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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: Horticulture × Author: Ajith Kumar, P V × End date: 1993 × Start date: 1990 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Standardisation of media and containers for ex-vitro establishment of anthurium plantlets produced by leaf culture
    (Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1993) Ajith Kumar, P V; KAU; Ramachandran Nair, S
    Investigations were carried out at the Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory of the College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 1991-1993 to develop suitable methods to plant out Anthurium andreanum plantlets and to standardise media and containers to maximise the ex vitro establishment and growth of in vitro derived plantlets. Segments of leaf were used as explant for reproducing required number of plantlets for the study. Various factors influencing in vitro rooting were standardised. Plantlets of 3 cm length with at least three leaves recorded shortest time (10.24 days) for root initiation and produced maximum number of roots per shoot compared to smaller shoots. Combination of BA 0.5 ppm and IAA 2.0 ppm was found to be the best for in vitro rooting. Agar at 0.7 % recorded shortest time (10.54 days) for root initiation and the number of roots per shoots decreased by increasing its concentration in the medium, while the length 0f ro0t increased along with increase in agar concentration. Sucrose level maintained at normal level in MS medium (3.0 per cent) was found to be the best for in vitro rooting. In order to standardise the media and containers for ex vitro establishment, media such as coarse sand, finesand, charcoal, soilrite and sphagnum moss and containers such as mud pot, plastic pot, paper pot, polythene cover and netted pot were used. Plantlets with at least 2.5-3 cm size (with 3-4 leaves and two or more roots) recorded 90.0 to 100.0 per cent survival irrespective of media and containers. Of the various madia and containers tried plastic pot as the container and soilrite as the media recorded highest number of leaves in the transplanted plants at fortnightly intervals. Both one and two months after transplanting, mud pot outdid other containers and soilrite outdid other media with respect to plant height. In the case of leaf area at second and fourth fortnight, plastic pot and at third fortnight polythene cover was found to be the best container, and soilrite was the best medium at third fortnight onwards. The containers showed no significant influence on petiole length at second and fourth fortnight but at second fortnight onwards medium soilrite recorded maximum petiole length. The plants grown in polythene cover with media soilrite recorded inaximum number of roots and length of roots at two months after transplanting. So it is evident that among the media, soilrite was the best for ex vitro establishment of anthurium plantlets but containers showed no uniform response with various growth factors.