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Anand Agricultural University, Anand
Anand Agricultural University (AAU) was established in 2004 at Anand with the support of the Government of Gujarat, Act No.(Guj 5 of 2004) dated April 29, 2004. Caved out of the erstwhile Gujarat Agricultural University (GAU), the dream institution of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dr. K. M. Munshi, the AAU was set up to provide support to the farming community in three facets namely education, research and extension activities in Agriculture, Horticulture Engineering, product Processing and Home Science. At present there seven Colleges, seventeen Research Centers and six Extension Education Institute working in nine districts of Gujarat namely Ahmedabad, Anand, Dahod, Kheda, Panchmahal, Vadodara, Mahisagar, Botad and Chhotaudepur
AAU's activities have expanded to span newer commodity sectors such as soil health card, bio-diesel, medicinal plants apart from the mandatory ones like rice, maize, tobacco, vegetable crops, fruit crops, forage crops, animal breeding, nutrition and dairy products etc. the core of AAU's operating philosophy however, continues to create the partnership between the rural people and committed academic as the basic for sustainable rural development. In pursuing its various programmes AAU's overall mission is to promote sustainable growth and economic independence in rural society. AAU aims to do this through education, research and extension education. Thus, AAU works towards the empowerment of the farmers.
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ThesisItem Open Access ISOLATION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF Staphylococcus aureus FROM BOVINE MILK(AAU, Anand, 1990) Purohit, Jayantilal Hargovind; JHALA, V. M.The present study was undertaken with a view to know the occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus In bovine milk In relation to species, managemental conditions, breed, method of milking, parity, stage of lactation and Involvement of the quarters as well as to observe the relationships among the certain characteristics, Including enterotoxigenicIty, of S.aureus. The isolates were also phage typed to know the possible origin. The milk samples were collected from the animals maintained at six different farms comprising of four GAU farms and two private farms. The cows were maintained at four farms whereas buffaloes were maintained at remaining two farms. A total of 925 milk samples (758 from cows and 167 from buffaloes) from the individual quarters of 234 animals comprising of 191 cows and 43 buffaloes were collected and processed for isolation and identification of S.aureus. Of these, 94 quarters (10.16 per cent) of 67 animals (28.63 per cent) revealed the presence of S.aureus. The incidence of S.aureus was more commonly encountered amongst the cows on animal basis (31.94 per cent) as well as on quarter basis (11.35 per cent) than those of buffaloes (13.95 and 4.79 per cent, respectively).ThesisItem Open Access BIOLOGY, POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CONTROL OF HELIOTHIS ARMIGERA HUBNER ON IMPORTANT HOST CROPS IN MIDDLE GUJARAT(AAU, Anand, 1993) Mehta, D. M.; Patel, J. R.Investigations on biology, population dynamics and control of H. armigera on important host crops were carried out during 1990-91 and 1991-92 at the Department of Entomology, Gujarat Agricultural University, Anand Campus, Anand. The effect of larval food was not observed on egg period but larval period was affected. The larval period was shortest on lucerne (Medicaso sativa L.) leaves and longest on chickpea (Cicer arientinum L.) leaves. The maximum and minimum larval survival for both the sexes was . on chickpea pods and chickpea leaves respectively. it was reflected on growth index. The pupal duration on chickpea pods was short. The pupae obtained by rearing the H. armigera larvae on lucerne leaves and chickpea pods were big in size and pupation was very shallow. The adults obtained from lucerne leaves had long oviposition period and high fecundity. The life span for both the sexes was longest onchickpea leaves followed by tomato fruits, pigeonpea pods, tomato leaves, chickpea pods and lucerne leaves. The studies on population dynamics of H. armigera on various crops, weeds, medicinal and ornamental plants revealed ovipositional and larval activity during July to April. The correlation of various abiotic factors with U- armigera activity on pigeonpea showed negative correlation between egg density and soil temperature. Negative and positive association of minimum temperature, vapour pressure and soil temperature was observed with oviposition on tomato and lucerne, respectivly. On pigeonpea and chickpea larval activity was more influenced by soil temperature, whereas, on lucerne minimum temperature, vapour pressure, and soil temperature influence was observed. Considerable activity of an egg parasitoid Trichogramma spp. was found in the fields of tomato, tobacco and pigeonpea in middle Gujarat during October to December. Preliminary studies on resistance in 21 genotypes and 3 local cultivars of tomato to H. armigera revealed low damage to unriped fruits of Karnataka and Mangala and riped fruits of SL 120, F24C8 and Piersol. Karnataka and Mangala had higher marketable fruit yield than others. The degree of fruit damage by H. armigera was positively related with total soluble sugar and negatively with ascorbic acid. Low ovicidal and high ovipositional deterrent effect of neem seed kernel suspension and margoside was found against H. armigera. The spray application of these two botanicals alone as well as combinations with endosulfan at lower concentration gave effective protection to tomato fruits by preventing the larval activity of H. armigera and gave considerably higher marketable fruit yield. The spray application of neem seed kernel suspension with endosulfan had highest increase in yield and avoided 69.33% loss in marketable fruit yield. The residue of endosulfan in/on tomato fruits was quite below the tolerance limit prescribed by FAO/WHO when tomato crop was sprayed with a mixture of endosulfan 0.035% and neem seed kernel suspension (3%). Among the various recommended insecticides, fenvalerate (0.01%) showed quick and high toxicity to H. armigera larvae. The larvae fed on lucerne had higher susceptibility to all the recommended insecticides than the larvae fed on pigeonpea and chickpea.ThesisItem Open Access PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT OF FEMALE GONADS AND GENITALS IN SURTI BUFFALO (Bubalus bubalis)(AAU, Anand, 1990) Baishya, G.; Vyas, K. N.Prenatal gross and histomorphological development; of the female gonad, oviduct, uterus, cervix, vagina and vestibules were studied utilizing 62 Surti buffalo embryos and foetuses ranging in age from 35 to 305 days (1.5 to 102.5 cm CVR). These specimens were divided into seven different groups viz., 35 to 44 days (1.5 to 3.5 cm CVR, group I ), 45 to 75 days (3.7 to 10.3 cm CVR, group II) , 76 to 95 days (10.5 to 14.7 cm CVR, group III ) , 96 to 115 days (15.0 to 19.2 cm CVR, group IV), 116 to 155 days (19.5 to 36.0 cm CVR, group V), 156 to 210 days (36.5 t o 60.5 cm CVR, group VI) and 211 to 305 days (61.0 to 102.5 cm CVR, group VII). An increase in curved crown-rump length (CVR) of the foetuses, was noticed with the advancement of age. The foetal body weight and combined weight of a l l the genitals revealed different values in different age groups. However, the maximum foetal growth and development, were observed from 240 to 305 days (74.0 to 102.5 cm CVR). The growth pattern of developing finale genitals as a whole in relation to foetal growth rate followed no consistent trend from 67 days (8.5 cm CVR) onwards. The relative growth rate decreased with advancing gestational age except from 240 to 305 days during which it was reverse.ThesisItem Open Access DEVELOPMENT OF DIGESTIVE ENZYMES IN PANCREATIC JUICE AND DUODENAL FLUID OF COW CALVES AND BUFFALO CALVES FROM BERTH TO EARLY RUMINANT STAGE(AAU, Anand, 1996) Christi, K. S.; VADODARIA, V. P.Healthy 22 calves (10 cow calves; 12 buffalo calves) maintained at Veterinary college, Anand, with an objective of establishing physico-biochemical profile of pancreatic juice and duodenal fluid from birth to fifteen week of age were studied in relation to different physiological factors like age, feeding and diurnal variations. There is no report of research work carried out simultaneously both in cow calves and buffalo calves as well as on panoreatic juice and duodenal fluid at same age, feeding schedule and for diurnal variations in various parameters. The research data were classified and tested with the help of standard statistical procedures. Work on buffalo calves has not been found reported fluid, therefore the present work provides the basic informations for future research endeavor.ThesisItem Open Access COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GROSS, HISTOLOGICAL, HISTOCHEMICAL AND BIOMECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF LOCOMOTORY APPARATUS OF THE BUFFALO AND THE OX(AAU, Anand, 1996) DUBAL, SUBHASH C.; Vyas, K. N.The present study was carried out to investigate and compare the anatomical and the biomechanical characteristics of bones and muscles of forelimbs and hindlimbs of male of Surti buffalo and Kankrej ox (5 to 10 months old calves and 5 years or more old adults, six in number, in each age group of each species). Study on walking gait characteristics were made from the videographs of six live adult animals of each species. The forelimbs of the buffalo were found to bear significantly (P < 0.05) more body weight (57.89 ± 0.82 %) than those of the ox (55.96 ± 1.05 % ). The cortical thickness, bone density and elastic modulus of the bones of the forelimbs, did not differ significantly (P < 0.05) from those of the hindlimbs of the animals of both the species within the same age groups. The pooled mean values of the cortical thickness,the bone density and the elastic modulus of the bones of the calves, were significantly (P < 0.05) lower (0.18 ± 0.001 cm; 2281.27 ± 14.21 - 2 kg/cm and 118.37 ± 0.11 kg/cm2, respectively) than those of the adult animals (0.54 ± 0.002 cm, 2510.54 ± 9.28 kg/cm2 and 166.33 ± 0.17 kg/cm2 , respectively). The ultimate compressive and tensile stresses, and ttie strength and stiffness economics, increased significantly with the advancement of the age. Most of the gross anatomical and the biomechanical characteristics of the bones and the muscles studied, increased significantly (P < 0.05) from the calfhood to the adulthood in both the species.ThesisItem Open Access SEROEPIDEMIOLOGY, ISOLATION AND PATHOGENICITY OF BLUETONGUE VIRUS(AAU, Anand, 1996) Chandel, Bharat Singh; Kher, H. N.Bluetongue (BT) is an infectious, non contagious disease of domestic and wild ruminants. Bluetongue virus ( BTV ) causes severe disease in sheep, which i s transmitted by insect vectors (Culicoides spp.) . The ability of BTVs to inflict pathological changes in susceptible sheep depends on the virulence of a particular viral isolate , susceptibility of the host and a number of environmental factors related to climatic conditions. The present study was aimed at the seroepidemiology, prevalence of BTV serotypes in sheep, isolation, propagation and identification of local isolates and pathogenicity of BTV in natural and experimental cases of sheep. This study also covered the seroprevalence of epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) in cattle and buffaloes as it is related to orbivirus group. A seroepidentiological survey of BTV precipitating antibodies was carried out by agar gel immunodiffusicm ( AGID ) test in different species of livestock in Gujarat. Out of 1623 sera tested, 407 (25.07%) were found to be positive for BTV antibodies.ThesisItem Open Access Bioecological studies on Geocoris ochropterus Fieber (Hemiptera : Lygaeidae) , an important predator in cotton ecosystem(AAU, Anand, 1996) SHARMA, URMILA; Yadav, D. N.Bioecological studies on the big eyed bug, Geocoris ochropterus Fieber, an drnportant predator in the cotton ecosystem, were made during 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons at the Anand Campus of Gujarat Agricultural University, Anand. Biological observations revealed that the predator laid yellowish white eggs singly on the plant parts which took 8.33 ± 0.27 days at varying temperature of 29.62 ± 0.38 to 30.36 ± 0.12°C, RH 84.26 + 1.25 % and L : D, 12:12 to hatch. Maximum hatching (82 %) was observed when the temperature tanged between 21.61 ± 0.23 to 23.5 + 0.76°C and RH 71.03 + 2.38 %. The predator passed through five nyraphal instars. The duration of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth instar was 5.5 + ©.22, 5.6 ± 0 . 20 , 5.6 + 0.20, 5.9 + 0.33 and 9.25 ± 0.23 days respectively. Total nymphal duration was 29.7 + 1.43 days. Nymphal mortality was high in the fifth instar (39.21 % ). Sexes can be differentiated from their size. Males are usually smaller. The sex ratio in the laboratory population and field population was 1:1.10 (male : female) and 1.29 :1 (male : female) respectively. Mating accomplished easily and lasted for 15m to 4h in the laboratory. The preoviposition, oviposition and postoviposition periods averaged 3.4 ± 0.47, 19.2 ± 2.84 and 3.6 ± 0.69 days respectively of the mated female. Fecundity, when reared on A. gossypii averaged 42.4 + 5.09 eggs. The daily rate of oviposition of laboratory reared female was 1.21 eggs/day and that of field collected female was 0.91 eggs/day. Daily rate of oviposition was greatly affected (6.2 eggs/day) when the females were fed on eggs of Earias vitirella + cotton leaf. Longevity of male and female was 19.9 ±3.68 and 29.5 ± 3.55 days respectively. The female lived longer when fed on eggs of Spodoptera litura + fresh cotton leaves and A. gossypii nymphs + fresh cotton leaves studies on predatory potential showed that maximum consumption was observed during fifth instar. The nymphs consumed an average 1 05 + 4.33 aphid nymphs before reaching maturity. The male and female consumed on an average 530.28 ± 61.74 and 634.14 ± 71.02 nymphs of A. gossypii respectively in their life span. Further, female of G. ochropterus consumed on an average 32.60 and 19.80 eggs of H. armigera and E. vitiella respectively per day. The predator was found to prey on twenty one species of pests occurring on thirteen crops and two weeds but there were about eight species of plants with which it was not found associated. Cannibalism, phytophagy and necrophagy was also observed. G. ochropterus was found fairly well distributed in cotton growing areas of Gujarat. The predator was found relatively free from natural enemies. Only in one case, egg parasitisation by an unidentified eulophid was recorded. The adult was predated upon by an unidentified reduviid bug and a spider. Insecticides such as Methyl-o-demeton, endosulfan, quinalphos, monocrotophos, fenvalerate and cypermethrin, normally used in cotton were found to have detrimental affect on the natural population of the bug. A large population of G. ochropterus survived and flourished on relay crops like maize and sunnhemp and was able to shift to cotton crop which was sown early. The predator appeared to exhibit habitat preference. In nature the predator occurred in the first fortnight of September during 1994-95 and in the second fortnight of August during 1995-96. The predator population reached its peak during the first fortnight of December. The activity of G. ochropterus was found negatively correlated with relative humidity. They remained active until the crop was removed. Off season survival of the predator was recorded on crops ajid weeds like ratoon cotton, maize, sunnhemp, mungbean, okra, brinjal, potato, summer groundnut, cowpea, Chenopodium album and Gyanandropsis spp. Greater population was observed on ratoon cotton, maize, sunnhemp, okra, brinjal, cowpea and lucerne. Developing effective mass rearing techniques and efficient relay cropping system and other methods to conserve the predator in nature are suggested.ThesisItem Open Access DYNAMIC MODELING OF DAILY WATER USE BY SUMMER PEARL MILLET ' (Pennisetum americanum L.)(AAU, Anand, 1995) Bodapati, Papuji Rao; Savani, M. B.Crop water use is a complex function of the climatic conditions, stage of the crop development and the soil water content. Models have been developed earlier using various approaches and levels of details to improve the prediction of evapotranspiration. Functional models with some empiricism can be used for routine applications than the mechanistic models. Transpiration from the pearl millet was found to be strongly influenced by leaf area than by stomatal conductance. Field experiments during the summer season of the years 1994 and 1995 were conducted with pearl millet cv. GHB-30. The experiments were laid out in split-plot design, with three dates of sowing as the main plot and four irrigation levels as the sub-plot treatments which were replicated four times. The results obtained in this investigation revealed that, air temperature had a profound influence on the growth and development of summer pearl millet. The optimum date of sowing was found to be February 15th , which would provide optimum environmental conditions for the growth and development of the crop. Different dates of sowing did not show any significant effect on the grain yield. Irrigating the crop at 25% depletion of available soil moisture gave the highest grain and biomass yields but its WUE was lower than that for the other irrigation levels. Pearl millet required about 310 GDD in summer season to build considerable GLAI and about 800 GDD to attain the maximum GLAI. A second-order polynomial was developed for estimating GLAI using the accumulated GDD. The FAO Kc, values had over-estimated ET rates and a second-order polynomial was developed to estimate daily Kc values from the accumulated GDD for non-stressed pearl millet. The rate of ET in pearl millet was found to decrease with an increase in soil moisture deficit and approached zero at a soil moisture depletion of 65% of the available soil moisture. PLANTGRO and MCD models when evaluated against the field data collected through this experiment, predicted ET reasonably better for nonstressed treatments than for stressed treatments. Of the two models, the MCD model predicted better for stressed condition than the PLANTGRO model. The functional relations for the PET estimation and root water uptake in the MCD model needed substantial modification. The separation of the PET in the PLANTGRO model did not suit the summer pearl millet. A one-day time step model BAJRAWAT had been developed in the 'C' language during the course of the present study, and was made User-friendly. Irrigation amount and the PET being its main driving forces, the partitioning of PET into soil evaporation and transpiration had been accomplished in BAJRAWAT by GLAI. The actual evaporation and transpiration depended on the availability of water in the surface soil and in the root zone and also on the depth of root penetration. The evaporation was assumed to take place from the surface soil only and the soil was further divided into four layers, from which water was assumed to have been removed by transpiration and drainage. Infiltration was assumed to have been taking place depending on the amount and the location of water already in the soil layers. The transpiration was computed as a function of GLAI and the available moisture in the root zone. The development of GLAI was considered to be controlled by thermal time and a moisture stress factor. The BAJRAWAT model when validated along with PLANTGRO and MCD models predicted ET better than the latter two models. The relative transpiration of summer pearl millet was found to be more closely associated with relative dry matter yield than with the relative grain yieldThesisItem Open Access A STUDY ON MODERNISATION OF AGRICULTURE AMONG THE FARMERS OF KHEDA DISTRICT OF GUJARAT STATE(AAU, Anand, 1994) Jagadeeshwara, K.; Patel, H. L.India has been making many sided efforts in the agricultural sector over the last four decades through prudent planning and arduous accomplishment of agricultural development programmes. Indian population has been estimated to be 100 million by 2000 A.D. Among the prevailing plethora of activities to solve this gigantic problem, modernisation of agriculture is the germane and plausible way. Social scientists suggest modernisation is not in the character of society but in the character of individual. Unfortunately, where the individual (farmer) should be the focus of attention has been very little understood. Thus, a more precise knowledge on how an individual is modernised or what personality traits are crucial towards the acquisition of modern style of life in the modernisation process needs to be studied carefully. Kheda district is being considered as one of the progressive districts of Gujarat State.The irrigation facilities has led to intensive cultivation of all the coiunercial and food crops which facilitated more income, high standard of living and hence more agricultural nodernisation among the farmers. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to know how modernisation characteristics influence overall modernisation and extent of adoption of different agricultural practices namely, extent of use of improved varieties, chemical fertilizer,pesticides , fungicides, improved agricultural implements, improved irrigation practices in major commercial and food crops followed by use of improved dairy practices. The research study was planned with the following specific objectives. (1) To study the differences in the modernisation characteristics among different categories of farmers. (2) To study overall modernisation and extent of adoption of selected technologies among different categories of farmers. (3) To find out the relationship between socio-psycho, communication, economic and situational modernisation characteristics of farmers with overall modernisation and extent of adoption among different categories of farmers. (4) To find out the differences in the contribution of selected socio-psycho, communication, economic and situational modernisation characteristics with overall modernisation and extent of adoption among different categories of farmers. (5) To study the direct and indirect effects of selected socio-psycho, conaunication, economic and situational modernisation characteristics with overall modernisation and extent of adoption among different categories of farmers. METHODOLOGY The present study was conducted in Kheda district of Gujarat state. Four talukas namely Anand, Borsad, Nadiad and Petlad were purposively selected. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select 216 respondents from four categories of farmers from among twelve villages namely, Gopalapura, Mogar, Vadod, Asodar , Kavitha, Kinkhlod, Kanjari, Narasanda, Vadthal, DevataJ, Morad and Simurda Virol. Design of the study Ex-post-facto research design was adopted for the present study. Two dependent variables namely, overall modernisation and extent of adoption were selected for the purpose of conducting this study. Twenty three modernisation characteristics (independent variables) were selected namely age, educationl caste, family type, social participation, cosmopoliteness, mass media participation, contact with extension agency, achievement motivation, innovativeness, scientific orientation, risk preference, rationality attitude towards modernisation of agriculture, commercialisation, market perception, market orientation, income, farm size, farm power, material possession, livestock possession and level of living. The attitude scale developed by the researcher of this study was utilised for measuring the attitude of the farmers towards the modernisation of agriculture. The other dependent and independent variables were measured by utilising the developed scales of other research workers. The data were collected with the help of structured schedule by personal interview method. The data so collected were coded, classified, tabulated and analysed in order to make the findings meaningful.