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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: Binu Venuganan, Panickar × Author: KAU × End date: 2003 × Start date: 2003 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Induction of leaf spot resistance and improvement in quality of amaranth through mutation
    (Department of Olericulture, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2003) Binu Venuganan, Panickar; KAU; Krishna Kumary, K
    The present study on 'Induction of leaf spot resistance and improvement in quality of amaranth through mutation' was carried out in the vegetable research field of the Department of Olericulture, College of Horticulture, KAU, Vellanikkara with the objective of standardizing the optimum dose of gamma ray for inducing variability and to study the differential response of the mutagen on growth parameters, leaf spot infection and biochemical attributes in MI and M2 generation. Based on the survival percentage the LDso was fixed as 400 Gy and doses below that were tried. In general, a progressive decline in germination percentage, survival percentage, plant height, branches per plant, leaf length, leaf width, leaf stem ratio and vegetable yield per plant was noticed with increase in dosages of gamma rays in MI generation. Increased content of Beta carotene, vitamin C and decreased content of oxalate and nitrate could be found at lower doses. Analysis of induced variability in M2 generation showed a negative shift in mean values for all the characters except days to flowering and crop duration. The mean performance was found to be minimum for higher doses and maximum for control and lower doses. Stimulatory effects could be noticed for plant height, leaf length, vegetable yield per plant, Beta carotene and vitamin C. This clearly demonstrated that a positive response to selection can be created by gamma rays in amaranth. Observations taken on disease severity at so" day after transplanting revealed that plants at 100 Gy dose showed less leaf spot disease infection whereas control and 400 Gy dose were highly susceptible to the disease. Quantitative analysis of the viable mutations revealed that the spectrum was much wider in A. hypochondriacus than A. tricolor. With further research on the same, it may be possible to isolate desirable mutants in the further generations.