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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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198412
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Subject: Horticulture × Author: KAU × End date: 1984 × Start date: 1984 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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Now showing 1 - 9 of 12
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of growth regulators on flowering pollination and seed-set in ginger(zingiber officinale, rose)
    (Department of Plantation Crops and Spices, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1984) Usha, K; KAU; Balakrishnan, S
    Flowering behaviour and floral biology of Rio-de-Janeiro and Maran and the effect of growth regulators viz., kinetin (5, 10 and 15 ppm), Ethrel (25, 50 and 100 ppm) and NAA (10, 25 and 50 ppm) in combination with two per cent urea and without urea on flowering, pollination and seed-set in Rio-de-Janeiro were studied at the College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural university, Vellanikkara during 1981-’83. The objective of the investigation was to assess the available varieties of ginger for flowering behaviour and to evaluate the effect of growth regulators with and without urea on the flowering behaviour, floral biology, floral structure, pollination and seed- set in Rio-de-Janeiro. (The possibility of overcoming the problems of shy and irregular flowering, poor pollen germination and the failure to set seeds also was explored during the investigation). (Among the 25 varieties studied, flowering was observed only in two varieties viz., Rio-de-Janeiro and Maran). Considerable variation was noticed between Rio-de-Janeiro and Maran with respect to flowering behaviour, extent of flowering, types of inflorescence, time taken for scape development, anthesis, anther dehiscence, pollen production, pollen fertility, style length and ovary length. Long but thin style was noticed both in Rio-de-Janero and Maran. Irrespective of the variety, flowers were found to rot/ and dry within 16 hours after flower opening. The maximum pollen germination (6.20 per cent) was obtained in the medium containing eight per cent sucrose, three per cent gelatin and 60 ppm boric acid under moist cotton covering in BOD incubator (26.50C). Coiling of the pollen tube during the advanced stages of growth was noticed. Pollination carried out in Rio-de-Janeiro and Maran employing the variables like stage of flower (bud stage, immediately after flower opening and three hours after flower opening), condition of stigma (partial and complete removal of style), density of pollen (smearing once, twice and thrice with standard brush), mixed pollen (ginger pollen with either Alpinia, Hedychium, Kaempheria or Costus pollen) and supplementary pollination (repeated pollination twice at two hours interval) failed to record any positive evidence of seed-set. Effect of growth regulators and urea on flowering behaviour, inflorescence characteristics and floral structures of ginger was evidenced during the study. ( Favourable influence of NAA 50 ppm on inducing early flowering, kinetin 15 ppm on the duration of flowering, NAA and kinetin on inflorescence production, NAA 50 ppm without urea on the number of flowers per inflorescence, NAA 10 ppm and all the three levels of kinetin on pollen production, NAA on pollen diameter, higher levels of Kinetin and Ethrel and lower levels of NAA on exine thinning, Ethrel 25 ppm in combination with urea, Kinetin 15 ppm with urea, NAA 50 ppm and Kinetin 10 ppm on pollen fertility, lower levels of Kinetin and Ethrel on reducing the style length, Kinetin 15 ppm and NAA 10 ppm on ovary length, Ethrel 25 ppm with urea and higher levels of NAA and Kinetin on pollen germination and NAA 50 ppm on pollen tube growth was revealed during the study.) Floral biology of Rio-de-Janeiro was not influenced by growth regulator and urea treatments. Abnormal floral structures occurred as isolated cases and therefore the role of growth regulators and urea in this respect was not clear from the results. (Pollination carried out in ginger (var.Rio-de-Janeiro) plants, subjected to growth regulator treatments with and without urea, employing the variables like stage of flower, condition of stigma, density of pollen, mixed pollen and supplementary pollination failed to result in seed-set.)
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Screening for resistance to aphis craccivora in vegetable cowpea and evaluation of early types
    (Department of Olericulture, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1984) Sulochana, K A; KAU; Peter, K V
    Cowpea Vigna unguiculata (L) walp is an important legume grown both in tropics and sub tropics. Eighty three cowpea lines were evaluated for field resistance to Aphis craccivora. All the lines except 10 TVU lines were infested by the aphid before 30 days after sowing. The lines TVU 1889, TVU 408, TVU 2896 and TVU 2962 were completely free from aphid infestation observed on leaves internodes and pods upto 60 days of sowing during the first crop season. The resistance reaction observed during second crop season and under controlled aphid infestation revealed that TVU 1889 was the most promising as far as aphid resistance is concerned. There are considerable variability in the cowpea for different characters and the lines K 1552 and TVU 1892 were the earliest to harvest (52 days). Among the weather parameters average number of rainy days and relative humidity had negative relationship with aphid population. Fifteen selected varieties of vegetable cowpea were grown in two seasons under two fertility levels. There were considerable variability in the vegetable types of cowpea for earliness which is important for the crop to be fitted in a multiple cropping system. The variety K 1552 was the earliest (52.13 days) followed by K 868 (52.43 days). The line IIHR 6-1-B is the most average stable variety with the highest mean (62.35 g) and bi value tending to one (0.96). The varieties K 1552, VS 89 and K 868 were high yielders but had bi value more than one and are suited for high yielding environments. The chemical analysis of pods for monosaccharides to polysaccharides ratio indicated that the yard long bean had the highest ratio followed by K 1552, IIHR 6-1-B and VS 87.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of gamma irradiation in ginger
    (Department of Horticulture (Plantation Crops and Spices), College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1984) Giridharan, M P; KAU; Balakrishnan, S
    Investigation was carried out at the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, during 1983 – 84, to study the effect of gamma irradiation on germination, vegetative growth, flowering, yield, quality attributes and incidence of soft rot disease in ginger using four doses of gamma rays (0.7, 1, 1.5, 2.k rad). Irradiation treatments produced inhibitory effects on the germination of ginger rhizomes. The plant height, tiller production, leaf production, leaf size and leaf area index decreased with the increase in irradiation dosages. Flowering behaviour of ginger could not be altered by the levels of gamma irradiation tried. Rhizome yield reduced as the irradiation dose increased. The treatments did not differ significantly with regard to essential oil and oleoresin content of both green and dry ginger ; oleoresin of ginger peel and percentage recovery of dry rhizomes. However, the incidence of soft rot disease could be highly reduced by gamma irradiation.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Standardisation of methods of Vegetative Propagation in Mango
    (Department of Horticulture, College of Horticulture,Vellanikkara, 1984) Dhungana, D B; KAU; Aravindakshan, M
    The studies on the vegetative propagation of mango were carried out at the Department of Pomology and Floriculture, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during the period from May 1982 to June 1984. The studies consisted of two techniques of grafting, viz. stone grafting and veneer grafting. It was possible to standardize these techniques under Kerala conditions for the first time after the detail studies of the factors like season of grafting, effect of procuring of scions, effect of age of stock and scion, varietal response, effect of duration of storage of scion sticks and methods of raising rootstocks. The results indicated that the survival of the stone grafts was best when the grafting was done during August. In case of veneer grafting, no significant difference in the survival of graft was observed during August, September and October although September was most congeneal month for grafting. Both the techniques of grafting revealed, the superiority of 10 days and 15 days prior defoliation of scions over no defoliation treatment. But the difference in the survival of grafts between the treatments with the defoliation 10 days and 15 days prior to grafting was not significant. In another experiment, the best result was achieved when four month scion was stone grafted on five days old stock material. However, the use of five days and 10 days old stock did not reveal any significant difference in the ultimate survival of the grafts. Similarly, the comparison of different age of stock and scions with regard to their effects on survival of veneer grafts proved, grafting with six month old scion using rootstocks 14 months old would give best results. On examining the extension growth of scion its linear nature was confirmed. The linear growth rate was found to be different for different treatment s in the present study. The scion varieties responded differently in the final success in veneer grafting. The promising effect on the graft take was noticed when the varieties, viz. Mundappa, Alphonso,Bangalora and Bennet Alphonso were adopted for veneer grafting. In varieties like Neelum and Banganapalli veneer grafting, did not appear to be satisfactory in mango under Kerala conditions. Any kind of scion stick i.e. prior defoliated or freshly defoliated when stored for a period of nine days at room temperature, did not prove significant difference in the survival of veneer grafts. However, gunny bag moss medium as wrapping material for scion shoots was found better than polythene moss medium. The modified trench method of grafting substantially improved the survival rate of polybagged veneer grafts
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Compatibility among cucumis melo varieties inodorus ,conomon,flexuosus,momordica & utilissiumus
    (Department of Olericulture, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1984) Subha Mary, Mathew; KAU; Gopalakrishnan, P K
    The investigation on compatibility among Cucumis melo var. conomon Mak., Cucumis melo var. inodorous Naud., Cucumis melo var. utilissimus Duth. and Full., Cucumis melo var. flexuosus Naud. and Cucumis melo var. momordica Duth. and Full. Was conducted during October-January 1982-1983 and February – May 1983 at the Instructional Farm of College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Trichur. The five botanical varieties of Cucumis melo were observed crossable among each other. Oriental pickling melon x long melon and snake melon x snap melon were perfectly crossable (CI > 70%). There was significant maternal effect on crossability index. There was good fruit set and seed set at F1 level. The F1 hybrids were found to be intermediate between the parents for discrete fruit character. Inter varietal heterosis was significant for earliness, yield and their components. Combining ability analysis indicated the role of both additive and non-addetive gene action in the expression of nodes to first male and female flowers, days to first female flower, days to first fruit harvest, days to fruit maturity, seeds/fruit and seed yield/fruit. Additive gene action was predominant in nodes to first male and female flowers, female flowers in first ten and 20 nodes, fruit length, fruit girth, fruit weight, fruit volume, flesh thickness, seeds/fruit, 100 seed weight, seed yield/fruit, fruits/plant and fruit yield/plant. Reciprocal effect was significant in nodes to first male flower, days to first female flower, days to first fruit harvest and days to fruit maturity. The correlation between gca values and per se performance of the parents was significant for all characters. This showed that per se performance of melon varieties would indicate their relative general combining ability effects. Musk melon and snake melon had the maximum genetic distance of 14.49. Long melon and snap melon were the closest (D2-0.38). In the order of affinity the five melon varieties could be arranged as oriental pickling melon, long melon, snap melon, snake melon and musk melon. Fruits/plant contributed maximum (80%) to total genetic divergence.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of growth regulators on fruit set and yield of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata. Poir)
    (Department of Olericulture, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1984) Mohan Kumar, S; KAU; Ramachandran Nair, S
    An experiment was conducted at the College of Horticulture, Kerala Agriculture University, Vellanikkara during December-April 1983-‘84 to study the effect of six levels of growth regulators viz., alar (100 and 200 ppm), CCC (500 and 1000 ppm) and ethrel (100 and 200 ppm) and of the two different stages of application (four leaf and six leaf stage) on growth, sex-expression, fruit set, yield and quality of two distinct pumpkin genotypes (Cucurbita moschata Poir.) collected from Palghat district of Kerala State. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with three replications. The effect of plant growth retardant to suppress the luxuriant growth of the crop is further confirmed by the results of the present study. All treatments caused a significant reduction in the length of the main vine and all other vegetative characters under study. There was a drastic reduction in the number of male flowers and an increase in the female flower number, altering an otherwise male dominated sex-ratio of the crop. CCC 1000 ppm was found to be effective in promoting early fruit set and harvest of both the genotypes tried. However there was no significant increase in the number of fruits per plant, average weight of the fruit, flesh thickness and the number of seeds per fruit. CCC treatments followed by alar 200 ppm was found to be the most effective in increasing the yield. Type T1 gave maximum yield with CCC 1000 ppm whereas type T2 responded well to CCC 500 ppm concentration. CCC 1000 ppm however caused a slight reduction in the yield of this genotype. There was also a slight increase in the carotene content with CCC treatments. Type T1 recorded a slight decrease in yield with both ethrel (100 and 200 ppm) treatments. No significant difference was noticed when growth regulator sprays were given at two different stages (four leaf and six leaf) of the crop. The study thus also proved that the response of pumpkin to growth regulators sprays is governed by the genotype and the concentration of the growth regulators used.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Efficiency of four methods of selection in brinjal improvement in relation to resistance to bacterial wilt
    (Department of Olericulture, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1984) Asha Shankar, M; KAU; Peter, K V
    Bacterial wilt caused by pseudomonas solanacearun is one of the serious problems that limits its cultivation in kerala. With the identification of SM- 6, a brinjal line from Kerala Agricultural University showing considerable degree of resistance to wilt, the prospects of brinjal cultivation has become brighter under the acidic soil conditions of kerala. Studies at the department of Olericulture, Kerala Agriculture University, indicated the presence of transgressive seggregant(s) within SM-6 which were grouped into eleven distinct types. Hence a study was undertaken at the College of Horticulture, Vellanikara to improve upon the existing eleven types for earliness and yield keeping resistance to wilt intact. Each of the eleven genetics groups were improved through four methods of selection mass, single plant, pure line and single seed descent. The selections were conducted in two consecutive cycles. The criteria for selecting elite plant types were fruits/plant and total yield/plant. Observations were recorded on earliness, Vegitative characters, Productive characters and their components. The relative efficiency of the four methods of selection to improve economic characters was critically examined. Being a cross pollinated crop mass selection and single plant selection were found superior to pure line selection and single seed descent to improve economic characters. Genetic information line genotypic co-efficient of variation, phenotypic co-efficient of variation, heritability in the broad sense, genetic advance and genetic advance as percentage of mean was estimated for the progenies developed through four method of selection. The relative efficiency of the four methods of selection was also examined in terms of improving genetic parameters of progenies. Genetic advance as percentage of mean was highest for progenies developed through single plant selection. Realised genetic gain for economic characters as compaired to the overall mean was positive for progenies developed through maas and single plant selections. The eleven genetic groups were also evaluated under each selection method for the characters under study. The genetic groups SH-6-2, SH-5-1 and SH-6-4 were promising for fruits/plant and yield/plant. The level of resistance of sm-6 to bacterial wilt was assessed under four methods of selection. Single seed descent was found effective to improve to improve the level of resistance of sm-6 to bacterial wilt. When screened under field conditions, the genetic groups sm-6-1, sm-6-4,and sm-6-9 exhibited complete plant immunity under all the four methods of selection. In both the cycles. Multi locational trials and artificial inoculation studies further confirmed the resistance of the basic population of sm-6 to bacterial wilt.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Pollen morphology, fertility and compatibility studies in banana
    (Department of Pomology, Floriculture and Landscapping,College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1984) Jay, Krishna Lal Karmacharya; KAU; Aravindakshan, M
    Studies on pollen morphology, fertility and compatibility of banana were carried out in the Department of Pomology and Floriculture, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during the year 1982 and 1983. The genomic configuration and the ploidy levels influenced the duration of the male and female phases of the clones as well as their total duration. The duration of male and female phases decreased with the increased ploidy level and increased with presence of ‘B’ genomes. Total duration increased with the increase in ploidy levels and with presence of B genomes. The lifting of bracts in banana was influenced by the environmental factors irrespective of the ploidy level or genomic configuration. It ranged from zero to four per day. Pollen grains were creamy white in colour and spherical in shape. The pollen size increased with the increase in ploidy levels. Acuminata genome generally contributed towards increased pollen size. The pollen size in the clones studied ranged from 99.21 µ to 179.09 µ. Out of the 72 clones studied, only 53 produced pollen. The AB group did not produce pollen. In the case of triploids and tetraploids, clones of pure acuminate produced more number of pollen grains than that in the clones of bispecific group. Pollen production per another ranged from 1,041.3 to 16,354.2. Pollen viability was more in the case of nonspecific clones than in clones of bispecific origin. Tetraploids recorded the highest viability of pollen followed by in diploids and in triploids. Pollen germination and tube growth was found maximum in 12 per cent sucrose + 10 ppm boric acid. The germination was found maximum after 26 hours of dusting them on the medium. Pollen storage studies showed that when flowers along with the bract were stored in the open at room temperature, the pollen remained viable for 14 days. The storage life was increased to the maximum ie. To 29.5 days when flowers along with bracts were stored in a refrigerator (40C and 40% RH). The flowers when kept in desiccator inside the refrigerator resulted in slight reduction in storage life (24 days). Out of 27 cross combination studied, 8 combinations, Agniswar x Pisang lilin, Palayankodan x Pisang lilin, Harichal x Pisang lilin, Lacatan x Pisang lilin, Mannan x Pisang lilin, Nendra vannan x Pisang lilin, Palayankodan x Sikuzani and Nendran x Sikuzani were compatible. Among them clones ‘Agniswar’ and ‘palayankodan’ were found more female fertile and ‘Pisang lilin’ and ‘sikuzani’ were the only compatible males with various female parents. The seed set noticed in Nendran by crossing with a compatible male parent is reported for the first time. The fertility pattern with reference to the hands in a bunch showed variation. In the clones ‘Agniswar’ and ‘Palayankodan’, the basal hands upto the middle of the bunch were more fertile. Fertility in basal hands was also found in the case of ‘Harichal’, ‘Nendra vannan’ and ‘Nendran’, while the same was found distributed in the case of ‘Mannan’ and ‘Lacatan’.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Genetic variability and correlation studies in winged bean [Psophocarpus tetragonolobus(L) DC]
    (Department of Olericulture, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1984) Ancy, Philip; KAU; Ramachandran, Nair S
    Winged bean accessions introduced from diverse sources were grown in a randomised block design with three replications during July to May (1983-84) at College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara. The extent of genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance, association among polygenic characters and its partition into direct and indirect effects were estimated. A discriminant function analysis was also carried out to find out the efficiency of selection through discriminant function over straight selection or vice-versa. The accessions exhibited significant differences with respect to all the characters studied exception being for thickness of stem at the collar region. The green pod yield and number of pods per plant exhibited high values of genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation. High heritability value in conjunction with high genetic advance was observed for days to final harvest and number of pods per plant. The content of crude protein was found to be maximum in seeds, followed by leaves, pods, flowers and tubers. The accessions P.T.4 (38.50 per cent) and P.T.30 (38.28 per cent) recorded the maximum protein content in green pod. Green pod yield per plant was highly and positively correlated with number of pods per plant, days to final harvest, length of pod and girth of pod. Average pod weight and number of seeds per pod exhibited a negative correlation with pod yield. The negative correlation of these traits on pod yield may be due to their strong negative correlation with number of pods per plant. Genotypic correlation coefficients were partitioned into direct and indirect effects. Number of pods per plant, days to final harvest end girth of pod were the three important components making major contribution to yield, A selection index was formulated and the genotypes were ranked based on the index score. The genotypes P.T.6 and P.T.25 were found to be best performing ones.