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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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20032
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Subject: Animal Reproduction and Gynecology × Author: KAU × End date: 2003 × Start date: 2003 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Fertility of oestrus synchronised crossbred Malabari does inseminated with boer buck semen
    (Department of Animal Reproduction, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2003) Afsal, K; KAU; Balakrishnan, P P
    With the objective of studying the fertility of frozen Boer buck semen, six Boer bucks maintained at Goat Breeding Station, Dhoni farm, Kerala Livestock Development Board and 150 Malabari crossbred does maintained at Sheep and Goat farm, Mannuthy were selected. Semen collection was carried out at weekly intervals from the bucks and preserved under freezing. Average volume of buck semen was 1.27 ± 0.06 rnl. Colour of the semen was creamy, density DDDD and mass activity + + + +. Average sperm concentration of the semen samples was 2956.67 ± 81.74 millions per ml and mean live sperm percentage was 88.16 ± 0.50. Average semen pH was 6.98 ± 0.03. No significant difference was found in these semen characters between bucks (P>0.05). Average percentage of abnormal spermatozoa in the fresh semen was 3.20 ± 0.27. Mean percentage of sperms with abnormal acrosome was 1.00 ± 0.13. The does selected were administered 0.147 mg Tiaprost Trometamol, a prostaglandin analogue (0.75 ml Iliren) intramuscularly at 11 days interval for oestrus synchronisation. The does were divided into two groups, Group I with 100 does and Group II with 50 does. Ninety six does in Group I and 47 does in group 11 responded to the treatment. Incidence of oestr~s in the does was 95.33 per cent. Average time taken for the does to come to oestrus was 51.02 ± 0.99 hours. Mean duration of oestrus in the does was 35.81 ± 0.86 hours. Average oestrus intensity score in the does was 5.97 ± 0.41. Wagging of tail (65.33 per cent), frequent bleating (56.67 per cent), vulal oedema (43.33 per cent) and standing to be mounted (34 per cent) were the prominent signs of oestrus exhibited by the does. Six semen samples from each buck were frozen in Tris and Biociphos extenders separately. Progressive motility of semen samples after washing twice in Tris buffer and after thawing was 67.00 ± 1.47 and 43.91 ± 1.86 per cent. Average percentage of live sperms in the fresh semen and after thawing was 87.83 ± 0.75 and 52.61 ± 1.56. Mean percentage of sperm motility after initial dilution and freezing and thawing in Biociphos extender was 80.56 ± 1.11 and 40.19 ± 1.87. Percentage of live spermatozoa in fresh semen and thawed semen was 87.64 ± 0.76 and 43.64 ± 1.49. Though no significant difference was noticed in post thaw motility of spermatozoa, highly significant variation was observed in the percentage of live spermatozoa between the semen frozen in Tris and Biociphos extenders (P>0.05). Artificial insemination was carried out in all the oestrus does by speculum method. Group I does were inseminated with semen extended in Tris and Group JJ does with semen extended in Biociphos. Pregnancy diagnosis was done at three months of gestation by abdominal palpation and the accuracy of the method was found to be 93.55 per cent. Conception percentage in Group I and Group n was 22.92 and 19.15. There was no significant difference in the conception rate between the two groups. Mean gestation length was 147.23 ± 0.76 days. Number of kids per kidding averaged 1.77. Percentage of male and female kids was 50.91 and 49.09. Average birth weight of kids was 2.38 ± 0.08 kg.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Metoestrual bleeding and its effect on fertility in natural and induced oestrus in cattle
    (Department of Animal Reproduction, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2003) Leeba Chacko; KAU; Aravinda Ghosh, K N
    With the objective of studying the occurrence, onset, duration and intensity of metoestrual bleeding and its effect on fertility in natural and induced oestrus in cattle, detailed data of animals belonging to University Livestock Farm and those presented at Artificial Insemination Centre and Bull Station, attached to the Department of Animal Reproduction, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, were collected using a suitable proforma. Animals with the history of metoestrual bleeding were randomly selected and allotted to the following groups. Group I consisted of 16 animals, comprising- of eight cows and eight heifers, with the history of metoestrual bleeding that were inseminated at natural oestrus. Sixteen animals in group II (eight cows and eight heifers) with the history of metoestrual bleeding were subjected to induction of oestrus on tenth day using 25 mg PGF2 alpha (Lutalyse), which were inseminated at 72 and 96 h after the administration of Lutalyse. Sixteen animals (eight cows and eight heifers) which did not show metoestrual bleeding formed the group Ill. Out of 1626 animals screened, 99 (6.09 per cent) animals exhibited signs of metoestrual bleeding in one or more oestrous cycles. The occurrence was found to be higher in heifers (9.87 per cent) than in cows (4.52 per cent). Higher percentage of Brown Swiss cross bred cattle (9.88 per cent) exhibited signs of metoestrual bleeding, followed by Holstein-Friesian cross bred (7.66 per cent) and Jersey cross breds (7.4 7 per cent). Out of 99 animals with metoestrual bleeding, eight (8.08 per cent) animals showed bleeding on the day of oestrus (day 0), 44 (44.44 per cent) on day 1 of oestrus, 26 (26.26 per cent) on day 2 of oestrus and 21 (21.21) on day 3 of oestrus. Duration of metoestrual bleeding ranged from 6-36 h with a mean of 13.38 ± 2.64 h. Thirteen (13.13 per cent), 57 (57.58 per cent) and 29 (29.30 per cent) animals exhibited scanty, moderate and profuse bleeding, respectively. Thick mucus blood tinged discharge was observed in 60 per cent of cases, which on microscopic examination revealed fern pattern, that lay scattered in disintegrated form with presence of RBCs, in stained smears. Thin mucus blood tinged discharge was noticed in 40 per cent of cases with presence of RBCs in stained smears, without fern pattern. Microbial growth was not detected when metoestrual discharge was inoculated on the culture media and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. Gram positive bacilli were detected as the contaminants after 48 h. Out of eight cows and eight heifers in group II subjected to PGF2alpha administration, seven (87.5 per cent) and eight (100 per cent) responded to treatment, respectively. The overall oestrus response was 93.75 per cent. The time taken for the induction of oestrus in cows was 66.14 ± 1.55 h as against 59.88 ± 1.66 h in group II heifers. Average duration of oestrus in cows and heifers was 25.13 ± 0.99 and 18.75 ± 0.53; 31.43 ± 1.13 and 28.75 ± 2.00, and 23.63 ± 2.27 and 19.38 ± 0.65 h for groups I, 11 and III, respectively. Analysis of data revealed significant difference in the duration of oestrus in cows and heifers in group II from that of cows and heifers in groups I and III (P37.5 per cent of cows and 12.5,37.5 and 50 per cent heifers showed high, medium and low intensity of oestrus, respectively. In group II the corresponding values were 57.14, 28.57 and 14.28 per cent in cows and 62.5, 25 and 12.5 per cent in heifers. In group III 12.5, 37.5 and 50 per cent cows and 25, 37.5 and 37.5 per cent heifers exhibited high, medium and low intensity of oestrus, respectively. Out . of eight cows and eight heifers induced, none exhibited metoestrual bleeding in the induced heat. The overall conception rate in groups I, Il and III were 18.75, 66.66 and 43.75 per cent, respectively. It can be recommended that induction of oestrus using prostaglandin can be employed for enhancing the conception rate in animals with the history of met oestrual bleeding.