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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: Plant Breeding × Author: Borkakati, Hemanta × End date: 2019 × Start date: 2017 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    SEED HEALTH STATUS OF FARMERS’ PADDY SEEDS OF JORHAT DISTRICT OF ASSAM
    (AAU, Jorhat, 2018) Borkakati, Hemanta; Medhi, T
    India is major rice (Oryza sativa L.) producing country and stands second with an annual production of 155 million tons (Anon, 2011). Storage of rice seeds is an important practice in order to secure the food as well as to ensure the availability of healthy seeds for the next planting season. The purpose of proper seed storage is to retain its viability and vigour and should keep it free from disease and pests. In the present investigation, health status of farmers’ saved seeds of various paddy varieties of Jorhat district of Assam was evaluated. Fifty samples of 19 varieties of rice seeds (250 g each), stored in two different storage structures viz. Duli and Jute bags were collected from fifty (50) farmers of different villages of Jorhat district and 33 samples from Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Assam Agricultural University (AAU) Titabar, Jorhat, at 0 and 180 days of storage of winter rice. Seed qualities parameters viz., moisture content increased in the seeds stored in all the villages after 180 days of storage irrespective of the storage structures. It was significantly the lowest in the seeds collected from Charigaon village both at 0 (13.34 percent) and 180 (14.63 percent) days of storage. Seeds samples collected from Jankhona village showed the highest moisture content but it was statistically at par with Mishing Gaon and Jamuguri after 180 days of storage.Germination percentage declined in the stored seeds after 180 days in all the locations. At 0 day of storage, seeds from only two villages (80.67 percent and 80.20 percent in Charigaon and Jamuguri respectively) showed mean germination percentage above Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards (IMSCS) level. After 180 days, seeds from none of the villages showed germination above IMSCS level. Significant difference was observed among the notified and farmers’ varieties in terms of germination percentage. Germination ranged from 80.50 to 92.00 percent in the notified varieties whereas in farmers’ varieties, it ranged from 32.76 to 74.40 percent at 0 day of storage. Seedling vigour was higher in seeds collected from Charigaon both at 0 (1299.34) and 180 days (1228.82) of storage however it was at par with that of Jamuguri (1225.19) and Shyam Gaon (1208.28) at 0 day and with that of Mishing Gaon (1191.34) and Shyam Gaon (1110.78) after 180 days of storage. Similarly, speed of germination was highest in seeds from Charigaon both at 0 (13.55) and at 180 days (12.14) of storage. The mean germination time was low both at 0 (5.83) and 180 days (6.83) of storage. Similarly, mean daily germination, peak value and germination value was recorded maximum at Charigaon at 0 and 180 days of storage. Seven fungal species viz. Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp., Curvularia spp., Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp., and Bipolaris spp. were found to be associated with the seeds collected from the five villages sand RARS, Titabar in different per cent frequencies, Aspergillus spp. being the predominant one. However, Alternaria spp. was absent in the farmers’ saved seeds whereas Rhizopus spp. was absent in seeds collected from RARS. The seed samples from Jankhona were highly infected by seed borne mycoflora (27.14 per cent and 64.29 per cent at 0 and 180 days of storage respectively). The lowest seed infection was recorded in the seeds collected from Charigaon (11.43 per cent and 37.13 per cent at 0 and 180 days of storage respectively). Storage structures did not have significant effect in any of the parameters studied. The present findings revealed that the seeds collected from the five villages were inferior in terms of seed quality and seed health. Awareness among and training of farmers regarding scientific methods of production and storages for healthy, disease free quality seed is a prerequisite to sustain the food security.