Himalayan Times (1962)

June 24, 1962

Himalayan Times

Seven

Agricultural Research and
the various Commodity
Committees and some
undertaken in oooperaticn
with international agencies
like tho Rockefeller Foun-
dation the Ford Fonnda-
tion and the Indo U. 8.
Technical Cooperation Mis-
sion, are in progress at
the Institute.

Of the many achieve-
ments of the Indian Agri-
cultural Research Institute
most people are familiar
with the world famous
Pusa win at envolved by
this Institute, and also
the equally famous Coim-
bitcresugarcanet. Another
achievement is the build,
ing up of the well-knowd
Siliiwal herd of the Ins-
titute which is remarkable
for the high average milk
yield of the cows Proper
scientific records have
been maintained about
the oows and bulls from
the. time the work was
started about 66 years "go.

Among recent succeses
are the production of yet
newer and better wheats
combining high yield and
gcod grain quality with
a measure of disease resis
tanos which was not
thought possible at one
time. Among these must
be mentioned N.P. S09.
N P. 823 and N.P 824.
The last two respond well
to application of heavy
doses of fertilizers. Ano-
ther variety, N P. 836
suitable fi.r cultivation in

Bihar and West Bengal,
is of interest in that it
has been evolved while
treating seeds of an older
strain \mith x-rays and
radio-iso opes. In the field
of genetics another im-
portant contribution of the
Institute has been the
successful hybridisation of
the two cultivated species
of jute, Corchorus olitorius
and Corchorus capsuam
using tha modern embryo,
culture technique. In view
of the fact that each of
these speojes possess cer-
tain useful characters
which it would he very
desirable to combine with
those of the other, a cross
between the two speoice
had been attempted from
the early years of this
century, but without
success. Now the way has
been opened for further
breeding work which may
help id ev Iving jute
varieties with wide adap-
tability and strong white
fibre. Several important
n«w varieties of vegetables
have beeb evolved at the
Institute out of which
special mention must be
made of a variety of lady's
finger, "Pusa Sawani",
which is resistant to the
virus disease prevalent all
over the country which
causes yellowing of the
leaves and fruits. In the
tomato also a number of
varieties like "Pusa Ruby"
have been very successful
and there is much demand
for the seed. Here it may

be mentioned that the
Institute runs a Plant
introduction section which
has been instrumental in
introducing about 17,000
varieties.ofecoDoniio plants.
This-it a service of im-
portance to the whole
country.

The Institute hat
evolved a method by
which cowdung can be
used to provide gas for
cooking and lighting

| without impairing the ma-
norial value of the residue
which comes out of the
plant. A small village-type
model of this plant was
evolved some time back
and about a dozen suoh
cowdung gas plants can
be seen successfully work-
ing in the villages in the
Khaujawala Block of Delhi.
The Institute has also
devised oontrol measures
for insect pests and diseases

• coased by fungi and
bacteria. The All-India
Soil and Land Use Survey
Soheme, with its head-
quarters at this Institute,
is providing valuable basic
information which would
enable soil conservation
measures to be taken in
the River Valley Project
areas where costly hydro-
electric schemes are in
progress. By its simul-
taneous interest in the
pure s'cienoe and the prac-
tical side, the Indian
Agricultural Research Ins-
titute stands as a symbol
of tho unity and utility
of science.