Thumbnail Image

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.

Browse

19811
Reset filters
Subject: Livestock Production and Management × Author: Kurien, Thomas × End date: 1981 × Start date: 1981 × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
Reset filters

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Influence of particle size of feed and plane of feeding on growth,physiological reactions and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs
    (Department of Livestock and Production Management, College of Veterinary and Animal sciences, Hissar, 1981) Kurien, Thomas; KAU; Singh, R A
    Thirtysix Large White Yorkshire barrows averaging 70 days of age and 11.2 kg weight were assigned at random to six dietary treatments in order to study the influence of feed particle size and level of digestible energy on the performance, physiological reactions and carcass characteristics. They were individually housed and maintained on diets compounded mainly of dried sardines, dried tapioca, groundnut cake and rice bran till they were 8 months of age. The barrows were provided with the experimental diets having 100%, 90% or 85% of NRC standards of DE with feed particle size of less than one or two to three millimeter. It was observed that variations in feed particle size did not produce any significant effect on growth, physiological reactions and carcass characteristics of pigs under any of the treatments. At 8 months of age, the pigs under treatments 1 and 4 (100% DE of NRC; 2 and 5 (90% DE of NRC) and 3 and 6 (85% DE of NRC) had, (i) a final weight of 102.9; 99.4; 86.8; 92.3; 67.1 and 67.2; (ii) an average daily gain of 0.545; 0.524; 0.448; 0.473; 0.329 and 0.326 kg, and (iii) feed conversion ratio of 3.4; 3.5; 4.3; 4.2; 5.6 and 5.4, respectively. The pigs under treatments 1 and 4 reached 70 kg weight at an age of 197.5 days on an average, while pigs under treatments 2 and 5 reached the same weight by 208.5 days, and under 3 and 6 by 228 days. The digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, ether extract and crude carbohydrate in pigs under all the treatments was significantly (p <0.01) lower with decreasing levels of DE at 5 and 7 months of age. Although the digestibility of crude protein was significantly higher (p <0.01) in pigs that received 100% DE of NRC than 85% at 5 and 7 months of age, it was statistically of the same order with that of 90% at 5 months of age. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on the rectal temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and haemoglobin concentration of blood of the experimental pigs. The yield of dressed carcass was decreased from 72.3% to 68.8% or 64.7% with the decreasing body weight of pigs on 100%, 90% or 85% DE of NRC standards, respectively. The yield of ham was increased from 21.3% to 22.5% or 23.5% with the decreasing levels of DE, respectively. The length of carcass, eye muscle area and overall backfat thickness were significantly (p <0.01) lower as the level of DE was decreased. The fat percentage in dried eye muscle was almost uniform (22.3 to 24.9%) in pigs under different dietary treatments. The quality score for marbling, colour and firmness was significantly (p <0.01) in favour of diets that contained higher of DE. The feed cost per kg body weight gain of pigs under different dietary treatments or total cost of feed and labour at market weight of 70, 80 and 90 kg were determined. The cost of raising pigs from weaning to these weights on rations containing 90% DE of NRC standards and two to three millimeter feed particle size was found to be most economic. An equation W = 5.16 + LG2/11568 was evolved predicting live weight of barrows ranging from 8 to 144 kg, where W, is the weight in kg, L, is the length of body in cm, and G, is the girth in cm.