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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: Kumar, Atul × End date: 2017 × Start date: 2010 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of Poplar (Populus deltoides Bartr.) Clones on Fertility Improvement in Upland Calcareous Soil after Eleven-Year- Rotation
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2016) Kumar, Atul; Das, D. K.
    Poplar trees are becoming extremely important as fast growing species due to the increasing need for wood and decreasing productivity of the lands. The present investigation was conducted in eleven-year-old poplar (Populus deltoides Bartr.) plantations established at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Birouli, Samastipur (Bihar) to find the effect of six promising clones (PP-5, Udai, L-52, L-49, G-48 and L-188) as one of the most important effective factors on soil properties and also to estimate the timber volume of different poplar clones. Clones were planted with 5×4 m spacing in frame of randomized block design with four replications. The soil samples were taken from 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm depth of soils under plantations of different poplar clones and from open (without trees). The results showed that the upper 0-15 cm soil in L-52 poplar clone plot had highest value (6.30 g kg-1 soil) and it was 125% more over control (open). Besides, L-49 had almost similar soil organic carbon status. Hence, the soils under these two plantations have more potentiality for sequestering organic carbon. Irrespective of the soil depths, maximum reduction in pH (0.47 unit) was noticed under the canopy of L-52 followed by L-49 (0.37 unit) and the less change was noticed under L-188 (0.16 unit). Electrical conductivities (EC) under all the poplar plantations were significantly lower as compared to open. Improvement of available macronutrients such as N, P2O5 and K2O, was recorded under all the plantations. Maximum build up was under L-52 followed by L-49 clones. Significant decrease in available S was recorded under Uday, G-48 and L-188, whereas L-52, L-49 and PP-5 poplar clones showed significant increase in available S at both the depths of the soil over open condition. Maximum improvement of available micronutrients Fe, Cu, Mn and B was recorded under L-52 followed by L-49 clones. However, available Zn declined under all the plantations at both the depth of the soil except under the clone L-52 in the surface soil when compared to open. Timber volume (m3ha-1) of the different eleven-year-old poplar clones followed the order: L-52 (271.1) > L-49 (210.0) > PP-5 (184.8) > Uday (176.6) > G-48 (139.0) > L-188 (132.9). Thus, soil fertility as reflected by soil pH, electrical conductivity, bulk density, soil organic carbon, available macronutrients (N, P and K) and micronutrients (Fe, Cu, Mn, B and S) can be improved by integration of L-52, L-49 and PP-5 clones of poplar (Populus deltoides) in silvicultural systems under upland calcareous soil condition, besides meeting the demand of wood for plywood and fuel.