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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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2020 - 20212
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Subject: Agronomy × Author: Liz J, Kappen × End date: 2022 × Start date: 2020 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Chemical Priming for improving salinity tolerance in rice
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2021) Liz J, Kappen; KAU; Deepa, Thomas
    Measures to improve abiotic stress tolerance in plants is gaining importance due to raised concerns on climate change and food security issues all over the world. Though different methodologies for combating abiotic stress like conventional breeding and molecular breeding have been in existence, they are often limited by time and biosafety concerns respectively. Chemical priming is a cost-effective approach in managing abiotic stress. It is reported that use of chemicals, both synthetic and natural, prior to stress events can enhance tolerance to abiotic stresses such as salinity and drought. Application of chemical agents externally can impart a minor stress which will help to generate stress signals that can lead to certain biological changes resulting in increased stress tolerance in later stages of the crop. Rice is a crop badly affected by salinity. Use of chemicals such as beta amino butyric acid (BABA), sodium nitroprusside and calcium chloride as seed primers to improve salinity tolerance may turn promising. With this objective a study was formulated with three experiments. The experiments were screening rice varieties for salinity tolerance, effect of seed priming on germination of rice varieties under salt stress condition and field trial to assess the effect of priming in rice fields with saline water intrusion. The First experiment was a lab study to screen three rice varieties namely Jyothi, Uma and Vytilla-10 at five salinity levels i.e., non-saline, 3 dS/m, 6 dS/m, 9 dS/m and 12 dS/m. Based on the results it was concluded that at 16 DAS with salinity level of 6 dS/m variety Vytilla-10 was highly tolerant (score 1). Variety Jyothi was found susceptible at 6 dS/m (score 7) whereas variety Uma was moderately tolerant (with score 5). At 21 DAS, varieties Uma and Vytilla-10 were found to be susceptible at salinity levels of 6 and 9 dS/m respectively with a score of 7. Objective of second experiment was to assess whether chemical priming could improve salinity threshold of the three varieties. The design used was two factorial CRD with three replications. The treatments were four priming chemicals and two salinity levels. Based on the results of the first experiment, threshold salinity level for Jyothi, Uma and Vtyilla-10 were estimated. Jyothi and Uma were susceptible at 6 dS/m, while Vytilla-10 was susceptible at 9 dS/m. Therefore, in second experiment variety Jyothi, salinity levels of 6 dS/m and 9 dS/m, for variety Uma salinity levels of 6 dS/m and 9 dS/m and for Vytilla-10 salinity levels 9 dS/m and 12 dS/m were taken. Each variety was primed using three chemicals, namely beta amino butyric acid (BABA 1 Mm/L), sodium nitroprusside (SNP,100 μM) and calcium chloride (CaCl2, 2%), water priming was included as control. The efficacy of each priming chemical was analyzed based on germination percentage, growth parameters and visual salt injury symptoms. Priming seeds with calcium chloride was found to influence both the growth parameters and salinity tolerance of seedlings. Based on the results of second experiment, a field trial was undertaken to assess the efficacy of priming chemicals as seed primers and as foliar spray. An experiment was laid out at Rice Research Station, Vytilla in factorial RBD with three replications. The treatments were three priming chemicals namely beta amino butyric acid (BABA), sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and calcium chloride (CaCl2), with water priming as control and three foliar sprays at weekly intervals, fortnightly intervals and weekly water spray. Rice variety Vytilla-10 was used for the study. The seedlings were transplanted to main field and foliar spraying of priming chemicals was done at weekly intervals at 30, 37 and 45 DAS, fortnightly intervals at 30, 45 and 60 DAS as well as weekly water spray. Calcium chloride seed priming was found effective in increasing plant height at 60 DAT, leaf area index, number of panicles, percentage of filled grains, thousand grain weight, yield, proline content in leaf and chlorophyll content (at 60 DAT). Most of the growth and yield parameters were influenced by weekly spray of calcium chloride. More tillers/m2 was observed in seedlings primed using SNP and weekly foliar spraying of SNP was effective in increasing tillering. Total chlorophyll content was found to increase with SNP seed priming and foliar spraying of SNP at fortnightly intervals was found most effective at 60 DAT to increase chlorophyll content. Grain filling was found to increase with BABA seed priming and weekly foliar spray of the same chemical was highly effective. Priming rice seeds with 2 % calcium chloride and foliar spraying of calcium chloride at 2 % on a weekly basis was found to be a reliable method to combat salinity stress and for improving growth, yield and yield attributes of rice.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Chemical Priming for improving salinity tolerance in rice
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2020) Liz J, Kappen; KAU; Deepa, Thomas
    Measures to improve abiotic stress tolerance in plants is gaining importance due to raised concerns on climate change and food security issues all over the world. Though different methodologies for combating abiotic stress like conventional breeding and molecular breeding have been in existence, they are often limited by time and biosafety concerns respectively. Chemical priming is a cost-effective approach in managing abiotic stress. It is reported that use of chemicals, both synthetic and natural, prior to stress events can enhance tolerance to abiotic stresses such as salinity and drought. Application of chemical agents externally can impart a minor stress which will help to generate stress signals that can lead to certain biological changes resulting in increased stress tolerance in later stages of the crop. Rice is a crop badly affected by salinity. Use of chemicals such as beta amino butyric acid (BABA), sodium nitroprusside and calcium chloride as seed primers to improve salinity tolerance may turn promising. With this objective a study was formulated with three experiments. The experiments were screening rice varieties for salinity tolerance, effect of seed priming on germination of rice varieties under salt stress condition and field trial to assess the effect of priming in rice fields with saline water intrusion. The First experiment was a lab study to screen three rice varieties namely Jyothi, Uma and Vytilla-10 at five salinity levels i.e., non-saline, 3 dS/m, 6 dS/m, 9 dS/m and 12 dS/m. Based on the results it was concluded that at 16 DAS with salinity level of 6 dS/m variety Vytilla-10 was highly tolerant (score 1). Variety Jyothi was found susceptible at 6 dS/m (score 7) whereas variety Uma was moderately tolerant (with score 5). At 21 DAS, varieties Uma and Vytilla-10 were found to be susceptible at salinity levels of 6 and 9 dS/m respectively with a score of 7. Objective of second experiment was to assess whether chemical priming could improve salinity threshold of the three varieties. The design used was two factorial CRD with three replications. The treatments were four priming chemicals and two salinity levels. Based on the results of the first experiment, threshold salinity level for Jyothi, Uma and Vtyilla-10 were estimated. Jyothi and Uma were susceptible at 6 dS/m, while Vytilla-10 was susceptible at 9 dS/m. Therefore, in second experiment variety Jyothi, salinity levels of 6 dS/m and 9 dS/m, for variety Uma salinity levels of 6 dS/m and 9 dS/m and for Vytilla-10 salinity levels 9 dS/m and 12 dS/m were taken. Each variety was primed using three chemicals, namely beta amino butyric acid (BABA 1 Mm/L), sodium nitroprusside (SNP,100 μM) and calcium chloride (CaCl2, 2%), water priming was included as control. The efficacy of each priming chemical was analyzed based on germination percentage, growth parameters and visual salt injury symptoms. Priming seeds with calcium chloride was found to influence both the growth parameters and salinity tolerance of seedlings. Based on the results of second experiment, a field trial was undertaken to assess the efficacy of priming chemicals as seed primers and as foliar spray. An experiment was laid out at Rice Research Station, Vytilla in factorial RBD with three replications. The treatments were three priming chemicals namely beta amino butyric acid (BABA), sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and calcium chloride (CaCl2), with water priming as control and three foliar sprays at weekly intervals, fortnightly intervals and weekly water spray. Rice variety Vytilla-10 was used for the study. The seedlings were transplanted to main field and foliar spraying of priming chemicals was done at weekly intervals at 30, 37 and 45 DAS, fortnightly intervals at 30, 45 and 60 DAS as well as weekly water spray. Calcium chloride seed priming was found effective in increasing plant height at 60 DAT, leaf area index, number of panicles, percentage of filled grains, thousand grain weight, yield, proline content in leaf and chlorophyll content (at 60 DAT). Most of the growth and yield parameters were influenced by weekly spray of calcium chloride. More tillers/m2 was observed in seedlings primed using SNP and weekly foliar spraying of SNP was effective in increasing tillering. Total chlorophyll content was found to increase with SNP seed priming and foliar spraying of SNP at fortnightly intervals was found most effective at 60 DAT to increase chlorophyll content. Grain filling was found to increase with BABA seed priming and weekly foliar spray of the same chemical was highly effective. Priming rice seeds with 2 % calcium chloride and foliar spraying of calcium chloride at 2 % on a weekly basis was found to be a reliable method to combat salinity stress and for improving growth, yield and yield attributes of rice.