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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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2004 - 20092
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Subject: Agricultural Meteorology × Author: Manikandan, N ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Climatic variability and small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) production across the Westren Ghats
    (Department of Agricultural Meteorology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2004) Manikandan, N; PrasadaRao, G S L H V
    A study was undertaken at the Department of Agricultural Meteorology, College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara to analyse the variability of rainfall and surface air temperature over a period of time and its influence on the cardamom production and productivity across the Western Ghats for which the monthly data on rainfall, temperature (maximum and minimum) and nutritional status of soils were collected from six selected locations across the cardamom tract along with the data on area and production of small cardamom. The annual rainfall and rainfall during southwest monsoon (J une-Sep) increases from south to north across the cardamom tract and western parts (Kerala and Karnataka) of the Western Ghats receive better rainfall when compared to that of eastern parts (Tamil Nadu). The reverse trend was noticed during post monsoon (Oct- Nov) and winter (Dec-Feb) and eastern parts receive more rainfall than western parts. In summer (Mar-May), Kerala and Tamil Nadu receive relatively more rainfall than Karnataka. Trend analysis in rainfall revealed that a declining trend was noticed in annual rainfall at all the locations except Pampadumpara and Madikeri. Similar was the case during southwest monsoon except at Madikeri. In other seasons, no such uniform increasing or decreasing trend was noticed across the cardamom tract except at Thandikudi, where rainfall was declining in all seasons. The surface air temperature and its range were high (5.3 -15.9° C) over Karnataka, followed by Kerala (5.2 -11.7° C) and Tamil Nadu (6.9 -10.7 ° C). In majority of the locations, an increasing trend in annual maximum temperature was noticed. It was true in the case of southwest monsoon and post monsoon periods while a declining during winter and summer. Interestingly, an increasing trend was noticed in majority of the locations in the case of minimum temperature. It reflected on the temperature range also at fifty per cent of the locations (Pampadumpara, Madikeri and Thandikudi) during southwest and post monsoon seasons. It was reverse during winter and summer at all the locations except Saklespur and Mudigere. The study on the trends in moisture index (Im) showed that it declined at all the locations during southwest monsoon and annually except at Madikeri. During post monsoon and winter, an increasing trend in moisture index was noticed at all the locations except Thandikudi in post monsoon period. All the locations except at Pampadumpara, showed a declining trend in moisture index during summer. It was also noticed that the intensity of aridity was high towards north of cardamom tract. Studies on agroclimatic zonation of small cardamom revealed that the production potential of Zone I was relatively better (>200 kg / ha) when compared to that of Zone II and III across the Western Ghats, where the length of crop growing season was more than 300 days with annual Ima of more than 90 per cent. In addition, the annual temperature range was very low and optimum across the Zone 1. The production potential of small cardamom was low (100-150 kg / ha) over Zone III (Karnataka), where the length of crop growing season was less than 250 days with annual Ima of 70-75 per cent. The annual temperature range was also high, which may be detrimental to cardamom production in the Zone Ill. The Zone II fall under intermediary category (150-200 kg / ha), where the length of crop growing season was more than 250 days with annual Ima varied between 80 and 85 per cent. From the crop weather relationship studies, it was understood that the rainfall from December to May, annual temperature range and temperature range during southwest monsoon could explain up to 78 per cent variability in cardamom production. It was also noticed that cardamom production was high whenever the annual water deficit was low and vice-versa.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Crop weather relationships of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.)
    (College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2009) Manikandan, N; KAU; Prasada, Rao G S L H V
    A field experiment entitled “Crop weather relationships of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.)” was conducted at the Department of Agricultural Meteorology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara from April 2007 to March 2008. The location is situated at 10o31’ N and 76 o13’ E at an elevation of 25 m above the mean sea level in the central zone of Kerala. The experimental site is attached to the farm of Cadbury – KAU Co-operative Cocoa Research Project, Vellanikkara. The experimental cocoa trees were 20-year-old. A total number of 30 cocoa trees were selected, out of which 15 each were grown under shade and open conditions. The trees in shade were classified as plants giving yield of <15, 15-30 and more than 30 pods per tree per year and the plants in open were classified as plants giving yield of <60, 60-90 and more than 90 pods per tree per year. The biotic events viz., flowering and fruiting characters were recorded once in a week during the study period of one year. Daily meteorological data on maximum and minimum temperatures, relative humidity (morning and evening), rainfall and rainy days, bright sunshine hours, evaporation and cloud amount were collected from the Department of Agricultural meteorology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara. The investigations were undertaken with the objectives such as to study the seasonal influence on flowering and fruiting behaviour of cocoa, to find out the relationship between weather elements and biotic events of cocoa and to understand the impact of climate variability on cocoa production and productivity across the State of Kerala. The biotic events viz., flowering, pod set and cherelle production in cocoa were seen throughout the year though weekly variations were significant and almost no biotic events were recorded in August. The pattern of biotic events in cocoa under open and shade were also similar. All the yield groups showed identical trend in flowering, pods set and cherelle production of cocoa irrespective of open and shade. However, the average number of flowers, pod set and cherelle was always lower in shade conditions when compared to the cocoa grown under open conditions. It is observed that the light availability on an average over cocoa under rubber (shade) was only 45 per cent, varying from 39 % (October) to 56 % (April). The overall percentage contribution of number of flowers, pod set and cherelle during summer was high when compared to that of the other seasons. The flowering appears to be very low during the heavy wet spell due to mechanical damage as well as low bright sunshine available to the crop. It reveals that the light availability is very important for better performance of cocoa in terms of flowers, pod set and cherelle production. The correlations between rainfall and flowering indicated that rainfall had negative (-0.464) relationship with flowering, as no significant flowering was seen during the heavy rainfall period from June-October. Nevertheless, the summer rains (February-May) two weeks before flowering influenced the flowering favourably. The positive relationship of cocoa flowering with maximum temperature was only due to flowering pattern of cocoa but not due to high maximum temperature (35-37°C) that prevailed during the summer. There was a positive trend between the helio-thermal units (HTU) and biotic events such as flowering, pods set and cherelle production in cocoa and significant at 0.01 level. The helio-thermal units depend on growing degree days, which is a function of temperature [(Max+Min/2)-10oC] and number of daily sunshine hours. The number of pods harvested was more in October and November, followed by summer (February-April) in contrast to the mean trend where the mean yield was more during summer followed by post monsoon season. The pattern of pod harvest was different between the habitats (open and shade) as the peak harvest in shade appeared during February – March while October – November in open. The coefficient of variation was very high (48.9-124.3 %) in monthly pod yield of cocoa while it was less (23 %) in the case of annual yield of cocoa. It indicated that the monthly cocoa yield is very sensitive to extreme weather conditions. The study also revealed that there was a sharp decline in cocoa area while increase in production and productivity due to technological interventions. However, the inter-annual variations in cocoa yield could be related to weather aberrations and it had no biennial bearing tendency. The pods harvested during November (post monsoon season) was superior in pod weight (562g), pod length (17.03 cm) and bean weight (1.28). The pods harvested during September (rainy season) and January (winter) showed intermediary, having the pod weight of 555 g/pod in September and 524 g/pod in January. The pods harvested during summer recorded 44 and 29 per cent less in pod weight and bean weight, respectively when compared to post monsoon season. Hence, a harvest of five pods during the post and southwest monsoon seasons equals to nine pods harvested during summer season, 5.4 pods during winter while 5.1 pods in south west monsoon. The study reveals that the low pod and bean weights during summer were due to high number of pods produced, moderate to severe soil moisture stress and high maximum temperature including temperature range. The maximum temperature from January to March had a profound influence on annual cocoa yield. The relationship between growing degree days (GDD) and yield also indicated similar trend as in the case of maximum temperature. The mean maximum temperature during summer was high in poor yield years while less in good yield years. There was an inverse trend between the annual rainfall and cocoa yield. It was found that the difference in cocoa yield during rainy months was very significant followed by post monsoon between good and bad yield years and thus the adverse influence of heavy rain on cocoa yield. On an average, the decline in yield was 45 per cent in bad yield years when compared to the mean yield while 45 per cent increase in good yield years during the southwest monsoon. The percentage increase in yield during good years when compared to that of bad years was 72 and 58 per cent during southwest monsoon and post monsoon, respectively. On examination through step wise regression, it was understood that the model explained 43 per cent variation in pod yield of cocoa due to maximum temperature alone. It revealed that high maximum temperature during summer with heavy rainfall during rainy season is likely to affect the annual cocoa yield adversely up to 40-50 per cent. Similar results were obtained when the secondary data on annual cocoa yield at the State level was subjected to crop weather analysis. From the above, it is clearly understood that high maximum temperature during summer, high rainfall and low light availability during the rainy season are the main factors limiting the cocoa production and productivity over the humid tropics.