ARS, NAVGAON

AGRICULTURE RESEARCH STATION: NAVGAON, ALWAR

             (SKN AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY, JOBNER)

        

Years of establishment: Late fifties

INTRODUCTION

Ten agro-climatic zones have been classified to characterize climatic distribution in Rajasthan. The Flood Prone Eastern Plain Zone III b lies at the extreme NE corner between 76⁰7' - 28⁰2'     N latitude, comprising all tehsils of Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli and Sawai Madhopur districts except tehsils of Khandar, Chouth ka Barwara, Malarna Dungar and Sawai Madhopur. Average rainfall of the zone is about 500 mm (Alwar district) to 650 mm in south eastern part and the soils are aridisols. Although recurrent floods occur in rainy season in about 5% of the area, yet it is one of the most potential areas in Rajasthan so far as agricultural production and productivity is concerned.

 

The centre was established by the State Department of Agriculture as a Seed Multiplication Farm in late fifties. The main objective was to multiply foundation and certified seeds of principal crops of the area. Research scheme on oilseeds and pulses (Non-Plan) was sanctioned in 1974-75 and the work of varietal screening and testing was initiated in Rapeseed-Mustard. In 1976, with the transfer of agricultural research to the university from state department of agriculture, the centre became Agricultural Research Sub Station, a constituent unit of the then Sukhadia University, Udaipur and later elevated to main station (Agricultural Research Station) with lead research functions on pulses and oilseeds. In 1981, a project on Intensification of Research and Training on Oilseeds and Pulses was sanctioned by ICAR to work out agronomic practices and rural social activities related to rapeseed - mustard and pulse crops. At this juncture NARP came into existence with an objective of strengthening the research capabilities of the station for solving location specific problems. The mandate of research was specified.  In 1984, All India Coordinated Research Project on Oilseeds Improvement (R&M) was transferred from ARS, Durgapura, Jaipur to ARS, Navgaon, Alwar with the main responsibility of improvement of Rapeseed-Mustard group of crops in the state. A sub unit of the station was subsequently established at Kumher (Bharatpur) as Agriculture Research Sub Station in 1989, however, the sub station became operative only in 1992 after completion of the formalities of acquisition of land allotted to it by the state government.

Research mandate:

The research mandate of the two units of the zone is as follows:

Research Station	Lead functions	Verification Functions
ARS, Navgaon (Alwar)	Rapeseed Mustard (Irrigated and Rainfed), Reclamation & management of problematic soils, Crop cultivation with mineralized water.	Pearl millet, Pigeonpea, Barley, Wheat, Clusterbean, Chickpea, Field pea,    in-situ    moisture conservation, Testing    and modification of farm implements.

Farm facilities:

Salient features of the Agricultural Research Station Farm, Navgaon are given below:

1.	Total area	56 ha
2.	Cultivated area	50 ha
3.	Farm building and roads	6 ha
4.	Soil texture Bulk density	Sandy loam 1.41-1.58 g cm-3
5.	pH 2.5	8.1-8.4
6.	EC2	0.28-0.72 dSm-1
7.	Organic carbon	Low
8.	Available N	Low
9.	Available P2O5	Low to medium
10.	Available K2O	Medium to High
11.	Water holding cap., Hydraulic conduct	10.0-13.0% , 0.55-5.26 cm/hr
12.	Irrigation sources	Tube wells: 2
13.	Meteorological observatory	1

Staff Position:

S.No.	Scheme	Sanctioned Post	Filled Post	Vacant Post
A	AICRP on Rapseed-mustard
	Associate Professor	01	01	----
	Assistant Professor	04	01	03
	Technical Assistant	03	03	----
	Agriculture Supervisor	02	02	----
	L.D.C.	01	----	01
B	Non-Plan
	Associate Professor	06	----	06
	Assistant Professor	14	02	12
	Stenographer	01	01	----
	Office Assistant	02	02	----
	Driver	01	----	01
	L.D.C.	04	04	----
	Accontant	01	01	----
	Lab Assistant	01	01	----
	Agriculture Supervisor	05	02	03
	Lab Attendant	08	08	----
	Workshop Attendant	01	01	----
	Ploughman	05	05	----
	Chowkidar	01	01	----
	Sweeper	01	01	----
	Total	62	36	26

 

Major activities: Research and Teaching

Breeder Seed Production

S.No.	Name of Crop	Breeder Seed (Qtls.)	2010-11 (Qtls.)	2011-12 (Qtls.)	2012-13 (Qtls.)	Total
		RGC- 986	3.00	17.38	----	20.38
		RGC-1017	9.00	6.33	----	15.33
		RGC-1002	22.00	25.82	----	47.82
		RD-2035	119.17	38.40	----	157.57
		RD-2552	103.05	273.60	----	376.65
		Raj-3077	42.42	----	----	42.42
		Raj-1482	24.74	----	----	24.74
		Raj-3765	68.21	----	95.28	163.49
		Raj-3077	----	81.53	----	81.53
		Arawali	0.30	0.15	----	0.45
		Navgold(yellow)	0.15	0.20	0.15	0.50
		RRN-505	0.50	----	1.00	1.50

 

TFL Seed Production

S.No.	Crop	Variety	Quantity (Qtls.)
			2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	Total
1	Mustard	Laxmi	54.66	32.65	28.80	116.11
		Bio-902	87.71	3.31	14.67	105.69
		Arawali	26.10	26.40	14.68	67.18
		Rohini	6.95	----	----	6.95
2	Barley	RD-2035	----	38.40	----	38.40
		RD-2552	----	----	204.14	204.14
3	Wheat	Raj-4037	----	30.33	----	30.33
		Raj-3765	----	25.22	----	25.22
		Raj-1482	----	23.00	----	23.00
4	Guar	RGC-986	----	----	21.00	21.00
		RGC-1017	----	----	5.19	5.19
		RGC-1002	----	----	2.00	2.00

   Gross Income from Seed Production & other General Income

Year	Income from Seed Production	Other General Income	Total
2010-11	24,02,971.00	2,17,031.00	26,20,002.00
2011-12	17,42,068.00	16,129.00	17,58,197.00
2012-13	25,37,201.00	8,132.00	25,45,333.00

Significant achievements:

Mustard variety Aravali (RN-393):  Strain RN 393 showed consistent superiority in evaluations over locations and years and identified by the 'Variety Release Committee' during the V Annual Workshop held at Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi in 1998. The variety was notified by the committee in 2001 and recommended for cultivation under rainfed condition in the state. The variety had shown multiple resistance against aphid, sawfly and webworm infestation besides moderate reaction against Alternaria blight and white rust diseases.

Mustard Variety RRN-505: Variety RRN-505 was developed by hybridization between Pusa Bhusan and ABRNT-1 followed by pedigree method of selection. The variety is suited for late sown conditions and has yield potential of 14 q/ha. It consists of open plant with 5-6 primary branches with non-pointed oval shape leaves, bright yellow flowers, about 4.8 cm long siliqua with 15-16 seeds and maturing in 124 days. The variety showed tolerance to Sclerotinia stem rot disease and moderate tolerance to frost. Test weight 4.1 g, reddish brown in colour and 40.2 per cent oil. 

Mustard Variety Navgold (YRN-6): Navgold is a yellow seeded mustard variety developed from cross between Bio - 902 and BM - 185-11(Yellow) and identified in XIIth Annual Workshop & Group Meeting of AICRP on Rapeseed Mustard held at G.B.Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar during August 2005. With its leaves simple, serrated margin and pubescent; siliquae thick, medium in length  bearing yellow seeds and test weight 4.3 g this variety is suited for cultivation in Mustard Zone II consisting of Rajasthan, Haryana, U.P., Punjab, M.P. and Uttaranchal. It showed 10 % higher seed yield and 15 % higher oil yield over Basanti, the only known yellow seeded mustard variety in the country.

Mustard Variety RRN 573: RRN-573 is a variey suited and adopted across the state of Rajasthan and derived from the cross between HUM-9504 (B.juncea) X GSH-1 (B.napis). It is recommended for normal sowing and irrigated conditions. It has broad leaves, tip of the siliquae bent towards one side and lesser distance between siliquae to siliquae. It matures in 135-137 days and moderate reaction against prevailing disease like white rust, alternaria blight & pest like aphids. Its oil percentage is 41.4 to 42.3 % and test weight is 4.4 gram. Its mean yield is 2073 kg/hac.

A new species - Brassica caudatus: A synthetic amphidiploid between Brassica tournefortii and Raphanus caudatus has been developed (Registration No. INGRNO 03067) with the National Identity No. IC - 296597. It is immune to commonly occurring disease 'white rust' and moderately susceptible to powdery mildew and Alternaria blight. It may be useful in development of hybrids because of its ability to cross with mustard.

Publications:

CHAKRESH KUMAR 2012. A Dwarf genotype in mustard: RRN-727; International Conference on Extension Education in the Prospective of Advances in Natural Resource Management in Agriculture(NaRMA-IV) SKRAU, Bikaner: pp.90.

R.P. SHARMA, SURESH MURALIA, A.K. PATHAK 2013 Effect of organic fertilizers, bio-fertilizers, antagonists and supplemented nutrition on growth, yield on the appearance of diseases with economic feasibility of guar crop. Indian research journal of Genetics and Biotechnology Vol 5(2): 130-135.

R.P. SHARMA, SURESH MURALIA, A.K. PATHAK, SHIV KUMAR KHATIK and LALIT KUMAR 2013. Economics of Integrated Disease Management strategy in Rapeseed-mustard. Indian Research Journal of Genetics and Biotechnology Vol (3): 213-218.

SURESH MURALIA, L.K. SHARMA and G.U. KULKARNI 2013. Phenotypic stability for seed yield in Indian mustard. Progressive Research 8(2): 248-250

Award/honours

Prof. Chakresh kumar was nominated as a fellow of the society of Rapeseed-mustard Reseach, Sewar, Bharatpur.