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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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1992 - 19973
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Subject: Livestock Production and Management × Author: KAU × End date: 1999 × Start date: 1990 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of enrichment of environment and halothane sensitivity on performance of large white yorkshire and desi pigs
    (Department of Livestock Production Management, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1997) Joseph Mathew; KAU; Thomas, C K
    The effect of environmental variables, halothane sensitivity and environmental enrichments in the form of wallowing, water sprinkling and access to a shaded range on various production and reproduction traits of exotic(LWY) and Desi pigs was assessed by conducting a study in Kerala Agricultural University Pig Breeding Farm , Mannuthy (UPBF). Significant correlations were found between environmental variables and important production and reproduction traits in both breeds . The incidence o f . halothane sensitivity was found to be higher in LWY when compared to that of Desi.A clear breed difference was noticed between Desi and LWY with respect to traits such as body weight,daily weight gain,body measurements, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency(FCE), weaning weight,cost of production for unit meat and weaned piglet.Environmental enrichments were found to- be beneficial for most of the traits such as body weight, daily weight gain,FCE,conception rate,live litter size at birth,birth weight,litter weight at weaning ' and average weaning weight.When halothane sensitive animals were better in FCE and growth rate, halothane resistant animals came out with good reproduction results.But positive animals with environmental enrichments performed better than negative in certain traits.The biochemical traits associated with halothane sensitivity were inconsistent.But clear trends with breed and genetic groups existed between halothane positive and negative animals.An apparently clear interaction between breeds, genotype and environmental enrichments were niticed in certain production and reproduction traits.Provision for access to a shaded range was found to be beneficial for fattening pigs with respect to FCE and growth rate.Wallowing and water sprinkling have got negative effect on these traits.But for reproduction traits all the above enrichments had beneficial effeet.Based on the observations and the results suitable combinations of various environmental enrichments for different breeds, genotypes and purpose were’ designed which may be used as tools for developing managemental systems under different situations.
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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.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of season of birth and energy levels of feed on production performance of pigs
    (Department of Livestock Production Management, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1992) Sebastian, K S; KAU; Rajagopalan, T G
    A detailed investigation was carried out to study the effect of season and level of energy intake on growth rate, feed efficiency, carcass quality and economics of production of fattening pigs reared upto a slaughter weight of 90 kg. Thirty two weaner pigs of large white Yorkshire breed belonging to the University Pig Breeding Farm, Mannuthy born in two seasons were distributed under two dietary treatments. All animals were slaughtered on attaining the target weight of 90 kg. Animals born in season II were superior to animals born in season I in all the parameters like growth rate, feed efficiency, average daily gain and carcass characteristics. The energy level in the ration had a moderate influence on the performance of grower pigs. Animals on NRC level of feed were found to be better than animals on 15 per cent less than NRC levels in all the traits under study except for fat characteristics. The cost production per kg pork was found to be less (Rs 18.72) in NRC group. The overall results obtained during the course of present study is that the unit cost of production is less for animals maintained on NRC level of ration. Animals born in season II were found to be better than animals born in season I in production performances.