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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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Subject: Agricultural Entomology × Author: Anitha Kumari, V × End date: 1994 × Start date: 1990 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Host resistance in cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata (L .) Walp) to the pod borer Maruca testulalis (Geyer) (PyralidaeiLepidoptera)
    (Department of Agricultural Entomology , College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1992) Anitha Kumari, V; KAU; Sheila, M K
    An investigation on the host resistance in cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) to the pod borer Maruca testulalis (Geyer) was carried out by screening 100 varieties of cowpea during 1990 - 91. These were classified into highly susceptible, moderately susceptible and moderately resistant classes. This study rules out the chance of any of the varieties screened to be resistant to this particular pest. Selected accessions from the three different classes based on the field evaluation, were subjected to artificial infestation by the first instar larvae of M. testulalis on caged plants in the green house. Here too, the susceptibility spectrum was found to be similar to the trend observed in the field trial. The accession V30 was identified to be the most moderately resistant type and V100 as the most susceptible one. In the studies on antibiosis it was found that the larvae reared on moderately resistant type took longer durations of development as compared to the susceptible ones. The larval survival as well- as the adult emergence was lower in the resistant types The highly susceptible accessions produced more females than the resistant lines. The fecundity of F females was adversely affected when the larvae were reared on the moderately resistant accessions. Among the biophysical components, though the pod wall thickness and pubescence of the pods did not show any correlation with the level of borer infestation, the length of flower stalks, disposition of corolla, calyx and seeds and the nature of seed testa, had a positive influence on its distribution. Positive correlations were also detected between the mean percentage of total sugars, crude protein, amino acids and nitrogen in the pods on the one hand and pod damage on the other.