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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 Meteorology × Author: KAU × End date: 2017 × Start date: 2017 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Assessment of rice (oryza sativa L.) production under climate change scenarios
    (Department of Agricultural Meteorology Vellanikkara, 2017) Jasti Venkata, Satish; KAU; Ajithkumar, B
    Agriculture is sensitive to short term changes in weather and to seasonal, annual and long term variations in climate. Climate change will have decisive impact on crop production and the prediction of this climate change emerged as a major research priority during the past decade. Numerous estimates for the impending decade projects that continuous rise of anthropogenic forcing leads to increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) atmospheric concentrations, is expected to alter regional temperature and precipitation patterns, also contributing to higher risk of extreme weather events and climate irregularity (IPCC, 2013), with obvious implications on crops (Porter and Semenov, 2005). Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is vulnerable to unfavourable weather events and climate conditions. Despite technological advances such as improved crop varieties and irrigation systems, weather and climate play significant roles in rice production. The present investigation “Assessment of rice (Oryza sativa L.) production under climate change scenarios” was carried out in the Department of Agricultural Meteorology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during 2016-17, to determine the crop weather relationship, to validate the CERES (Crop Environment Resource Synthesis) -Rice model for the varieties Jyothi and Kanchana and to project the changes of rice yield and growth under climate change scenarios. The field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy during the kharif season of 2016. Split plot design was adopted with five dates of planting viz., 5th June, 20th June, 5th July, 20th July and 5th August as the main plot treatments and two varieties viz., Jyothi and Kanchana as the sub plot treatments. The number of replications for the experiment was four. Analysis of weather with crop duration and yield showed that maximum and minimum temperatures showed increasing trend towards late plantings, whereas the relative humidity, rainfall and rainy days were found to be low in late planting than during early plantings. To determine the critical weather elements affecting the crop duration, correlation analysis was performed. Number of days for panicle initiation to booting stage, decreased with increase in maximum and minimum temperature, whereas, the reverse was observed with afternoon relative humidity, afternoon vapour pressure deficit and rainfall in Jyothi. In case of Kanchana, days for transplanting to active tillering decreased with increase in maximum, minimum temperatures and bright sunshine hours, whereas relative humidity, afternoon vapour pressure deficit, rainfall and 159 number of rainy days showed a positive influence. The mean yield of Jyothi and Kanchana on June 5th planting found to be on par with June 20th planting. The correlation analysis showed that with increase in maximum and minimum temperature during transplanting to Active tillering will reduce the yield for both Jyothi and Kanchana The crop genetic coefficients that influence the occurrence of developmental stages in the CERES-Rice models were validated, to achieve the best possible agreement between the simulated and observed values. Predicted yield and phenology of both rice varieties, Jyothi and Kanchana under different planting dates were reasonably close to the observed values. Analysis of yield and growth phases of rice under different climate change scenarios ( Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5) for the time periods 2050s and 2080s showed that, days taken to panicle initiation, anthesis and physiological maturity decreases for all the five different dates of planting. This may be due to increase in maximum and minimum temperatures during the future scenarios. The predicted values of rice yield for the climate change scenarios during first and second plantings for the time periods 2050s and 2080s showed a low yield whereas increase in yield was observed in third, fourth and fifth plantings compared with 2016. This increase in yield is may be due to combined effect of increase in CO2 (538 and 936ppm) and solar radiation during the panicle initiation, anthesis and physiological maturity for the delayed plantings. These findings suggests that, planting date need to be shifted to late July and early August in case of kharif crop in the central zone of Kerala in future.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Metagenomic analysis of bacterial diversity in the rhizosphere of arecanut palms affected by yellowing in Wayanad
    (Department of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2017) mahesh, Mohan; KAU; Girija, D