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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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1992 - 19964
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Subject: Farm, Machinery and Power × End date: 1999 × Start date: 1990 × Thesis Type: M.Tech ×
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Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Development and performance evaluation of a black pepper skinner
    (Department of Farm Power Machinery and Energy, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 1996) Anandabose, D; KAU; Jippu Jacob
    A power operated black pepper skinner was developed, tested and its performance evaluated. The major parts were two cylinder – concave assemblies, a hopper, a feed roll, an inclined belt separator assembly and a variable speed electric motor with a speed reduction unit of 10:1 ratio. The decortications took place as a result of the compressive and the shearing forces acting upon the pepper berries fed between the rotating drum and the stationary concave. A 3 – factor, Factorial Experiment in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with feed rate, drum speed and surface condition as factors was adopted. The maximum overall decorticating efficiency was observed at the feed rate of 12 kg/h and drum speed of 20 rpm for both the surface types. The maximum decorticating efficiency observed for coir-mat was 91.5 and that observed for rubber surface was 94.2. The effectiveness of wholeness of kernels was found to show lower values for the highest speed of 25 rpm due to the crushing of berries. The maximum overall decorticating efficiency recorded for coir – mat was 87.7 per cent and that recorded for rubber sheet was 90.3 per cent. The study showed that the parameters of feed rate, drum speed, and surface type, have significant influenz on decorticating efficiency, effectiveness of wholeness of kernals and overall decorticating efficiency.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Evaluation and modification of spike-tooth and rasp-bar type paddy threshers
    (Department of Farm Power Machinery and Energy, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 1993) Sailaja, L; KAU; Sivaswami, M
    The field survey conducted on the threshing practices of paddy in Kerala revealed that the hand beating method which is more common in southern part of Kerala needed 154.7 man h/ha with an average output of 18.5 kg/man h requiring an amount of Rs. 823.5/ha whereas, in central Kerala the feet rubbing method required Rs. 1599.0/ha and needed only319.8 man h/ha with an average output of 11.27 kg/man h. The 8 hp axial flow spike-tooth type and 10 hp flow through rasp-bar type threshers were evaluated and found an average output of 50 kg/hp h and 107 kg/hp h respectively. The maximum threshing efficiency of 98.77 per cent and 97.44 per cent were recorded for the flow through rasp-bar thresher during ‘virippu’ and ‘mundakan’ seasons compared to only 95.50 per cent and 94.49 per cent respectively for spike-tooth thresher. The high moist and long paddy crops used to stick and choke in between cylinder and concave clearance and hence the concave was successfully improved to eliminate these problems. The improved concave also improved the output to 1081 kg/h and 1122.6 kg/h with an increase of 9.25 per cent and 4.27 per cent respectively during ‘virippu’ and ‘mundakan’ seasons. A maximum output of 305.7 kg/hp h was obtained for the 1 hp prototype thresher with the rasp-bar cylinder compared to the output of 256.5 kg/hp h for spike tooth cylinder. The cost of operation for the commercially available axial flow through rasp-bar threshers was found to be Rs. 400/ ha and Rs. 207/ ha respectively. The rasp-bar thresher with improved concave could save an amount of Rs. 616.5/ha which accounted to a net saving of 74.9 per cent in the cost of threshing compared to the hand beating method.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Development and testing of a manually operated paddy dibbler
    (Department of Farm Power Machinery and Energy, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 1992) Bini Sam; KAU; Sankaranarayanan, M R
    A manually operated three row paddy dibbler for dry sowing was developed and tested at Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur. The metering mechanism employed in this dibbler was unique in design. The machine consists of seed box, roller with metering mechanism, seed tube with furrow opener, frame, handles and marker. When the dibbler was operated for dibbling, the roller passing vertically through the centre of box would move upward by the soil pressure against the spring pressure. As the roller moved upward, the portion of the roller having the vertical slot would come in contact with seeds and the seeds were moved and carried to this slot. When the equipment was taken out from the soil, the soil pressure on the roller was released and due to the spring pressure the roller moved downward and the seeds carried in the slot were released and would fall through the seed tube by gravity in to the soil. During the operation of the equipment due to the downward travel of the roller and seed tube the seed hole was created for dropping the seeds. The covering of seeds with soil was carried out automatically when the equipment was taken out from the soil. The number of seeds dropped was in the range of 4 to 6 per hill. The area covered by the dibbler was 0.022 hectare per hour. The field efficiency obtained was 68.68 per cent. The mechanical damage was 4.84 per cent. The percentage losses of seeds after germination was 9.52. The fabrication cost of the dibbler including cost of material was Rs. 800/-. The operating cost of the dibbler was Rs. 16/- per hour. The cost of sowing one hectare of land was Rs. 717/- while for manual dibbling the cost of sowing was Rs. 979/- per hectare. Moreover manual dibbling is done in a bending position which is arduous to the farmer. But in the present design of dibbler, a suitable handle is provided which ensure easy and comfortable operation in a straight posture. The equipment can be fabricated locally with readily available materials and can be easily maintained by small farmers.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Modification and testing of KAU Arecanut De-husker
    (Department of Farm Power Machinery and Energy, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 1996) Rajmohan, C K; KAU; Jippu, Jacob
    An arecanut dehusker consisting of mainly a pair of fluted rollers, a pressure roller assembly, a scrapper assembly, a guide chute and a feed tray was developed in this study. The arecanut was fed between the two counter- rotating fluted rollers and was pressed against these rollers by the pressure roller. The fluted rollers gripped the husk and pulled it to the rear side of the rollers. In the process the husk was ripped open and the kernel was ejected from its shell. The performance of the machine was studied at speeds of 60, 90,120,150 and 180 rpm and with three different surface characteristics of the rollers. The surface characteristics of the rollers were varied by having different number of teeth and pitch. From the studies the optimum setup of the machine for deriving maximum dehusking efficiency and minimum damage to the dehusked kernels and unhusked fruits was obtained. This was at a speed of 150 rpm against the roller surface having 30 teeth with pitch 3.9mm, width 2.0mm, and depth 1.0 mm. At this set-up the dehusking efficiency, percentage of the number of dehusked kernals and unhusked fruits damaged were 94.4, 5.5 and zero percent respectively. And also this set-up yielded an output of 23 kg of arecanut kernals per hour.