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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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20022
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Subject: Animal Genetics and Breeding × End date: 2002 × Start date: 2002 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Polymorphism of growth hormone gene in Malabari goats (Capra hircus)
    (Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2002) Chitra, R; KAU; Aravindakshan, T V
    Malabari goats are noted for their high milk yield and meat production qualities. They represent a unique genetic resource by virtue of their adaptability, resistance to many infectious diseases and prolificacy in the humid tropics of Kerala. They also exhibit considerable variation in individual performance in milk production, growth rate and fecundity. The growth hormone (GB) gene is a potential target for studies of molecular variation because of its possible direct or indirect effects upon growth, lactation and mammary gland development in dairy animals. The polymorphism in the third intron of GH gene was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (peR) and restriction endonuclease digestion. Genomic DNA was isolated from a random sample of 196 genetically unrelated Malabari does in second lactation belonging to three different population groups based on geographical locations. The mean yields of DNA from 5 ml of whole blood extracted by phenol-chloroform was 231.097± 11.65 ug. The ratio of optical densities at 260 and 280 nm was above 1.7 indicating good deproteinisation. Oligonucleotide pnmers based on bovine sequences were used for amplification ofGH gene in goats. The successful amplification of the expected 768 bp fragment indicated the suitability of bovine primers for goats and conservation of DNA sequence in related species. The digestion of the amplified product with MspI restriction enzyme revealed two alle\es viz., Mspi (+) and MspI (-) with gene frequencies of 0.70 and 0.30, respectively. In the Malabari goats tested in this study only (+1+) and (+1-) GHIMspI genotypes were encountered where as none of the animal was of the (-1-) genotype. [t is suspected that the MspI (-) allele in the homozygous condition might be lethal or linked to a lethal gene. The population of the Malabari goats investigated in the present study was not under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium though it was a large random mating one with no known mutation, or migration. Hence, it is suspected that the selection process acting against the (-/-) genotype through reduced viability or early embryonic death may be a possible reason for the disagreement of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in Malabari goats for this locus. It was observed that the goat population was in genetic equilibrium with respect to growth hormone locus in all population groups. The genetic equilibrium might be indicative of the homogeneity of different population groups though they differed significantly w.ith respect to morphological and other phenotypic characters. Studies on the association of GHIMspJ genotypes with growth and milk traits in Malabari goats revealed the following results. The (+1-) genotype was superior to (+1+) genotype with respect to milk protein percentage in population-I, The (+1-) genotype was found to be associated with significantly high milk SNF percentage in population II and pooled population. The GHIMspI genotypes did not exhibit significant effect on body weight, body measurements, peak milk yield, milk fat and the litter size. The different population groups differed significantly with respect to body weight, body measurements like length, heart girth and height at withers, peak milk yield and I litter size. These results revealed the influence of management and other environmental effects on growth traits in Malabari goats. It is concluded that the typing of the MspI polymorphism using PeR-based procedure is a very efficient way to identify the GH genotypes in Malabari goats.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Porcine immune response as marker traits for selective breeding
    (Kerala Agricultural University;Thrissur, 2002) Rajan, M.R.; KAU; Raghunandanan, K.V.