Happening at BAU Issue -108th 01st to 07th Mar. 2015

Dear Friends,

We are presenting before you the hundred eighth issue of the newsletter. This issue focuses on major research activities of the University beside regular academic, extension and training events. Please do not forget to send us your crispy inputs and suggestions as well, to foster Happening at BAU. This newsletter is the mirror for reflecting your hard works in the field of research and other activities. Feel free to share any observation and the investigation carried by you for making Happening at BAU more popular among subscribers. Happening at BAU has already completed its Diamond Jubilee only because of your help and continuous support. You may like to circulate it to other colleagues and provide their email ids so that they can get Happening at BAU in time.

-Team Happening

Focus of the

week

Kisan Mela-2015 at Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour

The visit of SRFSI team at different nodes of Purnea and Bhagalpur districts of Bihar

Dr. Rakesh Kumar was recognized as the Best KVK Scientist

Initiation of work on value addition of flowers through dry flower technology

ZREAC (Kharif) Meet at BPSAC, Purnea

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Issue -108th 01st to 07th Mar. 2015

Kisan Mela-2015 at Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour

Bihar Kisan Mela-2015, focusing Family Farming: Need and Opportunities was organized at Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour on 1st and 2nd, 2015 in the august presence of Shri

Vijay Prakash, Agriculture Production Commissioner, Government of Bihar, Dr. Birendra Prasad Yadav, District Magistrate, Bhagalpur and Dr. M. L. Choudhary, Vice Chancellor, Bihar Agriculture University, Sabour. Mr. Vijay Prakash, Agriculture Production Commissioner and chief guest of the Mela, stressed on the Agriculture Road Map of Bihar for the year 2012-2017, which places an integrated thrust on agriculture. The recent innovations in agriculture like the high density planting, aeroponics and hydroponics need to be strengthened and popularized among the farmers. The innovations must be used in practice to accelerate the agricultural accelerate the agricultural

growth, he told during the inaugural session. Dr. Birendra Pd. Yadav, DM, Bhagalpur and the guest of honor of the function suggested the farmers to adopt family farming in their current agricultural practices. He also invited the farmers to make most of the agricultural fair. Mr. R.K Gupta, DGM, State Bank of India, Bhagalpur focused on the importance of finance and credit in the agricultural growth and cited various examples of best insurance schemes for farmers. Dr. M. L. Choudhary, Vice Chancellor of the university highlighted the achievements of the university, made in various fields such as teaching, research, extension and training. The varieties developed by the university were creating new avenues in agriculture and the innovative services of the university like the Community Radio Stations, Mobile SMS services as well as Kisan Gyan Rath were helping the farming sector of the state, he told during his address to the huge gathering. The Food Development Centre going to be established to impart training among youths of state would generate employment generation. The future outlook of the university lies in educating and therefore, creation of agricultural polytechnic college in each district of the state is the need of hours, he added. Innovative farmers from different districts of the state were honored in the function for their performance and innovations in the field of agriculture. The publications from the University; books on family farming and hybrid rice production technology and technical CDs were also released on the occasion. Dr. R. K. Sohane, Director Extension Education, BAU, Sabour delivered welcome speech and Dr. R. N Sharma, Dean Agriculture, BAU, Sabour gave vote of thanks. Almost 20,000 farmers from different districts of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal took advantage of the Kisan Gosthi and gleaned agricultural information from more than 150 stall installed there.

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Issue -108th 01st to 07th Mar. 2015

The visit of SRFSI team at different nodes of Purnea and Bhagalpur districts of Bihar

The twelve-membered team of Sustainable Resilient Farming System Intensification (SRFSI) project lead by Dr. Sanjay Kumar (Deptt. of Agronomy, BAU, Sabour) visited various field trials at different villages of Purnea and Bhagalpur on 1st and 2nd March and also took part in the Kisan Mela held at BAU, Sabour held on 1st and 2nd March. SRFSI project is being operated at different nodes in Purnea (Bihar) in collaboration with BAU, Sabour; JEEVIKA and DoA, Bihar, to promote direct seeded rice followed by zero-tillage (ZT) wheat or maize. The growing need for food grain production and the increasing challenges to

produce major crops like rice, wheat and maize has lead to the demand of much resilient and sustainable farming system. The team interacted with the farmers and farmwomen groups at Tikapatti, Purani Garel and Dogachi villages and also inspected the ongoing field trials on ZT wheat and maize in view of increasing farm productivity and livelihood upliftment of the farmers. In the long run the major goal of the project is to tackle climate change risks through development of sustainable and productive cropping systems and is to strengthen the livelihood of the farmers.

The SRFSI team (l to r, 1st row): Ashraf Ali (SRFSI Project Manager); Sanjay Kumar (SRFSI PI, BAU); Prem Prakash (JEEViKA collaborator); Pat Wall (Consultant Agronomist, CIMMYT); Dr. Rajesh Kumar (Principal, Purnea College); Ram Dalal (Professor of Soil Science and Agronomy, University of Queensland); Mahesh Gathala (SRFSI Project Leader); Laura Wending (Senior lecturer in Soil Science, UQ); Colin Piggin (Consultant Crop-Forage Agronomist, ACIAR); Ranvir Kumar (SRFSI Project member and Assistant Prof. Economics, Purnea College); (l to r, 2nd row): Alison Laing (Crop Simulation Modeller, CISRO); Toni Darbas (Sociologist, CSIRO); Zainab Darbas (Research Assistant, UQ); Fay Rola-Rubzen (Agricultural Social Economist, Curtin University); and farm women.

Dr. Rakesh Kumar was recognized as the Best KVK Scientist

Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Programme Co-ordinator, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Arwal was recognized as the Best KVK Scientist at Raj Mata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh by Indian Society of Extension Education during National Seminar held at Gwalior from February 26-28, 2015.

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Issue -108th 01st to 07th Mar. 2015

Initiation of work on value addition of flowers through dry flower technology

Research on “Value addition of flowers through dry flower technology” is going to start under the supervision of Dr. Deepti Singh, Assistant Professor-cum-Jr. Scientist, Department of Horticulture (Veg Sci. and Flori.), BAU, Sabour aimed at the upliftment of the socio-economic condition of the rural people and women folk of Bihar in the long run. In addition, this work is also supposed to be helpful in enhancing the shelf life of perishing flowers under field condition by preserving it in dry forms for longer duration. Normal flowers, foliage and dry flowers like Acroclinum, Helichrysum, Statice, Briza, Brunus will be undertaken

initially through drying technology i.e. Hot Air Oven drying, Press drying and Embedded drying using silica gel of varying mesh size i.e. 60 to 200 as an embedded material. In the embedded drying technology flowers are plucked in 2/3 rd open stage and embedded in the gel and kept at 50o C for one day. The silica gel used here helps in retaining three dimensional shape and color of most of the flower and foliage. Dried Flowers are used in making greeting cards, flower arrangements, bookmarks, photo frames, wall hangings, etc.

“Merit Certificate” for Best Research Paper (Poster) Presentation to Dr. Durga Prasad Merit Certificate for Best Research Paper (Poster) Presentation was given to Dr. Durga Prasad for his presentation of research works on bacterial leaf blight and sheath blight of rice in the National Symposium on “Recent Advances in Diagnosis and Management of Diseases of Field and Horticultural Crops” organized by Department of Plant Pathology, NDUAT, Faizabad, (U.P.) in collaboration with Indian Phytopathological Society (IPS), New Delhi during 28th February and 1st March, 2015. Dr. Bhagwan Singh, Director Research, NDUAT, Faizabad (U.P.) gave this certificate to Dr. Prasad in presence of Dr. Akhtar Haseeb, Vice-Chancellor, NDUAT, Faizabad, Dr. S.P. Singh, Director Extension, NDUAT, Faizabad, Dr. S.P. Pathak, Zonal President and Organizing Secretary, MEZ, Dr. H.K. Singh, Zonal Councilor and

Treasurer, MEZ, Dr. R. B. Singh, Technical Secretary, IPS, MEZ, Dr. Dinesh Singh, Principal Scientist and Treasurer, IPS, IARI, New Delhi and others dignitaries.

ZREAC (Kharif) Meet at BPSAC, Purnea

The Zonal Research and Extension Advisory Committee Meeting (Kharif) for Zone-II was held at BPSAC, Purnea on 24th February in the chairmanship of Dr. Ravi Gopal Singh, Director Research, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour. Dr. Umesh Singh, ADR –cum- Assoc. Dean –cum- Principal, MBAC, Agwanpur; Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Assoc. Dean –cum- Principal, BPSAC, Purnea; D.A.O., Kishanganj; D.H.O., Purnea; Plant Protection Officer, Purnea, Dy. P. D, ATMA; P.C.’s of Jalalgarh, Araria, Katihar, Kishanganj, Madhepura, Khagaria and Scientists & farmers of Zone-II participated in this meet to identify researchable issues and shootout the trouble faced by the farmers of zone II.

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Two days training programme on cultivation of bamboo was conducted at Mandan Bharti Agriculture College, Agwanpur with the help of Assistant Director, Department of Horticulture, Govt. of Bihar, Saharsa

where fifty farmers coming from different villages of Saharsa district took part in. Dr. Birendra Prasad, Jr. Scientist, Regional Research Station, Agwanpur trained the farmers on scientific cultivation of bamboo while Dr. M. P. Mandal, Jr. Scientist, RRS,

Agwanpur explained about different variety of bamboo for Kosi Zone-II. Dr. Umesh Singh, Associate Dean-cum-Principal, MBAC, Agwanpur, educated the farmers with the integrated nutrient management, integrated pest management and appropriate time of harvesting of bamboo. Mr. Ajeet Saran, Assistant Director, Horticulture and Mr. Bachan Singh shaded light over the National Bamboo Mission Project and programme of state government.

Training programme on cultivation of bamboo at Mandan Bharti Agriculture College

Coriander cultivation is turning as the farmers’ choice in Jehanabad district

Field day on coriander production (var. R. Swati|) was conducted at the plot of Laxmikant Azad of Jaikishunbigha village under Modanganj block where 22 farmers participated. Farmers were enthusiastic to observe the stupendous fruiting of coriander as it gives higher economic output. Laxmikant Azad told that the spice production (coriander) was even more beneficial than wheat production in terms of water requirement and income. The market rate of wheat was Rs. 1500 per quintal only while of coriander was Rs. 7500 per quintal. As far as the irrigation is concerned, coriander crop required single time irrigation while

wheat crop requires at least three times. The expected yield coriander is about 15 quintal per hectare. KVK, Coriander production is getting momentum in Jehanabad district as sole crop as well as mix cropping with Rai after the initiative of KVK.

01st to 07th Mar. 2015 Issue -108th

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Issue -108th

Publication of the week

M. L. Choudhary, V. B. Patel, M. S. Siddique and S. S. Mahdi. Climate Dynamics in Horticultural Sciences: Principles and Applications, CRC press, ISBN-9781771880312.

M.L. Choudhary, V.B. Patel, M.S. Siddique and R.B. Verma, Climate Dynamics in Horticultural Sciences: Impact, Adaptation and Mitigation, CRC press, ISBN-9781771880701.

01st to 07th Mar. 2015

Issue -108th

Weekly Photo Contest, Winner: Rakesh Kumar Kashyap, ‘’Krishika’’ Krishi Gyan Krishak Dhanwan

01st to 07th Mar. 2015

Weather forecast for Bihar during 8th-14th March 2015: Sunil Kumar Zone I: Weather may be bit dry and it seems no rain. There is possibility of cloudy weather during 13th-14th March. Maximum and minimum temperature may be observed in the range of 28-290C and 16-170C respectively. Zone II: There is possibility of light rain on 14th March. Rest of the days may be bit dry. Maximum and minimum temperature may be observed in the range of 32-33 0 C and 19-20 0C respectively. Zone III A: Last week, maximum and minimum temperature was near the normal. In next week, maximum and minimum temperature may be more than normal. There may be cloudy weather during 12th-14th March but there is no probability of rain. Maximum and minimum temperature may be observed in the range of 31-32 0C and 18-190 C respectively. Zone III B: Maximum and minimum temperature was near the normal during last week but it may be above the normal in this week. There is no chance of rain though the sky may appear cloudy during 13th-14th March. Maximum and minimum temperature may be observed in the range of 32-330C and 18-200C respectively.

FLD programme of KVK, Rohtas

KVK, Rohtas conducted Front Line Demonstration on rabi crops; wheat (vr. HI-1563), gram (BG-186), Lentil (Arun) with Zero tillage technology at the operational villages within its jurisdiction to scale-up the yield potential of the crop varieties and to promote scientific package of practices. The team constituted by the Programme Coordinator viewed programme on late sown wheat with ZTT in the village Basgitiya of Bikramganj block. The performance of the technology was found to be far better than that of traditional varieties. The remarkable difference in the growth parameters like height, number of tillers, healthy panicles, disease & pest attack etc. between the FLD-plots and checks were appreciated by farmers and they were eager to apply ZTT in their practices. This technology has ben proved useful particularly in canal areas where cultivation of long duration paddy vr. MTU-7029 is very common resulting in late harvesting of paddy and late sowing of wheat causing lower yield of wheat up to 20-22 Q/ha only.

FLD Programme Of KVK, Rohtas

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