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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: Fruit Science × Author: Amal Premachandran × Author: KAU × End date: 2018 × Start date: 2011 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Standardization of macropropagation technique in banana (musa (aab) 'nendran')
    (Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2018) Amal Premachandran; KAU; Sajan Kurien
    The quality of the planting material is of paramount importance in successful crop production and banana is no different. Dearth of planting materials and heavy demand ends up with banana farmers forsaking the sucker quality aspects. Different techniques have been attempted for activation of new sucker. However, a standardized protocol of rapid mass multiplication macropropagation technique to produce quality planting material in Nendran is lacking and is the need of the hour. Hence, this study was undertaken with the prime objective of standardizing the bud activation/ invigoration technique leading to efficient sucker production. The second objective was to identify the ideal potting/ grow bag media preferably using locally available and cost effective materials. The third objective was to study the efficacy of the application of biofertilizers particularly Glomus fasciculatum and Azospirillum in macropropagation as this has already been proven to be have positive effect on the growth and yield of banana and finally to study the effect of micronutrient boron and zinc in improving macropropagation efficiency. The study was taken up at Banana Research Station (BRS), Kannara, during 2016- 18 using disease free healthy suckers of Nendran (Musa AAB) and the new sprouts were evaluated for all major morphological characters in all the four experiments. Additionally, carbohydrate content of banana corm was analyzed in the first experiment, percent root colonization and spore count of Glomus fasciculatum, population count of Azospirillum and major soil nutrients (N, P and K) in the biofertilizer experiment, and the nutrient content of selected nutrients in leaf samples in ratoon- 1, ratoon-2 and dead sucker in the micronutrient study were also analyzed and evaluated. In the first experiment on standardizing the bud activation/ invigoration technique leading to efficient sucker production, acid treatment by pouring 5.0 ml of one per cent H2SO4 acid on the apical meristem portion produced the highest mean number of quality suckers of 7.6 in ratoon – 1 and 4.6 in ratoon-2 respectively. Based on the carbohydrate content it could be inferred that the reduction in the inherent carbohydrate reserve had affected the sucker production from mother sucker stage to ratoon-2. In the second experiment to identify the ideal potting/ grow bag, it was found that the soil media gave the highest mean number of quality suckers in ratoon- 1 (5.6) and 4.3 in ratoon-2. In the second ratoon sucker sprouting was only observed in the soil media irrespective of quantity of media used. In the third experiment to study the efficacy of the application of biofertilizers, particularly Glomus fasciculatum and Azospirillum in macropropagation. The treatment, 20g of Glomus fasciculatum plus 10g of Azospirillum per sucker (T10) recorded the highest mean number of quality suckers (4.3) whereas in the second ratoon it was the treatment 30g of Glomus fasciculatum plus 30g of Azospirillum per sucker that recorded the highest sucker production. Based on the spore count, percent colonization and nutrient content of media, it can be confirmed that T10 is the most effective treatment. The soil nutrient analysis revealed that all treatments recorded higher values than that in the control. The fourth experiment to study the effect of micronutrients boron and zinc in macropropagation confirmed that application of Zn (0.1%) to the sucker recorded highest mean number of quality suckers (4.0) in the first ratoon but it was application of Zn at 0.5% that recorded the maximum number of suckers of 4.6 in ratoon-2. This clearly showed that Zn has a promotive role in the sucker production probably by the proven route of enhanced production of auxin. The micronutrient analysis revealed a decreasing trend from ratoon- 1 to ratoon-2 and dead suckers due to dilution effect. The economic analysis based on B: C ratio revealed that in the first experiment the ratio was found to be 0.345. This is due to high cost of coir pith and sawdust. This could be significantly improved in the second experiment where in the ratio was 2.29. In the third experiment it is 1.6 and in fourth it is 2.14. This is inclusive of the prohibitive labour cost added in actual terms. In small and medium holding farms. This part is done by the farmers themselves and hence in real terms the B: C ratio would be much higher. Thus, it can be concluded that with 5.0 ml of one per cent H2SO4 acid application on the apical meristem portion of sucker in 20 kg soil media along with a combined application 20g of Glomus fasciculatum plus 10g of Azospirillum, and Zn (0.1%) to the sucker in the first ratoon and Zn at 0.5% in ratoon-2 will form a standard protocol of rapid multiplication using macropropagation technique for quality planting material production in banana (Musa (AAB) ‘Nendran’