INSTITUTE, PUSA, FOR 1919-20 55 



East Bengal are rather late for the western districts, and 

 a paddy which will stand a shorter rainfall is required. On 

 good rainfall, Indrasail is a heavier yielder than Nagra, 

 but Nagra flowers and ripens 7 to 10, days ahead of Indra- 

 sail, and in a season of short rainfall and in higher, drier 

 situations Nagra is a safer paddy to grow. Crosses between 

 the two are under observation, and it is hoped selections 

 from these will be an improvement on either parent. 



A large amount of work is being done On the inheritance 

 of characters, particularly with reference to the combina- 

 tion of characters. These include such characters as earli- 

 ness and lateness, size, shape, colour and consistency of 

 grain, and various colour characters. Amongst coloured 

 paddies, no fewer than 53 different colour combinations have 

 been found with reference to the distribution of colour in 



leaf-sheath, nodes, glumes and stigma, and a number of 

 reciprocal crosses between selected types of these are under 



observation. 



Further work in progress includes a study of the trans- 

 piration of early and late types of aus and aman paddy, 

 with a view to determine whether there are varietal differ- 

 ences in this respect, and ultimately of determining whether 

 the transpiration ratio can be reduced by manuring or other 

 cultural methods. Any method of economising water with- 

 out reduction in yield would be of great value in Western 

 Bengal. 



VII. Jute. 



In conjunction with the Fibre Expert, Bengal, a study 

 of chlorosis in jute has been undertaken in the Botanical 

 Area at Pusa. Chlorosis is prevalent in many varieties of 

 jute throughout Bengal, particularly in the northern dis- 

 tricts, and is responsible, where bad, for a reduction in 

 yield of several maunds per acre. At first, it was supposed 

 that a difference in root system was associated with chlo- 

 rosis, healthy plants showing a strong development of sur- 

 face roots, with little or no tap root, and chlorotic plants 

 generally showing an absence of surface roots, and a tap 





