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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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20002
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Subject: Animal Genetics and Breeding × Author: KAU × End date: 2000 × Start date: 2000 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.V.Sc. ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Body weight and its association with age at first calving and milk production in crossbred cattle of Kerala
    (Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2000) Siddalingswamy Hiremath; KAU; Stephen Mathew
    The present study was undertaken with a VIew of estimating body weights of crossbred calves in the field conditions of Kerala at birth, three, six and twelve months of age and to find association of these body weights with age at first calving and first lactation milk yield. The data for the present study were taken from the records of ICAR Field Progeny Testing Scheme of Centre for Advanced Studies in Animal Genetics and Breeding, Kerala Agricultural University. The data were of the 1993-2000 period. Body weights at birth, 3, 6, 12 months and at calving were predicted from body measurements using Minnesota formula given by J ohnson,( 1940). The data were analyzed using least squares analysis of variance to study the effects of non-genetic factors on different traits under study. The data adjusted for significant non-genetic factors .. were used to study the effect of sire and for estimating heritability and correlation among body weights and between body weights and age at first calving and between body weights and first lactation milk yield. The overall average body weights of crossbred calves at birth, 3,6 and 12 months of age were 26.0 ± 0.38 kg, 48.7 ± 1.26 kg, 74.1 ± 2.81 kg and 151.0 ± 7.74 kg, respectively. Least squares analysis of variance has shown that the effect of season of birth was significant (P~0.05) only on body weight at six months of age. The influence of period of birth was significant for all body weights upto one year age except for body weight at six months of age. Centre was a significant source of variation for all body weights upto one year age, The mean Age at First Insemination, Age at first calving and Weight at first calving of crossbred cattle were 689.3 ± 22.9 days, 1013.6 ± 21.74 days and 284.9 ± 7.71 kg respectively. The season of birth did not affect age at first insemination, age at first calving and weight at first calving. The significant (P~0.05) influence of period of birth and centre were 11 observed on age at first insemination and age at first calving only but not on weight at first calving. The effect of period of calving and centre on first lactation milk yield was significant whereas the effect of season of calving and age at first calving did not affect first lactation milk yield. The average first lactation milk yield of crossbred cows was 1958.5 ± 30.74 litres. The sire wise means of body weight at six months of age, weight at first calving and first lactation milk yield did not differ significantly but sire effect was significant (P~0.05) in all the other traits. Heritability estimates were calculated by paternal half sib method for different traits under study. The low heritability estimate was obtained for birth weight, body weight at six months of age, age at first calving and weight at first calving. But the heritability estimates of body weight at three months of age and body weight at twelve months of age were high. Age at first insemination was moderately heritable. The heritability estimate of first lactation milk yield was -0.069 ± 0.05. iii Association among body weights and that between body weights and age at first calving followed no definite trend. However, the genetic correlation (0.46) between body weight at six months and first lactation milk yield and high, positive (> 1) genetic correlation between body weight at twelve months and first lactation milk yield indicates strong genetic association of body weight at six months and body weight at twelve months with first lactation milk yield and their relationship can be used advantageously for selection of heifers for milk production under field conditions
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Genetic factors influencing feed efficiency in pure and crossbred broiler rabbits
    (Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2000) Kasiviswanathan, D; KAU; Raghavan, K C
    An experiment was carried out to study the genetic and non- genetic factors influencing feed efficiency (feed g/gain g) in broiler rabbits viz. New Zealand White (NZW), Soviet Chinchilla (SC) and SC x NZW crossbreds (CB). The non-genetic factors induded were sex, litter size at birth, season and year of birth. The data pertaining to fortnightly body weight from four to 12 weeks of age, feed efficiency (FE) and daily gain (OG) were subjected to least squares analysis. Breed had significant effect on body weights at all ages. NZW had the least body weights through out the experiment and SC and CB did not differ significantly at market age of 12 weeks. Overall daily gain was not affected by breed while FE was significantly (P.