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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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19933
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Subject: Livestock Production and Management × Author: KAU × End date: 1993 × Start date: 1993 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Managemental effects of synchronization of oestrus in goats
    (Department of Livestock Production Management, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1993) Shivkumar, S; KAU; Thomas, C K
    An experiment was conducted to study the managemental effects of synchronization of oestrus in goats using parentral administration of PGF2 alpha, on a flock of Malabari, Malabari x Saanen and Malabari x Alpine goats maintained at the Agricultural University Goat Farm, Mannuthy. Forty cyclic goats were selected in pairs on the basis of similarity in genetic group, body weight and age. The does from each pair were allotted to two groups at random. Out of these one group at random formed the treatment group and the other control. The goats in the treatment group were given two injections of 10 mg (I/M) each of PGF2 alpha separated by 11 days, in two batches of 10 goats each. The animals were mated at the synchronized oestrus following the second PG injection. The does in the control group were mated as and when they came to oestrus. Heat detection in the does was carried out by parading the vasectomised bucks twice daily and by observing the behavioural manifestations of oestrus. The results and conclusions of the study are given below. The PGF2 alpha treated goats showed 75 and 100 per cent oestrus synchrony after a mean interval of 45.93+2.19h and 48.38+2.06 h following the. first and second injection of PGF2 alpha respectively. Of the various signs of oestrus only rapid waving of tail in the presence of male and vaginal mucous discharge were observed in all the does in oestrus. Various signs of oestrus behaviour including receptivity was found to be more pronounced in oestrus synchronized does using PGF2 alpha than in the controls. Mated does showed pricking of ear and arching of back as post coital reactions. Conception rate following mating at the first oestrus was better in the treatment group (85%) than the controls (75%). Body weight changes during pregnancy was not found to be affected by synchronization of oestrus with prostaglandin F2alpha. Mean gestation period in the treatment group was ,148.14+0.80 days compared to 143.88+0.78 days in the controls, the difference being significant (P < 0.05). Overall 61.3 per cent of the parturitions were observed to occur between 0600 to 1800 hours. Maternal behaviour studies showed no significant difference between the does in the control (av. score 3) and treatment group (av. Score 2.8). Multiparas were observed to possess better maternal Instinct than the primipara does. The new born kids attempted to stand up within 8 to 15 minutes and 68 per cent of them suckled from the dam's teat within one hour of birth. In the control group 88 per cent of the kiddings were singles and 11.77 per cent twins compared to 85.71 per cent singles and 14.29 per cent twins in the treatment group. Comparing the growth of kids with respect to body weights and body measurements at fortnightly intervals from birth to 90 days of age, showed that the growth rate of kids born from synchronized oestrus was similar to that of control kids. Suckling behaviour in the kids revealed that the overall mean duration of suckling was 2.61 minutes and mean rate of suckling was 49.65 g per minute. It was observed that the rate of butting and intensity of tail wagging increased as the flow of milk from the teats got reduced. The mean daily milk yield from first to thirteenth week of lactation in the control and treatment g roups were found to be 0.509+0.015 kg and 0.493+0.014 kg respectively. Man nours requirements to look after the does and raising the kids born to tham to 90 days of age in both the control and treatment group, revealed that there was a man hour saving of 12.3 per cent in the oestrus synchronized group (treatment) than the untreated controls.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effects of weight at weaning and plane of feeding on the onset of puberty in gilts
    (Department of Livestock Production Management, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1993) Lalnuntluangi, Hmar; KAU; Rajagopalan, T G
    Thirty six Large White Yorkshire weanling females of 8 kg (light weaners) and 12 kg (heavy weaners) were randomly maintained on three different planes of feeding with respect to crude protein (CP) and digestible energy (DE) viz. (i) NRC recommended levels as control, (ii) a high plane (HP) of 10 per cent increase of CP and DE with respect to NRC level and (iii) a low plane (LP) of 10 per cent decrease of CP and DE with respect to Nrc from weaning to puberty. The fortnightly and daily weight gain was higher in pigs fed NRC diet. The heavy weaners were having a better growth rate, daily gain, higher feed intake and attained puberty earlier than the light weaners, but the feed conversion efficiency was lower than light weaners. The heavy weaners on high plane attained puberty earlier than animals on NRC or low plane diet. In light weaners, NRC group attained puberty earlier than HP and LP group. In both heavy and light weaners, LP group attained puberty later than the other treatment groups. Plane of feeding has no significant effect on puberty attainment, oestrous cycle length and duration of pubertal cestrus but weight at weaning has a significant effect on the onset of puberty. Oestrous hehaviour expressed as scores was significantly affected by plane of feeding. The animals on high plane diet consumed less feed in both heavy and light weaners and have the highest feed conversion efficiency. The light weaners consumed feed comparatively lower and have better feed conversion efficiency than heavy weaners. The overall result suggested that heavy weaners on high plane diet are most efficient in feed conversion efficiency, economy and attainment of puberty at younger age. On the whole, the heavy weaners are more economical for replacement stock than light weaners.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Influence of chitin on growth and fatty acid composition in growing pigs
    (Department of Livestock Production Management, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1993) Chitta Ranjan, Pradhan; KAU; Rajagopalan, T G
    A study was carried out to find out the influence of feeding chitin to pigs on their growth, carcass characteristics, blood cell count and haemoglobin concentration, serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and fatty acid profile of muscle and backfat. Twenty-four weaned female piglings of Large White Yorkshire breed were assigned to three groups of eight each. Two groups were fed chitin with a standard farm ration at levels of 0.5 per cent (Group I) and I per cent (Group 2), and the remaining group, which served as the control, was fed only the ration without addition of chitin (Group 3). All animals were housed individually and were fed in two I-hour feeding periods daily. Digestibility of chitin did not differ between the two chitin-fed groups. The percentage of digestibility increased from age 3 months (79.37 ± 1.85 to 80.49 ± 1.85) to 5 months (95.36 ± 1.13 to 96.54 ± 1.05) and thereafter remained constant at 7 months (95.35 ± 1.33 to 95.77 ± 1.57). The chitin-fed groups had significantly (P<0.05 or 0.01) higher body weights than the controls from 18th to 40th week of age. Compared with the controls, the chitin-fed groups had higher total gains in weight by 11 to 12 kg. Both the chitin-fed groups also had significantly (p<0.05 or 0.01) higher average daily gains than the controls from 18th to 40th week of age. The pigs in all groups showed a peak rate of gain at 32nd week of age. The chitin-fed groups also averaged higher body lengths, heights and girths, and also higher daily gains in these measures as compared with the control group. Daily feed intake increased with age of animals in all the groups. Daily feed intake did not differ significantly between the groups. For all the groups, maximum feed efficiency was recorded between 16th and 30th week of age. As compared with the controls, the chitin-fed groups showed higher feed efficiency. The difference between the control and chitin-fed groups were found to be significant (P<0.05) at the end of the experiment. The pigs in the chitin-fed groups averaged higher slaughter weights than the controls at 5, 7 and 9 months of age. For all the pigs in all groups, carcass length, ham weight and eye-muscle area showed higher percentages of gain between 5 and 7 months than between 7 and 9 months of age. The percentage of ham decreased with increase in age and weight of animals. The chitin-fed groups of pigs showed higher carcass lengths, ham weights and eye-muscle areas than the control group at each stage of slaughter. The backfat deposition showed a higher deposition between 5 and 7 months than between 7 and 9 months of age, while the majority of leaf fat deposition took place between 7 and 9 months of age. The percentage of leaf fat increased with increase in age and weight of animals in all the groups. The chitin-fed groups showed lower backfat thickness and lower percentages of leaf fat than the controls at each stage of slaughter. The increase in dressing percentage was found to be higher between 7 and 9 months than between 5 and 7 months of age, for all groups of pigs. The chitin-fed groups yielded higher dressing percentages than the control group at each stage of slaughter. The weight of internal organs increased with age of animals, whereas weight of internal organs as percentage of live weight decreased. The control group of pigs had higher percentages of internal organs than the chitin-fed groups at each slaughter age. The haemoglobin concentration, total erythrocyte count, total leukocyte count, and differential leukocyte count did not differ significantly between the groups of pigs at 5, 7 or 9 months of age. The pigs in group 2 averaged the lowest serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels followed by the pigs in group I and group 3, in that order, at 5,7 and 9 months of age. The difference in serum cholesterol concentration between the pigs in group 2 and the pigs in either group 1 or group 3 were found to be significant (p<0.05) at 7 months and highly significant (p<0.01) at 9 months of age. The serum triglyceride concentration followed the same trend as serum cholesterol concentration, between the groups of pigs. However, the differences were not found to be statistically significant. The fatty acid composition of muscle and backfat did not differ noticeably between the groups at 5 months of age. At the subsequent ages of 7 and 9 months, the chitin-fed groups showed markedly higher degree of unsaturation and lower saturation than the control group. Higher percentages of oleic acid and lower percentages of palmitic acid were recorded for the chitin-fed groups as compared with the control group. The results revealed that chitin had growth-promoting, hypolipidemic and hypocholesterolemic effect in pigs. It also improved the degree of unsaturation in pig meat.