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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: Microbiology × Author: Roy Mathew × End date: 1996 × Start date: 1995 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Microbial load in frozen bull semen and antibiogram of the isolates
    (Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1996) Roy Mathew; KAU; Madhusoodanan Pillai, R
    The mean bacterial load in the frozen semen procured from the three frozen semen production centres viz., Mannuthy (Centre A), Dhoni (Centre B) and Mattupatti (Centre C) were 2260 + 880.65, 825.91 + 186.06 and 80.33 + 18.47 respectively. The mean bacterial load per dose of semen differed significantly between these three centres. The mean fungal load of semen in Centre A and B were significantly greater than that produced in Centre C. The mean coliform counts, pseudomonad count, staphylococci and micrococci count and mycoplasma count were detected in specific media. Mycoplasma sp. were not detected in Centre A while four out of eleven samples from Centre B and two out of fifteen samples from centre C contained Mycoplasma. The total bacterial load of all the samples from Centre A exceeded the ISI specification of 500 organisms per insemination dose of semen while 72.7 per cent of the samples from Centre B exceeded this limit. None of the samples from Centre C exceeded 500 organisms per dose of semen. The mean bacterial load per dose of semen from bulls below four years of age was significantly higher than those from bulls between the age group of four and six years. The mean bacterial and fungal load per dose of semen from crossbred Holstein Friesians were significantly greater than those of crossbred Jerseys. The bacterial isolates from the semen from these centres where characterised. They belonged to the species, Bacillus licheniformis, B. alvei, B. cereus, B. brevis, Corynebacterium bovis, C. pseudodiphtheriticum, C. hofmanii, Staphylococcus ayreus, S. epidermidis, Aerococcus viridans, Micrococcus varians, Kurthia sp. Flavabacterium sp., Alcaligenes faecalis, Pseudomonas alcaligeness, PS. Mendocina, Levine asp., Enterobacter aerogeness, Enterobacter liquifascians, Edwardsiella tarda, Citrobacter koseri, C. intermedius, C. freundii, Providencia rettgeri, Escherichia coli. The fungal isolates from sêmen, which were characterised belonged to the species Candida albicans, C. pseudotropicalis, C. tropicalis and C. krusei. The filamentous fungi isolated were Aspergillus niger, A. fumigatus, Penicillum sp. and Microporum gypseum. Of the 20 antibiotics studied for the sensitivity pattern, pefloxacin, doxycycline, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin were found to be sensitive to majority of isolates. Among the antifungal agents studied, nystatin followed by clotrimazole were sensitive to more than 80 per cent of the fungal isolates. Nystatin may be used in semen extender for checking the fungal contaminants in frozen semen. The study recommends and addition of the new antibiotics to semen extenders after further field studies.