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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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ThesisItem Open Access Effect of nano urea on soil nitrogen status, uptake, yield and juice quality of Sugarcane in calcareous soil of Bihar(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) Mallick, Jidan Ali; Thakur, S.K.The use of nano-fertilizers in agriculture is expanding quickly as a strategy to increase crop yields, nutrient use efficiency and decrease the use of synthetic fertilizers. A novel agricultural input developed through nano technology is called nano urea which provides nitrogen to plants.Nano urea which contains 4% N by weight in nano form. Its use efficiency is higher than that of regular urea and most crops can be benefited from nano urea as a source of nitrogen. A field experiment was therefore, conducted in 2022–2023 at the Crop Research farm Kalyanpur, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Bihar, with an objective to study the “Effect of nano urea on soil nitrogen status, uptake, yield and juice quality of Sugarcane in calcareous soil of Bihar”.The experiment was carried out in RBD design with 10 treatmentswith three replications comprising control, application of nitrogen @ 50, 75 &100 %recommended dose alone or in combination with spray of nano urea (NU) @ 1.0 &2.0% at tillering & grand growth stages. Spray of nano urea @ 2.5% was carried out only at tillering stage. The results revealed that the number of tillers increased significantly from 44.59 - 97.30×103 ha-1 and 62.36 - 110.53× 103 ha-1 at 90 and 120 days after planting with increasing levels of nitrogen. Significant increase in the number of millable cane (67.84 - 76.72 ×103 ha-1) over control was observed due to addition of different doses of nanourea. Applying nano urea had a positive effect on cane yield (61.24 to 79.24 t ha-1) and sugar yield (7.36 to 9.92 t ha-1) but highest cane and sugar yield (81.95 t ha-1 and 10.23 t ha-1 respectively) was observed due to application of recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN). The application of different doses of nano urea did not show significant variation in plant height, cane length, cane girth but single cane weight varied significantly (0.719-1.024 kg) across the different treatments. The application of nano urea in various combinations did not result in statistically significant improvements in cane juice quality parameters like brix, pol, purity, and commercial cane sugar. The highest available nitrogen content (246.14 kg ha-1) was observed in treatment received 100% recommended dose of nitrogen. The available nitrogen content in post-harvest soil varied 224.40 to 236.53 kg ha-1 due to application of nano urea @ 1.0, 2.0 & 2.5% along with 50% and 75% nitrogen fertilizer. Nano urea had no notable impact on the available phosphorus and potassium content of the post-harvest soil. The meanuptake of nitrogen (88.07 to 279.53 kg ha-1), phosphorus (12.4 to 15.36 kg ha-1) and potassium (113.07 to 154.75 kg ha-1) by sugarcane crop varied significantly across the treatments. The benefit-cost ratio in the treatments receiving 75% RDN along with spray of NU @ 1.0, 2.0 and 2.5% were found at par with the maximum BC ratio (1.89) observed in treatment receiving 100% RDN. Thus,application of 1% nano urea at tillering and grand growth stage along with 75% RDN may be used for sugarcane production in calcareous soil of Bihar.ThesisItem Open Access Impact of residue incorporation and zinc fertilization on soil health and micronutrient contents of rice grain(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) PRIYADARSHANI, CHITRA; Laik, RanjanThe major goals of researchers under intensive cropping systems, especially in Asian countries, where demand for food is very high due to population pressure, is to achieve higher productivity, better quality produce and sustenance of soil health. Hence, a study on long term crop residue incorporation (29 years) and zinc fertilization effects was done to understand how these practices synergistically enhance soil health, rice productivity and nutritional quality of rice grain under rice-wheat cropping system. This research was conducted in a potentially Zn deficient calcareous soil at RPCAU research farm in a Split Plot Design (SPD) with different crop residue levels at 0%, 25%, 50%, and 100% in the main plot and varying Zn levels at 0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 kg ha-1 in the sub-plot. Zinc was administered at the different levels initially at the commencement of the study and subsequently reapplied after a span of 25 years (during 2018). On the other hand, crop residue was incorporated into the soil every year following the harvest of each crop. Combining complete crop residue incorporation with residual 10 kg Zn ha-1 boosts soil organic carbon, available nitrogen, and overall soil health, benefiting aggregation, water retention, and nutrient availability. Long-term incorporation leads to higher rice yields, improved grain protein, zinc and iron content, correlating positively with enhanced soil health determined by PCA analysis, except for available B, Cu, and Mn.ThesisItem Open Access Effect of NPK, FYM and Zn application on transformation of Zn, biological properties and nutrient availability under rice-wheat cropping system in calcareous soil(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) KACHHAP, AANCHAL; Kumar, VipinThe present study aimed to investigate the effect of NPK, FYM, and Zn application within a RWCS in calcareous soil on various aspects, including yield, nutrient uptake, chemical properties, and biological characteristics of post-harvest soil of second wheat crop in the year 2023. Additionally, the study examined different fractions of zinc in the soil and their correlations with each other, as well as with yield, nutrient uptake, and available zinc content. The research was conducted as a field experiment that commenced during the kharif season of 2021 at the Pusa Research Farm of RPCAU Samastipur, Bihar. The experimental layout followed a randomized block design comprising ten treatments replicated three times. These treatments included a range of conditions: T1 as the absolute control, T2 with RDF (Recommended Dose of Fertilizers), T3 with RDF and FYM @ 5 t ha-1, T4 with RDF and foliar spray of 0.5% ZnSO4, T5 with RDF and 5 kg Zn ha-1, T6 with RDF and Geoxol.com @ 40 kg ha-1, and T7, T8, T9, T10 similar to T2, T3, T4, T5, respectively, but with an increased RDF level of 125%. Among these treatments, T10 (125% RDF + 5 kg Zn ha-1) exhibited the highest yield of 5.21 t ha-1 and 4.64 t ha-1 with grain yield response of about 6.3 to 27.1 and 0.21 to 0.90 per cent in rice and wheat crop respectively. However, when considering nutrient uptake, T8 (125% RDF + FYM @5 t ha-1) showed the greatest total nutrient uptake, and it was statistically similar to treatments involving increased fertility levels in combination with organic supplementation and zinc sources. Remarkably, substantial nutrient availability (N, P, K, S, and Zn) was detected in treatments with enhanced fertility levels, both independently and in various combinations. Moreover, treatment T8 demonstrated noteworthy dominance in biological properties, indicating that FYM and higher fertilizer levels played a pivotal role in stimulating microbial growth. This heightened response was most pronounced in treatments involving 125% RDF, either alone or in combination, mainly due to the initial nutrient deficiency of the soil. Analyzing different zinc fractions in the post-harvest soil indicated that the water-soluble and exchangeable forms were minimal, while the residual form was predominant revealing that the majority of total zinc resided in the residual form. Interestingly, positive and significant correlations were observed among yield, nutrient uptake, and available zinc content. The order of dominance of different zinc fractions in the soil was: Residual-Zn > Organically bound-Zn > Zn bound to crystalline oxide > Zn bound to amorphous oxide > Complexed-Zn > Water soluble plus exchangeable-Zn. These findings inform agricultural practices and soil management strategies to farmers by emphasizing the benefits of balanced NPK fertilization with organic supplementation and zinc for improved crop yields. They underscore the importance of addressing micronutrient deficiencies, particularly zinc, and highlight the role of organic matter in enhancing soil health. Additionally, the study offers insights into nutrient build-up and zinc distribution, guiding more efficient soil fertility strategies. Overall, these findings promote a holistic approach to soil and nutrient management, enhancing sustainability in agriculture.ThesisItem Open Access APPLICATION OF REMOTE SENSING AND GIS FOR ASSESSMENT ON SOIL EROSION AND FERTILITY STATUS OF MUZAFFARPUR DISTRICT OF BIHAR(Dr.RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) Tagung, Techi; Singh, Sanjay KumarThe research work on “Application of Remote Sensing and GIS for Assessment on Soil Erosion and Fertility Status of Muzaffarpur District of Bihar” was carried out during 2019 to 2021 at Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, India. The research area spans 3122.56 km2 geographical area and positioned on Survey of India 72 B, 72 C, 72 F, and 72 G degree sheets. It is located between 84.8836 and 85.7502 East Longitude and Latitude of 25.9002 to 26.3836 North. The region experiences 1187 mm of annual rainfall on average, with the monsoon season accounting for 85% of that total. For assessing the annual soil erosion loss from the study area, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model was used in RS and GIS framework with analysis of five major parameters viz., R (Rainfall Erosivity), K (Soil Erodibility), LS (Slope Length and Steepness), C (Cover and Management) and P (Support Practice) Factor. For assessing the soil fertility status of the study area, 280 surface soil (0-15 cm) samples were collected and subjected for analysis of various soil physico-chemical properties following standard methodology viz. soil pH, EC, OC and available nutrients (N, P, K, S, Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn). The results obtained from soil sample analysis were then used for thematic soil fertility map generation using GIS. Land suitability was examined by employing weighted overlay analysis tool using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) in the ArcGIS software. Slope, rainfall, soil pH, Soil Organic Carbon, LULC and NDVI factor maps obtained from objective 1 and 2 were used as input factors for land suitability analysis. During 2019, Sahebganj tehsil recorded highest R-factor value of 503.61 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1 while Gaighat tehsil recorded the lowest annual mean R-factor of 341.08 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1. During 2020, the R-factor was recorded highest in Motipur tehsil (715.93 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1) while, lowest R-factor was recorded in Bandra tehsil (492.02 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1). Similarly, during the year 2021, highest R-factor recorded was identified in Musahari tehsil (695.15 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1) while the lowest was found in Katra tehsil (505.28 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1). Highest mean annual R-factor of Muzaffarpur district was obtained during the year 2021(610.25 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1) followed by the year 2020 (518.56) and 2019 (368.91). Lowest value of K- factor 0.212652 t h ha-1MJ-1mm-1 was noticed in Baruna soil series (mapping unit 37), whereas highest K-factor value of 0.560351 t h ha-1MJ-1mm-1 was recorded in Dhankaul soil series (Mapping unit 38). The value of K factor in the study area ranged from 0.210139 t h ha-1MJ-1mm-1 to 0.499983 t h ha-1MJ-1mm-1. The LS-factor ranging from 0 to 39.11 was noticed in river banks as well as steep slopes of high topograhy. The higher values of LS factors may attribute to the deterioration of river bank and absence of vegetative cover. The variability in elevation in the study area was measured from -116 to 46 (m), while slope (o) has been found from 0 to 89.99. The annual mean C-factors for the year 2019, 2020 and 2021 were 0.4618, 0.3495 and 0.3261 respectively. The minimum P factor reveals the more effective conservation practice to reduce soil erosion. Highest annual soil loss of 23.65 t ha-1yr-1 was occurred during the year 2020 followed by 15.76 t ha-1yr-1 during the year 2019 and 11.15 t ha-1yr-1 during the year and 2021. Among the tehsils, the lowest annual soil erosion was observed in Aurai tehsil in all the year while Paroo and Musahari tehsil recorded higher amount of soil loss as compared to other tehsils of Muzaffarpur district. The pH value of study area ranged between 7.4 and 9.6 with 7.8 as mean value. Around 91% and 9% soil samples were found neutral and alkaline in nature. The EC value ranged between 0.11 and 1.67 dS m-1 with 0.27 dS m-1 as mean value. Around 95.7% and 4.3% soil samples respectively were normal and slightly saline in nature. The OC content varied from 0.15 to 1.54% with 0.53% as mean value. It was found that 46.4, 39.6 and 14 % samples of OC respectively were low, medium and high. The available N content varied between 119.7 and 318.7 kg ha-1 with 230.9 as mean value. Around 7.5 and 92.5 % samples of available N respectively were in low and medium category. The available P content varied between 3.20 and 40.3 kg ha-1 with 13.06 as mean value. Around 81.4, 12.9 and 5.7 % soil samples were in low, medium and high range respectively. Around 31.4, 49.3 and 19.3 % of total samples of available K were in low, medium and high category respectively. Available K content varied between 68.54 and 805.06 kg ha-1 with 199.6 kg ha-1 as mean value. The content of available S categorised under low, medium and high was 32.9, 62.5 and 4.6 % of the total soil samples while its value varied between 6.15 and 25.73 kg ha-1 with 12.05 kg ha-1 as mean value. The available Zn content categorised under low and medium category was 78.9 and 21.9 % of the total soil samples while its value varied between 0.11 and 1.11 mg kg-1. Around 53.6, 45.0 and 1.4 % of total soil samples of available Fe was low, medium and high while value varied between 1.16 and 13.14 mg kg-1 with 6.62 mg kg-1 as mean value. The available Cu content categorised under low, medium and high category was 47.1, 51.8 and 1.1 % of the total soil samples while its value varied between 0.19 and 2.28 mgkg-1 with 0.66 mean value. The available Mn content categorised under low, medium and high category was 46.4, 46.8 and 6.8 % of the total soil samples while its value varied between 1.04 and 6.56 mgkg-1 with 3.14 mg kg-1 as average value. Study also outlined 69.3% area under suitable (S) and 30.7% under non-suitable (N) category. Largest area (68%) found under highly suitability class (S1) accompanied by 30% as permanently unsuitable (N2), 0.1% under moderately suitable (S2), 0.7% under currently unsuitability (N1) and 1.2% under marginally suitable (S3) class. All the thematic maps were prepared in ArcGIS software.ThesisItem Open Access Ecological succession on soil organic carbon pools and biological properties under different land use management system(Dr.RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) Dube, Anupam; Laik, RanjanTo examine the Ecological succession of any management practices to test the applicability of different land use systems for improving CMI in restored ecologies, soils were sampled from 0–15, 15–30 and 30–45 cm deep layers of Napier, Litchi, Mango, Guava, Grassland -based silviculture systems. These were compared with samples from fallow land (F). Long-term experiments are regarded as important tools. Long-term fertiliser experiments could monitor the trends in crop yield resulting from changes in soil fertility. It is essential to monitor the long-term changes in 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 the Research Farm of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, India. 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 different land use management systems with random block design and 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 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 3 replications. The study intended to assess the effect of the organic and inorganic treatments on soil health, and nutrient fractions in rice-wheat cropping system. Weed flora was higher in guava, followed by Litchi and mango. The increase was attributed to greater recycling of bio-litters. Litchi was found to have the highest C,N,P percentage and C/N ratio, lignin/ cellulose ratio as compered to guava and mango. Carbon fractions (active, passive, and slow pools) retained relatively 30-56 % greater in a secondary ecological succession of grassland as compared to cycling ecological succession. Among nutrient management in the cycling ecosystem, NPK and organic matter addition restored a greater amount of carbon as compared to inorganic fertilizer application. However, all the C-pools are substantially lower in imbalanced fertilizer application. A Higher amount of active C such as, SMBC, WSC, PMOC, and KmnO4-C at the surface layer was found in higher Napier, which could be due to the addition of leaf litters, fine roots, and residues over the fallow. SMBC was significantly higher in Napier, followed by grassland at all three depths, and SMBN and KmnO4-C were higher in Napier followed by guava land. However, SMBC of litchi, mango and guava was at par. Carbon pools like active, passive, and slow pool results were highest in the application of 150% NPK + compost and crop residue at par with 100% NPK + compost and crop residue over absolute control. The interaction between organics and inorganic fertilizers was the best interaction for SMBC, SMBN, WSC, AHC, POMC, HA-C, and FA-C at all three depths of soil. SMBC was found to be positively (R2 = 0.68) correlated with soil organic carbon content. Secondary ecological succession is 3-fold higher in horticultural and pastoral land use management systems as compared to cycling ecological systems in terms of enzymatic activities and Ecological restoration. Observations of soil biological properties soil enzymes (viz. dehydrogenase, FDA, β-glucosidase, urease, acid, and alkaline phosphatase, cellulase, Rubisco) were significantly influenced due to long term effect of various organics and inorganic fertilizers and their interactions. Combine application of 150% NPK + compost and crop residue resulted significantly higher activity in different enzymes in soil over absolute control and different land use system was found in higher Napier could be due addition of leaf litters, fine roots and residues over the fallow. Observations of soil biological properties revealed a 1-fold increase in soil respiration at surface soil and a 1.4-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 2.7 times superior over absolute control for soil alkaline phosphatase activity at 0-15 cm. The experimental findings of different land use management systems and 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 the conjoint application of compost and crop residue over control (no organics) and different LUMS were found non-significant. Water holding capacity increased significantly up to 150% NPK as inorganics and conjoint application of compost and crop residue recorded the highest percent increase (15.5 and 29.5% at both depths, respectively) over control (no organics). The MWD was significantly highest in guava as compared to grassland and at 0-15, 15-30, and 30-45 cm soil depths, respectively. Interaction effects of organics and inorganic fertilizers were non-significant for MWD at all the soil depths. No significant changes were observed with soil pH and EC. Whereas, in Soils under Napier, guava had 32 and 20% higher SOC than fallow land in the 0–15 cm soil layer. Soil organic carbon increased up to 0.7-fold over absolute control with conjoint application of 150% NPK + compost + crop residue. Availability of N and P2O5 increased significantly up to 150% NPK, and organics were recorded highest with conjoint application of organics and inorganics. Due to the interaction effect between organics and inorganics, a 1.3 and 1.4-fold increase in the soil available N at o-15,15-30 cm and a 1- fold increase in available P2O5 was observed with 150% NPK + compost + crop residue over absolute control. Grasses tree–based DLUS, such as Litchi, Mango, Guava, fodder and Napier may be advocated as these practices improved soil physico-chemical properties and biological quality compared to fallow. We recommend the use of enzyme- based index (GMEA) to assess soil quality and its relative improvements in the organic farming approach due to its ability to measure variability arising from nutrient cycling processes. CMI is a valuable tool for explaining soil quality since it examines the ability of various management activities to determine the long-term efficacy of mineral nutrient availability, efficiency, and soil C pools. Organic amendments significantly improved the activities of C, N, P, and S cycling enzymes and SOC concentrations in surface and subsurface soils. It is an ecological succession that for improvement of secondary and vertical ecological succession for improvement of pasture and horticultural development is more useful option and soil test crop response management in general further studies is required.
