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Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan
Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, was established on 1st December, 1985 with the objective to promote education, research and extension education in the fields of Horticulture, Forestry and allied disciplines. Late Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar, the first Chief Minister and the architect of Himachal Pradesh perceived the importance of Horticulture and Forestry to develop and improve the State economy which led to the establishment of this University. Its history lies in erstwhile Himachal Agricultural College, Solan, established in 1962 and affiliated to the Panjab University. It became one of the campuses of Agriculture Complex of Himachal Pradesh University on its formation in 1970. Consequent upon the establishment of Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya in 1978, this campus became its Horticulture Complex and finally in 1985, assumed the status of a State University, being the only University in the country engaged exclusively in teaching, research and extension in Horticulture and Forestry.
The University is located at Nauni in Solan District of Himachal Pradesh, 13 km from Solan on Solan-Rajgarh Road, at an elevation of 1300 metres above mean sea level. Solan town is situated on national highway (NH-22) and is well connected by train and bus services.
The University has four constituent colleges, out of which, two are located at the main campus Nauni, one for horticulture and the other for forestry, having 9 and 7 departments, respectively. The third College i.e., College of Horticulture & Forestry is located at Neri in Hamirpur District on Nadaun-Hamirpur state highway, about 6 Km from Hamirpur town and is well connected with bus service. The college offers three Undergraduate Degree Programmes i.e. BSc (Hons.) Horticulture, BSc (Hons.) Forestry and B. Tech. Biotechnology and MSc degree programme in a few subjects. The fourth college i.e. College of Horticulture and Forestry, Thunag (Mandi) is located at Thunag District Mandi. This college offer BSc (Hons.) Horticulture and BSc (Hons.) Forestry degree programme. In addition, there are five Regional Research Stations, 12 Satellite Stations and five Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) situated in different zones of the State.
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ThesisItem Open Access STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF INOCULATED Pseudomonas STRAINS ON PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING POTENTIAL OF RHIZOSPHERIC SOIL OF APPLE(UHF,NAUNI, 2016) POOJA, DEVI; KAUR, MOHINDERABSTRACT Apple replant disease has plagued apple growers for many years and is now found in most fruit growing regions world-wide. The use of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for the benefits of agriculture and horticulture is gaining worldwide importance and viewed as a novel and potential tool for providing substantial benefits to the horticulture. In the present study, isolation and characterization of fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. from replanted site of apple orchard (Shimla HP) was done. The eleven Pseudomonas isolates and four already isolated Pseudomonas strains L, M, C and G were screened out for various plant growth promoting activities like siderophore, phosphate solubilization, antifungal activity, plant growth regulators (auxins, cytokinins and gibberellins), lytic enzymes and production of HCN and ammonia. On the basis of PGPR activities, two isolates (ArSh-3 and ArSh-4) were genotypically characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Already isolated Pseudomonas strains L, M, C and G used in different liquid formulations of individual and consortium fluorescent Pseudomonas to treat apple plants in replanted site of orchards at Sharontha and Siao. The performance of apple plants was much better in terms of root colonization capacity, plant establishment and increase in plant growth in terms of plant height, number of nodes, chlorophyll content of leaves, plant growth promoting activities and NPK of rhizosphere soil over their respective control after twelve months of treatment. These strains can be further exploited for management of replant problem of apple after conducting few more field trials in replanted sites and can have great importance in the field of horticulture.ThesisItem Open Access STUDIES ON CHARACTERIZATION AND BIOCONTROL POTENTIAL OF CHITINOLYTIC PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING RHIZOBACTERIA(2016) THAKUR, DEEPALI; CHAUHAN, ANJALIABSTRACT Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are root associated bacteria and benefit plants by providing growth promotion through a variety of mechanism. The public concern over the harmful effects of chemical pesticides on the environment and human health has enhanced the search for safer, environmentally friendly control alternatives. Due to the importance of chitinolytic enzymes in insect, nematode, and fungal growth and development, they are receiving attention in regard to their use as biopesticides and microbial biocontrol agents. Therefore, the present study was aimed to characterize rhisospheric bacterial isolates associated with various horticultural crops and medicinal plants. A total of eighty two bacterial isolates were screened for chitinase production on minimal agar medium where zone of clearance and enzyme activity index were used for initial screening of chitinolytic bacteria. Fifty two out of eighty two bacterial isolates were selected as chitinase producers on the basis of zone size ranging from 1.60 mm to 45.40 mm and were further screened for quantitative chitinase production. All the fifty two isolates were screened for multifarious plant growth promoting traits viz. phosphate solubilisation, IAA production, siderophore production, HCN production and antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum and Phytopathora capsici. Five bacterial isolates which exhibited maximum chitinase activity along with maximum plant growth promoting traits were further evaluated for their biocontrol potential against Fusarium wilt of tomato caused by FOL under net house conditions. One isolates CT59T showed maximum biocontrol efficacy of 60.34 % against Fusarium wilt in tomato under net house studies comparison to control where disease index of 91.67 % was recorded. On the whole maximum disease control was found in case of fungal challenged tomato plant initially treated with CT59T. The identification of CT59T was tentatively confirmed by biochemical characterization and it was identified as strain belonging to Bacillus sp. The study on chitinase production by bacterial isolate was optimized under different cultural conditions resulted in maximum chitinase production (52.80 U/ml) after 72 h of incubation at 40 °C in minimal salt medium of pH 5.0 with an inoculum size of culture of 5.0 %. Bacterial isolate CT59T was grown at optimum culture conditions and chitinase was partially purified by ammonium sulphate precipitaion at 20-70% concentration and by dialysis of the proteins. The partially purified enzyme was characterized for stability of enzyme activity and it was found to be stable within a pH range of 5-7, temperature range of 30-40 ºC and reaction time of 90-120 minutes. The inhibition effect of crude and partially purified chitinase enzyme activity from Bacillus sp. strain CT59T on Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici showed its potential as biocontrol agent.ThesisItem Open Access STUDY OF RHIZOBACTERIAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND EVALUATION OF PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING RHIZOBACTERIAL APPLICATION STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE GROWTH AND YIELD IN APPLE(2016) CHANDEL, SHALINI; SHIRKOT, C.K.ABSTRACT Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is one of the most important fruit crops grown and consumed in the world. In Himachal Pradesh, apple crop occupies an area of 1,07,700 hectare with a production of 7,38,700 metric tons. Attempts to enhance apple productivity, in the Trans Himalayan region has resulted in rapid expansion in area under apple cultivation. However, the strict physio-geographic conditions, pose several hurdles. High yielding modern varieties are being adopted, to increase the productivity, which are highly responsive to external inputs. This results in indiscriminate use of chemical inputs, which poses potential threat to human health and environment. The utilization of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) may help to develop an environmentally benign biological approach for managing fungal diseases and enhancing the plant health resulting in increase in yield. In the last decade of research, several PGPR strains that have been identified and the research on PGPR has seen a tremendous boost, mainly because the role of the rhizosphere as an ecological unit has gained importance in the functioning of the biosphere. The present study envisages better understanding of structural and functional rhizobacterial diversity associated with apple replant sites and root rot infected diseased apple orchards. Principal component analysis revealed detailed insight into correlation between apple associated rhizobacterial population and different plant growth promoting traits in (a) healthy and root rot infected apple orchards; (b) apple replant sites and new plantation apple orchards. Molecular diversity analysis employing techniques viz. amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) and DNA sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene revealed comparative insight into structural variations in rhizobacterial diversity. In planta evaluations using microbial formulations developed using PGPR strains viz. Bacillus licheniformis strain CKA1, B.methylotropicus strain CKAM, Serratia plymuthica strain G4(3), B.methylotropicus Strain RG1(3), and their consortium have been comprehensively evaluated in the present study. Bio-control potential of microbial formulations against phyto-pathogens has also been assessed using in planta experimentation. Strain CKA1 based bio-formulation proved to be the most effective as compared to all other PGPR strains in providing antagonism against pytopathogens as revealed by experimentations carried out under net house conditions. Attempts have also been made, in the present study to understand the genetic basis of mineral phosphate solubilization in strain CKA1. Cloning and sequencing of gdh gene has paved the way for understanding molecular mechanisms involved in nutrient mobilization of essential nutrient (phosphorus) and its subsequent enhanced uptake by plants, as mediated by the rhizobacteria. Multi-location trials were carried out with inoculation of B. licheniformis strain CKA1 to access its effect on early vegetative growth of apple plants under field conditions. Effect of strain CKA1 on vegetative growth of apple was also compared at fresh plantation and re-plantation sites. Results revealed significant increase in vegetative growth over un-inoculated controls at all the locations studied. Effect of liquid formulation of CKA1 on apple yield, pomological traits, and fruit content and nutrient parameters was also evaluated at different locations. Comparison of different application strategies of liquid formulation viz. soil drenching in basin of apple trees alone, foliar spray at pink bud stage and soil drenching in combination with foliar spray for three consecutive years revealed that maximum apple yield/tree (28.00kg at RHRS, Mashobra; 103.75kg at Sablog, Matiana; 20.23kg at Nanni, Matiana; 110.50kg at Kyari, Kotkhai) was observed when apple trees were treated with CKA1 using a combination of root inoculation and foliar spray. Population dynamics studies carried out to determine the fate of inoculated strain of CKA1 in apple rhizosphere revelled successful establishment and colonization of the inoculated strain as indicated by high values Simpson’s index of Dominance which ranged from 1.51 to 3.40 at different locations. Apple orchard rejuvenation projects are being ambitiously launched by State agencies for restoring six decade old planted apple orchards. Integrated nutrient management systems comprising biological systems especially, single strain multifunctional PGPR such as strain CKA1 opens up new avenues not only for improving crop yield but also in sustaining soil health.ThesisItem Open Access EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM DAIRY PRODUCTS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH FOR THEIR EXOPOLYSACCHARIDE PRODUCTION AND ITS APPLICATION(2016) SHARMA, KANIKA; SHARMA, NIVEDITAABSTRACT The present investigation was carried out to isolate most efficient potential lactic acid bacteria from dairy products of Himachal Pradesh were screened exopolysaccharide (EPS), identification, safety assessment, evaluation of probiotic attributes, optimization, characterization as well as development of purified EPS based food product. Sixty eight potential lactic acid bacteria were screened for exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by using ruthenium red MRS agar. Out of these 68 isolates, eight i.e. KM0, KM1, KL14, KL15, KM4, JC5, KM3 and KC7 were found positive for EPS production. The quantitative analysis for EPS production was done by using phenol sulphuric acid method and KM0 showed highest EPS production (4.33 mg/ml), followed by KM1 (3.46 mg/ml) and KL14 (2.31 mg/ml). Isolates KM0, KM1 and KL14 were selected for further studies having maximum EPS production, which were isolated from Milk cream, Milk and Lassi, respectively that are dairy products of Himachal Pradesh. Isolates KM0, KM1 and KL14 were identifies as Pediococcus acidilactici, Lactobacillus paraplantarum and Lactobacillus casei by 16S rRNA gene technique and registered in NCBI under accession no. KX671557, KX671558 and KX774469, respectively. Safety assessment of EPS producing isolates was done by evaluating antibiotic susceptibility, haemolytic, DNase and gelatinase activities. All the isolates exhibited 80-100% antibiotic sensitivity, non-heamolytic, non-DNase and non-gelatinase activities, thereby proving their safe status. These screened isolates were further examined for their probiotic potential viz. acidity tolerance, bile tolerance,auto aggregation, co-aggregation, hydrophobicity, and cumulative probiotic potential. All the three screened exopolysaccharide producing isolates were found to be highly acidity tolerant strains with 93.65-99.41 % survival rate at pH 3 for 3 h. These three isolates were able to resist high bile salt concentration i.e. 2.0% with 93.12-98.22 % survival rate for 8 h. All the three isolates exhibited good autoaggregation capacity i.e. greater than 40% after 5 h and showed string hydrophobicity towards xylene i.e. > 40%. The entire screened three isolates were highly qualified with cumulative score of 95.83%.Five parameters i.e. incubation time, temperature, pH, carbon source, surfactants and nitrogen concentration were optimized by using One Factor at a Time approach (OFAT) followed by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) for EPS production. The best carbon source was lactose (1.5%, 2% for KM0 and KM1) while sucrose for KL14 (2%) and best nitrogen concentration was (0.2 % for KM0 and KM1, 0.3% for KL14). The optimum pH, temperature and incubation time were 6.50, 35ºC, respectively for all the isolates. Under optimized conditions, an overall increase of 34mg/ml, 32 mg/ml and 28 mg/ml EPS production was observed with KM0, KM1 and KL14, respectively. A step by step purification of exopolysaccharide was done by P. acidilactici KM0, L. paraplantarum KM1& L. casei KL14 , their characterization of KM0, KM1& KL14 was done and the purified exopolysaccharide showed wide stability in high temperature(heat shock & cold shock), pH, storage stability, waterholding capacity, thin layer chromatography (TLC). Among all the isolates, L. paraplantarum KM1 showed maximum EPS production, so it was selected for further study. KM1 isolate characterized by HPLC, MALDI-TOF and SEM. Further, the purified exopolysaccharide was used for the curd formation. The exopolysaccharide was found effectively active to be used in dairy industry as it showed 63.42 % water holding capacity, improve taste and texture of curd.ThesisItem Open Access STUDIES ON CHARACTERIZATION OF HYPER PHOSPHATE SOLUBILIZING MUTANT STRAIN OF Bacillus licheniformis(2016) GAURAV, KUMAR; CHAUHAN, ANJALIABSTRACT Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are root associated bacteria and benefit plants by providing growth promotion by a variety of mechanism. The present study was focused on hyper phosphate solubilization by mutagenesis of wild strain (WS) of B. licheniformis originally isolated from apple rhizosphere. Ultraviolet (UV) rays, Ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) and Ethidium bromide (EtBr) mutagens were used to enhance the phosphate solubilizing ability of wild strain. Forty mutants were selected on the basis of phosphate solubilizing index (PSI) and change in colony morphology. Only one mutant PM7 with hyper phosphate solubilization was obtained after treating WS with UV rays for 100 minutes of exposure. Of all the mutants tested, PM7 was selected, as there was approximately 2 fold increase in P-solubilization over wild type. Mutant PM7 showed higher PSI together with higher IAA and siderophore production 43.00 µg/ml and 103.09 % SU, respectively. Mutant PM7 also showed high antifungal activity against Phytophthora capsici (64.44 % G.I), Fusarium oxysporum (62.30 % G.I) and Dematophora necatrix (65.12 % G.I) in comparison to WS. Thus, mutant PM7 was selected for net house trial on growth promotion of tomato. Remarkably, enhanced root/shoot parameters, P-uptake and available P content of soil at 50 % of recommended dose of tricalcium phosphate was recorded as compared to WS and control. The result obtained in the present study, indicate toward the great potential of hyper Psolubilization of mutant strain of Bacillus licheniformis to be developed as biofertilizers to enhance soil fertility and plant growth.