University of Calcutta

History

Year of Establishment : 1997

History of the department : The Seed Science and Technology as a post-graduate course started in the year 1997 under the formerly Department of Agriculture and now it becomes a full fledged department which was established in the year 2003. The eminent teachers as well as research scientists like Prof. R. N. Basu has contributed to the department with high dignity and modesty and presently, Prof. A. K. Mandal is serving the department with high reputation. Prof. Mandal has laid the first stepping stone of the department of Seed Science and Technology in the year 1997 and acted as Convenor of the said department till its complete establishment in 2003. He also acted as Head of the said department for five consecutive terms and still acting as Convenor of the Ph.D. Committee in Seed Science and Technology.

An illuminating personality was Prof. R. N. Basu who worked on rootings of cuttings and the synergistic effects of plant hormones on plant growth and development with high repute. Prof. Basu also worked on seed vigour, viability and seed invigoration treatments for the improvement of different agricultural and horticultural crop seeds and his works are highly nationally and internationally acclaimed. Prof. Basu worked on the quantification of seed vigour alongwith a development of bioassay of seed vigour technique which is also incorporated in the post-graduate syllabus of Seed Science and Technology. Besides, Prof. Basu served the University of Calcutta as an Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor for two consecutive terms.

Currently, Prof. A. K. Mandal, Ex-Director of Institute of Agricultural Science, C.U., is also working extensively on seed physiology, seed priming, seed invigoration, seed pathology, seed biotechnology, stress physiology as well as vigour, viability and field performance of several field and horticultural crops. Prof. Mandal developed a dry physiological treatments for extended storability and improved field performance of different crop seeds. Prof. Mandal and his associates studied protein banding and isozyme patterns in relation to seed invigoration treatments. On the basis of his observations, over a dozen of students have been awarded with their Ph.D. degree and published over 72 research papers in different national and international journals.