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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: Animal Genetics and Breeding × Author: Lali F, Anand × End date: 2009 × Start date: 2007 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.V.Sc. ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Leptin gene polymorphism in vechure and crossbred cattle of Kerala
    (Department of Animal Breeding, Genetics and Biostatistics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2009) Lali F, Anand; KAU; Bindu, K A
    Representative population comprising 74 heads of Vechur and 108 numbers of crossbred cattle of Kerala were investigated for leptin gene polymorphisms and their associations with milk production traits. LEP/BspE1 and BM1500 are the polymorphic markers used for PCR-RFLP and microsatellite analysis, respectively. For PCR-RFLP analysis, the amplified PCR product was digested with restriction enzyme BspE1 which revealed three genotypes in Vechur (CC, CT and TT) and two in crossbred cattle (CC and CT) indicating the presence of C (75 bp and 19 bp fragments) and T (94 bp fragment) alleles. The C/T allele frequencies were 0.82/0.18 and 0.89/0.11, respectively in Vechur and crossbred cattle. The genotypes of LEP/BspE1 polymorphism were distributed according to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium with frequencies 0.71 (CC), 0.24 (CT) and 0.05 (TT) in Vechur and 0.79 (CC) and 0.21 (CT) with the absence of TT genotype in crossbred cattle under study. The microsatellite polymorphism at BM1500 locus was analyzed in Vechur and crossbred cattle and two novel alleles of size 126 and 132 bp were detected. Allele frequency was highest for 132 bp and in Vechur (0.40) as well as crossbred cattle (0.46) under study. The polymorphic information content of BM1500 marker in Vechur was 0.6595 while 0.656 in crossbred cattle. In the present study, the significant influence of LEP/BspE1 polymorphism on milk production traits. The T allele bearing Vechur and crossbred cattle showed 13.08% (89.77 kg) and 10.7% (466.63 kg) increase for 305 day milk yield, respectively whereas 9.96% (0.31 kg) and 8.38% (1.22 kg), respectively for average daily milk yield. A nonsignificant reduction for milk fat percentage was also observed associated with T allele in both populations. Increased body fat reserves, adipose tissue reserves, feed intake and favorable change in partitioning of nutrients in T allele possessing animals might have contributed to increased milk yield in cattle. For BM1500 marker, highest averages of 305 day milk yield and daily milk yield were observed for Vechur and crossbred cattle possessing 136 bp allele. The highest milk fat percentages were recorded in 136 bp allele bearing Vechur animals and crossbreds possessing 138 bp allele. The association of BM1500 marker with milk production traits can be established only by expanding the research to an extensive cattle population. The selection of Vechur and crossbred cattle, heterozygous for C and T alleles for LEP/BspE1 polymorphism can significantly improve milk yield. The use of molecular techniques provides new opportunities and challenges for building and using more accurately predictive and efficient selection procedures for livestock improvement.