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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: Moses, Shriti × End date: 2018 × Start date: 2018 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Studies on diversity of parasites and predators associated with major insect pests
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2018) Moses, Shriti; Misra, A. K.
    Studies on diversity of parasites and predators associated with major insect pests of rice was done in kharif season of year 2017 at Pusa farm of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Samastipur, Bihar. The objectives of investigation were monitoring of parasites and predators associated with major insect pests of rice during kharif season, to identify and quantify pests and natural enemies, to establish the correlation of pest population with parasites and predators and the rate of parasitization/predation with weather parameters. Insect pests infestation are the primary constraints in rice (Oryza sativa) production systems. The rice stem borer, leaf folder and brown plant hopper have the largest share. Rice ecosystem favorable for proliferation of insect-pests is equally congenial for multiplication of the natural enemies of these pests. Rice Stem borer, leaf folder and plant hopper were found as active pest during kharif season at Pusa. The month of August and September were identified as the peak activity period for most of the insect pests in sweeping net and hand picking method. Higher intensity of insect pest were observed during first week of August to second week of October. Yellow stem borer (Scirpophaga incertulas), leaf folder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis) and brown plant hopper (Nilaparvata lugens) were found as the dominant species at Pusa. The peak activity period for most of the rice insect pest was observed during the 33rd standard week of August to 40th standard week of October. The damage symptom was highest for stem borer infestation which was observed in the 37th standard week of September. The infestation of leaf folder damaged leaves was observed in highest intensity during the 34th standard week of August. Both the species of plant hopper i.e. brown plant hopper (BPH) and white backed plant hopper (WBPH) were observed. The peak activity period for BPH and WBPH were observed during the 40th standard week of October. In species composition study, Scirpophaga incertulas (YSB) of rice stem borer, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis of leaf folder and Nilaparvata lugens of plant hopper were the dominant species at Pusa. The important predators observed in the rice ecosystem of Pusa are spider, lady bird beetle, staphylinid beetle, green mirid bug, dragonfly and damselfly. Predatory spider, dragonfly and damselfly were found most active during the month of July while, lady bird beetle, staphylinid beetle and green mirid bug were found most active in the month of August and September in sweeping net sampling and handpicking method. The highest count for most of the predators and parasitoids were observed in the month of August and September but spiders, dragonfly and damsel fly were found most active during the month of July. The important egg parasitoids of major insect pests of rice were observed for stem borer egg mass and leaf folder egg mass. The dominant egg parasitoid which was actively present throughout the kharif season on stem borer eggs was Trichogramma japonicum and it was found most active during the 33rd standard week of August (51.42%) and least active in the 30th standard week of July (3.03%). The dominant egg parasitoid observed for leaf folder was Trichogramma chilonis which was found also most active during the 33rd standard week of August (42.40%) and least active in the 31st standard week of August (4.72%).