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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: Agroforestry × Author: KAU × Author: Niyas, P × End date: 2017 × Start date: 2015 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Performance of selected medicinal herbs under typical homegarden and pure coconut plantation
    (Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 2015) Niyas, P; KAU; Kunhamu, T K
    A field research was undertaken at Vellanikkara, Kerala to assess the understorey productivity of coconut and homegarden through intercropping with three selected herbaceous medicinal crops viz. Zingiber officinale (ginger), Curcuma longa L. (turmeric) and Kaempferia galangal L. (galangal). These landuse systems by virtue of spatial and temporal advantages offer good scope for integrating shade tolerant crops and thereby offer supplementary returns to the farmer. The biochemical changes in the understorey crops and the biophysical attributes influencing the productivity of the land management systems were studied. Additionally soil carbon sequestration in both the given land use systems and a treeless open plot was estimated. The intercrop growth considerably varied among the land use systems both in vegetative growth and rhizome yields. Growth observations at various sampling period revealed considerably higher plant heights of ginger and turmeric in shaded condition than treeless open. As regards leaf spread galangal performed well in the coconut garden followed by homegarden and treeless open. All the intercrops exhibited higher root length in treeless open plots, except galangal for which coconut was the best. Invariably root production was lowest in homegarden. Tiller production at final stages showed highest in treeless open. Contrary to the plant height growth trends, homegarden recorded lowest tiller production at final stages of sampling. Understorey productivity for ginger in terms of rhizome yield at final harvest followed the order treeless open (3.45 Mg ha-1), coconut (2.86 Mg ha-1), and homegarden (1.49 Mg ha-1). Turmeric rhizome production showed considerable variation with intercropping system with highest yield from open area (7.01 Mg ha-1) and the lowest from homegarden (1.77 Mg ha-1). Highest Galangal yields were reported in the treeless open (3.05) while homegarden represented lowest production (2.04 Mg ha-1). Understorey photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) transmittance presumed to have a cardinal influence on intercrop growth which was highest for coconut (37%) and lowest under homegarden (17%). Turmeric and galangal showed strong positive correlation with understorey PAR. Regression equation relating PAR with rhizome yields showed statistical soundness with high value of coefficient of determination (r2). Leaf Area Index varied between the homegarden and coconut considerably with higher value for homegarden (3.84) while the same for pure coconut plantation was considerably low (2.21). The oleoresin concentration in all the intercrops was found to be greatest in homegarden followed by coconut and treeless open. Soil physico-chemical attributes were assessed at periodic intervals in all the landuse system and results indicate overall better condition prevailed in the homegarden in terms of organic carbon content, soil bulk density, total N, available P and exchangeable K which however registered lowest values in the treeless open. Similar was the trend in soil carbon sequestration with homegarden giving higher values (67.45 Mg ha-1) followed by coconut (59.65 Mg ha-1) lowest by treeless open soil (55.1 Mg ha-1). Result converges to the generalisation that despite better soil physico-chemical attributes, understory productivity in the homegarden is by and large decided by the PAR availability. Hence there is need to develop stand structure that optimize the productivity in homegarden through judicious stand density regulation and tree management practices.