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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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19951
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Subject: Animal Genetics and Breeding × Author: KAU × Author: Madhavan, K × End date: 1999 × Start date: 1994 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.V.Sc. ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Milk protein genetic variants in crossbred dairy cattle
    (Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1995) Madhavan, K; KAU; Nandakumaran, B
    The present investigation was undertaken to identify the biochemical polymorphism at different milk protein loci and to establish their inheritance pattern in crossbred cattle. It was also envisaged to analyse the association of different milk protein variants with lactation milk yield and incidence of mastitis. One hundred and thirty five animals belonging to three different crosses of local nondescript cattle viz. crossbred Jersey (50), crossbred Brown Swiss (45) and crossbred Holstein Friesian (40) were typed for milk protein variants by standardising horizontal polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The milk protein loci studied were α S1 – casein, β – casein, k- casein and β – lactoglobulin. Two alleles namely B and C with three phenotypes BB, BC and CC were identified at α S1 – casein locus. B allele had the frequency ranging from 0.61 to 0.63. β – casein locus exhibited three phenotypes contributed by two allels A and B. A allele had the highest frequency of 0.81 in crossbred Brown Swiss and it ranged from 0.71 to 0.81 among different crossbreds. Highest frequency of AA phenotype was in crossbred Brown Swiss (0.67) and that of AB phenotype was highest in crossbred Jersey (0.29). Two alleles namely A and B contributed three phenotypes viz., AA, AB and BB at k - casein locus among different crossbreds studied. Crossbred Jersey showed the highest frequency of A allele while crossbred Brown Swiss (0.69) had the highest frequency of B allele (0.44). K – casein AA phenotype had the highest frequency in crossbred Jersey (0.52) and AB phenotypes had the highest frequency in crossbred Brown Swiss (0.51). β – lactoglobulin locus showed two alleles A and B contributing three phenotypes viz., AA, AB and BB. The frequency of A allele was highest in crossbred Holstein Friesian (0.46) and that of B allele in crossbred Brown Swiss (0.60). AA phenotype had the highest frequency in crossbred Holstein Friesian ( 0.25) while crossbred Jersey had the highest frequency of BB phenotype (0.38) and AB phenotype was highest in crossbred Brown Swiss (0.44). The observed and expected phenotypes among different genetic groups at all the four milk protein loci viz. αS1 – casein, β – casein k – casein and β – lactoglobulin were tested by Chi – square test. All the populations studied were in genetic equilibrium with respect to these four loci. This trend is suggestive of neutral role of the three milk protein loci in the population. The genetic variability in the crossbred population was calculated by estimating the heterozygosity was at β – lactoglobulin locus. In the crossbred Brown – Swiss maximum heterozygosity was seen at the k - casein locus. The overall heterozygosity in different crossbred population indicated that the crossbred Holstein Friesian had comparatively highest degree of heterozygosity (0.4603) followed by Crossbred Jersey (0.4346). In crossbred Jersey αS1 – casein types showed significant association with β – casein types. k – casein phenotypes were significantly associated with β – lactoglobulin types. In crossbred Brown Swiss also αS1 – types were found to be linked with β – casein types. β – casein BB phenotype and k – casein variants were found to be linked. β – lactoglobulin phenotypes and β – casein types were also found associated in crossbred Brown Swiss. In the case of crossbred Holstein Friesian all the milk protein variants except β – casein and k – casein were found to be associated. Milk protein variants were not found to be associated with first lactation milk yield or the incidence of mastitis in all the crossbred population studied. The present study could establish the existence of biochemical polymorphism at αS1 – casein, β – casein k – casein and β – lactoglobulin loci crossbred Jersey, crossbred Brown Swiss and crossbred Holstein Friesian cattle studied.