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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: Sericulture × Author: Deori, Manas Jyoti × Start date: 2006 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    EFFECT OF FOLIAR SUPPLEMENTATION OF ASCORBIC ACID ON LARVAL GROWTH AND ECONOMIC TRAITS OF MUGA SILKWORM (Antheraea assamensis Helfer.)
    (AAU, Jorhat, 2017-07) Deori, Manas Jyoti; Dutta, L. C.
    Muga silk is the product of the silkworm Antheraea assamensis Helfer. endemic to North Eastern India which is prevalent in the Brahmaputra valley and adjoining hills by virtue of its typical agro-climatic condition. Muga silkworm is polyphagous and feeds on the leaves of different plant species. The silkworm is semi-domesticated and multivoltine in nature having 5 to 6 generation in a year. Supplementation or fortification of silkworm host plant leaves is a technique of recent application in sericulture research. A variety of fortification agents such as, proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids, sugars, vitamins, minerals, sterols, hormones, antibiotics, salts and other chemicals have been tested on silkworm larvae (Sundar Raj et al., 2000). The dietary supplements like proteins, vitamins, lipids etc. evincing their specificity at specific dose for various metabolic activities of silkworm (Horie and Watanabe, 1980). Ascorbic acid has many important functions in the animal body (Balasundaram et al., 2013 ). The present investigation is aimed to study the effect of foliar supplementation of ascorbic acid on larval growth and economic parameters of muga silkworm, Antheraea assamensis Helfer. in the Department of Sericulture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat during the year 2016-17. The study revealed that supplementation of som leaves with ascorbic acid does not have much impact on the larval growth and cocoon characters of muga silkworm. Application of ascorbic acid in 4th instar larval period with 1.5 % to 3.0% concentration of ascorbic acid increases the larval weight with decrease of larval duration compared to control, while effective rate of rearing was found to be more in 3.0-4.5% concentration of ascorbic acid supplementation during 3rd, 4th and 5th instar larval period. The silk gland weight was 1.8g in control batch and at variation from 1.75g to 2.10g in the treated batches of the silkworm with different concentration of ascorbic acid. The cocoon weight, shell weight, shell ratio, length and size (denier) of cocoon filament found to be increases with application of ascorbic acid with 1.5% concentration at 4th instar larval growth period. Thus, from the present investigation it could be inferred that fortification of host leaves with ascorbic acid does not have much impact on larval growth and economic characters of muga silkworm. However, supplementation of host leaves with lower concentrations of ascorbic acid during 3rd and 4th instar rearing period may be effective at certain levels, for improvement of larval growth and economic traits of muga silkworm.