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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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20201
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Subject: Agroforestry × Author: Anjali, K S × End date: 2020 × Start date: 2020 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Biopriming techniques for better germination and seedling growth of sandal (santalum album L.)
    (Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, College of Forestry, Vellayani, 2020) Anjali, K S; KAU; Jijeesh, C M
    Seed priming is the process of controlled hydration of seeds to a level that permits pre-germinative metabolic activity to proceed, but prevents actual emergence of the radicle. Seed priming with living bacterial inoculums is known as biopriming, which involves the application of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), resulting in enhanced germination, plant growth and disease résistance. Santalum album, L is a semi-root parasitic tree distributed in South India and is one of the most valuable and world renounced timber species. The poor germination rate combined with the long germination period is a major limitation in the regeneration of sandal. The present study was formulated to evaluate the effect of seed biopriming procedures on the germination and seedling performance of Santalum album. The biopriming agent’s viz. Pseudomonas fluorescens, Trichoderma viride, PGPR II at concentrations 25, 50, 75 and 100% and durations 1, 2,3,4,6 and 8 days and hydropriming for the same duration constituted the treatments of the study. The primed seeds were sown after the post priming storage for one day and one week. The results indicated that, for the post priming storage of one day, biopriming with T. viride at 100 % for 1 day (73.3%) followed by T viride at 75% for 1 day (35.96%) recorded the highest germination and the lowest was on biopriming with P. fluorescens at 50% for 2 days (0 %). Whereas, for post priming storage of one week, the highest germination was obtained on biopriming with T. viride at 100% for 3 days (82.72%), followed by P. fluorescens at 100% for 6 days (81.27%) and the lowest germination was obtained for the seeds bioprimed with PGPR II at 25% for 1 day and PGPR II at 100% for 3 days (0%). The shortest imbibition period was observed for the seeds bioprimed with P. fluorescens at 100% for 8 days (13 days) for one day storage and for the seed subjected to post priming storage of one week, for majority of the treatments, the imbibition period was reduced to 15 days. The electrical conductivity of the seed leachates, was the maximum for the seeds hydroprimed for 3 days (1.469 dScm-1) and the lowest was in hydropriming for 6 days (0.172dScm-1) and for the seeds subjected to biopriming the range of electrical conductivity varies from 0.266 dS cm-1 (PGPR II at 100% for 1 day) to 1.32 dScm-1(T. viride at 75% for 6 days). Biochemical analysis of the seeds after priming indicated that the total carbohydrate was maximum on biopriming with T. viride at 25% for 3 days (0.772 mg g-1) and the lowest value was on biopriming with P. Fluorescens at 50% for 6 days (0.088 mg g-1). The total protein was maximum for the seeds treated with PGPR II at 25% for 4 days (0.077 mg g-1) and the lowest was for those treated with T. viride at 50% for 2 days (0.016 mg g-1).Crude fat content of the primed seeds was maximum for the seeds treated with P. fluorescens at 100% for 3 days (73.2%) and the minimum for those treated with T. viride at 75% for 1 day (34%). Seedling growth and biomass production were recorded at 30 and 180 days after transplanting. In the context of seedling attributes, the maximum seedling height is observed for the seeds bioprimed with PGPR II at 100% for 2 days (27.2 cm), the largest collar diameter was for T viride at 25% for 4 days (4.08mm) and the maximum number of leaves is obtained for T viride at 75% for 8 days (26.7) for the seeds subjected to post priming storage of one day. For one week storage, the largest value for seedling height is obtained for seeds bioprimed with P. fluorescens at 100% for 8 days (28.10 cm), the collar diameter was obtained maximum for biopriming with P. fluorescens at 100% for 8 days (5.63 mm) and the largest number of leaves is obtained for T. viride at 100% for 1 day (23.7). Hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that the best seedling performance was on biopriming with T. viride at 25% for 4 days for one day storage and P. fluorescens at 100% for 8 days, for the seeds subjected to post priming storage of one week at 30 and 180 days after transplanting. The present investigation confirms the superiority of biopriming treatments in improving the germination and seedling performance of the sandal and biopriming being an eco-friendly treatment that can be recommended for the quality planting stock production of sandal.