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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 × End date: 1989 × Start date: 1989 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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Now showing 1 - 9 of 20
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Time of application of pre-emergence herbicides in dry-sown rice
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1989) Suja, G; KAU; Abraham, C T
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Spatial arrangement and nutrient management for maize- fodder cowpea intercropping in rice fallows
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture Vellayani, Trivandrum, 1989) Geetha Kumari, S; KAU; Mohamed Kunju, U
    An investigation was carried out during the summer season of l987-88 in the instructional farm attached to the College of Agriculture Vellayani to determine the best crop arrangement for a grain maize fodder cowpea inter cropping in summer rice fallows under different fertility levels • The different crop arrangements. tried were pure crop of maize at normal row arrangement, maize at normal row arrangement, + one, row of cowpea in between the maize pure crop of maize at paired row arrangement two rows of cowpea in the interpair spaces maize at paired rows of cowpea.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Nutrient management in bitter gourd under partial shade
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1989) Ravikrishnan, M K; KAU; Sasidhar, V K
    A field experiment was conducted at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 1988 to study the influence of three levels of each nitrogen (50, 70 and 90 kg/ha), phosphorus (15, 25 and 35 kg/ha) and potassium (25, 50 and 75 kg /ha) on growth, yield, content and uptake of major nutrients in bittergourd VK-1 (Priya) under partially shaded conditions of coconut gardens. The trial was conducted as 33 + 1 partially confounded factorial experiment in Randomised Block design with two replications. Higher levels of nitrogen had profound influence on growth characters like days for opening of first male and female flowers and their node of emergence, internodal length, length of main vine and total dry matter production. Application of phosphorus of 35 kg/ha had significant positive effect on the node of emergence of first female flower and total dry matter production. Yield attributes like sex ratio, fruits per plant and harvest index were not influenced significantly by the main and interaction effects of the major nutrients. However the control plots registered a significant reduction in values for these parameters. The fruit set was maximum at 90 kg/ha of nitrogen, 25 kg/ha of phosphorus and 25 kg/ha of potash. Application of 90 kg N/ha, 25 kg P2O5/ha and 50 kg K2O/ha recorded the maximum yield. The response of bittergourd to nitrogen levels was linear and that to phosphorus levels was quadratic. Application of potassium at 75 kg K2O/ha was found to significantly increase the fruit weight. The length and girth of the fruits were positively influenced by the application of nitrogenous fertilizer. Potassium at the rate of 75 kg K2O/ha recorded the maximum girth of fruits signifying its effect on this character. The nitrogen and phosphorus content of fruits and plants and protein content of fruits were found to be unaffected by the main effects of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. An increase in potash level increased the potassium content of fruits and plants. Nitrogen at 90 kg/ha significantly increased the nitrogen uptake by plants and fruits and phosphorus uptake by plants as compared to other levels. Maximum potassium uptake by fruits was obtained by application of 35 kg P2O5/ha and 75 kg K2O/ha and uptake of potassium by plants was maximum at 90 kg N/ha, 35 kg P2O5/ha and 75 kg K2O/ha. The study indicated that application of 90 kg N/ha 25 kg P2O5/ha and 50 kg K2O/ha recorded the maximum yield and net returns from bittergourd cv. VK-1 (Priya) under partially shaded conditions of coconut gardens in the red loam soils of Vellayani.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Biomass productivity and nutrient accumulation in sesbania rostrata inoculated with rhizobium
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1989) Murali, S; KAU; Muraleedharan Nair, V
    With a view to study the biomass productivity and nutrient accumulation of Sesbania rostrata, a field experiment was initiated at college of Agriculture, Vellayani during summer of 1988-’89. The investigation was carried out as two separate experiments. The objective of Experiment I was to assess the biomass productivity and nutrient accumulation of Sesbania rostrata in relation to other green manures, viz. Sesbania aculeata and Crotolaria juncea. The second experiment was intended to determine the effect of Rhizobium inoculation, Liming and phosphorus application on the biomass productivity of Sesbania rostrata. The experiment (s) were laid out in randomized block design with three replications. The soil of the experimental site(s) was sandy clay loam, low in available nitrogen and phosphorus and medium in available potassium. An abstract of the results is given below. Optimum time of harvest of the green manures during the third crop season in rice fallows was at flowering stage(50 DAS), since all the parameters investigated showed a maximum value at this period. Among the green manures tried, Crotolaria juncea proved to be superior in terms of green matter yield, dry matter yield and nutrient up take followed by Sesbania aculeata. At final harvest (50DAS) Crotolaria juncea plant, yielded 14.98 t/ha of biomass, 5.36t/ha of dry matter and yielded 103.78kg/ha, nitrogen. The performance of Sesbania rostrata was not at all satisfactory under the agro-climatic conditions of Trivandrum during the summer season. The present study indicated the superiority of Crotolaria juncea as a green manure under Trivandrum conditions during the summer, as compared with the other two green manures tried. Highest level of lime application (500kg/ha) tried in the experiment together with inoculation positively influenced the growth parameters, nutrient uptaken , soil content of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and Rhizobium population . Net returns and cost-benefit ratio also showed higher values for the said treatments. Though phosphorus application at 30kg/ha positively influenced the said parameters, its effect was negligible and greatly nullified by the cost of fertilizer which resulted in a lower net profit and cost-benefit ration. Thus, it is revealed from the present study that phosphorus application is not absolutely necessary for growth of Sesbania rostrata under the agro-climatic conditions of Trivandrum district.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Carry over effects of summ crops on virippu rice
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1989) Regina Lily, Edwin; KAU; Koshy, E P
    With a view to evaluate the carry over effects of different summer crops on virippu rice and to test the effects of three different levels of NPK, fertilizers on the growth and yield of rice, two filed experiments were conducted at the Instructional farm, college of Agriculture, Vellayani during 1987. The experiment was laid out in randomised block design with three replications. There were five summer treatments (grain type cowpea, daincha, sesamum, maize and fallow) preceding rice and three NPK levels tried on rice. The fertility levels were (i) F0 – No fertilizers. (ii) F1 – Half the recommended dose. (iii) F2 – Full recommended dose. The rice variety used was Jaya. The abstract of the results are given below. Daincha and cowpea resulted in the maximum number of tiller production. Proportionate increase in the number of tillers with the quantity of fertilizers was observed. Highest LAI of rice was observed after daincha. Daincha incorporation during summer recorded the maximum uptake of all the three nutrients by rice in the virippu season. Among the systems cowpea-rice depleted the soil of maximum quantity of nitrogen and potassium. P uptake was highest in the daincha-rice system. Application of full recommended dose caused maximum uptake of the major nutrients. The number of spikelets per panicle, number of filled grains per panicle, weight of the panicle and the test weight of rice crop were higher in the daincha- rice sequence. In general these yield attributes showed linear response to the quantity of NPK fertilizers in all the systems tried. The grain yield, straw yield, biomass production and harvest index of rice were maximum when it was preceded by a summer crop of daincha. With daincha incorporation insitu, half the recommended dose of NPK fertilizers (f1) was sufficient to get yields same as that of full compliment of NPK fertilizers (f2). In the other systems the results obtained were in proportionate to the quantity of fertilizers. The organic carbon, total nitrogen and available P2O5 content of the soil were highest after daincha and available potassium after cowpea. Among the sequences, daincha-rice system best maintained the total N and available P2O5 content available K2O of the soil. The three different fertility levels could exert no significant influence on the total nitrogen and the available P205 content of soil. A positive N balance was observed in the cowpea-rice and the daincha-rice sequences. In sesamum-rice, maize-rice and fallow-rice the balance was negative. The P balance of soil was maintained positive in all the sequences except fallow-rice. All the cropping sequences tried resulted in the positive balance of K. The three fertility levels could not exert any significant influence on the N and P balance of soil after the five sequences tried. The k balance of the soil was proportionate to the quantity of fertilizers in the daincha-rice, sesamum-rice and fallow-rice sequences. The sesamum-rice sequence was found to be the most profitable among the five sequences tried. Highest cost-benefit ratio was registered in the cowpea-rice system.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Response of rice to applied sulphur
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1989) Sherine George; KAU; Ashokan, P K
    Experiments were conducted at the Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy and the Radiotracer Laboratory of the Kerala Agricultural University during the first crop season of 1988 to study the response of rice to applied sulphur and the relative uptake and distribution of soil and fertilizer sulphur. There was a field experiment conducted with four levels of sulphur (0, 20, 40 and 60 kg ha-1) and four sources of sulphur (ammonium sulphate basal dressing, ammonium sulphate-top dressing, ammonium phosphate sulphate and elemental sulphur). The experiment was laid out in RBD in plots of size 4.6 m x 4.5 m and replicated thrice. A pot culture experiment was conducted for studying the uptake and distribution of 35 applied as albelled (MH4) 2 SO 4 at 20, 40 and 60 kg ha-1 levels of sulphur application. The utilization of sulphur applied at planting and that applied at panicle initiation were also studied in this experiment. The results showed that plant height and number of tillers were not significantly influenced by the levels of sulphur, sources of sulphur and their interactions. The leaf area index increased due to the application of sulphur at all the growth stages. The dry matter production increased with sulphur application. The increase in dry matter production due to the application of graded levels of sulphur was found to vary from 4 to 47 per cent.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Assessment of nitrification rate of Kerala soils and agronomic factors influencing it
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1989) Marykutty Zacharias; KAU; Vikraman Nair, R
    The present study 'assessment of nitrification rate of Kerala soils and agronomic factors influencing it' was conducted during June 1987 to November 1988 at the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, Trichur. A series of laboratory incubation studies were conducted using a total of 22 soil samples including 20 samples drawn from five soil types (laterite red, alluvial, forest and black soils ) of Keralaand two from Coimbatore (red and black). The presence of Nitrosomopas was observed in 11 soil samples and that of Nitrobacters in all soil tested. The nitrification rate was high for alluvial and black soils and low for the red laterite soils.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Agroforestry measures for soil conservation in hill slope
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1989) Ali, P; KAU; Sreedharan, C
    An experiment on 'Agroforestry measures for soil conservation in hill slope' was conducted at the Instructional Farm, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara for a period of one year from June 1987 to May 1988. The main objectives of the experiment were to quantify the run-off, soil and nutrient losses as influenced by different agroforestry practices and to evolve economically and ecologically viable agroforestry measures for soil conservation
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Urease activity in rice soils of Kerala
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1989) Saraswathi, P; KAU; Balachandran, P V
    An investigation on the urease activity of rice soils of Kerala was conducted at the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during the period 1987-1989. Representative soil samples were collected from six rice soils of Kerala, namely , laterite karppadam, kari, kayal, kole and black soil . The kinetics of urease activitywas worked out employing Lineweaver-Burk equation of double reciprocal plot. The effect of different factors like pH, soil submergence and rice rhizosphere on soil urease activity was investigated . A comparision of the efficiency of the different methods of urease assay was also made. The radioassay and autoradiograph of the plants which were allowed to absorb 14 C - urea were also done.