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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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Author: INDORIYA, ROHIT × End date: 2021 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Character association and genetic diversity analysis in field pea (Pisum sativum L.)
    (DRPCAU, PUSA, 2021) INDORIYA, ROHIT; KANT, RAVI
    The present research programme entitled “character association and genetic diversity analysis in field pea (Pisum sativum L.)” was conducted with thirty-two field pea genotypes collected from various places across the country at the research farm, TCA, Dholi, Muzaffarpur, Bihar during the Rabi season of 2020-21. The material was assessed using RBD (Randomized Block Design) with four replications. Twelve traits were selected for the study viz., plant height (cm), days to 50 % flowering, number of primary branches per plant, number of secondary branches per plant, number of pods per plant, grains per pod, harvest index (%), pod length (cm), 100 seeds weight (g), days to maturity, growing degree days (ºC), and yield per plant (g). ANOVA exhibited significant Mean Sum of Square (MSS) values due to genotype for all traits, which is an indicative of the presence of ample amount of variability in field pea genotypes used for the study. The Phenotypic Coefficient of Variance (PCV) values were slightly greater than the Genotypic coefficient of Variance (GCV) values which was attributed for the meager effect of environment on the morphological appearance of the traits. In the study, high heritability coupled high genetic advance was observed for number of pods per plant, 100 seeds weight (g), number of primary branches per plant, number of secondary branches per plant, harvest index (%), plant height (cm) and yield per plant (g), which indicated 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 pods per plant, harvest index (%), number of primary branches per plant and number of secondary branches per plant exhibited positive and significant correlation with yield per plant having their positive direct effect suggesting that during selection these traits may be considered as prime trait to improve yield of field pea. Based on diversity using Tocher's method, the thirty-two genotypes were grouped into six 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 I and VI. Among all the characters studied, plant height contributed maximum to the diversity. Further, genotypes HUPT 1810, TRCP 8(cluster VI) and Pant P 449 (Cluster I) 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.