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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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ThesisItem Open Access Combined application of granular preparations of pre-emergent herbicides and fertilizers in rice(Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1995) Bindu, N K; KAU; John, P SA field experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy under the Kerala Agricultural University during the first crop season of 1994 to find out the effect of pre-emergent herbicides and fertilizers in rice. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design and consisted of fourteen treatments with three replications. Broadleaved weeds and sedges dominated the field. Among broadleaved weeds, Mono choria vaginalis and sphenocleazeylanica were predomint. Shoenoplectus lateriflorus and Cyperus difformis were the prominent sedges present in the field and Echinochloa colonum,saccolepis interrrupta and Isachne miliacea were the important grasses present. Butachlor, anilofos and oxyflourfen under different methods of application reduced the weed Population. Though oxyflourfen recorded high weed control efficiency, it was highly phytotoxic to the rice crop and resulted in poor crop stand. Butachlor and anilofos applied as homemade granular (GP) preparation or as spray alone, or in combination with fertilizer was safe to the crop. The available nutrient in the soil was not affected by the different methods of application of butachlor and anilofos, alone or when combined with fertilizer. Butachlor and anilofos as spray or as GP applied alone, or in combination with fertilizer recorded similar crop growth characteristics, yield and yield attributes. Nutrient up taken by weeds was lower in butachlor and anilofos treatment. Lower weed index values were recorded in butachlor and anilofos treatment. The highest return per rupee was obtained from anilofos treatments. The highest return per rupees was obtained from anilofos treatments. In general, combined application of anilofos or butachlor GP with fertilizer gave efficient control of weed, produced higher grain yields and high return per rupee invested. It also reduced cost, energy and time of weed control operation.ThesisItem Open Access Development of subsurface pad irrigation system for tomato(Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1995) Abdul Nassar, K; KAU; Jaikumaran, UAn experiment was conducted in the summer rice fallows of the Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy during 1995 to develop and test subsurface pad irrigation system for tomato and to compare it with surface irrigation. The soil was sandy clay loam, medium in organic carbon and available potassium and high in available phosphorus. The eight treatments comprised of combination of four frequencies of irrigation (IW/CPE ratios of 1.2, 0.9, 0.6 and 0.3) and two irrigation systems (subsurface pad irrigation and surface irrigation). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications. Poly bags filled with saw dust placed 45 cm beneath the surface at the frequency of one pad for every four plants formed SSPI. Water was supplied to pads by laterals supplying 40 mm of water per irrigation. The study revealed that tomato responded very well to irrigation. Biometric characters like plant height, number of leaves and leaf area index and yield attributing characters like number of flowers, number of fruits and total weight of fruits per plant were favourably influenced by frequent irrigation under both the systems of irrigation. The fruit yield increased with frequency of irrigation and maximum at the IW/CPE ratio of 1.2. The plants irrigated by surface method grew taller, had more leaf area index, produced more number of green leaves, flowers, fruits and total fruit weight per plant compared to the plants irrigated under SSPI system at the irrigation frequencies of IW/CPE ratios 1.2, 0.9, and 0.6. But at the IW/CPE ratio of 0.3, the subsurface irrigated plants performed better than the surface irrigated plants both in terms of growth and yield attributing characters. The crop receiving irrigations through SSPI systems consumed lesser amount of water at all the frequencies of irrigation compared to surface method. This decline at the IW/CPE ratios of 1.2, 0.9, 0.6 and 0.3 were to the tune of 22,30,40 and 18 per cent respectively. The soil moisture extraction from 0-15, 15-30 and 30-60 cm layers in SSPI was 62-70, 24-29 and 6-12 per cent respectively whereas in surface irrigation the respective values were 62-64, 22-23 and 13-15 per cent. The soil moisture redistribution was rapid in the case of surface irrigation whereas it was gradual in the case of SSPI. Moisture content in the case of SSPI was maximum at the radial distance of 15 cm from the pad on either sides whereas in surface irrigation there was no remarkable difference in the moisture content with respect to radial distance from the plant.ThesisItem Open Access Effectiveness and crop seletivity of pre-emergence herbicides under different methods of application in puddled rice(Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1995) Mohan Kumar, P D; KAU; Savithri, K EA field experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy under the Kerala Agricultural University during the second crop season of 1992-93 to find out the effectiveness and crop selectivity of pre-emergence herbicides under different methods of application in puddled rice. Twelve treatments were com- pared with two controls (hand weeded and unweeded). The experiment was laid out in Randomised Block Design with three replications. Sedges and broadleaved weeds dominated the weed flora. Among the sedges, Schoenoplectus lateriflorus, Cyperus iria, C. difformis and Fimbristylis miliacea were the prominent species, and the broadleaved weeds included Mono- choria vaginalis, Marsilia quadrifoliata, Sphenochlea zeylanica and Nymphaea nouchali. The broad leaved weeds were effectively controlled by pretilachlor + safener, oxyflourfen and pendimethalin, besides butachlor and thiobencarb. All the herbicides except pendimethalin and anilofos gave good control of sedges. Oxyflour- fen spray showed the highest weed control efficiency among the herbicides tested. Sand mixed broadcasting of herbicides was found to be lesser toxic than spray in all the herbicides except pretilachlor + safener, where the safener present protected the crop completely from phytotoxicity. Crop growth characteristics were highly influenced by the herbicide and method of application. Pretilachlor + safener, oxyflourfen and thiobencarb were found superior. Yield attributes were relatively unaffected by the different treatments. Pretilachlor + safener spray recorded the highest yield, among herbicides. Sand mixed broadcasting of all other herbicides produced a slightly higher grain yield compared to spray. Nutrient uptake by crop was directly related to the dry matter accumula- tion. The lowest weed index value was registered by pretilachlor + safener spray. Pretilachlor + safener spray recorded the highest total returns and its sand mixed broadcast realised the highest return per rupee invested on weed control.ThesisItem Open Access Dynamics of the absorption of forms of N by crops plants(Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1995) Retheesh, P K; KAU; Balachandran, P VAn investigation was conducted at the Radiotracer Laboratory, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara in the year, 1993 which consisted of two parts. In the first part absorption of different forms of nitrogen relative to its concentrations at different growth stages of rice was studied using labelled and non-labelled fertilizers. To know the molecular absorption of urea 14C-labelled urea fertilizer was used and the presence of 14C in the plant was taken as an evidence for the absorption of molecular form of urea. In the case of ammoniacal and nitrate forms of N, 15N-labelled and non-labelled materials were used alternately to find out the preferential absorption. In the second part of the investigation an attempt was made to know the possibility of molecular absorption of urea by a few selected plantation crops. The uptake of N and dry matter production were higher when rice plants were supplied with a combination of ammonium and nitrate in equal proportions. Among the three forms of nitrogen supplied at different combinations, nitrate N recorded the highest uptake when present along with urea N or ammoniacal N or both. Though the presence of urea had a repressing effect on the uptake of nitrate, ammonium enhanced the nitrate uptake. The uptake of nitrate N was more in the presence of ammonium than in its absence. With respect to ammonium uptake it was found that urea and nitrate had more or less similar influence on it. It was seen that rice plants absorbed molecular form of urea even in the presence of other readily available forms of nitrogen. The molecular absorption of urea by rice plants was found to vary from 12-18 percentage of the total N uptake. When urea was supplied along with ammonium and or nitrate the uptake of urea was found reduced. The quantity of urea absorbed by the plantation crops was found negligible and ranged from 0.5-3.3 µg per g of the plant dry weight.ThesisItem Open Access Agronomic evaluation of chemical and bio-agents on phosphorus dynamics in red loam soils of southern Kerala(Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1995) Viswambharan, K; KAU; Sasidhar, V KThree field experiments were conducted at the Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 1992-'93 for two season to study the effect of chemical and bio-agents on phosphorus dynamics in the red loam soils of Southern Kerala. In the experiment No.1 four treatments such as no anions, hydroxide, carbonate and silicate were tested under three levels of phosphorus such as no phosphorus, 50% phosphorus and 100% phosphorus. From the study, it was revealed that carbonates have more desorbing power for phosphorus than the other anions tested. These were reflected in the yield and yield attributes, available phosphorus content of the soil, soil phosphorus fractions, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake of plants. Among the combinations, carbonate anion with 50% phosphorus gave the highest yield. In the experiment No.2, three treatments such as no chelates, EDTA and DTPA were tested with three levels of phosphorus such as no phosphorus, 50 % phosphorus and 100% phosphorus. From the study it has been revealed that EDTA gave better response than other chelates tested. These were reflected in the yield, yield attributes, available phosphorus content of the soil, soil phosphorus fraction, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake of plants. Among the combinations EDTA with 50% phosphorus gave the highest yield. In the experiment No.3, four levels of microbial agents such as no microbes, VAM, PB and VAM + PB were tested with three levels of phosphorus such as no phosphorus. 50% phosphorus and 100% phosphorus. From the study it has been revealed that VAM + PB gave the highest response. This was reflected in the yield attributes, available phosphorus content of the soil, soil phosphorus fractions, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake of plants. Among the combinations VAM+PB with 50% phosphorus gave the highest yield.ThesisItem Open Access Biomass production of green manure crops and mineralization of organic nitrogen in coconut basins(Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1995) Tanie Thomas; KAU; John, P SAn investigation on biomass accumulation of green manure crops and mineralization of organic nitrogen in coconut basins was conducted at the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during 1993-94. The experiment was aimed at evaluating the performance of various green manures and cover crops grown in coconut basins based on their biomass accumulation, nutrient accretion and nitrogen dynamics in the soil after incorporation. The mineralization pattern of green manure in red and laterite soils was studied in a laboratory incubation study using 15N labelled green manure. The salient results of the investigation are abstracted below. Crotolaria striata which represented the neglected green manures and pueraria phaseoloides which represented the cover crops produces the maximum dry matter in coconut basins. The popular green manure Crotolaria junecea failed to grew and put forth good biomass accumulation under coconut. The highest N content was found to be with Pueraria. Cassia tora was found to be the richest source of P. The maximum K content was reported in Cassia tora and Sesbania aculeata. Pueraria phaseoloides and Crotolaria striata released the maximum quality of nitrogen to the soil. The ammonium-N accumulation was found to be high in the upper layer of 0 to 15 cm soil when compared to the 0 to 30 cm soil layer. Crotolaria striata and Pueraria released the highest amounts of ammonium-N. In the release of nitrate-N, Pueraria was found to be the most efficient closely followed by Crotolaria striata. In the case of total mineral N (ammonium+nitrate) content the highest quantity was extracted with Crotolaria striata followed by Pueraria. In the incubation experiment to study the pattern of mineralization green manure N, the N release in terms of 15NH4 extracted during different periods of incubation was the highest for Crotolaria striata followed by Sesbania aculeata. The mineralization of green manure 15N took place at a lower rate in laterite soil when compared to red soil.ThesisItem Open Access Ecophysiology and management of Isachne in rice fields of Onattukara(Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1996) Abraham, Varughese; KAU; Tajuddin, EIsachne miliacea Roth is the most dominant weed in the 28,000 ha of low land rice fields of the coastal sandy Onattukara region, situated in Kollam and Alapuzha districts of Kerala. A serious of investigations were undertaken at Rice Research Station, Kayamkulam, during 1991 to 1994 with the objective to identify the major weeds in the rice ecosystem and to bring out the ecophysiology of 1. Miliacea and to find out a suitable weed management strategy for the rice based cropping system of Onattukara. Isachne miliacea was found to be the dominant weed in rice during Kharif and Rabi seasons. The weed seeds germinate in April – May, attains its peak vegetative growth in July and flowers in October. The seeds mature in November and the plants dry off in January with the onset of summer. The weed is propagated by seeds and stem cuttings. Germination of seeds can be prevented by submerging the seeds in the area in water even to a depth of one centimetre. The forcing of the stem cuttings of 1. Miliacea to a depth of five centimetre below the soil surface or maintaining a submergence for more than five centimetre can effectively check the vegetative multiplication of the weed. Seeds attained physiological maturity in November and remained dormant upto March. Seeds of the season that remain on the surface germinate fully in April – May with the pre – monsoon showers while the buried seeds remain dormant. Burying the seeds to more than five centimetre depth and water stagnation in July to November induced secondary dormancy. Viability of the seeds was lost faster at shallow depth of burial. Crop weed competition studies were conducted in Kharif and Rabi for two years with different densities of 1. Miliacea. Weed competition was severe in dry dibbled Kharif compared to wet transplanted Rabi. Even a small density of five 1. Miliacea plants per square metre produced appreciable biomass and reduced the DMP of rice substantially. Integrated weed management study was conducted in Kharif and Rabi for two years in a split – plot design in three randomised blocks. Kharif season treatments formed the main plots for Rabi trial. In Kharif five pre – emergence herbicides were compared with local practice. Local practice of hoeing on 15 DAS and HW twice on 25 and 40 DAS gave maximum grain yield. Application of oxyfluorfen 0.1 kg ha-1 followed by HW on 30 DAS was on par with local practice and ranked second. The performance of other herbicides anilofos 0.40 kg, butachlor 1.25 kg and thiobencarb 1.25 kg per hectare were also satisfactory when followed by one HW on 30 DAS. Pretilachlor 0.50 kg ha-1 was phytotoxic to rice. The tested herbicides effectively controlled 1. miliacea upto harvest of rice compared to local practice. During Rabi the effect of pre-plant spray of glyphosate and hand weedings were compared. Among the treatments a pre – plant spray of glyphosate after harvest of Kharif controlled 1. miliacea best and gave maximum rice yield in Rabi season. Kharif treatments did not show any significant influence on yield of rice during Rabi. From the study it could be concluded that pre – emergence spray of oxyfluorfen 0.1 kg ha-1 followed by one HW on DAS in Kharif and pre – plant application of glyphosate 0.75 kg ha-1 on residual weeds immediately after the harvest of the Kharif crop gave efficient weed control and economic yield of rice in the rice based cropping system involving rice – rice – fallow of Onattukara region.ThesisItem Open Access Nutrient management with biofertilizers in a fodder maize-cowpea intercropping system(Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1996) Kavitha, P K; KAU; Raghavan Pillai, KAn experiment was conducted in the Instructional farm attached to the College of Agriculture, Vellayani during the Kharif season in 1994. The object was to study the effect of different bioinoculants {Azospirillum, Rhizobium, Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) as well as different levels of nutrients ie control, 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent of the recommended dose of fertilizer and their interaction on increasing the forage production of maize - cowpea intercropping system. The height of maize plant, number of leaves, and leaf area index were maximum for the treatment, Azospirilllum - maize + Rhizobium - cowpea but the maximum leaf-stem ratio was observed for Azospirillum- maize + VAM - cowpea. In cowpea, all the growth characters were maximum for the treatment, VAM - maize + Rhizobium-cowpea. It was also seen that fertilizer level above 50 percent didn't produce any significant increase in these characters. In maize, highest root length was observed for Azospirillum - maize + Rhizobium - cowpea treated plants and highest root volume for, Azospirillum - maize + VAM - cowpea treated plants. Maximum nodulation in cowpea was observed for the treatment, VAM -maize +Rhizobium- cowpea and maximum root length for Azospirillum – maize + VAM – cowpea. Mycorrhizal colonization percentage was found to be higher in the roots of inoculated plants for both crops. All these character were found to be maximum under no fertilizer application. . Maximum green matter and drymatter yield of maize occurred for the treatment, Azospirillum – maize + VAM - cowpea and for cowpea, the treatment VAM –maize +Rhizobium – cowpea. It was also noted that 50 percent of the recommended dose of fertilizer was enough for producing maximum yield. The treatment Azospirillum – maize + VAM cowpea produced maximum uptake of nitrogen in maize, phosphorus in cowpea and potassium, calcium and magnesium uptake in both the crops. The treatment VAM –maize + Rhizobium – cowpea produced the maximum uptake of phosphorus in maize and nitrogen in cowpea. The uptake of nutrients do not differ significantly after 50 percent of recommended dose of fertilizer. In maize, crude protein yield and crude fibre yield were maximum for the treatment, Azospirillum – maize + VAM- cowpea under high levels of fertilizer. In cowpea, the treatment VAM – maize + Rhizobium – cowpea at high levels of fertilizer produced maximum value. The available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium status of the soil varied significantly due to the interaction between biofertilizer and chemical fertilizers. The treatment combination, VAM – maize + Rhizobium – cowpea + 50 percent of the recommended dose registered the highest net profit of Rs.8110.00 and Benefit – cost ratio of 1.502. The treatment combination, VAM- MAIZE + Rhizobium-cowpea + 50 percent of the recommended dose can be given as the final recommendation in fodder maize-cowpea intercropping system.ThesisItem Open Access Effect of biofertilizers on N and P economy in palmarosa(cymbopogon martinii)(Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1996) Regimol, Thomas; KAU; Lalitha Bai, E KAn investigation was undertaken at the College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, during 1994-’95 to study the effect of biofertilizers on N and P economy in palmarosa (Cymbopogon martini stapf. var. motia). The main objective of the study was to assess the possibility of using biofertilizers so as to replace or minimise the expensive synthetic nitrogen fertilizers for palmarosa. The study also aimed to find out the effect of phosphorus solubilising bacteria (Bacillus megatherium var.phosphaticum) in increasing the availability of fixed soil phosphorus, the effect of combination of chemical and biofertilizers on the growth and yield of palmarosa and to work out the N and P economy due to the integration of chemical and biofertilizers. The experiment was carried out using the palmarosa selection ODP-2. The salient findings are abstracted below: The application of chemical fertilizers increased the available N, P and K contents in soil after different harvests, resulted in increased nutrient uptake and thus improved the growth and yield of palmarosa. The oil yield obtained with the application of 20 kg ha -1 each of N and P2O5 was significantly superior to that in the control plot. The different biofertilizer levels were compared with regard to their effect on palmarosa and it was observed that the combined inoculation of Azospirillum and PSB was the best in increasing the available N, P and K contents in soil and the nutrient uptake by the crop. Hence this particular treatment resulted in the highest oil yield which was significantly superior to that in the uninoculated control. The interaction effect of chemical X biofertilizers showed that the oil yield over a period of one year obtained with the application of 20 kg ha-1 each of N and P2O5 was on par with that obtained with the applications of either Azotobacter alone or Azospirillum alone and also the combined inoculation of Azospirillum and PSB. Thus the biofertilizers Azotobacter alone, Azospirillum alone and the combined inoculation of Azospirillum and PSB could substitute chemical fertilizers to the level of 20 kg ha-1 each of N and P2O5. The data again showed that the combined application of chemical and biofertilizers ie, N and P2O5 each at 20 kg ha -1 along with Azospirillum plus PSB resulted in comparable total oil yield, total returns, net returns and benefit-cost ratio as that obtained with the application of N40 P40 along with Azospirillum plus PSB which recorded the highest value.
