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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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  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Therapy for anoestrum in crossbred cattle
    (Department of Animal Reproduction, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1983) Kurien, M O; KAU; Madhavan, E
    The object of the study was to assess the efficacy of ‘Clomiphene Citrate’ (‘Fertivet FVT 300’) and oestrogen and progesterone (‘Secrodyl’) in the treatment of ‘true anoestrum’ in crossbred cows and heifers. As an integral part of the study, the incidence of anoestrum among crossbred cows and heifers was also assessed. The material for the investigation involved 575 cows and 446 crossbred heifers belonging to the University Livestock Farm and animals brought for examination in infertility caps. Though, the reported cases of anoestrum was 31.3 per cent and 36.99 per cent among cows and heifers respectively, detailed gynaeco – clinical examination revealed a lesser incidence of 9.74 and 13.68 percentage of ‘true anoestrum’ among cows and heifers respectively. The experimental animals were allotted randomly into two groups, consisting of 28 cows and 41 heifers in group I and 28 cows and 20 heifers in group II. Nineteen cows and 33 heifers in group I were administered orally one tablet of ‘Fertivet’ FVT 300’ for five consecutive days, keeping 9 cows and 8 heifers as control. Twenty cows and 14 heifers in group II were given one ml of ‘Secrodyl’ intramuscularly for five consecutive days, while 8 cows and 6 heifers were kept as control. The experimental animals were watched for signs of heat and confirmed by rectal examination. Pregnancy diagnosis was done 45 to 60 days after insemination. Those which failed to conceive at first insemination were reinseminated at the subsequent heats. ‘Fertivet’ was capable of including ovulatory oestrum in 68.42 percent of cows and 63.64 per cent of heifers in ‘true anoestrum’ while only 33.33 per cent cows and 37.50 per cent of heifers came into heat in the control group. The variation was statistically significant. Similarly, the conception rate at the induced heat was 42.11 per cent in cows and 33.30 per cent in heifers when treated with ‘Fertivet’, while only 11.11 per cent of cows conceived in the control group. Among control heifers none of them conceived at the induced heat. Statistical analysis showed significant variation between the two groups in the conception rate. The overall conception rate by subsequent insemination was 57.89 per cent in cows and 42.42 per cent in heifers while the corresponding figures in the control animals were only 22.22 per cent and 25 per cent. This variation was also significant. Treatment with ‘Secrodyl’ could induce ovulatory oestrum in 50 per cent of cows and 50 per cent of heifers, while the response in the control group was only 25 per cent among cows. None of the heifers in the control group showed ovulatory oestrum. The difference was statistically significant. Significant variation was also observed in the conception rate at the induced heat between the experimental and control groups, values being 15 per cent for cows and 14.28 per cent for heifers in the treated groups and 12.5 per cent for cows and none for heifers in the control group. The overall conception also showed significant variation between the two groups among cows and heifers. The overall efficiency of ‘Fertivet’ and ‘Secrodyl’ among cows and heifers revealed that 60.28 per cent showed ovulatory oestrum among 52 animals when treated with ‘Fertivet’ while among 34 animals only 50 per cent showed ovulatory oestrum when treated with ‘Secrodyl’, the variation being significant. Significant variation was also observed in the conception rate at the induced heat, the values being 34.61 per cent when treated with ‘Fertivet’ and 14.71 per cent when treated with ‘Secrodyl’. The overall conception rate was also higher (48.08 per cent) when treated with ‘Fertivet’ than when treated with ‘Secrodyl’ (29.41 per cent).