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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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20212
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Subject: Agronomy × Author: Durga, C × Author: KAU × End date: 2022 × Start date: 2020 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Conservation agriculture practices for upland rice based cropping system
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2021) Durga, C; KAU; Anitha, S
    Conservation agriculture (CA) is an approach to manage agro-ecosystems for improved and sustained productivity, increased profits and food security while preserving and enhancing the resource base, which emphasize minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and diversified crop rotation. In India and Kerala, there is dearth of information on resource-conserving techniques, for productivity, profitability and soil health. Hence the present study entitled “Conservation agriculture practices for upland rice based cropping system” was carried out at Agronomy Farm, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara from May 2019 to March 2021 to develop a conservation agricultural practices for upland rice-okra-green manure cropping system. Rice–okra-green manure cropping system with conservation practices were compared with rice–okra-green manure cropping system without conservation practices. The experiment was laid out in RBD with 10 treatments replicated thrice and was repeated for two years keeping the same layout. The treatments consisted of Direct seeding rice (DSR) in flat bed (FB) + brown manuring (BM)- okra+ green manuring (GM)-cowpea, DSR in FB+ BM- okra + crop residue mulch (CRM)- cowpea, DSR in FB+ GM- okra + GM-cowpea, DSR in FB+ GM- okra + CRMcowpea, DSR in raised bed(RB) + BM- okra + GM-cowpea, DSR in RB+ BM-okra+ CRM-cowpea, DSR in RB+ GM- okra + GM-cowpea, DSR in RB+ GM- okra+ CRMcowpea, DSR in FB – okra-fallow, DSR in RB- okra-fallow. Conservation treatments had significant influence on growth, yield parameters and yield of rice. Growth and yield attributes were highest in direct seeding rice in flat bed + green manuring which had an yield increment of 49 % compared to control ie., direct seeding rice in flat bed without any conservation agriculture practice. Raising rice crop in raised bed without cowpea intercropping also resulted in 23 % higher rice yield compared to rice grown alone in flat bed. Conservation treatments had significant influence on weed suppression. Growing of cowpea as an intercrop in rice and its incorporation at 25 DAS either by cutting it and spreading as mulch (green manuring) or decomposing it using 2-4-D application (brown manuring) either in flat bed and raised bed resulted in 58-73% reduction of weeds in upland situation. Physiological parameters like leaf area index, crop growth rate, relative growth rate and net assimilation rate were found higher in direct seeding rice in flat bed+green manuring. Significantly higher values of nutrient uptake, resource use efficiencies such as water use efficiency, partial factor productivity of NPK, net returns and B:C ratio in direct seeding rice in flat bed + green manuring proved the superiority of this conservation practice in rice over conventional DSR-okra-cowpea. Okra crop was raised in sequence with rice in the same field keeping the layout undisturbed. Field was made weed free before sowing with minimum soil disturbance using brush cutter after harvest of rice. Conservation agriculture practices applied to both rice and okra had significant influence in the growth and yield performance of okra. From the results it was observed that growth and yield parameters were higher when okra was raised on flat bed with the application of previous crops residue as mulch. DSR in FB+GM–okra+ CRM recorded the highest okra yield of 16.47 t/ha with 71-83 % reduction in weeds compared to control ie DSR in flat bed - okra. Physiological parameters like leaf area index, crop growth rate, relative growth rate and net assimilation rate were found higher in conservation treatments compared to non-conservation treatments. The highest NPK uptake, resource use efficiencies such as water use efficiency, partial factor productivity of NPK and high B:C ratio were recorded in DSR in FB +GM –okra + CRM. Cowpea was raised after okra by keeping the same layout in all conservation treatments and the field was kept as fallow in non-conservation agriculture treatments. The highest biomass yield of 1920.22 kg/ha was recorded in DSR in FB +GM –okra + CRM -cowpea at 45 DAS. While assessing the whole cropping system, conservation treatments recorded 72.60 % land use efficiency and 300 % multiple cropping index but whereas non conservation treatments recorded 60.27 % land use efficiency and 200 % multiple cropping index. Among the different conservation agriculture practices applied to rice –okra-green manure cropping system, DSR in FB +GM –okra + CRM –cowpea recorded the highest cropping system resource use efficiency, net profit and and a B:C ratio. Soil physical, chemical and biological properties were improved due to the effect of conservation treatments over non conservation treatments. Water holding capacity was increased by 31.96 %, porosity by 16.66 % and the soil moisture by 39.83 % in DSR in FB +GM–okra + CRM–cowpea over the non conservation method.The highest soil carbon stock and sequestration at 0-15 and 15-30 cm soil depth were recorded in DSR in FB +GM –okra + CRM–cowpea. At 45 cm only a meagre storage was recorded in DSR in FB +BM –okra + CRM –cowpea. The treatments without conservation agriculture practices ie DSR in FB–okra-fallow showed a negative value for sequestration. It indicates the loss of carbon in conventional method. A slow increase in sequestration after each crops clearly indicated that conservation agriculture practices for a long run will sequester the carbon to entire soil profile. The result of the present two years study indicated that in a rice-okra-green manure cropping system in upland, direct seeding rice in flat bed with green manuring followed by okra with crop residue mulch of previous crop followed by cowpea as green manure can be recommended as a cost effective and sustainable conservation agriculture practice as it resulted in higher system yield, better weed control, sustained the soil health and higher B:C ratio.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Conservation agriculture practices for upland rice based cropping system
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2021) Durga, C; KAU; Anitha, S
    Conservation agriculture (CA) is an approach to manage agro-ecosystems for improved and sustained productivity, increased profits and food security while preserving and enhancing the resource base, which emphasize minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and diversified crop rotation. In India and Kerala, there is dearth of information on resource-conserving techniques, for productivity, profitability and soil health. Hence the present study entitled “Conservation agriculture practices for upland rice based cropping system” was carried out at Agronomy Farm, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara from May 2019 to March 2021 to develop a conservation agricultural practices for upland rice-okra-green manure cropping system. Rice–okra-green manure cropping system with conservation practices were compared with rice–okra-green manure cropping system without conservation practices. The experiment was laid out in RBD with 10 treatments replicated thrice and was repeated for two years keeping the same layout. The treatments consisted of Direct seeding rice (DSR) in flat bed (FB) + brown manuring (BM)- okra+ green manuring (GM)-cowpea, DSR in FB+ BM- okra + crop residue mulch (CRM)- cowpea, DSR in FB+ GM- okra + GM-cowpea, DSR in FB+ GM- okra + CRMcowpea, DSR in raised bed(RB) + BM- okra + GM-cowpea, DSR in RB+ BM-okra+ CRM-cowpea, DSR in RB+ GM- okra + GM-cowpea, DSR in RB+ GM- okra+ CRMcowpea, DSR in FB – okra-fallow, DSR in RB- okra-fallow. Conservation treatments had significant influence on growth, yield parameters and yield of rice. Growth and yield attributes were highest in direct seeding rice in flat bed + green manuring which had an yield increment of 49 % compared to control ie., direct seeding rice in flat bed without any conservation agriculture practice. Raising rice crop in raised bed without cowpea intercropping also resulted in 23 % higher rice yield compared to rice grown alone in flat bed. Conservation treatments had significant influence on weed suppression. Growing of cowpea as an intercrop in rice and its incorporation at 25 DAS either by cutting it and spreading as mulch (green manuring) or decomposing it using 2-4-D application (brown manuring) either in flat bed and raised bed resulted in 58-73% reduction of weeds in upland situation. Physiological parameters like leaf area index, crop growth rate, relative growth rate and net assimilation rate were found higher in direct seeding rice in flat bed+green manuring. Significantly higher values of nutrient uptake, resource use efficiencies such as water use efficiency, partial factor productivity of NPK, net returns and B:C ratio in direct seeding rice in flat bed + green manuring proved the superiority of this conservation practice in rice over conventional DSR-okra-cowpea. Okra crop was raised in sequence with rice in the same field keeping the layout undisturbed. Field was made weed free before sowing with minimum soil disturbance using brush cutter after harvest of rice. Conservation agriculture practices applied to both rice and okra had significant influence in the growth and yield performance of okra. From the results it was observed that growth and yield parameters were higher when okra was raised on flat bed with the application of previous crops residue as mulch. DSR in FB+GM–okra+ CRM recorded the highest okra yield of 16.47 t/ha with 71-83 % reduction in weeds compared to control ie DSR in flat bed - okra. Physiological parameters like leaf area index, crop growth rate, relative growth rate and net assimilation rate were found higher in conservation treatments compared to non-conservation treatments. The highest NPK uptake, resource use efficiencies such as water use efficiency, partial factor productivity of NPK and high B:C ratio were recorded in DSR in FB +GM –okra + CRM. Cowpea was raised after okra by keeping the same layout in all conservation treatments and the field was kept as fallow in non-conservation agriculture treatments. The highest biomass yield of 1920.22 kg/ha was recorded in DSR in FB +GM –okra + CRM -cowpea at 45 DAS. While assessing the whole cropping system, conservation treatments recorded 72.60 % land use efficiency and 300 % multiple cropping index but whereas non conservation treatments recorded 60.27 % land use efficiency and 200 % multiple cropping index. Among the different conservation agriculture practices applied to rice –okra-green manure cropping system, DSR in FB +GM –okra + CRM –cowpea recorded the highest cropping system resource use efficiency, net profit and and a B:C ratio. Soil physical, chemical and biological properties were improved due to the effect of conservation treatments over non conservation treatments. Water holding capacity was increased by 31.96 %, porosity by 16.66 % and the soil moisture by 39.83 % in DSR in FB +GM–okra + CRM–cowpea over the non conservation method.The highest soil carbon stock and sequestration at 0-15 and 15-30 cm soil depth were recorded in DSR in FB +GM –okra + CRM–cowpea. At 45 cm only a meagre storage was recorded in DSR in FB +BM –okra + CRM –cowpea. The treatments without conservation agriculture practices ie DSR in FB–okra-fallow showed a negative value for sequestration. It indicates the loss of carbon in conventional method. A slow increase in sequestration after each crops clearly indicated that conservation agriculture practices for a long run will sequester the carbon to entire soil profile. The result of the present two years study indicated that in a rice-okra-green manure cropping system in upland, direct seeding rice in flat bed with green manuring followed by okra with crop residue mulch of previous crop followed by cowpea as green manure can be recommended as a cost effective and sustainable conservation agriculture practice as it resulted in higher system yield, better weed control, sustained the soil health and higher B:C ratio.