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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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20211
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Subject: Agricultre × Author: KAU × Author: Rajeswari, E × Start date: 1960 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Growth, yield and essential oil production responses to microbial elicitation in Ocimum basilicum L.
    (Department of Plantation Crops and Spices, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2021) Rajeswari, E; KAU; Deepa, S Nair
    The seeds of O. basilicum used for the study were sourced from Anand Agricultural University, Gujarat. The study was carried out in two phases: Phase 1- Seed priming using fungal derivatives for enhanced germination. Phase 2- Evaluation of the effect of foliar application of fungal derivatives for growth, yield and essential oil production. In the first phase of study, the seeds were subjected to various priming treatments using fungal derivatives viz., Trichoderma viride cell wall extract (1 %) (TCWE), Trichoderma viride culture filtrate (1 %) (TCF), Piriformospora indica cell wall extract (1 %) (PCWE), Piriformospora indica culture filtrate (1 %) (PCF) and hydro priming, maintained upto 30 days after sowing. The seeds without any priming were taken as the absolute control. In the second phase of study, the 30 days old seedlings of O. basilicum were transplanted to grow bags. The foliar spray of corresponding fungal derivatives (cell wall extract and culture filtrate) at 1 % concentration were given to plants at fortnightly intervals from transplanting to 90 days after sowing. The treatment without any foliar application was taken as the absolute control. The seeds bioprimed with PCF @ 1 per cent recorded the highest germination per cent (96%), survival per cent (96%) and had taken minimum number of days (3 days) to initial sprouting. While TCF @ 1 per cent exhibited the highest germination index (34.50) and lowest mean germination time (6.29 days). With regard to seedling development, PCF @ 1 per cent recorded a significantly higher shoot length (21.50 cm), root length (19.50 cm), seedling length (41.00 cm) and seedling vigour index (39.37). The highest (1.07) allometric index was observed in the treatment PCWE @ 1 per cent. At 110 DAS, the plants subjected to foliar application with PCF @ 1 per cent exhibited higher plant height (80.20 cm), collar girth (6.03 cm), leaf area (4010.82 cm2 ), number of branches (28.00) and number of flowering shoots (104.00). The same treatment induced early flowering (55 days) in O. basilicum. The foliar spray treatment with PCF @ 1 per cent exhibited significantly higher total chlorophyll content (1.20 mg g-1 ) and polyphenol content (84.31 mg PE g-1 ) at 110 DAS. The plants subjected to foliar application with PCF @ 1 per cent recorded maximum leaf biomass (210.00 g and 19.04 g), stem biomass (135.33 g and 12.21 g), herbage yield (345.33 g and 31.25 g), root biomass (52.00 g and 4.63 g) and total plant biomass (397.33 g and 35.88 g) respectively, on both fresh weight and dry weight basis. The same treatment recorded the highest leaf biomass (125.33 g and 12.44 g), stem biomass (76.00 g and 7.31 g), and herbage yield (201.33 g and 19.75 g), on fresh weight and dry weight basis respectively, in the ratoon crop harvested 60 days after the first cut. PCF @ 1 per cent was also observed to give the highest essential oil content (2.11 per cent and 1.00 per cent) and oil yield (443.10 g and 19.04 g, respectively) in terms of both fresh and dry leaf weight. This is followed by PCWE @ 1 per cent and TCF @ 1 per cent in terms of oil content and yield. In the first phase of study, PCF @ 1 per cent gave better performance in terms of seed germination, seedling growth and seedling vigour index. The transplanted seedlings from the same treatment when subjected to foliar application with PCF @ 1 per cent at fortnightly intervals gave the highest plant growth, biochemical and yield parameters in the second phase of study. Hence, it can be inferred that biopriming followed by foliar application of the fungal derivative PCF @ 1 per cent would give superior performance in terms of plant growth, yield and essential oil production in O. basilicum.