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7.
RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS :
The
college in addition to the regular teaching programmes, takes up research
work in the fields of crop
improvement, production and protection. Besides P.G. and Ph.D. students’
research, 17 adhoc projects and 10 National Agricultural Technology
Projects (NATP) are also in
operation in the college (Annexure -II
and III ). A brief
account of achievements in research is outlined below :
(
i ) Crop improvement
Crop improvement programme dates
back to the year of establishment of the college in 1954.
Under this programme a good number of crop varieties having
suitability for various agro-ecological situations of the State have been
evolved. A few varieties developed in National Institutes and by other
Universities have also been identified suitable for different situations
of the State through multilocational testings.
(
ii ) Crop Production
Standardisation
of package of cultivation practices for all the crops grown in the state
is one of the mandatory research agenda of the college. Through the
departmental and post-graduate research programmes scientific cultivation
practices have been developed including cultural, fertilizer and other
crop management practices keeping in view the optimization of production
in one hand and sustainability of the production system on the other.
A few major contributions on crop production system are outlined
below.
*
In
the rainfed uplands, intercropping of Arhar with rice, ragi, pulses,
oilseeds and maize with
cowpea minimizes the drought risk.
*
In
medium duration rice, application of FYM or green manure @ 5 t/ha
alongwith BGA @ 15 kg/ha and chemical fertilizer @ 30-15-15 kg NPK/ha
gives same yield as 60-30-30 kg NPK/ha (through fertilizers).
*
In
direct seeded rice it is recommended to apply full P & K as basal, and
N in 3 splits i.e. 50% at Khelua,
25% 15 days after and 25% panicle initiation stage.
*
Use
of Azotobacter in upland rice supplies 20 kg N/ha.
*
In
rice-groundnut cropping system, the phosphate requirement of both the
crops should be given to
groundnut only. Gypsum should be applied to groundnut to supply calcium
and sulphur to the crop.
*
Application
of irrigation following disappearance of water in the rice field after one
day in Kharif season and three
days in Rabi season could save
20% water.
*
Iron
toxicity in rice could be controlled by applying fresh cowdung or
potassium @ 90-120 kg/ha.
*
Application
of lime (0.25 LR) to rice in the alternate year can increase the
productivity of
rice.
*
Productivity
of pulses could be enhanced through liming of acid soils, use of rhizobium
culture, and application of molybdenum and phosphorus.
*
Hanging
inarching method of propagation in mango results in 70% success of grafts
with less than 1% mortality.
*
Application
of etherel @ 200 ppm increases the female flowers in pumpkin.
(
iii ) Crop Protection
Much emphasis is being given to
use the biopesticides for minimising environmental pollution. The Crop
Protection Departments (Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology) have
developed pest management strategies for combating the pests through use
of eco-friendly pesticides. Some of the outstanding findings are
enumerated below :
*
Spraying
of Nuclear Polyhydrosis virus (NPV) effectively controls the pod borer (Helicoverpa)
attacking cotton, tomato and pulses thereby preventing huge loss caused by
the pest.
*
Biopesticides
such as Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt) &
Beauveria bassiana are used
to control leptidopterous pests damaging cole crops.
*
Neem
based pesticides have good effect for controlling the sucking pests such
as leaf hoppers, white-fly, scale insects and mealy bugs etc. of different
crops when used in combination with synthetic insecticides.
*
Admixing
leaf powder of Ageratum (3% w/w) with groundnut pods and treating the
gunny bags with a thin layer of coal tar effectively controls the kernel
beetle in groundnut
*
Management
techniques of Indian and Italian Honey bee colonies have been standardised
which increases the honey yield by 40%.
*
Sheath
blight of rice which was hitherto a minor disease assumed a major status
in Orissa. It can be effectively
controlled by spraying of validamycin or carbendazim or ketazin.
*
Biofungicide
preparations containing the species of Trichoderma, Gliocladium and
Pseudomonas have been found to be very effective against the seed and soil
borne pathogens.
*
Cultivation
practices of paddy straw, oyster and milky mushroom have been standardized
and popularised among the farmers of Orissa.
*
Application
of bordeux mixture effectively controls the serious diseases such as foot,
leaf and stem rot in betel vine.
*
Tomato
varieties such as PAU 10 & B 17; brinjal such as KS 224 are found
tolerant to root knot nematode.
*
Growing
groundnut after rice reduces the rice root-rot nematode population by 50%
and increases the rice yield.
*
Application
of butachlor in rice controls most of the weeds and increases the grain
yield.
8.
EVENTS
INCLUDING CALENDAR
:
*
Inter-departmental seminar is being held at the college level in
the last week of every month and all the faculty members including
post-graduate students participate in the discussion.
*
Students’ events includes athletic meet, annual drama,
commemoration day, literacy competitions, music, dance and song
competitions etc. during the academic session.
*
On University Foundation day, exhibits of different departments are
displayed in the college auditorium for benefit of the farmers and the
extension workers.
*
AGRIFEST is organised every year in the college campus wherein the
various Agroagencies display their product and exhibits for benefit of the
students, scientists and farming communities.
9. FACULTIES
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