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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: Agronomy × Author: Ameena, M × Author: KAU × End date: 1999 × Start date: 1998 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Investigation on allelopathic influence and control of purple nuts edge
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1999) Ameena, M; KAU; Sansamma, George
    Lab and field experiments were conducted at the Instructional farm, College of Agriculture, Vellayani to study the allelopathic influence of Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotund us L) on important field crops; to investigate the effectiveness of systemic herbicides for control of nutsedge and also to assess the effect of chemical weed control on growth and yield of subsequent field crops. In Ex. no. I, allelopathic influence of purple nutsedge on important field crops like rice, ragi, cowpea, green gram, bitter gourd and bhindi were studied. The treatments comprised of aqueous extracts and blended extracts of fresh and dry plant parts of nutsedge. The results revealed that aqueous extracts of nutsedge inhibited germination of rice, ragi, bitter gourd and bhindi while it had some stimulatory effect on germination of cowpea and green gram. The early growth characters of the field crops were found suppressed by the aqueous extract treatment while the blended extract showed no effect. In general, the dry plant parts showed greater effect than the fresh material. Under Ex.no.Il, field studies were made to investigate the effectiveness of systemic herbicides viz. Glyphosate and 2,4-D for control of nutsedge. The treatments included different doses of the herbicides with and without adjuvants and Glyphosate combined with sublethal dose of 2,4-D. The results revealed that lowest dose of the herbicides were sufficient for complete kill of the purple nutsedge plants in the experimental area and there was no regrowth upto 6 weeks. There was significant reduction in viability of tubers collected one month after herbicide application, but the tubers tested 45 days after spraying showed an increase in germinability over the record on 30th day. Tubers from treatments involving Glyphosate with sublethal dose of 2,4-D recorded the lowest sprouting percentage indicating the possibility for weed control for a longer period. In Ex. no. In, the persistence of the herbicides in soil were monitored and it was observed that early growth of cucumber sown on the same day of herbicide application was affected while that sown on soils collected 10 days after spraying recorded growth characters comparable to that of control. From Ex.no.IV, it could be inferred that chemical weed control did not show any deleterious effect on growth and yield characteristics of ragi and cucumber sown 15 days after the treatments. Application of 2,4-D for nutsedge control was found superior to other treatments in terms of net income and B:C ratio and the lower unit cost of the chemical was precisely the reason for its superiority.