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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: Babu, P × End date: 1993 × Start date: 1990 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of shade and mulch on the yield of ginger (Zingiber officinale R.)
    (Department Of Horticulture, College Of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1993) Babu, P; KAU; Jayachandran, B K
    An experiment was conducted at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani during the year 1992 – 1993 to study the effect of shade and mulch on the yield of ginger cv. Rio – de-Janeiro. The experiment was laid out in strip plot design with five replications. High density polyethylene shade materials were used for providing shade at required levels. The shade treatments were open (S0), 25 (S1), 50 (S2) and 75 (S3) per cent and mulch treatments were 25 (M1), 50 (M2), 75 (M3) and 100 (M4) per cent of the recommended dose. The effect of shade on enhancing sprouting was found to be significant mainly during the early stages. The effect of mulch was also found to be significantly and increasing levels of mulch increased sprouting. The effect of shade and mulch on growth parameters: leaf number, leaf area, plant height, tiller number, chlorophyll content, DMP, NAR, CGR, BR, UI, HI and top yield under low shade (25%) exhibited significant superiority with respect to growth and yield contributing factors. Most of the parameters from open were inferior to shaded conditions. In general, mulching retained more moisture, reduced soil temperature and produced positive changes in growth and yield contributing factors. Maximum green ginger and dry ginger yield were resulted from low shade (25 %) followed by medium (50 %) and heavy shade (75 %). The trend in green and dry ginger yield obtained from open condition was significantly inferior to all shade regimes. The effect of mulch on green ginger yield was also found to be significant. Under low shade (25 %) M3 and M4 were on par. Under medium and heavy shade M3 and M4 were comparable. In general the quality of the produce was found to be superior under shaded conditions. The uptake of N showed an increasing trend with increasing shade intensities but P and K showed an increasing trend upto 50 per cent and then a decrease. A general increasing trend in NPK uptake was also observed with increasing mulch levels. The study suggests that ginger is a shade loving plant giving maximum yield under low shade followed by medium and heavy. Under open condition, mulching gave a progressively increasing trend in yield, and therefore the existing recommendation (30 t ha-1) is necessary. But under low shade 25 per cent of the mulch requirement can be reduced without affecting the final yield.