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Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat

Assam Agricultural University is the first institution of its kind in the whole of North-Eastern Region of India. The main goal of this institution is to produce globally competitive human resources in farm sectorand to carry out research in both conventional and frontier areas for production optimization as well as to disseminate the generated technologies as public good for benefitting the food growers/produces and traders involved in the sector while emphasizing on sustainability, equity and overall food security at household level. Genesis of AAU - The embryo of the agricultural research in the state of Assam was formed as early as 1897 with the establishment of the Upper Shillong Experimental Farm (now in Meghalaya) just after about a decade of creation of the agricultural department in 1882. However, the seeds of agricultural research in today’s Assam were sown in the dawn of the twentieth century with the establishment of two Rice Experimental Stations, one at Karimganj in Barak valley in 1913 and the other at Titabor in Brahmaputra valley in 1923. Subsequent to these research stations, a number of research stations were established to conduct research on important crops, more specifically, jute, pulses, oilseeds etc. The Assam Agricultural University was established on April 1, 1969 under The Assam Agricultural University Act, 1968’ with the mandate of imparting farm education, conduct research in agriculture and allied sciences and to effectively disseminate technologies so generated. Before establishment of the University, there were altogether 17 research schemes/projects in the state under the Department of Agriculture. By July 1973, all the research projects and 10 experimental farms were transferred by the Government of Assam to the AAU which already inherited the College of Agriculture and its farm at Barbheta, Jorhat and College of Veterinary Sciences at Khanapara, Guwahati. Subsequently, College of Community Science at Jorhat (1969), College of Fisheries at Raha (1988), Biswanath College of Agriculture at Biswanath Chariali (1988) and Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science at Joyhing, North Lakhimpur (1988) were established. Presently, the University has three more colleges under its jurisdiction, viz., Sarat Chandra Singha College of Agriculture, Chapar, College of Horticulture, Nalbari & College of Sericulture, Titabar. Similarly, few more regional research stations at Shillongani, Diphu, Gossaigaon, Lakhimpur; and commodity research stations at Kahikuchi, Buralikson, Tinsukia, Kharua, Burnihat and Mandira were added to generate location and crop specific agricultural production packages.

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Subject: Horticulture × Author: Mahanta, Sangita × End date: 2017 × Start date: 2013 × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION, PHENOTYPIC STABILITY ANALYSIS AND VALUE ADDITION IN MARIGOLD
    (AAU, Jorhat, 2017-10) Mahanta, Sangita; Talukdar, Madhumita Choudhury
    The experiments were conducted during 2015-17 in six environments created by planting at different dates and spacings and involving 12 varieties to assess morphological characters, genetic variation, genetic diversity, genotype-environment interaction, phenotypic stability of marigold flowers and their value addition. The morphological traits contributed largely to variability in leaf colour, leaflet margin, stem colour, visibility of disc floret, flower colour, flower shape and petal edge. Significant differences were observed among the varieties for quantitative characters. The performance of the variety Seracole exhibited maximum for quantitative traits, viz., branches/plant (79.80), leaves/plant (256.13), flowers/plant (111.47), self life (17.66 days), loose flower life (4.93 days) and, yield (574.20g/plant, 2.41 kg/ m2 and 199.52 q/ha).The variety Seracole exhibited highest carotenoid content (290.50 μg/g). The estimates of genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation and heritability revealed high genetic variation for most of the characters. High heritability with moderategenetic advance exhibited by leaves/plant, branches/plant, leaf length, fresh weight of flower, flowers/plant and yield/plant indicated that along with additive gene effect non additive effects like dominance and epistasis might have played a role in the expression of these characters.Based on D2 values, all the 12 marigold varieties were grouped into two clusters. Cluster I consisted of 11 varieties, viz. Pusa Narangi Gainda, Pusa Basanti Gainda, Pusa Arpita, Hajo Orange, Mumbai Orange, Hajo Yellow, Sunrise Orange, Hawaii Orange, Calcutta Orange, Calcutta Yellow, Yellow Babuda; while cluster II consisted of only Seracole. Inter-cluster distance was greater than intra-cluster distance which indicated wider genetic diversity among the varieties of the two clusters. There was significant genotype-environment (GE) interaction for all the growth and flower characters, except plant height and number of ray florets. Both linear and non-linear components contributed towards GE interaction except disc floret, for which only linear component contributed. The varieties, viz. Seracole, Pusa Narangi Gainda, Pusa Basanti Gainda exhibited average stability for flower yield/ha. Pusa Narangi Gainda and Pusa Basanti Gainda showed average stability for plant height and earliness to days to bud visibility. Among the various drying methods tested, cabinet drying gave the highest carotenoid content (337.64μg/g) compared to the other methods. The basal diet, supplemented with fresh and dried marigold petals @12 mg carotenoid/kg diet recorded highest carotenoid content 38.82 μg/g and 39.86 μg/g respectively, and respective colour score 10.73 and 10.8 of egg yolk. The carotenoid content was highest in the first month with LDPE packaging materials of 400 gauge (270.47 μg/g), 300 gauge (269.64 μg/g) and 200 gauge (266.94 μg/g) which decreased with advancement of storage period. The outcome of the present investigation could be considered as a basic work for this region which could provide guidance and basic information to the researchers for further value addition to marigold flowers, particularly for incorporationin poultry diet.