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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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19886
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Subject: Agronomy × End date: 1988 × Start date: 1988 × Type: Thesis ×
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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Slow release nitrogen in cassava nutrition
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1988) Vinod, G S; KAU; Muraleedharan nair, V
    An investigation was undertaken at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani during the year 1985-86 to study the effect of slow-release nitrogen sources on cassava. The variety used for the trail was Sree Visakha. The treatments consisted of four sources namely urea, neemcake coated urea, urea super granule and rubber cake coated urea each at five levels of nitrogen (50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 kg/ha). The experiment was laid out in a 4 x 5 rectangular lattice design with three replications. Application of slow release sources of nitrogen like urea super granule and neem cake coated urea enhanced the growth characters of tapioca such as plant height, number of functional leaves, number of nodes and the leaf area index. Higher levels of nitrogen gave better results in the growth characters. The highest number of tubers, maximum tuber weight and the highest tuber yield were recorded by the urea super granule application, followed by neem cake coated urea. Among the levels of nitrogen tried, the level 150 kg/ha gave the highest yield. Starch content, crude protein content and the hydrocyanic acid contents were not affected by the slow-release source of nitrogen while higher levels of nitrogen application increased the hydrocyanic acid content and the crude protein content. Urea super granule recorded the highest nitrogen uptake and potassium uptake followed by neem cake coated urea. There was no significant difference in the total nitrogen content of the soil with the use of slor-release sources of nitrogen. The treatment combination of neem coated urea tried at 150 kg N/ha resulted in the maximum net return. Though urea super granule gave the maximum yield its cost of cultivation was higher than that of the other sources. So it is more economical to use neem cake coated urea than urea super granule. So in general, the slow-release sources of nitrogn like urea super granule and neem cake coated urea resulted in a better performance than prilled urea.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Productivity of tuber crops under alley cropping of tropical trees
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1988) Bindu, R; KAU; Ashokan, P K
    An experiment was conducted in the coconut gardens of Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy during the period from May 1987 to February 1988 to evaluate the productivity of various tuber crops under the alleys of coconut (Cocoa nucifera L)+ eucalyptus (Eucalyptus teraticornis), coconut+subabul (Leucaens leucocephala (Lamk) de Wit, coconut+glyricidia (Glyricidia maculata) and coconut + ailanthus (Ailanthus tryphysa Roxb). The tuber crops raised in the alleys were amorphophallus (Amorphophallus campapulatus (Roxb) B1. ex Decne); Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), colocasia (Colocasia esculenta L) and greater yam (Dioscorea alata L). The experiment was laid out in randomised block design in plots of size 7.5 x 7.5 m and replicated 5 times.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Biomass productivity of a forage crop based cropping systems involving C3 and C4 plants
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1988) Jayakumar, M; KAU; Pillai, M R C
    An investigation was undertaken at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 1987 to study the biomass productivity of guinea grass based cropping system involving C3 and C4 plants. The intercrops wars a C4 grass maize and a C3 legume cowpea. The intercrops were grown in different rows with and without sequential thinning. The experiment was laid out in Randomised Block Design with three replications. After harvesting intercrops guinea grass was allowed to grow without subsequent intercrops. Total biomass yields upto third out of guinea grass were subjected to evaluation.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Growth and yield of rice as influenced by potassium and kinetin
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1988) Sakeena, I; KAU; Abdul, Salam M
    With a view to study the effect of potassium and kinetin on growth, asssimilate partitioning, nutrient uptake and yield of a short duration rice variety Triveni, an experiment was conducted at the Cropping Systems Reasearch Centre, Karamana, Trivandrum during summer 1987 The soil of the experimental field was sandy loam, acidic in reaction, low in available nitrogen and potassium and medium in available phosphorus. The treatments consisted of a factorial combination of it levels of potassium (0, 17.5, 35 and 70 kg K 20/ha) and k levels of kinetin (water spray, 10 ppm kinetin at H overing, 10 ppm kinetin at 10 D AF and 10 ppm kinetin at flowering and again at 10 D AF) The experiment was laid out in a randomised block design with three replications. An abstract of the results is given below. The effects of potassium and kinetin ware synergestic on growth yield and nutrient uptake of rice and a combination of 35 k2O/ha plus a single spray of 10 ppm kinetin at 10 DAF was optimum. Both potassium as well as kinetin application prevented the accumulation of carbohydrate and proteins in the 'source' and enhanced their accumulation in the economic 'sink' Their interaction effect was also favourable in this respect and 35 kg I^O/ha plus a single spray of 10 ppm kinetin at 10 D AF was optimum
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Response of two sesamum varieties (Kayamkulam-1 and Surya) to different plant densities and nitrogen levels
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1988) Santhosh, P; KAU; Sasidhar, V K
    An experiment was conducted at College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 1987 to study the influence of 3 plant densities (30 x 15 cm, 30 x 10 cm and 30 x 5 cm) and 4 levels of nitrogen (0,20,40 and 60 kg N/ha) on the growth, yield, oil and protein contents, chemical composition and nutrient uptake pattern of two sesamum vatieties (Kayamkulam -1 and Surya). The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with the variety-spacing combinations in the main plots and nitrogen levels in the subplots. The variety Surya recorded higher values for plant height, number of leaves/plant, leaf area index, drymater production, seed yield, stover yield, number of capsules/plant, capsule length, number of seeds/capsule, 1000 seed weight, harvest index, oil and protein contents of seeds, nitrogen and phosphorus contents and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake. Plant spacing of 10 cm resulted in maximum height. Number of leaves/plant, number of branches/plant, number of capsules/plant, number of seeds/capsule and harvest index were significantly reduced under close planting. Leaf area index, drymatter production, stover yield and the uptake of nutrients increased with close planting. Surya recorded significantly higher seed yield under 10 cm spacing. No significant differences was observed between 15 and 10 cm spacings with respect to seed yield of Kayamkulam -1 Spacing 0f 5 cm reduced the protein content of seeds. Close planting decreased the nitrogen, Phosphorus and potassium contents of plants. Plant height, number of leaves/plant, number of branches/plant, leaf area index, drymatter production, number of capsules/plant, number of seeds/capsule and stover yield increased upto 60 kg N/ha. Both the varieties recorded significantly higher seed yield with 60 kg N/ha. Capsule length and 1000 seed weight were increased only up to 20 and 40 kg N/ha respectively. Nitrogen application beyond 20 kg/ha increased the harvest index up to 60 kg/ha. Applied nitrogen significantly influenced the oil and protein contents of seeds up to 40 kg/ha. The uptake of all the nutrients and the nitrogen and phosphorus contents of plant were significantly influenced by applied nitrogen.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Weed management in rice based cropping system
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1988) Soman, P S; KAU; Madhavan Nair, K P
    A field experiment was undertaken at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, to find out a scientific and profitable weed management techniques for a Rice – Rice Cropping System, under transplanted condition during the Virippu – Mundakan seasons of 1984 – 85. The first crop with five herbicides (thiobencarb 1.5 kg, butachlor 1.0 kg, pendimethlin 1.0 kg, nitrofen 1.875 kg and fluchloralin 1.0 kg a.i. per ha) and three controls (hand weeding, completely weed free and weedy check) was laid out in RBD. Using the same lay out, in the second crop, each herbicide treated main plots was divided in to three sub plots and allotted no weeding, hand weeding and same herbicide treatments and the results analysed as that of a split plot with non – factorial structure. The salient findings of the experiments are as follows. Firsr Crop Weed number and competition was severe upto the 40th DT and monocots out numbered dicots. Nitrofen and thiobencarb reduced weed population, weed dry matter accumulation, nutrient removal by weeds and achieved high Weed Control Efficiency than hand weeding. Nitrofen and thiobencarb improved plant growth characters, enhanced yield components, increased grain and straw yield and accelerated nutrient uptake, followed by butachlor. These herbicides recorded low weed Index values. Application of thiobencarb, butachlor or nitrofen was more profitable than hand weeding twice. Second Crop There was no shift in weed species due to herbicides. Weed number and competition were severe upto the 40th DT and monocot weed population was higher than dicots. Though there was a general reduction in the population and dry matter of weeds due to herbicide application of first crop, their residual effect was not enough to keep the field unweeded during the second crop season. Weed number, weed dry matter and nutrient removal by weeds were reduced by the repeated application of thiobencarb or nitrofen or these herbicides – hand weeding combinations, They recorded Weed Control Efficiency of more than 62 percent. Plant growth characters, yield components, grain and straw yield, and nutrient uptake by the crop were favourably influenced by the above herbicides in combination with hand weeding or when repeatedly applied equal to or better than farmers practice of hand weeding. They recorded low values of weed indices. The residual effect of herbicides applied in the first crop was not significant in the above characters. Thousand grain weight and protin content were not influenced by the treatments. In the system approach, highest total grain yield was produced by thiobencarb –hand weeding, nitrofen – hand weeding and butachlor – hand weeding where as highest net profit was obtained by the repeated application of thiobencarb and butachlor. Herbicide residual toxicity was not observed to the succeeding cowpea crop.