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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: Vegetable Science × Author: BARMAN, ANIMESH × End date: 2023 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    STUDIES ON GENETIC VARIABILITY AND CAUSE-EFFECT RELATIONSHIP IN OKRA [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) MOENCH] GENOTYPES FOR SUMMER SEASON
    (DRPCAU, PUSA, 2021) BARMAN, ANIMESH; SINGH, A. K.
    The present research programme entitled “Studies on genetic variability and cause-effect relationship in okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench] genotypes for summer season” was conducted with thirty okra genotypes collected from various places across the country at the Hi-Tech Horticulture Farm of the Department of Horticulture of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, during the summer season of 2020. The material was assessed using RBD (Randomized Block Design) with three replications. Fifteen traits were selected for the study viz., “plant height (cm), number of primary branches per plant, days to first flowering, days to fruit set, days to first harvesting, number of fruits per plant, number of seeds per fruit, average fruit weight (g), internodal length (cm), number of nodes per plant, number of first flowering nodes, fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (cm), number of ridges per fruit, fruit yield per plant (kg)” ANOVA exhibited significant mean sum of square (MSS) values due to genotype for all variables under study, which signify the presence of substantial amount of variability in the okra genotypes used for the study. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) values was slightly greater than the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) values for most of the traits, which was attributed for the minor impact of environment on the morphology of the traits. In the study, high level of heritability associated with high level of genetic advance was observed for “number of primary branches per plant, number of first flowering nodes, number of seeds per fruit, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit yield per plant”, which revealed the preponderance of additive gene action. Therefore, response to early selection may be effective in improving these traits. Based on correlation and path analysis, “number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight, fruit length” expressed positive and significant correlation with “fruit yield per plant” having their positive direct effect suggesting that during selection these traits may be considered as prime trait to improve yield of okra. Based on diversity using Tocher's method, the thirty genotypes were grouped into eight different clusters. The inter cluster distances were recorded higher than the intra cluster distances further indicating a considerable amount of diversity in the genotypes involved. Highest inter-cluster distance was found between cluster III and VII followed by cluster V and VII. Among all the characters studied, “fruit length” contributed maximum to the diversity followed by “number of first flowering nodes, number of primary branches per plant”. Further, genotypes VRO-65 (cluster III) and SKY/DR/RS-13 (cluster VI) were selected as superior lines based on high inter cluster distance alongside mean performance for most of yield attributing traits suggesting that these genotypes may be used in crossing programme to obtain heterotic recombinants as well as transgressive segregants.