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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: Narayanan, Illath Valappil × End date: 1989 × Start date: 1988 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Regeneration status of some important moist deciduous forest trees in the Trichur Forest Division
    (College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 1988) Narayanan, Illath Valappil; KAU; Mohankumar, B
    Sustained management of forests depends on their ability to regenerate. The pace at which the older trees are replaced by younger ones, is very important in this respect. The details of sylvigenesis is little known, especially of the moist deciduous forests. To get a general idea of the regeneration behaviour of the moist deciduous forests eight localities of varying levels of disturbance were sampled in the Trichur Forest Division. Enumeration of trees and their regeneration were done and data were analysed at three levels of organization, viz. ecosystem level, stratum level and species level. Physiognomically the moist deciduous forests comprise three vertical strata namely, upper, middle and the lower. The middle stratum is richest in species. Most of the species represented in the upper stratum are commercially important. Five species, Dillenia pentagyna, Grewia tiliifolia, Lagerstroemia microcarpa, Terminalia paniculata and xylia xylocarpa, occupying the upper stratum, possess higher values of basal area, relative basal area, density per hectare, relative density and importance value index, and are the dominant ones. The average growing stock of desirable commercially important species > = 20 cm DBH per hectare is 149.79. This is slightly lower than the average of 167 trees/ha cited by Seth and Kaul. The growing stock of trees > = 1 cm DBH, of the middle and lower strata decrease exponentially with increasing cover gaps. The upper stratum on the other hand is not much affected by disturbance. In fact, with slight disturbance it increases a little. Relative importance value index of the middle stratum increases where that of the lower straum decreases and vice versa. Frequency distribution statistic for stands and strata conform to the negatively exponential model. Mortality rates are maximum in the lower size classes. Comparison of observed frequencies of unestablished seedlings to the expected frequencies of the commercially important stratum indicates that the reproductive potential of stands is not poor. On the other hand, the growing stock of established seedlings (saplings + poles) is very low. Owing to very low survival probability in the sapling stage acute paucity of poles of the upper stratum is observed. The five dominant species show the same pattern of population structure and distribution of survival probability as the stratum. Regeneration of important species in the moist deciduous forests is under various stresses of which that of human origin is the most hazardous. Grazing, browsing, fire, and illicit cutting are the greatest constraints. Some species like Lagerstroemia microcarpa also show some intrinsic constraints.