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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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19903
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Subject: Home Science × End date: 1991 × Start date: 1990 ×
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Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Food consumption and energy expenditure pattern of self employed women in unorganised sector
    (Department of Home Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1990) Sujatha, A S; KAU; Prema, L
    A study on the “Food consumption and energy expenditure pattern of self employed women in unorganized sector” was conducted to assess the socio-economic and food consumption and energy expenditure pattern of the women engaged in stone breaking. 150 household surveyed were representing scheduled caste and other backward communities. The families were of nuclear type with four members in the family. Rice, tapioca, fish and coconut were found to be the major ingredients in their daily meal pattern. No special foods were provided during physiological conditions. On an average they engaged in stone breaking for about 8 hours / day and for 5 to 6 days in a week. Time spent for various activities viz. for personal care, child care and leisure was not adequate. The difficulties imposed on these home makers due to the dual role were improper care of the family, inability to cope with the household work and lack of time for child care. Due to economic reasons they engaged in stone breaking even during pregnancy till term and after delivery most of them took their children to the work site. Their actual food and nutrient intake was found to be unsatisfactory which was reflected in their low body weights and prevalence of many nutritional disorders especially anaemia. All the women were found to have a negative energy balance. Knowledge of these women on health and nutrition was found to be satisfactory and statistical analysis indicated that age had a negative significant correlation and education had a positive significant correlation with the knowledge of the women regarding food and health. Attitude of the women towards this occupation was found to be positive since this was considered to be a solution to the unemployment problem. Statistical treatment of the data revealed that age has a negative correlation and educational level of the women had a a significant positive correlation with the attitude of women towards this work.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Impact of integrated child developement services on the nutritional status of preschool children
    (Department of Home Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1990) Jaifaneesa Beegum, A; KAU; Prema, L
    The present study to find out the impact of Integrated Child Development Services on the nutritional status of preschool children was conducted in Trivandrum urban project area which included four project sectors viz. Vallakadavu, Punthura, Paruthikuzhy and Veli. Comparative study was conducted among preschool children who were non- beneficiaries of Integrated child Development Services selected from the same are and socio-economic group, since such data is not available at present. Information regarding the socio-economic background and dietary habits of the families with special reference to the nutritional status of preschool children were collected through weighment, anthropometric, clinical, biochemical and growth monitoring studies. The results of the study showed that majority of the families surveyed in both experimental and control groups were of nuclear type families belonging to the under privileged section of the community, their main occupation were manual labour and fishing. Majority of the adult members in both the groups were found to be illiterates. Majority of the families subsisted below the poverty line and spent more than 60 persent of the family income on food. All the families were habitual non-vegetarians.Rice, tapioca, fish and coconut were found to be the major ingredients in their daily meal pattern. Children in both the groups were found to have unhealthy food preferences like sweets and fried foods. In the experimental group the preference given to children in serving meals may be due to the influence of nutrition education programmes implemented under Integrated Child Development Services Programmes. Results of the food weighment survey indicated that the diets of preschool children in both the groups were inadequate and unbalanced. The consumption of protective food were too low. Calorie consumption in control group of children were unsatisfactory. Since consumption of fish was high in both the groups the availability of proteins in the daily diet were above the recommended Daily Allowance. But in control group this high protein intake become inadequate in the face of calorie inadequacy as protein would be utilized for purpose of providing energy. These observations may therefore be interpreted as indicating that protein deficiency in our preschool children is conditioned to a considerable extent by low intake of calories and that primary bottleneck in the current dietaries of poor Indian Children is not protein but calories. Results of the anthropometric measurements pointed out varying degree of growth retardation in both the groups. Anaemia was the common deficiency symptoms manifested among children of these areas in both the groups. In the control group children, a high incidence of angular stomatitis and dental caries were observed. Growth monitoring for 6 months using growth charts indicated that the mean body weights of preschool children of control group was found to be more but the difference was not statistically significant. All the mothers had sufficient knowledge regarding the various components of Integrated Child Development Services except in the areas of health education and referral services. The attitude of mothers towards the programme revealed that all the mothers had negative attitude towards the method of cooking foods in the anganwadi centres and distribution of medicines for the beneficiaries. Majority of the mothers had not adopted the home production of vegetables and poultry keeping. The lacunae located in the present study as reported by the mothers were inadequate students strength in Anganwadies due to irregular management and indifference of the anganwadi worker, improper timing for supplementary feeding and immunization, lack of play space in Anganwadies, lack of referral services and nutrition and health education classes. From the present study it was clear that in the implementation of the Integrated Child Development Services Programmes all the six different components were not given equal weightage. This stresses the need for giving equal importance to all the six components, frequent visits by auxiliary Nurses and Midwives and other Medical Personnels and for proper supervision by senior field officials, so as to correct the problems located.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Influence of Dietary Habits on Atherosclerosis
    (Department of Home Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1990) Leena Joseph, P; KAU; Usha, V
    A study on the influence of dietary habits on atherosclerosis was conducted among patients attending the Cardiac clinic at Medical College. Trivandrum. An assessment of the socio economic and food consumption pattern of the families of atherosclerotic patients. personal characteristics as well as dietary pattern of the patients and the effect of diet counselling which was imparted to selected case studies was also made. The results of the socio economic and dietary survey conducted in 100 families of the atherosclerotic patients, attending the Cardiac clinic at Trivandrum Medical College, revealed that, most of the patients belonging to the low socio economic group, resided in the rural areas and were habitual non vegetarians (95 per cent). Around 63 per cent of the families spent upto 60 per cent of their monthly income on food, purchasing staple food articles like cereals and roots and tubers weekly, perishable foods like milk, fish, leafy vegetables and other vegetables daily, and other foods like oilseeds, cooking oils, sugar and spices and condiments monthly. Pulses, fruits, meat and egg were purchased only occasionally by majority of the families. All the families used rice daily but majority of them were not in the habit of using cereals other than rice and wheat in their daily dietaries. Milk, fish, vegetables and cereals, palm oil, coconut oil, sugar, coconut, spices and condiments etc. were consumed daily by almost all the families. A comparison of daily food intake with RDA indicated that consumption of fruits, fish and meat, milk and milk products and sugar were in excess. The intake of almost all the nutrients were found to be satisfactory in the case of male members in the family, while the intakes of most of the nutrients was found to be higher among the female members. The personal characteristics and dietary pattern of the patients showed that the prevalence of the disease was high in men and the age at onset of disease was between 41-65 years. Twenty two per cent of the patients had a family history of the disease. The occurrence of hyper-tension (54 per cent), obesity (33 per cent) and diabetic (25 percent) among the patients was found to be prevalent. Alcoholism, smoking and tobacco chewing were also found in few patients. Fried food items prepared in palm oil or coconut oil were consumed without any restrictions some patients were in the habit of taking hypocholesterolemic agents like bittergourd, garlic etc. Inclusion of food exchanges which supplied more calories was food to be more frequent in their daily diets. Diet counselling at Cardiac clinic was imparted without the help of a dietition and the diet planning was not according to the individual needs of the patients. Most of the patients were not satisfied with the modified diet prescribed in the clinic. Amount of the actual intake of major nutrients by patients through food weighment survey indicated that the proportion of calories from fat was found to be high in all the patients and the proportion of calories from carbohydrate was considerably low. The present study indicated that educating the patients. With regard to a modified diet suitable to their individual life styles and economic conditions is very important in the control of the disease. The diet counselling which was imparted by the investigator in selected case studies for six months was found to be effective in controlling blood lipid levels of atherosclerotic patients. This implies that a well balanced diet with the correct proportion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats according to the patients ideal body weights will bring about a reduction in the blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.