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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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1995 - 19963
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Subject: Agricultural Entomology × Author: KAU × End date: 1996 × Start date: 1994 × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Bionomics of pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata rego barros (lepidoptera:arctiidae) and its interaction with the siam weed chromolaena odorata king and robinson (asteraceae)
    (Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1995) Lyla, K R; KAU; Abraham, C C
    Studies were undertaken on the biology, morphometrics, feeding habits, factors affecting fecundity and fertility of Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata King and Robinson (Arctiidae : Lepidoptera) and also the plant response of the weed host Chromolaena odorata L. at the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during 1990 – 1993. The morphometrics and morphology of the various immature stages and adults have been described. The total life-cycle of P. pseudoinsulata took a total of 46.75 days and the various developmental stages lasted for 5.5 days in eggs, 21.30 days for larvae (seven instars) 1.5 days for pre-pupa and 10.15 days for pupae at a mean ambient temperature of 28.40 C. In feeding trials to assess the relative preference of tender, mature, semi yellow and yellow leaves of C. odorata, it was found that the I instar larvae showed district preference to tender leaves as compared to mature leaves. The I and II instar larvae did not feed on semi-yellow and yellow leaves and they died of starvation when these types of leaves were offered for feeding. Consumption indices decreased as the age of larvae advanced and thus early instars consuming all the types of leaves recorded high indices. The rate of increase in larval weight gain was higher in later instars (VI and VII). Caterpillars feeding on mature, semi-yellow and yellow leaves showed higher Relative Growth Rate during IV to V stage, but during I to II stage, a high RGR was seen on larvae which fed tender leaves. Yellow. leaf diet for late instar larvae adversely affected their development and adult emergence. Highest fecundity was recorded when the parental sex-ratio of moths was kept at 1:1 level followed by 1:2 ratio and 2:1 in that order. Egg production and viability were significantly higher at 250 C and 75 per cent RH as compared to 300 C and 60 per cent RH. Adult food did not show any influence on fecundity but in respect of improvement of egg viability the treatments were advantageous. Total nitrogen content in leaves was maximum on the sixth day of release of four larvae per cage. Leaf nitrogen showed a declining trend when the larval load per plant was increased from the eighth day of release onwards. Soluble nitrogen content in leaves showed an increasing trend with increase in larval load per plant, but this however failed to reach significant levels. Chlorophyll content in leaves got reduced significantly at increased larval population loads and with passage of time of confinement. The natural enemies of P. pseudoinsulata consisted of avian fauna, spiders and ants and parasitoids. Predatory species of ants recorded in association with the insect included Lioponera sp. Oecophylla smaragdina Fabr. Solenopsis sp.and Monomorium sp. Occasionally NPV infection occurred in the laboratory as well as in field cultures causing substantial mortality. The implications of the various findings in reorienting the biocontrol strategies involving P. pseudoinsulata against C. odorata have been discussed.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Distribution and bio-ecology of phytophagous mites of vegetables,medicinal plants and ornamentals in Thiruvananthapuram District
    (Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1996) Sudharma, K; KAU; Madhavan Nair, G
    A detailed survey on phytophagous mites and their predators associated with vegetables, medicinal plants and ornamentals was conducted for the first time in Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala during premonsoon, monsoon seasons of 1992 and 1993. The centres selected for the survey were the college of Agriculture, Vellayani; Ayurvedic research Centre, poojappura; University Centre, Kariavattom; Tropical Botanical Garden and Reserch Institute, Palode and the District Agricultural Farm, Peringammala. The survey revealed the presence of phytophagous and predatory mites belonging to six families each. The families under the former group were Tetranychidae, tarsonemidae, Tenuipalpidae, Eriophyidae, Galumnidae and Oribatidae and under the latter group were phytoseiidae, Ascidae, Bdellidae, Cheyelitidae Cunaxidae and Stigmaeidae. Phytophagous mites belonging to the families Tetranychidae, Tenuipalpidae, and Tarsonemidae were the most widespread and the dominant species of these families were commonly found on all the three groups of plants. The survey further helped to identify eighteen new host plants of phytophagous mites which are new reports. The phytophagous mites T.cinnabarinus, T.ludeni, T.neocaledonicus , B.phoenicis,T.pacificus R. indica, P. latus and a few species under the genera tetranychus, Brevipalpus and Tarsonemous were the important species infesting vegetables, medicinal plants and ornamentals in the District. Among the acarine predators of phytophagous mites , the species belonging to the family phytoseiidae in general and in the family phytoseiidae, species of the genus Amblyseius in particular were the most widespread .The mites belonging to the family Cunaxidae and the coccinellidae, Stethorus sp . were also found to be important predators of phytophagous mites. The mean percentage of mite infested leaves and the mean population counts were also assessed to study the distribution and abundance of different groups of mites on different host plants in different seasons. The species, T.ludeni, T cinnabarinus, T neocaledonicus and P.latus on vegetables, T.ludeni and B.phoenicies on ornamentals and B.phoenicis, T.cinnabarinus, T.ludeni, T.neocaledonicus and P.latus on medicinal plants were found to be numerically dominant species capable of causing serious damage to the crops. The mean percentage of mite infested leaves and the mean population counts of phytophagous mites were the least in the monsoon season as compared to the premonsoon and postmonsoon seasons in vegetables, medicinal plants and ornamentals. The mean population counts of predators in different seasons also showed trends similar to those of phytobhagous mites, the monsoon season having the least or no predatory populations. In the postmonsoon season also their numbers were negligible. The phytoseiids were numerically the most dominant predators on vegetables, ornamentals and medicinal plants. The coccinellid predator, Stethorus and acarine predator cunaxids were also found to be important to a lesser extent. The results of replicated field trials conducted in the College of Agriculture, vellayani on selected vegetables, medicinal plants and ornamentals also revealed that, in general, the mite population was the least in the monsoon season as compared to the premonsoon and postmonsoon season. In general, the population development was found to be positively correlated with maximum temperature and relative humidity. The nature and symptoms of damage of T.cinnabarinus on Adhatoda ;T.ludeni and T.neocaledonicus on rosea; T.pacificus on Dendrobium; R.indica on T.alata; B.phoenicis on the medicinal plants G.sylestre,S.ciliates O.sanctum, and on Caladium, Maranta and Dendrobium and P.latus on chilli, bittergourd , ridegorud and T. erecta were studied and described in detail. The biology and biometrics of T. cinnabarinus, T.ludeni, T neocaledonicus, T.pacificus and B.phoenicis were studied on selected host plants and described in detail. Crop loss studies conducted on bhindi and chilli by releasing different population levels of T.ludeni and P.latus revealed that , the stage of the crop at which infestation commenced was an important factor which determind the crop loss. It was also found that there was crop to crop variation on the levels of tolerance to different mite loads. No significant difference was noticed in the distribution of T.ludeni on the top, middle and bottom strata of bhindi plants while in chillies the mite P.latus preferred the top stratum indicating a preference for young growing tissues for feeding and oviposition.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Host-specificity, patho-physiology and transmission of the baculovirus(Kerala isolate) infecting Oryctes rhinoceros Linn. (Scarabaeidae:Coleoptera)
    (Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1995) Suma Paulose; KAU; Abraham, C C
    The Baculovirus oryctes has been recognized as one of the most promising pathogens against oryctes rhinoceros. Laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate the virus in respect of its patho-physiology, histopathology, mode of transmission, cross-infectivity, effect of physical factors on the virulence of the virus and safety to non –target organisms. The oral inoculation technique has been found to be more effective than the swim method. For long term storage of the virus, the freeze drying method was found to be ideal as it retained viability for more than sixteen months. The viral particles have been found to be bacilliform , measuring 210 to 250nm in length and 75 to 105 nm in width. The main symptoms observed in grubs due to viral infection are loss of appetite, lethargy, pallor, migration to the top of the breeding medium, disintegration of the fat bodies and development of diarrhoea. Adults did not show any pronounced external symptoms. Infected adults refused to take food and they eventually developed diarrhea. All instars of grubs and adults were susceptible to the viral infection .The susceptibility to infection was maximum in the first instar followed by third instar, second instar and the adults in that order. The mean lethal concentration of the viru required to cause fifty per cent mortalities were 0.377 x10-4 , 14.417x10-4, 0.297x10-4 and 1.137x10-4 gut equivalent for the first, second and third instar grubs and adults respectively. The cytology of the midgut contents showed desquamated epithelial cells with nuclear and cytoplasmic vacuolation, nuclear hypertrophy and ring stages nucleus. The midgut and fat bodies have been identified as the major sites of viral multiplication. Transovum and transovarial transmission studies have shown that the virus was not transmitted by any of these method. The studies on transtadial transmission established that the disease was transmitted from first to second and from second to third instar, but not from the third instar to the pupae. The predator platymerus laevicollis did not transmit the disease. The reproductive potential of oryctes was found to be significantly impaired due to viral infection. When both the mating partners were infected, the number of eggs laid was only 19 to 20 as compared to the output of 209 to 219 in the healthy pairs. The cross-infectivity studies have clearly established that the virus was not infective to other important pests of coconut such as Rhyncophorus ferrugineus, Leucopholis coneophora, opisina arenosella and the predator’s p.laevicollis. In studies on the effect of temperature on the viability of the virus, it was found that above fifty per cent mortality took place on incubation of the virus for 21/2 hours at 370c and that the viability was totally lost as a result of exposure for 4 1/2 hours. The number of adults required for release in to the breeding pits of size of 30cmx30cmx30cm to kill fifty per cent of the Rhinoceros grubs at different time intervals were 4.440, 3.668, 3.016 and 2.889. Safety studies have revealed that the virus was absolutely safe to the silkworm Bombyx mori, chick embryo, white mice and white rat.