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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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Author: Chopdar, Ramdhan × End date: 2022 × Start date: 2020 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Studies on genetic variability and character association in Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)
    (DRPCAU, Pusa, 2020) Chopdar, Ramdhan; Pramila
    The present study was carried out at Vegetable Research farm of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar during Rainy Season 2019 using thirty one brinjal genotypes including the check, Utkal Jyoti in Randomized Block Design with three replications. The observations were recorded on eighteen putative characters that include both qualitative and quantitative indicate namely, plant height (cm), number of primary branches per plant, days to 50% flowering, days to first harvesting, fruit length (cm), fruit width (cm), fruit pedicel length (cm), number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight (g), fruit yield per plant (kg), total soluble solids (ᴼBrix), phenol content (mg/100g), long styled flower (%), medium styled flower (%), short styled flower (%) and pseudo-short styled flower (%). The different statistical parameters used for interpretation of data were Analysis of Variance, Genotypic and Phenotypic Variance, Genotypic and Phenotypic coefficient of Variance, Heritability, Genetic Advance, Correlation Coefficient Analysis, Path Coefficient Analysis and Genetic Diversity to study nature and magnitude of variability and diversity. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant difference among thirty one genotypes of brinjal for all the eighteen characters from the variability studies. High estimates of PCV were observed for traits phenol content, marketable fruit yield per plant, fruit yield per plant, pseudo-short styled flower, average fruit weight, short style flower, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, unmarketable fruit yield per plant, fruit width and medium style flower whereas moderate GCV and PCV were recorded for fruit pedicle length, long style flower, number of primary branches, days to 50% flowering, plant height and TSS. In present set of materials high heritability with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was recorded for phenol content, fruit length, average fruit weight, fruit pedicle length, fruit width, days to 50% flowering, number of fruits per plant, fruit yield per plant, marketable fruit yield per plant, pseudo-short styled flower and unmarketable fruit yield per plant indicating preponderance of additive gene effect, which will facilitate selection in early segregating generation. Traits like marketable fruit yield per plant, unmarketable fruit yield per plant, average fruit weight, number of fruits per plant and fruit width showed significant positive correlation with fruit yield per plant and have positive direct effect at phenotypic level indicating the importance of these characters for further yield improvement. Path analysis revealed traits like number of fruit per plant, average fruit weight, marketable fruit yield per plant and unmarketable fruit yield per had positive direct effect as well fruit length and long style flower percent had indirect effect on fruit yield per plant at phenotypic level. Thirty one genotypes of brinjal were grouped into 6 clusters using Tocher’s clustering method. Cluster I had maximum twelve genotypes, cluster II, III, IV, V and VI each had three, three, one, four and eight genotypes respectively. Highest inter cluster distance was observed between cluster II and cluster V followed by between cluster IV and cluster V. Highest intra cluster distance was observed in cluster VI followed by cluster I, Cluster III showed higher mean performance for most of the yield attributing characters therefore, selection of parents from this cluster would be effective. Phenol content and pseudo-short style flower were major characters contributing towards genetic divergence. This shows that variability in the genotypes is only due to these characters which will offer a good scope for improvement of yield through rational selection of parental genotypes. Based on the result of all major parameter including qualitative and quantitative indices under present investigation, genotype Utkal Jyoti, Swarna Shyamly and Neelum Long appeared to the outstanding performs.