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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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19882
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Subject: Aquaculture × End date: 1988 × Start date: 1988 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of low salinities on the growth and survival of Penaeus mondon Fabricus
    (Department of Aquaculture, College of Fisheries, Panangad, 1988) Navas, K A; KAU; Sebastian, M J
    Growth and survival of P.monodon are influenced by a number of ecological factors (Chakraborti et al. 1986) salinity, being one of the most important of them. Knowledge on the tolerance of this species to low salinity conditions has great implications in its culture especially in extending its culture to low saline fields. In the present study, the postlarvae were subjected to wide fluctuations in salinity ranging from 1 to 20ppt. The influence of gradual acclimation in improving ranges of tolerance of postlarvae was studied. The lowest lethal salinity (LC 50) was determined by step-wise reduction of salinity. Salinity in which more than 50% mortality occurred at the end of 120h was considered lethal. Growth of juvenile in different test salinities ranging from 1 to 20 ppt for a period of 56 days was undertaken. Preliminary tolerance studies indicated that fluctuations in salinity ranging from 4 to 20ppt did not influence the survival of postlarvae significantly (P>0.05). Gradual acclimation extended the range of tolerance. A probit regression line for the relation between the logarithmic salinity level (dose =X) and mortality (Probit response =Y) was found to be Y=5.982023 + 1.332194X. The lowest lethal salinity (LC 50) was 0.5479 ppt with its upper and lower limits being 0.377 and 0.790 ppt respectively. Post larvae exhibited abnormal behaviour and higher rate of cannibalism at suboptimal salinities. Low salinities had a highly significant influence on the growth of juvenile (P<0.001). However, mean values of growth rate between 4 and 15 ppt did not differ significantly (P>0.05) from the control (19.5 + 0.5 ppt). Shrimps reared in different test salinities were subjected to sensory evaluation. Flavour of cooked meat of shrimps differed significantly with variation in salinities (P<0.05). The overall taste panel score was highest at 9.5 + 0.5ppt. The possibility of the influence of salinity on flavor of cultured shrimps is suggested.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of salinity on survival and growth of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man)
    (Department of Aquaculture, College of Fisheries, Panangad, 1988) Venugopalan I K; KAU; Thampy D M
    The effect of salinity on survival and growth of macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man) was studied with a view to establish the optimum salinity conditions under which it can be cultured. The effect of salinity on survival was assessed by conducting short-term tolerance studies wherein the effect of abrupt transfer and gradual acclimation to the test salinity levels of 5,10,15,20,25,26.5,28.5,30 and 35 ppt was separately studied. In both abrupt transfer and gradual acclimation, no mortality was observed upto 25 ppt within a period of 120 hrs. The LC50 values for 72 hr and 120 hr were 33.3 ppt and 31.6 ppt for gradual acclimation and 29.85 ppt and 28.18 ppt for abrupt transfer respectively. Acclimation prolonged the survival time of the juvenile in the test salinity levels. The study on the effect of salinity on growth was conducted in cement cisterns, wherein salinity levels from 0-10 ppt with regular increments of 2ppt from treatment to treatment were used. There was no significant difference between treatments upto 6 ppt, but all the levels upto 6ppt differed from 8 and 10 ppt with respect to growth. A field trial to verify the growth pattern in different salinity levels was conducted in one fresh water pond and two brackish water ponds having different salinity levels. The growth rate of the prawns was almost equal in both the fresh water pond (0.119 g/day) and the pond with lower salinity levels (0.126 g/day), whereas it was much lower in the high saline pond (0.063 g/day). The survival rate obtained in the high saline pond (58%) was comparable to fresh water (59%) showing that prawns could survive upto a salinity of 20ppt , although the growth rate is lower in higher salinity levels. Studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of salinity on oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion and O:N ratios of M.rosenbergii within the test salinity levels of 0-10 ppt. Oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion were found to be strongly influenced by the wet weight of the juveniles, but the influence of salinity on these physiological indices were not significant within the test levels used in this study. However, a trend of an increase in oxygen consumption and decrease in ammonia excretion towards the lower salinity levels was observed. Oxygen to nitrogen ratios were found to be lower in the higher salinity levels indicating an increase in protein catabolism in such salinity levels.