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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Dendroclimatological investigations on teak (Tectona grandis L. F.) in Nilambur (North) forest division of Kerala
(Department of wood science, College of forestry, Vellanikkara, 2016) Sreejith Babu; KAU; Anoop, E V
A study was conducted on teak (Tectona grandis L. f.) grown in plantations at Nilambur (North) forest division with the objectives of analyzing tree-ring chronologies to find out their dendroclimatic potential and the tree growth-climate relationship and also to find out whether any significant relationship exists between climate and mean vessel area (MVA) of teak and its prospect for climatic reconstruction of the study area. In order to achieve the above objectives, cross sectional discs were collected from sites located in Edakkode, Kanakuthu and Conolly’s plot. The average ring width and MVA of each year obtained from the different radii were used to cross date and construct the chronology using the TSAP Win software. A cubic smoothing spline was used for standardization of the tree ring data using the software ARSTAN. Bootstrap correlation and response function analyses were carried out with moving intervals to find out tree growth-climate relationship using DENDROCLIM was performed. Statistical parameters such as Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and Expressed Population Signals (EPS) of all chronologies have desired levels and the sites had good dendroclimatic potential. Ring width and MVA chronologies of teak for the Nilambur region were developed. Rainfall in previous July, previous December and current October were correlated with ring width. Winter temperature (December-January) and southwest monsoon (June- September) were the seasonal climatic variables that mostly controlled ring width in the study sites. The monthly temperatures for January and previous June created major response in ring width. Mean vessel area responded to monthly rainfall for months previous June, previous September, previous November and current May. Seasonal climate which influenced vessel area were of southwest monsoon (June-September) temperature and rainfall and northeast monsoon (October-November) rainfall. Mean vessel area responded to monthly temperatures of previous August, current May and December. Using transfer functions climatic data for months and seasons with highest response and the period which is not available (1870-1900) from the instrumental record were reconstructed from tree ring data.