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Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur
The history of agricultural education in Kerala can be traced back to the year 1896 when a scheme was evolved in the erstwhile Travancore State to train a few young men in scientific agriculture at the Demonstration Farm, Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram, presently, the Cropping Systems Research Centre under Kerala Agricultural University. Agriculture was introduced as an optional subject in the middle school classes in the State in 1922 when an Agricultural Middle School was started at Aluva, Ernakulam District. The popularity and usefulness of this school led to the starting of similar institutions at Kottarakkara and Konni in 1928 and 1931 respectively.
Agriculture was later introduced as an optional subject for Intermediate Course in 1953. In 1955, the erstwhile Government of Travancore-Cochin started the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Mannuthy, Thrissur for imparting higher education in agricultural and veterinary sciences, respectively. These institutions were brought under the direct administrative control of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Animal Husbandry, respectively. With the formation of Kerala State in 1956, these two colleges were affiliated to the University of Kerala. The post-graduate programmes leading to M.Sc. (Ag), M.V.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees were started in 1961, 1962 and 1965 respectively.
On the recommendation of the Second National Education Commission (1964-66) headed by Dr. D.S. Kothari, the then Chairman of the University Grants Commission, one Agricultural University in each State was established. The State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) were established in India as an integral part of the National Agricultural Research System to give the much needed impetus to Agriculture Education and Research in the Country. As a result the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) was established on 24th February 1971 by virtue of the Act 33 of 1971 and started functioning on 1st February 1972. The Kerala Agricultural University is the 15th in the series of the SAUs.
In accordance with the provisions of KAU Act of 1971, the Agricultural College and Research Institute at Vellayani, and the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, were brought under the Kerala Agricultural University. In addition, twenty one agricultural and animal husbandry research stations were also transferred to the KAU for taking up research and extension programmes on various crops, animals, birds, etc.
During 2011, Kerala Agricultural University was trifurcated into Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) and Kerala Agricultural University (KAU).
Now the University has seven colleges (four Agriculture, one Agricultural Engineering, one Forestry, one Co-operation Banking & Management), six RARSs, seven KVKs, 15 Research Stations and 16 Research and Extension Units under the faculties of Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering and Forestry. In addition, one Academy on Climate Change Adaptation and one Institute of Agricultural Technology offering M.Sc. (Integrated) Climate Change Adaptation and Diploma in Agricultural Sciences respectively are also functioning in Kerala Agricultural University.
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ThesisItem Open Access Microbial remineralization of the dissolved organic carbon(DOC)derived from the benthic producers of Gulf of Mannar(GoM) reef ecosystem(Academy of Climate Change Education and Research, Vellanikkara, 2020-06-25) Alen Mariyam Thomas; Manikandan, BCoral reefs are one of the most productive ecosystems with primary production rates compared to the tropical rain forest. Carbon dioxide is fixed as organic matter through photosynthesis and contributes to the temporary or permanent storage of carbon in the ocean. This is achieved by the sedimentation of particulate organic matter (POM) and transport of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to deeper environments through the movement of water masses. Almost, 10-15% of the gross organic production by reef benthic producers is released into the external environment and act as a main source of DOC in the reef environment. DOC represents one of the largest reservoirs of CO2 in the ocean equivalent to the atmospheric CO2 and acts as a source of carbon and energy for many organisms that depend on organic carbon for nutritional sources. DOC released by macroalgae enters into the food web through the microbial loop and plays a vital role in trophic energy transfer, however, not all DOC enters the microbial loop where some amount remains resistant to microbial action representing the recalcitrant DOC. Our results show that the organic matter released by different macroalgae accelerated the growth of bacterioplankton, and differed in their effect on bacterial community composition. All the macroalgae studied in this experiment released a significant amount of DOC into the reef with T. ornata the maximum DOC and H. tuna the least DOC with 72.1 μM C/g/h (dry weight) and 1.9 μM C/g/h (dry weight) respectively. The amount of DOC released by different macroalgae remained recalcitrant to microbial action by the 100th day ranged from 9.2% to 32.2% among different macroalgae. Green macroalgae possessed a weak shift in bacterial community composition whereas the brown macroalgae altered the bacterial community composition. The brown macroalgae contributed to a slight decrease in the dominant bacterial groups thereby enhancing the dormant bacterial groups. However, in this study, the existing bacterial population was able to utilize maximum DOC resulting in a weak shift in the bacterial composition among the green macroalgae giving no chance for the dormant bacterial communities. The type of macroalgae and the composition of DOC they produce are considered critical in determining the effect of DOC on the bacterial community. These comprehensive data provide an important basis for understanding the influence of DOC over coral-associated bacterial communities and the dynamics of carbon cycling in algal dominated reefs.ThesisItem Open Access Biological control of the red spider mite Tetranychus truncatus(Prostigmata:Tetranychidae) using Blaptostethus pallescens Poppius(Hemiptera:Anthocoridae)(Department of Agricultural Entomology ,College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2020-05-07) Anna Jose; Madhu SubramanianCucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is one of the most popular vegetable crops grown in polyhouses of Kerala. Incidence of arthropod pests, however, is a major constraint in the cultivation of cucumber in polyhouses due to the favourable microclimate inside. Spider mites, Tetranychus spp. are the most destructive among the macrobes that infest cucumber in polyhouses. Management of mites using synthetic acaricides is not advisable since cucumber is consumed raw. Further, it is likely to lead to development of resistance in mites. Under these circumstances, biological control of phytophagous mites remains the most plausible alternative. The anthocorid bug, Blaptostethus pallescens Poppius (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) is one such promising biocontrol agent of spider mites, especially in protected cultivation. However, information regarding the biology and efficacy of the bug under Kerala conditions is non-existent. Hence a study was conducted to investigate the biology, density response and prey stage preference of the anthocorid predator B. pallescens as well as to evaluate the potential of B. pallescens for management of T. truncatus on cucumber under polyhouse conditions. Biology of B. pallescens was studied on eggs of alternate host Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton). Eggs of B. pallescens, thrust within the plant tissue, hatched after a mean incubation period of 5.78 days. Nymphs, when reared on UV sterilized eggs of C. cephalonica under ambient conditions, developed normally with five instars, with mean duration of 2.63, 1.92, 2.01, 2.50 and 5.10 days, respectively. Females laid eggs after a pre-oviposition period of 4.2 days. Average fecundity of bugs was 134.04 eggs. Mean longevity of females was found to be higher (52.03 days) than that of males (40.18 days). Functional response of fifth instar nymphs of B. pallescens at different densities of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 adult female mites/ bug of T. truncatus was studied in laboratory. Nymphs consumed up to 45.3 adults of T. truncatus in 24 h at a prey density of 60 per bug. Logistic regression analysis revealed a type II functional response with an attack rate of 0.0410 h-1 and a handling time that ranged from 0 – 0.506 h. Numerical response studies of the predator were conducted at densities of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 females of T. trunactus per bug. The mean fecundity varied from 0.8 to 3.4 eggs per female. However, no significant differences were observed in the number of eggs laid per female bug. The preference of final instar nymphs of B. pallescens, to three different developmental stages of T. truncatus i.e., egg, nymph and adult was studied in the laboratory by providing different life stages of prey mite at varying proportions. The predator did not show any marked preference for any stage of the prey mite. Biocontrol potential of B. pallescens against spider mite, T. truncatus on salad cucumber under polyhouse conditions was evaluated using the variety KPCH1 in a completely randomised design with four treatments and five replications. Plots treated with spiromesifen @ 100g ai ha-1 as well as those in which the predator was released recorded significantly fewer mites compared to untreated control. Three and six days after first release, mite population in plots where B. pallescens were released at 20/m row, were comparable to that of acaricide treated plots. The mean yield per plant from plots in which predators were released @ 20 bugs/ m row (2.96 kg) were also on par with that of spiromesifen treated plants (3.25 kg). The study clearly demonstrated that the anthocorid predator B. pallescens can be used for inundative releases for management of spider mites under protected cultivation.ThesisItem Open Access Standardization of propagation techniques in avacado (Persea americana Mill.)(Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2020-08-19) Swega Antony, K; Jyothi BhaskarAvocado (Persea americana Mill.) is one of the choicest salad fruit in the world. It is also known as butter fruit and belongs to the family Lauracaeae. The fruit is rich in Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA), vitamins, minerals and hence considered as an ideal fruit crop for nutritional security. Avocado fetches very high price in the market and so it is highly remunerative for the farmers if grown on a commercial basis. Being a region of humid tropics, Kerala is ideal for the cultivation of avocado. Though there is enough potential to commercialize this crop the lack of awareness about the benefits of this fruit and the low availability of quality planting material limits its commercial cultivation in our state. So the present study entitled “Standardization of propagation techniques in avocado (Persea americana Mill.)” was carried out in the Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during the year 2019-2020 with the objective of standardizing an effective method of propagation in this crop. The research programme was conducted as two experiments. In the first experiment, trials were conducted to standardize the media for seed propagation. The experiment was laid out in CRD with four treatments replicated four times with six plants in each replication. Treatments included four different media like T1 (Rock sand), T2 (Rock sand+Soil+FYM, 1:1:1), T3 (Soil+Cocopeat+Goat manure, 1:1:1) and T4 (Soil+Cocopeat+Vermicompost, 1:1:1). The treatment T3 was found to be the best media as early seed germination and highest germination percentage was observed in this media. A trial was also conducted to know whether seed treatment if given to the seeds before sowing have any effect on improving seed germination and germination percentage of the seeds. The media used for sowing seeds was T3 (Soil+Cocopeat+Goat manure, 1:1:1). Seed treatments included S1 (seed sown without seed coat), S2 (seed sown after mechanical scarification), S3 (seed sown after giving a cut both at the top and bottom portion of the seed) and S4 (seed sown with seed coat) replicated four times with six plants in each replication. Observations on vegetative and root characters were noted at 15 days interval for three months after sowing. Second experiment was conducted to evaluate various vegetative propagation methods in avocado. Experiment was laid out in CRD with twelve treatments replicated four times with six plants in each replication. Treatments included T1 (Terminal leafy cutting), T2 (Softwood cutting), T3 (Semi hardwood cutting), T4 (Hardwood cutting), T5 (Air layering (coirpith compost as the media), T6 (Air layering (sphagnum as the media), T7 (Epicotyl grafting), T8 (Softwood grafting), T9 (Whip grafting), T10 (Whip and tongue grafting), T11 (T Budding) and T12 (Patch budding). Observations on vegetative characters were noted at 15 days interval for three months. From the results of the first experiment it was found that both media and seed treatments were having significant influence on time taken for initial seed germination. Seeds grown in T3 media (Soil+Cocopeat+Goat manure, 1:1:1) germinated early (21.4 days after sowing) but when S3 (seed sown after giving a cut both at the top and bottom portion of the seed) treatment was given to seeds, germination was speeded up (18.9 days). Similarly, germination percentage was also seen enhanced by S3 treatment in T3 media from 87.75 % to 91.5%. Potting media was found to have no significant effect on plant height. The treatment S3 recorded highest plant height at 45, 75 and 90 days after sowing. Among media, T2 (Rock sand+Soil+FYM,1:1:1) was found to be superior with respect to number of leaves per plant at 30, 75 and 90 days after sowing . With regard to seed treatment, maximum number of leaves were noted in S1 after 30, 45, 60 and 75 days after sowing. No significant difference was observed among the treatments with regard to number of branches, number of seedlings arising from a seed and girth of seedlings. Longest roots were noted in T4 media (Soil+Cocopeat+Vermicompost, 1:1:1). In the second experiment propagation methods like terminal leafy cutting, softwood cutting, semi hardwood cutting, hardwood cutting and air layering were not found to be successful in multiplying avocado plants. Though the treatment T7 (Epicotyl grafting) took only minimum number of days for initial sprouting (25.37 days), survival percentage was found to be the highest (72.17%) in T8 (softwood grafting). With regard to maximum number of leaves (25.62) and branches (4.19), T10 (Whip and tongue grafting) was found to be superior over all the other methods but with very low survival percentage (20.77 %) when compared to softwood grafting. Again T8 (Softwood grafting) recorded maximum shoot length (36.38 cm) among all the other treatments during the period of observation. In the present study, the best media was found to be T3 (Soil+Cocopeat+Goat Manure (1:1:1)) and and the best seed treatment was S3 (seed sown after cutting the top and bottom of the seed) with early seed germination, highest germination percentage, seedling height. Root length was found to be the highest in T4 (Soil+Cocopeat+Vermicompost, 1:1:1). In the second experiment, softwood grafting (T8) was found to be the best among the vegetative propagation methods with highest survival percentage (72.17 %) and shoot length (46.64 cm).ThesisItem Open Access Dynamics of urban heat island: a study in Ernakulam city using geospatial techniques(College of Climate change and environmental Science , Vellanikkara, 2021-12-23) Greeshma Saju; Santhosh Kumar, A VThesisItem Open Access Global change and subterranean ecosystems of Kerala(College of Climate Change and Environmental Science , Vellanikkara, 2023-01-31) Arya Shaji.; Rajeev RaghavanThesisItem Open Access Management of pests of grain cowpea, (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) using cashew nut shell liquid based botanical pesticide(Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2022-11-04) Aiswarya Mohan.; Lekha, MThe study entitled “Management of pests of grain cowpea, (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) using cashew nut shell liquid based botanical pesticide” was conducted at Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani and Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sadanandapuram, Kerala Agricultural University during 2019-2022 to evaluate the efficacy of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) for the management of pests of grain cowpea. Laboratory evaluation of CNSL against pests and natural enemies of grain cowpea was conducted using the treatments viz., CNSL 20% EC at 0.3, 0.5 and 1%, CNSL 20% EC at 0.3 % followed by the application of Beauveria bassiana 2%, B. bassiana 2% alone, chemical check, dimethoate 30 EC 0.05% and untreated control. The test insects viz., pod bug, Riptortus pedestris Fabricius (both nymphs and adults) and syrphid fly larvae (Paragus sp.) were used in the study. The trial was conducted with topical application of CNSL on test insects and fed with treated and untreated food. In both the methods, CNSL 20 % EC at 1% recorded significantly higher percentage mortality throughout the observation period attaining cent per cent mortality at 96 hours after treatment (HAT). In topical application of CNSL with untreated food, the percentage mortality was comparatively low during the initial hours of treatment in lower concentrations of CNSL viz., 0.3% (no mortality observed till 96 HAT) and 0.5% (0.00, 20.00, 40.00 and 40.00 respectively at 24, 48, 72 and 96 HAT) than the topical application method with treated food. The corresponding mortality at 0.3 and 0.5% of CNSL 20% EC was 0.00, 20.00, 40.00 and 100.00 per cent respectively at 24, 48, 72 and 96 HAT. In the case of R. pedestris adults, the higher concentrations of CNSL 20 % EC at 0.5 and 1% attained cent per cent mortality at 4 days after treatment (DAT). No significant difference was observed in the percentage mortality of R. pedestris adults among different concentrations of CNSL (0.3, 0.5 and 1%) up to 3 DAT. Laboratory evaluation of different treatments on syrphid fly larvae indicated the safety of CNSL based treatments. During the field evaluation, higher concentrations of CNSL 20 % EC at 0.5 and 1% significantly reduced the population of aphids, Aphis craccivora Koch and pod bugs, R. pedestris as compared to other botanicals and untreated control during the vegetative stage of the crop. A gradual reduction in the mean population of aphids was observed in CNSL 20 % EC at 0.5 and 1% from 1 DAT to 7 DAT, but a hike in the population was observed at 14 DAT. The values being 133.33, 93.33, 73.33 and 50.00 plant-1 in the case of CNSL 20 % EC 0.5 % and 53.33, 43.33, 35.00 and 18.33 plant-1 with CNSL 20 % EC 1% respectively at 1, 3, 5 and 7 DAT and the mean population reached 96.67 and 66.67 plant-1 respectively at 14 DAT. More than 85 per cent reduction over untreated control was noticed in CNSL 20 % EC 1% among the botanicals at all intervals after spraying. No adverse effect of treatments was observed on the natural enemy population in the field. During the reproductive stage, all the CNSL containing treatments recorded more than 80 % population reduction over untreated control from 1 DAT to 7 DAT and the observation on the mean population of aphids indicated the efficacy of CNSL 20 % EC at 1% with a significantly lower population of aphids(43.33 plant-1) at 14 DAT. Regarding pod bugs, the mean population at the pod formation stage was significantly low in the plants treated with CNSL 20 % EC at 0.5 and 1% in all the observations and the values being 5.33 and 4.00 plant-1, 2.67 and 2.00 plant-1, 1.00 and 0.33 plant-1 and 0.33 and 0.00 plant-1 at 1, 3, 5 and 7 DAT respectively. But at 14 DAT, though all the treatments showed a slight increase in the population, CNSL containing treatments recorded significantly lower population comparable to that of chemical check, dimethoate 30 EC 0.05% and resulted in a percentage reduction of more than 80.00 from 3 DAT onwards. Application of CNSL 20 % EC at 1 and 0.5 % attained a higher yield of 29.17 and 26.77 g plant-1 and was on par with the chemical check, dimethoate 30 EC 0.05% (30.00 g plant-1). A laboratory trial was carried out to study the effect of CNSL on the storage pest, Callosobruchus chinensis L. using cowpea seeds. Crushed cashew nut shell at 40 g/kg seed showed very good repellency of C. chinensis and was seemed to be on par with chemical check. At 24 HAT, cent percentage mortality of C. chinensis was recorded in crude CNSL at 6 mL kg-1 seed and was significantly superior to chemical check. Crude CNSL (2, 4 and 6 mL kg-1) as well as CNSL 20 % EC formulation (4 and 6 mL kg-1 seed) recorded significantly higher mortality of C. chinensis when released to treated seeds at 48, 72 and 96 HAT. Oviposition, progeny emergence and grain damage was not observed in any of the treatments except in seeds treated with crushed cashew nut shell at 20 g kg-1 seed with 46.67 eggs, 30.67 adults and 38.33 grains damaged. None of the treatments adversely affected the germination of seeds, since cent percentage germination was noticed in all the treatments except in chemical check (92.00 per cent) by 7 DAT. However, the germination parameters viz., seedling length, seed vigour index and speed of germination differed slightly among the treatments. The efficacy of CNSL 20 % EC at 0.5 and 1% against A. craccivora and R. pedestris were proved. Since crude CNSL and CNSL EC formulation were found equally effective in managing C. chinensis when used as seed treatment, considering the germination parameters, crude CNSL at 2 and 4 mL kg-1 seed as well as CNSL 20 % EC at 4 and 6 mL kg-1 seed were found promising for seed treatment against bruchids.ThesisItem Open Access Organic nano NPK formulation for enhancing growth, yield and quality in banana cv. Nendran (Musa AAB)(Department of Fruit Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2022-07-18) Deepa, H L.; Reshmi ,C RThe thesis work entitled ‘Organic nano NPK formulation for enhancing growth, yield and quality in banana cv. Nendran (Musa AAB)’ was carried out in the Department of Fruit Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani from December 2020 to November 2021. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of soil application of organic nano NPK formulation on crop growth, yield and quality in banana cv. Nendran. The field experiment was laid out in the Instructional Farm (Block V) of College of Agriculture, Vellayani in RBD with eight treatments and three replications. The treatments T1 to T6 consisted of combinations of different doses of granular organic nano NPK formulation (15g, 30g and 45g per plant per year) and different splits of application (two splits and six splits). T7 was soil test-based Package of Practices (POP) recommendation (133.86: 28.8: 338.4 g N: P2O5: K2O plant-1 in six splits) and T8 was ‘control’ (maintained without fertilizer application). Suckers of uniform size were used as the planting material. FYM @ 10 kg per plant as basal dose and lime @ 100 g per pit two weeks prior to planting were applied uniformly to all the treatments. Analysis of granular organic nano NPK formulation revealed that it had a pH of 7.79 with an EC of 0.14 dS m-1 . Organic carbon and humic acid content were 2.35 per cent and 19.19 per cent respectively. The primary nutrients like N, P and K were 1.97 per cent, 1.82 per cent and 2.96 per cent respectively. In addition, the formulation had considerable amount of secondary nutrients like Ca (0.33 per cent), Mg (0.28 per cent) and S (0.62 per cent). The results indicated that, at all stages of crop growth, the pseudostem height, girth, functional leaf area, and leaf area index (LAI) recorded the highest values for the treatment T7 (soil test-based POP recommendation). Application of 45 g nano NPK in 6 splits (T6) was the best treatment with respect to total number of functional leaves at 4 and 6 MAP and at harvest. The earliest bunch emergence was noticed in T7 (soil test-based POP recommendation) and it was on par with T6 (45 g nano NPK in 6 splits). The shortest crop duration was recorded for T6. However, it was on par with T7 and T2 (15 g nano NPK in 6 splits). The highest sucker production after harvest was noticed in T6 (45 g nano NPK in 6 splits). Soil test-based POP recommendation (T7) recorded highest bunch weight, number of fingers in D hand and total biomass yield at the same time the treatment was on par with T6. Application of 45 g nano NPK in 6 splits (T6) recorded the highest number of hands per bunch, number of fingers per bunch and weight of finger while the treatment T7 was on par. T6 (45 g nano NPK in 6 splits) recorded significantly higher length of fingers, girth of fingers and pulp-peel ratio. Quality parameters like TSS, total carotenoids, starch content, total sugars, reducing sugars, sugar acid ratio, ascorbic acid and moisture content of fruits were significantly high in T6 (45 g nano NPK in 6 splits). However, highest non - reducing sugar content was recorded inT5 (45 g nano NPK in 2 splits). The lowest acid content in fruits was noted in T6 (45 g nano NPK in 6 splits). The control (T8) recorded the lowest peel thickness. T6 (45 g nano NPK in 6 splits) recorded the longest shelf life and the fruits took longer time for ripening. Post-harvest soil analysis revealed that the highest pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon content, dehydrogenase enzyme activity, soil primary nutrients (N, P and K) and soil S content were recorded by T6 (45 g nano NPK in 6 splits). Soil Mg content was significantly higher in T7 (soil test-based POP recommendation) and the highest Ca content was recorded in T4 (30 g nano NPK in 6 splits). Plant uptake of primary and secondary nutrients was increased with the application of 45 g nano NPK in 6 splits (T6) along with 10 kg FYM and 100 g lime plant-1 year-1 . Incidence of pest (pseudostem weevil) and disease (Sigatoka leaf spot) was observed during the field experiment for which appropriate remedial measures were adopted. Though the highest net income was obtained from T6 (45 g nano NPK in 6 splits), it was on par with T7 (soil test-based POP recommendation). However, the BC ratio was the highest in T6 (45 g nano NPK in 6 splits). The study revealed that the application of 45 g granular organic nano NPK in 6 splits along with 10 kg FYM and 100 g lime per plant per year increased the overall growth, yield and quality of banana cv. Nendran with high net income and BC ratio.ThesisItem Open Access Expression profiling of laccase and β-Glucan synthase genes in Pleurotus ostreatus during different developmental stages(Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Agriculture , Vellayani, 2022-10-21) Nesma, A S; Susha S TharaThe study entitled “Expression profiling of laccase and β-glucan synthase genes in Pleurotus ostreatus during different developmental stages” was conducted at College of Agriculture, Vellayani. The objective of this study was to analyze the differential expression of laccase and β-glucan synthase genes in two strains of P. ostreatus during different developmental stages using quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT- PCR). Two strains of P. ostreatus viz., DMR P115 collected from the Directorate of Mushroom Research (DMR), Solan, Himachal Pradesh and HUC collected from the Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani were used for the study. Samples were collected from four different developmental stages viz., mycelium, primordium, young fruiting body and mature fruiting body of P. ostreatus strains. Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) were used for maintaining the pure cultures of both strains. The cultural and morphological studies of mycelia revealed that DMR P115 strain formed maximum radial growth on the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th day. However, white, thick and fluffy growth with radiating margins were observed in both strains. To obtain fruiting bodies, the spawn of both strains was prepared on paddy grains and inoculated on sterilized rubber sawdust substrate. The morphological studies of the mushroom fruiting body revealed that DMR P115 took minimum days for spawn run, days to produce primordia, days to produce young fruiting body and days for maturity. Sporophore characters like stipe length, stipe diameter, pileus length, pileus diameter and average weight of fruiting body were higher in DMR P115 strain than in HUC strain. Maximum yield (747.429 g/kg of the substrate) and the number of sporophores (84.429) were observed in DMR P115 strain. The expression of laccase (POXA3) and β-glucan synthase (FKS) genes that are important in fruiting body development and cell wall formation respectively was analysed at different developmental stages of two strains by performing qRT-PCR. There was a significant difference in the expression of POXA3 and FKS genes in different developmental stages of the two strains. The expression of POXA3 was higher in the mycelial stage of DMR P115 (5.58 fold) and HUC (2.03 fold) strains. FKS gene 81 was upregulated in mycelium (29.24 fold) and mature fruiting body (58.48 fold) of DMR P115 strain whereas in HUC strain, there was a significant upregulation only in the mycelial stage (17.15 fold). It can be concluded that the growth and gene expression pattern in DMR P115 and HUC strain varies. The expression of POXA3 and FKS genes differ significantly in different developmental stages of the two strains. POXA3 gene, which is essential for its fruiting body development and degradation of the substrate was upregulated in the mycelial stage of both strains. FKS gene was upregulated in the mycelium and mature fruiting body of DMR P115 strain and the mycelial stage of HUC strain which indicates the antioxidant and immunostimulatory properties of that strain. The findings obtained from this study can be used as a foundation for future lines of research related to strain improvement of P. ostreatusThesisItem Open Access Design development of continuous type coconut splitter(Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 2022-02-28) Pachangane Alankar Ashok.; Shivaji, K PCoconut (Cocous nucifera L.) is one of the most prominent commercial crops in tropical and is usually referred as “tree of heaven”. The seed or the fruit of the coconut palm, which is also referred as coconut must be dehusked and split before using for various purposes. Although there are different techniques and tools for splitting or cracking open the mature coconut, there is no suitable machine for continuous splitting of nut with provision for collecting the coconut water hygienically. Development of such machine requires a detailed investigation on the physical and engineering properties of coconut. Splitting energy and splitting force required are certain other vital information necessary for the design. Hence this study was undertaken for investigating the design parameters for the development of a continuous coconut splitting machine. The physical properties of the coconut were determined using standard procedures and the splitting energy requirement was determined using an impact test apparatus. The maximum splitting force was then calculated from the splitting energy. Based on the maximum splitting force and physical properties, the design parameters were evolved, and a machine was designed and developed. The trails of the machine were then conducted to evaluate the performance in comparison with the conventional splitting method. The average major diameter of the coconuts were obtained as 117.24 mm with standard deviation of 9.00 mm. The average minor diameter of the coconuts were recorded as 97.09 mm with standard deviation of 5.57 mm. The average intermediate diameter of the coconuts were found to be 93.29 mm with a standard deviation of 4.59 mm. The average weight of the coconuts were observed as 579.99 g with a standard deviation of 104.56 g. The average roundness of the coconuts were measured and found to be 0.65 95 with a standard deviation of 0.10. The average sphericity of the coconuts was 0.83 with a standard deviation of 0.05. The average volume of the coconuts were 556.20 cm3 with a standard deviation of 64.07 cm3 . The average density was 1.04 g cm-3 with a standard deviation of 0.14 g cm-3 . The maximum splitting energy and force needed to split coconuts were recorded as 35.84 J and 609.25 N respectively. The machine was designed to split coconut by impact force, by making an impact tool hitting the nut positioned in continuously rotating feeder. The impact tool held in position by a tension spring, was actuated by a cam, which in turn receives power from an electric motor of 0.746 kW. Speed reduction gear box, chain and sprockets were used for transmitting the power from motor to the impact tool. Water collecting trough and strainer were fixed beneath the feeder and impact tool. The performance evaluation of continuous type coconut splitter was conducted, and it was found that time require to split the coconut is 5 seconds. The average splitting efficiency of the machine was obtained as 85.51 per cent with a standard deviation of 8.25. The output capacity of the developed machine was 372.4 kg h -1 . The total number of coconuts split per hour was obtained as 720. The efficiency of the machine was obtained as 85.71 per cent. Keywords: Coconut, Splitting energy, Splitting force, Impact tool, splitting efficiency, machine output capacity, efficiency of the machine.
