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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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19861
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Subject: Horticulture × Author: Dalia Cherian × End date: 1986 × Start date: 1986 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Radiation induced variability in interspecific hybrids involving abolmoschus esculentus moench and abolmoschus manihot
    (Department of Olericulture, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1986) Dalia Cherian; KAU; Peter, K V
    Yellow vein mosaic is the most destructive viral disease of bhindi, which takes heavy toll of the crop, infecting at all growth stages. Attempts to isolate source(s) of resistance to yellow vein mosaic disease from cultivars and wild relatives were proved to be of limited success because of either incompatibility or sterility barriers between the cultivars and wild relatives. An experiment was planned and carried out during June - October,1984; November - April, 1984-'85 and June - October 1985 at the Instructional Farm _ of the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, Trichur to induce variability in interspecific hybrids involving Abolmoschus esculetus (L.) Moench and Abolmoschus manihot (L.) Medic. The three accessions of Abolmoschus manihot were observed cross compatible with Abolmoschus esculentus cv. ‘Pusa Sawani', Abolmoschus menihot sap, tetraphyllus crossed readily with abolmoschus esculentus (Cl = 95%) . This was proved through Fo fruit set, Fo seed set and germination of F0 seeds. The F1 plants did not bear normal seeds and F2 generation could not be raised. The pollen fertility of F1 hybrids were much lower than the parents. There was reciprocal difference in the crossability index. radiation created considerable variability in interspecific F1 hybrids for days to flower, plant height,leaf length, leaf width, fruit length, fruit girth, nodes on main stem, fruiting nodes on main stem, intemodal length, fruits/plant, ridges/fruit and fruit yield/plant, in Abolmoschus esculentus x 2 accessions of Abolmoschus manihot. There was preponderance of characters of Abolmoschus manihot in the interspecific hybrids. Considerable changes in discrete characters were observed in irradiated F1 hybrids. Dominant characters like branched habit, pubescence and pigmentation of vegetative parts, and hairiness of fruit got changed with gamma radiation. Though the radiation enhanced the pollen fertility of interspecific hybrids, they had seedless fruits or fruits with incompletely filled seeds. With the doses 15 kR, 20 kR and 25 kR tried, quantitative and qualitative characters were affected, though there appeared to be scope for the use of still higher dose of rays to create wider variability in interspecific hybrids. Under natural field conditions and artificial inoculation, ‘Pusa Sawani’ was infected by yellow vein mosaic virus, whereas none of the wild species did exhibit any symptoms. Artificial inoculation provides a means to select desirable plant types having resistance to yellow vein mosaic disease.