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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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2013 - 20144
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Subject: Soil and Water Engineering × End date: 2014 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Evaluation of SCS Curve Number Models
    (Rajendra Agriculrural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2014) Azad, Amarnath; Sahu, R. K.
    The importance of modelling of event-based rainfall-runoff process is well known among the hydrologists. One of the popular method to estimate the volume of direct surface runoff for a given rainfall event is the Soil Conservation Service Curve number (SCS-CN) method. However, the past research endeavors suggested a need for further improvement, overhauling or replacement of the method. Therefore, many modifications of the method were presented in the recent past. Very recently, an improved version of SCS-CN model called as SME model was reported incorporating hydrological more sound procedure for accounting antecedent moisture in the MS model which is an important modified version of the SCS-CN model. The present study evaluates the performances of the SME model, the MS model and the original SCS-CN model for the rainfall-runoff datasets of the selected four watersheds of Jharkhand (India). The model parameters were estimated by using the non-linear Marquardt algorithm of constrained least squares. The sensitivity analysis of the SCS-CN models for assessment of sensitivity of various parameters of the models was conducted by using method of perturbation. All the three models are evaluated on the basis of standard error (SE), root mean square error (RMSE), and normalized root mean square error (NRMSE). The lower is the SE or RMSE or NRMSE, the better is the model performance, and vice-versa. The results of the application of the models to the selected watersheds indicated that for MS model and SME model, the optimum value of λ in all the four watersheds is zero. The optimum values of S for MS model for Adda-1, Chitankhari, Indra and Karimati watersheds are found to be 266.78, 256.61, 194.47 and 233.72 mm respectively while the optimum values of S0 for SME model are found to be 194.39, 329.60, 214.51 and 259.90 mm respectively. The original SCS-CN model is found to be very much sensitive to model parameter CN and hence utmost care is needed to determine the CN. The MS model is more sensitive to the parameter CN (or S) than the parameter λ. The SME model is most sensitive to the parameter CN (corresponding to S0) followed by β while it is least sensitive to the parameter λ. Further, the MS and the SME models are less sensitive to CN as compared to original SCS-CN model. The MS model and the SME model perform equally well and much better than the original SCS-CN model (with λ=0.2 or 0.3). Moreover, the MS model and the SME model show consistent performance compared to the original SCS-CN model. As the SME model has theoretically many advantages over the MS model and the duo perform equally well, the SME model is suggested for the practical applications.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Comparative study of drip and surface irrigation methods on potato (Solanum tuberosum) crop.
    (Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2014) Hussain, Mairaj; Gupta, S. P.
    An investigation was carried out to evaluate the comparative study of drip and surface irrigation methods on potato (solenum tuberosum) crop. The field experiment was conducted for potato crop var. Kufari Ashoka during Rabi season of 2012-13 at the research form of water management plot of south pangabri upland adjoining to Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa Farm. The experiment was designed as per Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The irrigation treatments consist of drip irrigation at operating pressure of 0.4 kg/cm2 (I1), 0.6 kg/cm2 (I2), 0.8 kg/cm2 (I3), 1.0 kg/cm2 (I4), 1.2 kg/cm2 (I5) and furrow irrigation (I6). The water applied during the season was maximum (180 mm) in I6, while the minimum water used in I1. The maximum water use efficiency (329.12 kg/ha-mm) was recorded in treatment I5. Whereas, the minimum value (118.76 kg/ha-mm) was observed under I6 treatment. The percent saving of water over furrow irrigation was maximum (47.29%) in treatment I5. The maximum emission uniformity (90.8%) was found in treatment I5 with coefficient of manufacturing variation (0.09). while minimum (80.88%) emission uniformity was found in treatment I1 with coefficient of manufacturing variation 0.12. All the growth parameters like plant height, no. Of leaves, and leaf area index were significantly influenced by irrigation treatments. The treatment I5 (1.2 kg/cm2) was found significantly superior to I1, I2, I3 and I6 But statistically at par with I4. Yield of tuber was found maximum (312.22 q/ha) in treatment I5. Yield attributes like no of tuber per plant, size of tuber per plant, fresh tuber weight per plant were significantly influenced by treatment and the maximum value was obtained in treatment I5. Gross return and net return were significantly higher in treatment I5 and also benefit: cost ratio was maximum (2.88) in treatment I5. On the basis of analysis of the data, it can be concluded that the potato crop irrigated with drip irrigation with 1.2 kg/cm2 operating pressure system given highest value of net return. So it would be more beneficial in comparison to surface irrigation method.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Impact of Different Tillage Practices on Soil Moisture Variation and Physical properties of Soil In North Bihar
    (Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2013) Kumari, Sweta; Jain, S. K.
    A field experiment entitled "Impact of different Tillage Practices on soil Moisture Variation and Physical Properties of Soil in North Bihar" was conducted at the research farm of Rajendra Agricultural University, Bihar, Pusa (Samastipur) during rabi season of 2011-12 in randomized block design with eight treatment combinations replicated thrice to evaluate the effect of various conservation tillage treatments on the soil physical properties and yield of wheat crop. The selected treatments were - puddled transplanted rice + conventional tillage wheat, puddled transplanted rice + zero tillage wheat, rice and wheat on permanent beds with crop residue, zero tillage rice + conventional tillage wheat, zero tillage rice + zero tillage wheat without crop residue, zero tillage rice + zero tillage wheat with crop residue, unpuddled transplanted rice + zero tillage wheat and zero tillage rice with brown manuring + zero tillage wheat. The soil of the experimental plot was sandy loam, calcareous with pH value 8.4 and poor in fertility. The effect of tillage treatments on the productivity of wheat crop and soil properties (soil moisture content, bulk density and infiltration characteristics) during wheat growth in rice – wheat cropping system were investigated. The results indicated that the treatment of rice and wheat on permanent beds with crop residue significantly influenced the soil moisture content throughout the root zone of the crop, bulk density of the soil, infiltration rate and ultimately the yield of the crop. The highest grain yield (60.46 q/ha) was recorded under this treatment.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Fertigation Effect on Carnation(Dianthus caryophylus L.) under Polyhouse
    (Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2013) Kumar, Sunil; Suresh, R.
    In present study “Fertigation Effect on Carnation(Dianthus caryophylus L.) under Polyhouse, an attempt has been made to explore the feasibility of carnation cultivation under greenhouse condition. The experiment was laid under Split Plot Design (SPD) with twelve (12) treatments, i.e., 3 main treatments on variety, namely; V1: Loris; V2: Pingu & V3: Gioele, and 4 sub- treatments on fertigation, i. e, F1: 80 % fertigation of RDF of NPK; F2: 100% fertigation of NPK; F3: 120% fertigation of NPK and F4: 100% application of RDF, manually, i.e., control and three replications. The average daily month wise water requirement per plant of Carnation was computed to the tune of 0.15 cm October, 2012; 0.17cm November; 0.12cm December; 0.12cm January; 0.20 February; .41cm March; 0.56cm April and 0.47cm May, 2013. The total water requirement during crop period was found to be 66.56cm. Among different varietal treatments, the treatment V2 (Pingu) recorded maximum number of branches (9.80); minimum days for bud initiation (89.83 days)& flowering(164.83 days) ; maximum flower diameter (7.83cm) and stalk length (60.22cm) & girth (4.43mm) as well as maximum number of flowers per m2 area 281. As for effect of fertigation treatment is concerned, the treatment F3 (120% fertigation of RDF of NPK) is found very effective, might be due to application of higher doses, resulting maximum plant heights 28.88, 28.83, 45.31, 62.20, 80.33, 85.21 and 87.18cm, respectively at 30,60,90,120,150,180 and 210 DATs. Also, the number of branches (11.59); minimum time for bud formation (87.89 days), minimum days to flowering (165.11 days), maximum stalk length (57.83cm) and girth (4.91mm) as well as maximum number of flower per m2 area (352.22). The b/c ratio was also found highest in fertigation treatment F3, i.e. 2.60, 2.56 and 2.59 for all the varieties ,i.e., V1, V2 and V3, respectively, whereas lowest 0.81, 0.96 and 0.85 was recorded in control treatment (F4) for Loris, Pingu and Gioele, respectively.