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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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2018 - 20195
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Subject: Soil and Water Engineering × End date: 2019 × Start date: 2018 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Drought assessment and impact of land use land cover change on surface water extent of Bihar using remote sensing and GIS
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, 2019) Bhawana; Prasad, Sudarshan
    The captured satellite datasets using advanced techniques such as remote sensing (RS) and its processing to extract the information using geographic information system (GIS) have been used for detection of droughts and its mapping for the Bihar state. Meteorological droughts over various places of Bihar during monsoon season were identified using standard precipitation index (SPI) through software for SPI computation. The daily rainfall estimates of time duration of 67 years from 1951 to 2017 extracted from satellite datasets viz. Asian Precipitation Highly Resolved Observational Data Integration towards evaluation of water resources (APHRODITE) of duration 47 years from 1951 to 1997 and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) of duration 20 years from 1998 to 2017 were used for the purpose. The whole area of the state was divided into total number of 301 grid points of 0.25° × 0.25° resolutions and monthly time series of rainfall (mm) estimates were obtained for each grid points from daily rainfall estimates obtained from TRMM and APHRODITE. These datasets of monthly time series were validated with rainfall data of monthly time series of 20 years duration from 1998 to 2017 observed at rain gauge station, Pusa using statistical techniques Thus, spatio-temporal maps of SPI based meteorological drought were developed for the years 2000 to 2017 for the area under study. Vegetation condition index (VCI) estimated through MODIS NDVI products obtained from USGS Earth Explorer for Bihar state were composited for Kharif and Rabi season from year 2000 to 2017. Spatio-temporal maps of NDVI and VCI for Kharif as well as Rabi season were developed based on vegetation indices for the years from 2000 to 2017. Using LANDSAT-5 (TM) and LANDSAT-8 (OLI/TIRS) imageries unsupervised image classification was performed. The Land use-land cover maps were generated for the years 2008 and 2018 with six feature classes namely agricultural land, settlement, vegetation, waste land, water body and sand were identified. Analysis of SPI revealed that the year 2006 experienced moderate dry conditions in the districts like Kishanganj, Araria, Purnea, Katihar and Gopalganj. In the year 2013 districts like West Champaran, Saran, Gopalganj Sheohar, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur and Samastipur faced moderately dry conditions repeating the trend in 2016. In all the years from 2000-2017 majority of the study area experienced mild drought. However, in case of 2007, almost all the districts of the study area having the extreme wet condition because of high rainfall during monsoon season. The temporal variation of NDVI in the year from 2000 to 2017 showed that most of the south-western districts of the state noticed the low value of NDVI ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 during Kharif season of almost all years. During the wet year of 2007, the high value of NDVI (>0.5) was noticed in almost every district except Samatipur, Darbhanga and Khagaria which experienced highly wet condition. During entire period of analysis lush vegetation with high value NDVI of more than 0.6 was noticed except for Banka and Jamui districts which experienced moderately dry condition in almost every year from 2000 to 2017. Spatio-temporal maps with varying VCI, showed the moderate to no drought conditions in the study area. In the year 2000, extremely good vegetation condition was observed decreasing in each year especially in the year 2005 in which almost entire area experienced low value of VCI ranging from 0.5 to 0.2 indicating fair vegetation condition. During Rabi season districts like Banka and Jamui show consistent poor vegetation condition in the years from 2000 to 2016. Analysis of Land use-land cover map for the years 2008 and 2018 depicted that there was drastic change in most of the feature classes. The water body shrinked to 2.13 % with areal loss of water body by 35.74 km2.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Impact assessment of change in land use land cover and rainfall pattern on soil erosion potential of Irga river catchment (Jharkhand) using remote sensing and GIS techniques
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, 2019) Yadav, Shankar; Sahu, R.K.
    Soil erosion is a major form of land degradation and has been recognized as a severe environmental problem. The present study was conducted in Irga catchment situated in Giridih district of Jharkhand. Image processing and soil erosion assessment is done using eCognition and ArcGIS softwares. The land use land cover map of 1997, 2007 and 2017 were prepared using LANDSAT images by object-based image classification technique having better accuracy than traditional pixel based image classification. The Land use land cover maps were classified into six classes viz. agricultural land, settlement, vegetation, waste land, water body and river. Using RUSLE integrated with RS and GIS, soil erosion map was prepared for the study area. For preparing soil erosion map, R factor was derived from TRMM rainfall data of ten years (2008 to 2017), K factor from DSMW prepared by UN FAO and LS factor from SRTM DEM. The C and P factor values were assigned according to LULC map based on reviewed works. The overall accuracy of classified images are computed to be 88%, 83% and 91 % while kappa coefficients are found to be 0.8455, 0.7706 and 0.8796 for year 1997, 2007 and 2017 respectively. The results indicate that waste land greatly reduced and converted into settlement and agricultural land. In application of RUSLE model for Irga catchment, R factor varied from 499.834 to 538.049 MJ mm h-1 ha-1 yr-1and K factor varied from 0.0159 to 0.0191 t ha h ha-1 MJ-1 mm-1 for year 2017. The generated LS factor map of the study area showed that it varied from 0.03 to 41.09. C and P factor varied from 0 to 1. The estimated value of soil loss from the catchment varies from 0 to 36.1185 t /ha/yr with mean value as 0.2814 t/ha/yr. The results indicate that the study area has very slight and slight erosion class. Further, using 10 year rainfall data of 1998 to 2007 and LULC map of 2007, the soil erosion potential map for the year 2007 was also generated. The value of soil loss varies from 0 to 44.2149 t/ha/yr for this year with mean value as 0.3057 t/ha/yr. The mean value of the soil erosion potential has decreased by 8.6049 % over the period of 10 years (2007-2017) which reveals that the changes in LULC and rainfall pattern greatly affect the soil erosion potential. The results of the present study also reveal that object-based image classification technique gives higher accuracy for image classification as compared to pixel-based classification. Further, integrated use of RUSLE with RS and GIS technique is effective and powerful tool for estimation of soil erosion.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of Fertigation and Plastic Mulching on Capsicum cultivation under Polyhouse
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2018) Kumari, Sadhani; Nirala, S. K.
    The research work entitled “Effect of Fertigation and Plastic Mulching on Capsicum cultivation under Polyhouse” was carried out under eighteen treatments with three level of irrigation, three level of fertigation with plastic mulch and without plastic mulch with three replications. Indra variety of capsicum was selected for experiment. The field layout design was done by using Randomized Block Design (RBD). The monthly crop water requirements was computed for the months of October, November, December, January, February, March and April, it was found as 2.17 cm, 1.8 cm, 1.24 cm, 0.93 cm, 3.36cm, 7.13cm and 9.0cm, respectively. Overall, in terms of the total depth of water requirement of capsicum during the entire crop period was estimated to be 25.63cm. The composite effect of irrigation, fertigation and mulching on vegetative growth, number of branches, yield parameter (number of fruit per plant, fruit weight, yield per plant) and quality of fruit(diameter of fruit, length of fruit) was found to be better in treatment T2(I1F1M1, i.e.,120 % RDF with 100% WR through drip with plastic mulch). The maximum diameter of capsicum fruit was recorded 8.37 cm, length of capsicum fruit11.72 cm, maximum number of fruits per plant 12.5, height fruit weight 168.00 gram, height yield (kg/plant)2.44 kg and height yield 93.74 t/ha in treatment T2. The maximum water use efficiency was found in treatment 62.49 (kg/ha-cm) and fertilizer use efficiency was found 101.67 in treatment T2.The maximum benefit cost ratio was estimated to the tune of 2.99 in treatment T2 followed by 2.21 in treatment T4.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Performance Evaluation of FAO-AquaCrop Model for Maize crop in Eastern Part of Indo-Gangetic Plain
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2018) Kumar, Vicky; Chandra, Ravish
    he present study was undertaken to study the response of different level of irrigation on crop growth, yield, biomass and water use efficiency of Rabi maize under North Bihar condition. A further field investigation was also undertaken to evaluate of FAO-AquaCrop model for Rabi maize under different level of furrow irrigation at experimental field of AICRP on Irrigation Water Management, Dr. RPCAU, Pusa (Samastipur), Bihar. Crop growth, yield, biomass and water use were measured under different treatments. The AquaCrop model was used to simulate Rabi maize yield and biomass under full deficit irrigation and rainfed treatments. Evaluation of AquaCrop model was accomplished using the observed values from field experiment during 4th Nov. 2016 to 13th April 2017 for Rabi maize. The biometric parameters like plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves and canopy spread were significantly superior in treatment T1(control/full irrigation) compared to other deficit irrigation and rainfed treatments. The biometric parameters like plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves and canopy spread for treatment T1(control/full irrigation) was 179.80 cm, 29.90 mm, 12 and 87.70 cm respectively. Rabi maize yield was highest for treatment T1 with a value of 11.12 t/ha, followed by treatment T2 (75% of CI) with a value of 10.98 t/ha and lowest for treatment T4 (Rainfed) with a value of 3.35 t/ha. Biomass was highest for treatment T1 (CI) with a value of 24.92 t/ha, followed by treatment T2 (75% of CI) with a value of 24.65 t/ha and lowest treatment T4 (Rainfed) with the value of 7.931 t/ha. The crop yield and biomass were significantly higher for treatment T1 (control/full irrigation) compared to other treatments. The water use efficiency of Rabi maize yield decreased with increase in irrigation level for all treatments of furrow irrigation. Water use efficiency was highest for treatment T3 with a value of 310 kg/ha-cm followed by treatment T2 with a value of 303 kg/ha-cm. The water use efficiency was significantly higher treatment T3 (50% of CI) compared to other treatments. The adapted values of canopy growth coefficient and canopy decline coefficient were 15.4% day-1 and 9.5% day-1 respectively for Rabi maize. The days of emergence, sowing to flowering, senescence and maturity were 6, 60, 142 and 161 days respectively. The adopted values of water productivity (WP) were obtained as 30.7 g m-2. The harvest index was obtained as 48%. The AquaCrop model evaluated for grain yield and biomass under different irrigation levels resulted in prediction error ranging from 2.25% to 9.59% and 2.44% to 11.84% respectively. The AquaCrop model was evaluated for simulation of grain yield and biomass of Rabi maize for all treatment with the prediction statistics 0.971 < E < 0.988, 0.221 < RMSE < 0.731, 0.987 < R2 < 0.997 and 0.421 < MAE < 0.806 t ha-1. The AquaCrop model predictions for grain yield and biomass of Rabi maize were in line with the observed data corroborated with E and R2 values approaching one. The AquaCrop model was more accurate in predicting the maize yield under full and 75% of CI as compared to the rainfed and 50% of CI.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Planning and Design of Surface Drainage System for Jhilli Chaur (Pusa Farm), Samastipur (Bihar)
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2018) Kumari, Shuchi; Bhagat, I. B.
    Waterlogging in chaur area is due to inadequate provision of outlets and continues for more than 2-3 months. Paddy and Sugarcane are the principle crops in the chaur land whose yield get affected by the waterlogging. It also causes delay in land preparation for Rabi crops. Proper planning of the drainage system was done for the Jhilli chaur. For this hydrological analysis of rainfall was done in order to find the maximum rainfall for one day, two days, three days, four days, five days, six days and seven days. The maximum rainfall at seventy percent probability level was found to be 88.35 mm, 111.11 mm, 126.21 mm, 148.41mm, 164.52 mm, 175.757 mm, 189.52 mm for 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, 5 days, 6 days and 7 days, respectively for Pusa. Maximum evaporation was found to be 6.25mm/day in the month of May and minimum evaporation was 0.93 mm/day in the month of December. The average pan evaporation (3.66 mm/day) for the month of June, July, August, September and October had been used for calculating the drainage coefficient. - Double ring infiltrometer was used for calculating infiltration rate. The average infiltration rate for 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, 5 days, 6 days and 7 days was 0.68, 0.52, 0.41, 0.36, 0.32, 0.29 and 0.28 mm/h. The waterlogged area was divided as upland, medium land and low land according to the elevation obtained from contour map of the area. The contour map was obtained with the help of software Google Earth, TCX Converter, Arc GIS and Global Mapper. The total area of Jhilli chaur was 12 ha. Jhilli chaur was divided into two parts; Jhilli chaur-A and Jhilli chaur -B, having separate outlets. Total area of Jhilli chaur-A under upland, medium land and low land was 1.289, 2.321 and 1.235 ha, respectively while for Jhilli chaur-B it was 1.671, 4.705 and 2.033 ha, respectively. Seven days drainage coefficient of Jhilli chaur- A and Jhilli chaur- B has been found to be 4.63 cm/day and 2.34 cm/day, respectively. Water stagnation could takes place to an extent of 2.39 ha-m and 4.20 ha-m in Jhilli chaur -A and Jhilli chaur- B respectively. One lateral for Jhilli chaur-A and one lateral for Jhilli chaur- B is sufficient to drain excess water from the field. Total volume of earth work was computed as 118.51 m3.