the effect of continuous application of primary, secondary and micronutrients on overall soil health and crop productivity. Long-term fertiliser experiments could monitor the trends in crop yield resulting from changes in soil fertility. In India, several long-term studies have shown wide variability in crop productivity, and it is essential to monitor the long-term changes in crop yields, soil nutrient status, and nutrient supplying capacity to ensure and improve crop productivity. These considerations have prompted to undertake the present investigation, which was carried out in an on-going field experiment started in Rabi 1988-89 under AICRP on STCR project at Research Farm of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, India. The experiment was carried out with rice (Cv. Rajshree) and wheat (Cv. HD- 2733) as test crops for Kharif (2019) and Rabi (2019-20), respectively. The experimental site experienced a sub-tropical climate with an average annual precipitation of 1345 mm, the summer was hot and humid and too cold winter and the experimental soil belonged to order entisols. The experiment was conducted in a split-plot design with four levels of fertilizers viz. no NPK (Fo), 50% of the recommended dose of NPK (F1), 100% of the recommended dose of NPK (F2) and 150% of the recommended dose of NPK (F3) were applied as treatments in main plots. The main plots were divided into four sub-plots in which treatments viz. no manures (M0), compost @ 10 t ha-1 (M1), crop residue (M2), and compost + crop residue (M3) were superimposed over NPK levels making a total of 16 treatment combinations with three replications. The study intended to assess the effect of the organic and inorganic treatments on soil health, nutrient fractions and crop performance in rice-wheat cropping system. Most of the observations were recorded thrice i.e., before transplanting of rice, after harvesting of rice and after wheat harvest. The experimental findings of the effect of long-term application of organics and inorganics on soil physical properties revealed a significant reduction in bulk density up to the application of 150% NPK as inorganics, and a 15% decline was observed due to conjoint application of compost and crop residue over control (no organics). Soil penetration resistance reduced significantly due to the application of compost and organics down to a depth of 60 cm, and the maximum reduction (19%) over control (no organics) was observed with the conjoint application of compost and crop residue. Water holding capacity and volumetric moisture content increased significantly up to 150% NPK as inorganics, and conjoint application of compost and crop residue recorded the highest percent increase (27.5% and 12.5%, respectively) over control (no organics). Mean weight diameter of water-stable aggregates increased due to conjoint application of organics and inorganics and a recorded 1.5-fold increase over absolute control (no NPK, no organics). No significant changes were observed with soil pH and EC. Whereas, Soil organic carbon increased up to 1.7-fold over absolute control (4.44-4.91 g kg-1), up to 2-fold over 31 years of continuous application of organics and inorganics over control and was recorded highest (8.22-8.42 g kg-1) with the conjoint application of 150% NPK + compost + crop residue. Availability of N and P2O5 increased significantly up to 150% NPK, and with organics were recorded highest with the conjoint application of organics and inorganics. Due to the interaction effect between organics and inorganics, a 2-fold increase in the soil available N and a 4.5 fold increase in available P2O5 was observed with 150% NPK + compost + crop residue over absolute control (187.36-190.71 kg ha-1 and 13.71-15.25 kg ha-1, N and P2O5 respectively). Conjoint application with organics performed better than the sole application of organics at all the three graded doses of NPK, i.e., 50%, 100% and 150%. No interaction effect was observed between organics and inorganics for available K2O content and responded up to 150% NPK and recorded highest with the conjoint application of compost and crop residue (144.12- 152.99 kg ha-1). After 31 years of continuous application of NPK, compost and crop residue available N, available P2O5 and available K2O were enhanced to a tune of 2-fold, 3.4-fold, and 1.6-fold, respectively, over control. Observations of soil biological properties revealed a 3-fold increase in soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, a 2-fold increase in soil respiration and an 8-fold increase in soil dehydrogenase activity over absolute control due to the interaction effect of 150% NPK+ compost + crop residue. Also, 150% NPK+ compost + crop residue was 30% superior over absolute control for soil alkaline phosphatase activity. The distribution of different fractions of revealed that continuous application of organics and inorganics significantly affected all the fractions of P, and the highest total P was recorded with 150% NPK+ compost + crop residue. Among inorganic P fractions Ca10P and Ca8P (28% and 10%) contributed highest towards total P. Ca2P, and Ca8P increased by six times and 4.5 times, respectively over absolute control due to periodic application of 150%NPK + compost + crop residue. All the fractions of P were positively correlated with each other except for Ca10P. Among different forms of K, Structural K and non exchangeable K contributed highest (78% and 21%) towards total K. All the fractions of K increased due to increased application of inorganic fertilizers and organics, the treatments receiving 150% NPK and combined application of compost and crop residue recording the highest. Available K was highly correlated to non exchangeable and structural K. Most of the Zn in soil were present in form and was found as residual Zn (92% of total Zn). The highest rice yield (50 q ha-1) in terms of grain was observed with 150% NPK + compost + crop residue, and the same trend was followed with yields of wheat crop (46.11 q ha-1). Yield maximisation was observed with the conjoint application of compost and crop residue and inorganic fertilisers at all three doses as compared to the sole application of fertilisers. Nutrient uptake in terms of N, P, K and Zn followed the yield trend in both crops. Application of 100% NPK and 150% NPK performed equally in economic terms (B: C) though yield maximisation was observed with 150% NPK. Conjoint application of crop residue along with 150% NPK resulted in the best economics. This signifies the pronounced response of organics in calcareous soils. Balanced application of organics and inorganic fertilisers provided a favourable environment for rice and wheat crops growth in the experimental calcareous soil. For yield maximization, farmers can be recommended with 100% recommended dose of NPK, but for sustainable crop production and soil health in calcareous soil, 150% NPK + compost + crop residue should be recommended. 100% crop residue returning along with 150% NPK could be most economical to enhance crop yield beyond the recommended dose of fertilisers.