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.
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Course No.
Course Title
Course Credit
Syllabus
1
ABT (Elect) 313
Plant Tissue culture and Micropropagation technologies
AAU sponsored project on "Corpus fund for Medicinal Plant", projcet cost Rs.7 Lakh
AAU sponsored project on "Development and application of orgenellar genome specific SSR markers in Rice", projcet cost Rs.5.0 Lakh
State AYUSH Society sponsored project on "Establishment of Model Nursery of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants", projcet 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", projcet cost Rs.11.05 Lakh
DBT sponsored project on "Genetic studies to understand mitochondrial electron transport chain dysfunction using Caenorhabditis elegans.", projcet 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", projcet 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”", projcet 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", projcet cost Rs.49.07 Lakh implemented in 2015. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Monoj Kumar Sarma)
IISR-ICAR sponsored project on "Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) for popularization of soybean cultivation", projcet 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.", projcet cost Rs.84 Lakh implemented in 2014. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Monoj 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", projcet cost Rs.50 Lakh implemented in 2013. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Monoj Kumar Sarma)
DBT sponsored project on "Molecular mapping and construction of linkage map of Yellow mosaic Virus (YMV) resistance in Soybean (Glycine max)", projcet cost Rs.70 Lakh implemented in 2012. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Monoj Kumar Sarma)
ICAR sponsored project on "NICRA, Govt. of india", projcet cost Rs.80 Lakh implemented in 2012. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Monoj 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", projcet cost Rs.35 Lakh implemented in 2008. (PI/Co-PI/Associated Scientist : Dr. Monoj Kumar Sarma)
ICAR sponsored project on "AICRP on Soybean", projcet cost Rs.4500000 Lakh implemented in 2001.
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.
