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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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ThesisItem Open Access Genetic diversity analysis of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) accessions using molecular markers(Department of fruit science, College of agriculture ,Vellayani, 2023-09-12) Gazel, M Gaddafi; KAU; Anu, G KrishnanRambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) holds great potential in Kerala being a tropical region. It belongs to the Sapindaceae family, which consists of numerous trees and shrubs, comprising over 125 genera and more than 1000 species that are found across the tropics and warm regions. These plants are adaptable to various soil types, ranging from heavy soils in low-lying areas to hilly soils in upland regions. The origin of rambutan can be traced back to Southeast Asia, specifically Indonesia and Malaysia. Rambutan cultivation is rapidly expanding along India's western coast, particularly in the districts of Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Thrissur of Kerala. Even though morphological characterization and diversity studies of the collections from various localities in Kerala have been carried out, the genetic diversity analysis using molecular markers has not yet been conducted. Hence, the current research titled "Genetic diversity analysis of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) accessions using molecular markers" was conducted at the Regional Agricultural Research Station Kumarakom and at the Department of Fruit Science, College of Vellayani between 2020 and 2022. The main objective of this study was to assess the diversity of twenty rambutan accessions using SSR and ISSR molecular markers collected from the districts of Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, and Thrissur. DNA isolation was performed using the CTAB method (Doyle and Doyle,1987) with minor modifications. A pre-washing with sorbitol buffer was done to improve the DNA quality. The DNA samples showed UV absorbance ratios (A260/A280) between 1.80 and 1.95 indicating their purity. The initial primer screening was conducted with thirty ISSR and sixteen SSR primers. Based on their ability to yield reproducible and distinct banding patterns, eleven ISSR and five SSR primers were selected for subsequent analysis. The ISSR primers used in the study exhibited a polymorphism percentage ranging from 55.56% (ISSR 10 ) to 100% (ISSR-1 and UBC 828), with an average value of 79.44%. On the other hand, the selected SSR primers displayed a 100% polymorphism percentage. The Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) values ranged from 0.12 (UBC-819) to 0.41 (ISSR-23) for ISSR markers and from 0.60 (NlaSSR 7) to 0.72 (NlaSSR 23) for SSR markers. PIC is an indication of the informativeness of the primers. The Marker index (MI) which measures the utility of the primers ranged between 0.36 (UBC 819) to 2.88 (UBC 825) for ISSR markers and it varied between 1.80(NlaSSR 7) to 2.88 (NlaSSR 23) for SSR markers. The diversity analysis of rambutan accessions was performed using the NTSYS-Pc software. In the UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean) cluster analysis based on ISSR data, the rambutan accessions were divided into two distinct clusters at a similarity coefficient of 0.61 with 10 accessions in each cluster. The Col.03 and Col.53 were found to be closely related with a similarity of 71%. In the SSR data-based cluster analysis, the rambutan accessions were divided into two major clusters at a similarity coefficient of 0.70. Cluster I comprised a total of eight rambutan accessions and Cluster II included the remaining twelve genotypes. The highest similarity of 67% was observed between Col.87 and Col.97, Col. 81 and Col.86, Col.04 and Col.52, and Col.48 and Col.15. In the combined SSR-ISSR cluster analysis, at a similarity coefficient of 0.62, the rambutan accessions were divided into two clusters, showing a similar dendrogram pattern as observed in the ISSR data-based dendrogram. The Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) also revealed a similar pattern of distribution of the accessions as recorded in cluster analysis.The results of the present study revealed that the accessions studied had genetic diversity ranging from 61% to 70% under different marker systems. The accessions from the same area have shown a closer genetic distance, suggesting that dispersal from related parents may have occurred. In future crop improvement programmes for this exotic crop, existing germplasm from different locations of the state and molecular analysis employing more markers can be exploited. Identification of markers associated with economically important trails will be useful for marker assisted breeding programmes. The current study on genetic diversity using molecular markers is the first of its type in Kerala and hence can be considered as a basic information for future related works.ThesisItem Open Access Genotype evaluation and production technology development for high density planting system in papaya(Carica papaya L.)(Department of fruit science, college of agriculture,Vellanikkara, 2023-07-21) Amrita Manohar; KAU; Anu, G Krishnan; KAUPapaya (Carica papaya L.) is an evergreen, tropical, herbaceous fruit crop valued for its taste, medicinal, and dietary benefits. Lack of suitable high-yielding dessert purpose papaya genotypes, scarcity of irrigation water, high cost of fertilisers and limitation with respect to land area available for cultivation are the major factors limiting commercial cultivation of papaya in Kerala. In this background, the present investigation on "Genotype evaluation and production technology development for high density planting system in papaya (Carica papaya L.)" was undertaken at the college orchard attached to the Department of Fruit Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, during 2021-2022. The study consisted of two separate experiments, experiment I and experiment II. In experiment I, evaluation of genotypes for table purpose under Kerala conditions was carried out in RBD using 25 genotypes. The seeds were collected from research stations and homesteads in Kottayam, Emakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, and Malappuram districts. The nutrient management was done as per PoP recommendations for papaya (KAU, 2016).ThesisItem Open Access Refinement of softwood grafting technique in Sapota (Manilkara zapota L.)(Department of Fruit Science, College of Agriculture, Padanakkad, 2022-07-22) Archana, P V; Meera Manjusha, A V; KAUSapota (Manilkara zapota L.) family sapotaceae is one of the fruit trees which is adapted to humid tropical climate and diversified soil conditions. Softwood grafting in sapota has become common among farmers and horticulture nursery sector because it is an easy, as well as cheap method and helps in rapid multiplication of plants with considerable success rate. Generally, Khirni (Manilkara hexandra L.) is used as rootstock for grafting in sapota. The investigation entitled “Refinement of softwood grafting technique in sapota (Manilkara zapota L.)” was carried out at department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Padannakkad, Kasaragod, during 2020-2021.The study was conducted in completely randomized block design with factorial concept. The first experiment was done with the objective to find out the best practice for enhancing success percent in softwood grafting of sapota varieties under different environmental conditions with different precuring treatments having 27 treatment combinations replicated twice. The factors of first experiment were environmental conditions (open-C1, polyhouse-C₂ and polytunnel followed by shade net-C3) with cultivars (Cricket Ball-V1, Pala-V₂ and Oval-V₃) and scion precuring treatments (defoliation 10 days prior to grafting-S₁, defoliation followed by grafting on the same day-S₂ and grafting without defoliation-S₃). Interaction effect of environmental conditions, cultivars and scion precuring up to final stage of growth indicated that C3V1S3 (Polytunnel+ Cricket Ball+ Without defoliation) had maximum value with respect to growth parameters viz. girth of stem except 30 DAG(3.05),leaf area (35.42), length of leaf except 30 DAG (11.22), breadth of leaf except 60 DAG (4.32), number of leaves except 30 DAG, length of scion except 30 DAG and height of graft (34.75), fresh weight (32.06) and dry weight (15.04). C1V3S2 (Open+ Oval+ Same day defoliation) recorded lowest value with respect to growth parameters viz. length of scion (16.83 cm), girth of stem (2.32 cm), number of successful grafts (3.00), success percentage (20.00 %), survival percentage (20.00 % ), leaf area (16.45cm2 ), length of leaf (7.25 cm), breadth of leaf (3.11 cm), number of leaves (except 120 DAG) and height of graft(31.13 cm). The second experiment was undertaken to study the effect of cytokinin on success of sapota grafting. Factors are different concentration of cytokinin (P₁-100 ppm, P₂-150 ppm, P₃-200 ppm and P₄-control) and different days of application (D₁-0 thday, D₂-5 thday and D₃-10thday prior to grafting). Among the individual effect of cytokinin concentration, P3- cytokinin at 200ppm was found to be highest in terms of number of successful grafts, success percentage (82.22%), survival percentage (77%), length of leaf(12.06cm ), leaf area, breadth of leaf, girth of stem at 30,90 and 120 DAG, length of scion (120,150 and 180 DAG) and number of leaves (except 60 DAG). Considering individual effect of days of cytokinin application, D1 had the maximum value on observations like length of leaf (11.80cm), number of leaf (22.62), dry weight (11.26g), fresh weight (27.05g), height of graft, leaf area and girth of stem (3.06 cm), length of scion and breadth of leaf. Considering the interaction effect between concentration of cytokinin and days of cytokinin application, P3D1 (cytokinin at 200 ppm+ 0th day prior to grafting) proved to be the best treatment combination in terms of observations like length of scion, number of leaf (24.30), height of graft, leaf area (41.27 cm2 ), breadth of leaf (30 and 150DAG), length of leaf (90 to 150 DAG) and girth of stem (90,120,180 DAG). P4D3 (control treatment+10th day prior to grafting) was found to be lowest in terms of observations like number of leaf (18.80), leaf area (21.27 cm2 ) and length of scion (13.40 cm). The results obtained from present study revealed that grafting of sapota cv. Cricket ball without defoliation of scion and kept under polytunnel condition (T21-C₃V₁S₃) as the best treatment which recorded highest graft success and survival percentage. Grafts under C3-polytunnel found to be better in growth parameters compared to open and polyhouse conditions. Among scion precuring treatments, defoliation 10 days prior to grafting-S₁ provided highest percentage of graft success. Hence, modified grafting technique can be recommended as an ideal approach for sapota propagation during off season also. Application of cytokinin at 200ppm concentration on the same day of grafting (T₇-P₃D₁) enhanced graft growth. Regarding concentration of cytokinin, at 200ppm showed higher value which was on par with P1 and P2 in terms of success and survival percentage. So, cytokinin application at 100ppm (lower dose) for graft success can be recommend as economically beneficial.ThesisItem Embargo Evaluation of banana cultivars for sheath fibre yield and quality(Department of Fruit Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2021) Asish, Benny; KAU; Pushpalatha, P BThe research work “Evaluation of banana cultivars for sheath fibre yield and quality” was carried out in the Department of Fruit Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara during the academic year 2019-2021. As part of this experiment, biomass produced by different banana cultivars and their fibre yield were recorded. The fibre obtained from different cultivars were analysed for their physical and biochemical characters. Significant variation was observed among the cultivars belonging to different genomic groups with regard to biomass production. The highest values for whole plant weight (45.20 kg), pseudostem weight (30.19 kg) and leaf weight (6.42 kg) were recorded in Elavazha, whereas the highest rhizome weight was recorded in Karpooravally (10.63 kg). Maximum plant biomass production was noticed in cultivars with BB genome (42.24 kg) and least in cultivars with AA genome (12.08 kg). In general, cultivars with ‘B’ genome were found to produce higher biomass than cultivars with ‘A’ genome. The number of fibre extractable sheaths were found to vary (10-16) among the different cultivars. The maximum number of fibre extractable sheaths was recorded in cultivars Kunnan, Njalipoovan, Mysore Poovan and Monthan (16 each) followed by Elavazha and Grand Naine (15 each). The percentage of fibre extractable pseudostem among the different cultivars was found to be in the range of 41.52% (Kunnan) to 76.18% (Grand Naine). Sheath weight was found to be correlated with the weight of leaves, pseudostem, rhizome and whole plant and the average sheath weight was highest in Karpooravally (1083.57 g) and Elavazha (1072.89 g) followed by Attikol (1026.43 g). It was observed that, sheath weight was higher in the middle layers and showed a trend reducing towards outer and inner layers in all banana cultivars except for Chenkadali in which sheath weight of the outer layers were also higher. Among the methods of extraction, mechanical extraction was found to be better compared to manual method with respect to fibre yield. Fibre yield was directly correlated with sheath weight in each cultivar and as in the case of sheath weight, fibre yield was also found to be higher from middle sheath layers than that from outer and inner sheath layers. In cultivar Chenkadali, higher fibre yield was recorded from both outer sheaths and middle sheaths. Apart from such exception, the superiority of ‘B’ genome with respect to fibre yield was unravelled through higher yield and higher recovery percentage in Elavazha and Attikol. Fibre yield from the whole plant was comparatively high in Elavazha (157.38 g) followed by Chenkadali (146.97 g). Physical characters of banana fibres such as tex and diameter did not vary with respect to the method of extraction. However, variation was there among cultivars and also depending upon the position of sheath layer in pseudostem. Tex of fibre from different cultivars ranged from 5.50 to 21.70, whereas diameter ranged from 0.06 mm to 0.18 mm. Tex and diameter of the fibre were found to be positively correlated. With regard to TSS content of pseudostem juice, it was found to be very less in all the cultivars, with a comparatively higher value in Elavazha (1.37ºBrix). The values recorded for pH (5.32 to 6.87) and acidity of pseudostem juice of different cultivars indicated that the juice is slightly acidic in nature. Moisture content in freshly extracted fibre ranged from 49.98% to 77.78% and was found to be high in cultivars belonging to AB and ABB genomic groups. Significant variation was observed among the cultivars with respect to cellulose, lignin, carbohydrates and pectin in dry fibre. The cellulose content in fibre of different cultivars ranged between 43.86% and 68.70%, lignin content ranged between 11.64% and 39.23%, carbohydrate content ranged between 1.05% and 2.76% and pectin content ranged between 1.40% and 3.80%. The cellulose content in fibre was found to be high in cultivars with BB genome and lowest in cultivars with AAA genome. Lignin content was negatively correlated with cellulose content and ‘A’ genome was found to contribute more towards lignin content than ‘B genome. Pectin content was also positively correlated with lignin content. Among sheath layers, cellulose content was higher in fibre from inner sheath layers, whereas lignin and pectin content was higher in the outer sheath layers.ThesisItem Open Access Reproductive biology and evaluation of kokum (garcinia indica (thouars) choisy) genotypes(Department of Fruit Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2021) Manjunath Sharanappa, Tondihal; KAU; Vikram, H CKokum (Garcinia indica (Thouars) Choisy) is a valuable yet underutilized perennial fruit tree. It is gaining importance due to multifarious uses mainly in the preparation of pleasant and attractive beverages which have rich medicinal properties. Kokum is one of the native species exhibiting a complex nature of flowering and fruiting behaviour. In the present investigation, twenty nine genotypes of kokum maintained at College Orchard, Department of Fruit Science as well as ICARNBPGR, Regional Station, Vellanikkara were studied systematically for phenological growth stages, floral characters, growth, yield and quality parameters during the period 2019-2021. In kokum, a total of 7 principal growth stages and 35 secondary growth stages were identified and described by using extended Biologische Bundesantalt, Bundessortenamt and Chemische Industrie (BBCH) scale (Meier, 2001). The principal growth stage 0- the vegetative bud development recorded 17 days, stage 1- the leaf development stage took 48 days, stage 3- the shoot development extended for 65 days, stage 5- the reproductive bud development took 32 days, stage 6- flowering lasted for 11 days, stage 7- which represented the fruit development had the longest duration of 103 days and stage 8- the fruit maturity and ripening took 5 days. Among the twenty nine genotypes studied for floral characters, twelve genotypes were female, fifteen were male and one genotype produced bisexual flowers. Male flowers were of two types, type I male flowers were present in all the fifteen male trees, whereas type II male flowers were present in seven male trees. Variation was observed among the genotypes for qualitative characters of flower viz., position of inflorescence (axillary, terminal or both), calyx colour (greenish yellow to yellowish green), corolla colour (yellow to yellowish orange), nature of stamens (free in all male and bisexual flowers), presence of pistillode (present in type II male flower and absent in type I male flower), staminodes were observed in female flowers only and it ranged from 3.7 to 11.8 in number, stigmatic rays was tuberculate and it found to be similar in all the female genotypes. The genotypes varied significantly with respect to quantitative characters of flowers such as number of flowers per m2 (10.90 to 25.20), length (3.48 mm to 6.64 mm) and breadth (4.78 mm to 8.05 mm) of flower. Majority of the female trees produced solitary or in groups of two to three, whereas male and bisexual trees produced flowers in clusters. Female flowers were sessile or with small pedicels, whereas in male flowers, pedicel length ranged from 3.41 to 5.73 mm. The time of anthesis in all three types of flowers found to occur from 19.30 to 21.00 hours. The anther dehiscence in male and bisexual flowers were found to start simultaneously from 19.00 hours and it continued till 20.30 hours. Stigma receptivity was observed at the time of anthesis and it remained receptive for about 12 to 14 hours. Both type I and type II male flowers had round shaped pollen which measured about 5 µm diameter. The pollens of bisexual flowers were elongated with prominent ridges on the surface and showed same size as that of male pollen. Acetocarmine test revealed that 84.07 to 98.49 per cent of pollen were found to be viable in male and bisexual flowers of kokum. Controlled pollination was performed in different combinations, female tree as receptors and male (type I and type II flowers) as well as bisexual trees as donors for understanding pollination and fruit set behaviour in different sex form of kokum. Female trees crossed with type II male and bisexual flowers recorded 100 per cent fruit set. Female trees crossed with type I male flower recorded 60 per cent of fruit set, whereas bisexual flowers on selfing exhibited 50 per cent fruit set. In the present study, variation was noticed among the kokum genotypes with regard to the growth and leaf characters. Fruit characters were recorded from thirteen bearing genotypes and all these genotypes were found to vary significantly for the fruit characters. Fruit weight ranged from 12.17 to 40.14 g, fruit volume varied from 34.22 to 45.60 cm3 , fresh weight of rind varied from 7.15 to 21.01 g, dry weight of rind ranged from 1.09 to 3.07 g, rind to seed ratio ranged from 0.81 to 1.77 and rind thickness varied from 2.46 to 3.41 mm. Genotype, IC552528-3 recorded maximum number of fruits per m2 (71.10), ACC.FSC-9 had produced the highest number of fruits per tree (2258) and fruit yield per tree (60.64 kg). Kokum genotypes differed significantly for all the biochemical parameters except moisture content. Moisture content ranged from 82.91 to 90.34 per cent, titratable acidity ranged from 2.30 to 4.47 per cent, total sugars varied from 4.32 to 10.60 per cent, TSS ranged from 5.65 to 14.15 0Brix and anthocyanin content varied from 11.12 to 25.01 mg per 100 g. Genotypes were ranked based on the biochemical composition of the fruit rind. Genotypes, IC552528-3 and IC136687-3 which had significantly high TSS and low acidity were ranked as superior quality genotypes and these genotypes can be utilised for value addition. Based on the yield and quality parameters nine genotypes were selected for organic acid profiling of kokum rind. The Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LCMS) analysis revealed that eleven major constituents are present in kokum rind. Total organic acids in the genotypes varied from 47.12 (IC342319-2) to 759.29 mg/g (ACC.FSC-1). Among the different organic acids, hydroxycitric acid (HCA) was predominant (1908.48 mg/g) followed by citric acid (1254.89 mg/g). Significantly the highest HCA (652.52 mg/g) was recorded in ACC.FSC-6. It has antiobesic, anticholesterol and UV protecting properties and hence, genotypes which are found rich in HCA can be utilised by the pharmaceutical industries. Cluster analysis of kokum genotypes based on organic acids formed five different clusters. Genotypes under the same cluster showed more similarity in bioactive compounds. Principal component analysis distinguished distribution of organic acid constituents into two axes. The axes first two principal components explained 63.03 per cent of total variance. The knowledge on variability of chemical constituents has vital role in identification of chemotypes which pave way for investigation on therapeutic potential of genotypes.ThesisItem Open Access Evaluation of dragon fruit (hylocereus spp.) genotypes grown in Kerala(Department of Fruit Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2021) Keerthana, Sethunath; KAU; Jyothi, BhaskarDragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) commonly known as the pitaya, is a perennial climbing vine belonging to the Cactaceae family. The present work carried out in the Department of Fruit Science during the period 2019-2021 to study the morphology, flowering, yield and quality attributes of dragon fruit grown in four districts of Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Thrissur) is of vital importance with respect to the popularity dragon fruit has gained within a very short span of time in Kerala. A total of 100 plants, 10 each from 10 different locations were evaluated based on the UPOV descriptor guidelines to characterise the different genotypes that are being cultivated in Kerala. The plants were denoted as P1 to P10, prefixed with the first two letters of the location to which they belong. The commercial cultivation of dragon fruit in Kerala was found to be dominated by the dark pink/purple fleshed dragon fruit (Hylocereus costaricensis). Within this species, more than one genotype was identified. The stem, flower, yield and quality attributes were found to vary widely. The stem characters included stem segment length (33-210 cm), stem segment width ((1.80-6.60cm), distance between areoles (2.00-5.50 cm), arch height (1.00-4.20 cm), stem waxiness (strong and weak), stem sturdiness (high and low), margin of rib (convex and flat), number of spines per areole (3-5), spine colour (medium brown and dark brown), height of the pole (6.5-8 ft with 1-2 ft buried underground), number of branches (numerous) and number of stem segments per branch (1-6). Variations were also observed for the flower characters such as bud shape (ovate and elliptic), shape of bud apex (acute and rounded), secondary colour pattern of sepal (slightly red edged and red edged), intensity of red colour on bracts (weak, medium and strong), length of style (23.50-31.00 cm) and number of stigma lobes (26-36). The yield characters studied were fruit weight (84-896g), length of fruit (4.60-10.40 cm), width of fruit (4.40-10.40 cm), length/width ratio of fruit (1.00-1.21), number of bracts (18- 50), length of apical bract (3.00-6.30cm), width of base of the bract(1.40-5.70 cm), position of bracts towards the peel (adpressed, slightly held out and strongly held out), fruit weight without peel (52-592 g), fruit shape (oval or spherical), colour of peel 2 (medium pink and dark pink), flesh colour (dark pink and purple) and yield per post (5- 20 kg per year based on the age of the plants). The values ranged from 11 to 18 °B with respect to the TSS of the fruits whereas the titrable acidity was found to be 0.12 per cent in all the fruits. The plants KoP1 to KoP10 from Kozhenchery received the maximum score for appearance, taste, flavour, after taste and overall acceptance. Plants came into bearing within 1.5 to 2 years of planting when stem cuttings were used as the planting material. The duration from flower bud initiation to anthesis was 12-15 days in general and anthesis took place during the night time after 10 p.m. If the pollination was successful, fruit could be visible after 5 to 7 days of anthesis and the harvest was possible in 23-25 days from fruit set i.e., one month after anthesis. When the phenology of the plants was studied, flowering started in the month of March in two locations (Athikkayam and Vaniyampara) whereas in all the other locations, it started in the month of April. The flowering season extended till September to October. The fruiting season started exactly one month after the anthesis and ceased one month after the flowering has stopped, i.e., April to November. As dragon fruit was a perennial crop, different orchards were grouped into three phases based on the age of the plants, namely the establishment phase (0-2 years), yield increasing phase (2-4 years) and yield stabilizing phase (4 years and above). Considering the phases, total cost of cultivation was calculated and it was found to be ₹8,29,393 per year per hectare. The maximum cost during establishment phase was incurred for the planting material and construction of posts. During the maintenance phase, maximum expenditure was for the manure and fertilizer application. Average yield per year per hectare was observed to be around 21 tonnes and the average price received by farmers was ₹174 per kg. Net return from one hectare was around ₹27,32,768. The B:C ratio was 4.29 when the farmers received ₹174 per kg fruit. The B:C ratio obtained with the least price (₹120 per kg) was 3.04. Being a highly remunerative crop, area under dragon fruit cultivation was found to be expanding year after year, as more under-utilized lands are being brought under this crop. Major constraint identified in the cultivation of dragon fruit was the bud and flower drop due to excessive and continuous rainfall during the flowering season. Weed 3 growth was also found to be a major problem. The source of planting material in all the locations under study were found to be either from Malaysia or Cambodia. Since dragon fruit was a crop introduced recently to India, the incidence of pests and diseases were less compared to other fruit crops. But the menace caused by ants was common and rarely, mealy bugs and beetles were found. Fruits were found to be damaged by birds. Disease symptoms similar to canker were observed on the fruits and stem in one of the locations. Physiological disorder like yellowing during extreme summer was common in most of the orchards and these symptoms vanished immediately after a shower or with irrigation. The variability within the species was analysed using statistical techniques like factor analysis and cluster analysis. Maximum variability (59.38%) in the stem and flower characters was explained by two dimensions. The characters that contributed to the variability were intensity of red colour of bract, stem waxiness, stem sturdiness, margin of rib, spine colour, bud shape, bud apex shape, number of stigma lobes, length of style and distance between areoles. Similarly, maximum variability (62.74%) in the quality attributes were contributed by the first two dimensions out of four significant dimensions. The characters responsible for creating the variability were fruit weight, position of bract towards peel, fruit width, fruit weight without peel, fruit length, flesh colour, fruit shape, width of base of bract, length of apical bract, outer TSS, TSS-acid ratio and core TSS. Cluster analysis of the qualitative traits formed six different clusters. When the mixed data with both qualitative and quantitative characters were analysed through clustering, there were three clusters based on the stem and flower characters and four clusters based on the yield and quality attributes, which indicated variability within the species. Other species of Hylocereus namely H. undatus and H. megalanthus, and other types known as Bruni and Frankis Red imported from countries like Thailand and Vietnam are also under cultivation by farmers and are getting popular in different parts of Kerala.