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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: Land and Water Management Engineering × Author: Jolly Kutty, Eapen × Author: KAU × End date: 1994 × Start date: 1990 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Design, fabrication and testing of an equipment to measure deep percolation
    (Department of Land and water Resources and Conservation Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 1990) Jolly Kutty, Eapen; KAU; George, T P
    Because of the semi - aquatic nature, the water requirement of rice is 2 - 3 times greater than other crops. The measurement or prediction of percolation losses in field situation is of great practical significance for efficient irrigation and also for the determination of the nutrient losses. A precise knowledge of water requirement of crop attains importance for increasing production. The present investigation was taken up to design, fabricate and test an equipment to collect deep percolation water, quantify it and to assess the nutrient losses in the percolation water. The study was undertaken in ‘Mundakan’ season and the variety was ‘Triveni’. The location was the Instructional Farm of KCAET, Tavanur. The main source of irrigation water was filter point tubewell. Estimations of evaporation, transpiration and percolation were made on the basis of measurements using evaporimeter, evapotranspirimeter and field hook gauge. Vertical percolation was assessed using percolation – meter which was designed and fabricated for this study. Lateral percolation was obtained by subtracting vertical percolation from total percolation. The study revealed that the total water requirement was 1270.25 mm. The percentages of water lost by evaporation, transpiration, and total percolation are 13.69, 31.0 and 55.3. The water which is lost by vertical and lateral percolation are 59.4 and 40.6 per cent of the total percolation respectively. There was a gradual increase in the rate of evaporation during the initial stage. Then it decreased up to 65 days and then again increased up to the final stage. Rate of transpiration remained almost constant up to 10 days and then the rate slowly increased as the crop grew. The rate increased up to the booting stage. There was a gradual decrease in the rate of transpiration in the final stage. The rate of total percolation remained almost constant during the crop period. More than 50 per cent of the applied water is lost through percolation. During the initial stage, vertical percolation rate was higher than in the subsequent days. After 10 days, the vertical percolation rate remained almost constant. The rate of lateral percolation was constant during the crop period except in the sixth week after transplanting. The samples of percolation water were collected and the NPK losses due to deep percolation were analysed by the standard methods. The maximum percolation losses of applied NPK occurred on the first day of application and there was only traces from the fourth day onwards. Nitrogen and potassium losses were higher than the loss of phosphorus which was negligible. The NPK losses due to deep percolation is not much when compared to the run off losses. This may be due to the fact that the NPK content in the solution gets fixed in the soil as it percolates down through the soil. So the water that goes beyond the root zone will contain only very little NPK. The equipment fabricated for the measurement of deep percolation losses worked satisfactorily. Knowledge of water requirement of rice will greatly help in the efficient utilisation of available water.