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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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20151
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Subject: Biotechnology × Author: Jayalekshmi, V S × Author: KAU × End date: 2018 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Identification and characterization of viruses in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.)
    (Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2015) Jayalekshmi, V S; KAU; Makeshkumar, T
    The study entitled "identification and characterization of viruses in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L) Lam.) was carried out at the division of crop protection, Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Sreekariyam, Trivandrum during 2014-2015. The objective of the study was to diagnose, clone and characterize viruses implicated in mixed infections of sweet potato. Sweet potato samples with various virus infection symptoms were collected from the germplasm repository of CTCRI, Trivandrum and field samples from Bhubaneswar. Samples were screened mainly for Sweet potato feathery mottle virus ( SPFMV ), Sweet potato mild mottle virus ( SPMMV), Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV ), Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus ( SPCSV), Sweet potato virus G (SPVG), Sweet potato virus C (SPVC), Sweet potato virus 2 (SPV2) using both genus and virus specific primers. Out of 32, 29 samples showed SPFMV infection in PCR with virus specific primers. While mixed infection by SPFMV and SPLCV was found in 15 samples. One sample was infected with SPVG along with SPFMV and SPLCV. SPMMV, SPVC, SPV2 and SPCSV screening through PCR gave negative results for all samples. PCR by virus specific primers of SPFMV and SPLCV amplifying the partial CP gave amplicons size of 411 bp and 446 bp respectively. Rather than the virus specific primers, the group specific primers Pot1/Hrp5 gave an amplicon of 1300 bp lead to the detection of SPVG. After identification, one sample each for SPFMV, SPLCV and the only sample positive for SPVG were cloned and sequenced. The sequence data was analyzed through BLAST and sequence similarity was studied. The 304 nt SPFMV sequence obtained in the study showed maximum similarity of 96% to Sweet potato feathery mottle virus isolate Fe polyprotein gene, partial cds (Accession EU021070). The 251 nt SPVG sequence obtained showed maximum similarity of 90% to sweet potato virus G isolate IS103, complete genome (AccessionKM014815). While the 418 nt SPLCV sequence obtained showed maximum similarity of 96% to Sweet potato leaf curl virus DNA A, complete sequence (Accession AF104036) and Sweet potato leaf curl isolate CTCRI TVM M1, complete genome (Accession KM 050768). The phylogenetic tree was constructed with similar sequences using phylip. Phylogenetic analysis clearly revealed that the sequences obtained in this study belongs to SPFMV for the sample S1294, SPLCV for the sample S1294, SPLCV for the sample S684 and SPVG for the sample S270 as they grouped along with their respective virus sequences used for comparison analysis. Since the diagnosis of virus infections based on symptoms is unreliable due to complicated mixed infections in sweet potato with multiple viruses and isolates, it is necessary sensitive diagnostic tests are developed region wise to confront this issue. As a prerequisite to this, virus detection and identification has to be carried out in sweet potato to determine the viruses geographically.