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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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Subject: Forestry × Author: Anish, M C × Start date: 2010 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of growth rate on wood quality of teak (Tectona grandis Linn.f.) grown under differing site quality conditions
    (Department of wood science, College of forestry, Vellanikkara, 2013) Anish, M C; KAU; Anoop, E V
    The present study was carried out to analyse the effect of rate of growth on the wood quality of teak from samples collected from trees which were grown within the country as well as from outside. The work involved collection of samples from saw mills and major timber importing ports in South India (Mangalore, Tuticorin etc.) and wood property analysis that was carried out in the wood science laboratory, Department of wood science, College of forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, vellanikkara. Teak samples (basal discs) from 14 different locations viz. Nilambur, Malayattoor , Konni, Ranni, Vadayar (TN) and Betul (MP) within India and Myanmar, Thailand, Ghana, Benin, Cameroon, Sudan, Tanzania and Trinidad outside India were included in the study. To study the effect of growth rate on wood quality, the collected samples were classified as fast grown and slow grown based on their average ring width. Those samples having an average ring width 5mm and those having an average ring width <5mm were categorised in to fast grown and slow grown respectively. The analysis on variation in wood physical, anatomical and biochemical properties between the two categories revealed that, fast grown samples were characterised with higher specific gravity, moisture content (air dry) and shrinkage compared to the slow grown, but properties like vessel diameter, vessel area, ray height, ray width and extractive content (%) was found to be showed uniformity with regard to other properties such as coefficient of anisotropy (wood stability), heartwood content(%), heartwood colour and bark thickness. Investigation on the wood properties between the samples from 14 different locations revealed higher degree of variation. Ring width analysis showed that, samples from Afric(except Sudan) had higher growth rate and was comparable with that of fast grown Nilambur teak, Asian teak (especially the teak samples from India) showed high variability with regard to growth rate/ring width. Maximum growth rate was showed by Vadavar teak (Tamil Nadu). The sample from Asia also showed superiority over the samples from Africa in the properties. Viz. specific gravity, wood stability, heartwood colour and extractive content (%).Among the samples form Asia, Myanmar possessed the highest vessel dimensions and the sample from Konni had the largest ray height and raywidth. Samples from Konni (11.13%) and Betul (MadhyaPradesh) (10.44%) possessed higher amount of extractives and more darker heartwood. Wood quality parameters like specific gravity (Vadavar (TN) and Nilambur), resistance to deformation (Nilambur, Vadavar (TN) and Betul (MP), heartwood colour and total extractive content (Konni and Betul (MP) were found to be higher for Indian teak. Based on the present study, it can be concluded that, rate of growth has only a little effect on the wood quality of teak, whereas, location – wise, Indian teak irrespective of their growth rate, was found to be superior over rest of the samples with regard to wood physical, anatomical and biochemical properties.