Plant Breeding & Genetics

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Plant Breeding & Genetics
The department of Plant Breeding & Genetics came into existence in 1989 with the mandate of undergraduate teaching and to undertake basic and applied research in the field of Plant Breeding. The teaching programme of the department started with placement of only one faculty member (Lt. Dr. L. P. Upadhyaya) but subsequently the department was joined by other faculty members. The department offers the elective courses along with the compulsory core courses. The courses under Agricultural Biotechnology are also being offered by the department. In the year 2018, the Post Graduate Programme was introduced in the Department by enrollment of three students. At present the enrollment capacity under PG programme is six students per batch. The present faculty strength in the department is 4 (four) out of which 2 (two) are in the position of Professor and 2 )(two) are in the rank of Asst. Professor. 
UG Courses
# Course No. Course Title Course Credit Syllabus
1 ABT (Elect) 313 Plant Tissue culture and Micropropagation technologies 3(2 + 1)
2 ABT 323 * Principles of Plant Biotechnology 3(2 + 1)
3 PBG (Elect) 323 Commercial Plant Breeding 3(2 + 1)
4 PBG 123 * Fundamentals of Genetics 3(2 + 1)
5 PBG 213 * Fundamentals of Plant Breeding 3(2 + 1)
6 PBG 223 * Principles of Seed technology 3(2 + 1)
7 PBG 313 * Crop Improvement- I (Kharif) 3(2 + 1)
8 PBG 323 * Crop Improvement- II (Rabi) 3(2 + 1)
9 PBG-123 * Fundamental of Genetics 3(2 + 1)
* courses are compulsory
Masters Courses
# Course No. Course Title Course Credit Syllabus
1 ABT 501 Principles of Biotechnology 3(2 + 1)
2 PBG 501 * Principles of Genetics 3(2 + 1)
3 PBG 502 * Principles of Cytogenetics 3(2 + 1)
4 PBG 503 * Principles of Plant Breeding 3(2 + 1)
5 PBG 504 * Principles of Quantitative Genetics 3(2 + 1)
6 PBG 506 Population Genetics 2(1 + 1)
7 PBG 507 Heterosis Breeding 3(2 + 1)
8 PBG 510 Breeding for Biotic and Abiotic Stress Resistance 3(2 + 1)
9 PBG 591 Master's Seminar 2(1 + 1)
* courses are compulsory
Projects
    • sponsored project on "Vikshit Bharat @2047",
    • DBT sponsored project on "DBT-NER Advance-level institutional biotech hub at B.N. College of Agriculture, AAU, Biswanath, Assam (Phase-II)", project cost Rs.5784720 Lakh
    • AAU sponsored project on "Corpus fund for Medicinal Plant", project cost Rs.7 Lakh
    • AAU sponsored project on "Development and application of orgenellar genome specific SSR markers in Rice", project cost Rs.5.0 Lakh
    • State AYUSH Society sponsored project on "Establishment of Model Nursery of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants", project cost Rs.25 Lakh
    • AYUSH-NPMB sponsored project on "Establishment of Field Gene Bank Micropropagation Unit of indigenous medicinal plant genetic resources of North EasT India", project cost Rs.11.05 Lakh
    • GOI-DBT sponsored project on "Advanced Level Institutional Biotech Hub", project cost Rs.1950000 Lakh
    • DBT sponsored project on "Genetic studies to understand mitochondrial electron transport chain dysfunction using Caenorhabditis elegans.", project cost Rs.12145000 Lakh implemented in 2017. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Aiswarya Baruah)
    • DBT, Govt. of India sponsored project on "Study of mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) dysfunction that modulates aging and development in C. elegans through CEP-1, the worm homolog of mammalian p53", project cost Rs.12356000 Lakh implemented in 2016. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Aiswarya Baruah)
    • DST, GoI sponsored project on "DST-WoS-A Project “Marker Assisted Genetic Analysis of Synchrony in Greengram”", project cost Rs.30.03 Lakh implemented in 2015. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Shazmira Zaman )
    • ICAR sponsored project on "Increased Availability of Ramie Fibre for Industrial Utilisation through INM schedule under Consortia research platform on Natural Fibre", project cost Rs.49.07 Lakh implemented in 2015. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Manoj Kumar Sarma)
    • IISR-ICAR sponsored project on "Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) for popularization of soybean cultivation", project cost Rs.3.0 Lakh implemented in 2015. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Jayanta Bhuyan)
    • DBT sponsored project on "Cataloging of Phytoplasma diseases of major crops of North East Region of India and its molecular characterization.", project cost Rs.84 Lakh implemented in 2014. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Manoj Kumar Sarma)
    • NEC sponsored project on "Standardization of Micro cutting techniques of Bhot jalakia (Hottest chilli of Assam) for commercial supply of virus free seedling", project cost Rs.50 Lakh implemented in 2013. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Manoj Kumar Sarma)
    • DBT sponsored project on "Molecular mapping and construction of linkage map of Yellow mosaic Virus (YMV) resistance in Soybean (Glycine max)", project cost Rs.70 Lakh implemented in 2012. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Manoj Kumar Sarma)
    • ICAR sponsored project on "NICRA, Govt. of india", project cost Rs.80 Lakh implemented in 2012. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Manoj Kumar Sarma)
    • National Bamboo Mission sponsored project on "Development, standardization and dissemination of technologies for increasing production and productivity of bamboo and bamboo based cropping system", project cost Rs.35 Lakh implemented in 2008. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Manoj Kumar Sarma)
    • ICAR sponsored project on "AICRP on Soybean", project cost Rs.4500000 Lakh implemented in 2001.

Our Faculties

Dr. Jayanta Bhuyan

HOD and Professor

Dr. Manoj Kumar Sarma

Professor

Dr. Aiswarya Baruah

Assistant Professor

Dr. Shazmira Zaman

Assistant Professor
Achivements
  • Initiated soybean breeding works under AICRP on Soybean through collection of germplasm and maintenance, generation of breeding materials through crossing programme followed by selection and evaluation. Soybean varieties, RKS 18, JS 97-52 and BNS 5 were identified as having high germinating ability (> 90 %). BNS 5, which was developed at the BNCA centre, was identified for recommendation for four climatic zones of Assam (LBV. UBV. NBP, H). Non-pubescent genotypes were identified as resistant to pre-harvest sprouting. Under saturated soil condition, soybean genotypes JS 95-60, JS 97-52, BNS 5 and Kalitur were identified as suitable. Few genotypes were identified which were found to be resistant to collar rot disease. The desirable soybean lines with respect to different traits are being tested at AAU, Jorhat after the transfer of the Project from BNCA. 

        Experiments conducted under AICRP on Soybean resulted in obtaining useful findings with respect to production technology on the basis of which the following recommendation were made: 
    (a) For late sowing condition of Assam 1st week of August sowing using soybean varieties JS 97-52 and RKS 18 is
    most suitable. 
    (b) Ridge-furrow soybean planting (varieties, RKS 18 and JS 97-52) should be adopted for rice fallow areas of Assam. 
    (c) Application of crop residue @5t/h+ FYM @5th+Zinc @ 5kg/h would be an effective integrated nutrient management practice of soybean based cropping system in NE India.

    The 43rd Annual Group Meeting of AICRP on Soybean was successfully organized by the department at AAU, Jorhat from 01/05/2013 to 03/05/2013. 
  • The institutional Biotech Hub was established with the financial assistance from the DBT, Govt. of India in the year 2010. The objective of the Biotech Hub is to build up capacity in teaching and research in the area of Biotechnology and allied sciences in the host as well as other institutes of the region. Since then the Biotech hub has been supporting the ongoing practical classes of the Biotechnology courses along with partly supporting the other related courses. Moreover, through various training, workshops and outreach programmes, the hub has been extending capacity building services to various academic institutions including schools and colleges of the North Bank Plain Zone of Assam. Under this hub a molecular biology laboratory along with tissue culture facilities have been established. Since the inception of the Biotech Hub, the host institution has been able to earn a number of competitive projects from DBT and other funding agencies. In 2016, the Biotech Hub was promoted to Advanced Level Institutional Biotech Hub and currently it has been rated with “Excellent” rank by DBT, Govt of India and has considered for up gradation into Advanced Level Institutional Biotech Hub in Leadership Role. 
  • With the financial assistance from the Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India in the form of the Adhoc project, “Establishment of Field Gene Bank and Micropropagation Unit of indigenous medicinal plants genetic resources of North East India”, a field gene bank of Medicinal Plant Genetic Resources was established in an area of three hectare of land. A total of 1392 samples of propagules were collected and after elimination of possible duplicates a total of identified species comprising of 95 trees, 86 herbs, 57 creepers and 124 shrubs were put in the main field. The gene bank is expected to serve as the source of experimental materials for various researchers, parent materials for propagation and also for various academic purposes.

pbg_bnca[at]aau.ac.in