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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: Plant Biotechnology × Author: Afnamol, O P × Start date: 2018 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Somatic embryogenesis in black pepper (Piper nigrum L.)
    (Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2018) Afnamol, O P; KAU; Soni, K B
    The study entitled “Somatic embryogenesis in black pepper (Piper nigrum L.)” was conducted at the Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram during 2015-2017, with an objective to standardise a protocol for somatic embryogenesis in black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) var. Panniyur 5. Regeneration through somatic embryogenesis is the most appealing technology in in vitro propagation since it produces large number of somatic embryos from single explants, and also acts as a suitable system for crop improvement through genetic modification. Earlier studies reported that regeneration in black pepper is highly influenced by genotypes. Somatic embryogenesis mediated protocol is not yet reported in any of the Panniyur varieties. In the present study, explants (shoot tip, node and leaf) from field grown and in vitro raised seedlings were used. Systemic contaminants and polyphenols are the major problems associated with in vitro culture of black pepper. Pretreatments of the explants taken from the field grown plants with 250 mg L-1 ascorbic acid for 50 minutes and 50 mg L-1 of PVP for 1 hour reduced the phenolic exudation. Dipping explants in 300 mg L-1 of cefotaxime for 1 hour and addition of 15 mg L-1 of CuSO4 in the medium were found to be effective in controlling the systemic contaminants. Percentage of callus induction varied among type of explants as well as the medium used. Leaf tissue from in vitro raised plants was found to be most responsive to the callus induction (68.75% in 40 days) in MS medium supplemented with1.5 mg L-1 of picloram (Pic). The same concentration of Pic in SH medium produced 57.4% callus induction from leaf. Shoot tip and node taken from in vitro raised raised seedling showed the highest callus induction in MS medium supplemented with mg L-1 of Pic (57.14% and 42.85% respectively). Among the explants collected from the field grown plants, the maximum callus induction occurred in leaves (37%). Calli obtained from leaf, shoot tip and node did not show embryogenesis in any of the 50 treatments and the calli turned black and dried. As there was no response on the somatic embryo induction from shoot tip ,stem node and leaf, somatic embryogenesis was tried in fully ripened seeds of Panniyur-5.Out of 48 treatments tried (MS and SH media, with different combination of 2,4- D,BA,IAA,NAA,TDZ and Pic), only seven treatments responded. In 46% of the seeds, somatic embryos emerged directly from the micropylar region of the seed (SH with 1.5 or 3% sucrose and half strength SH with 3% sucrose) and callus induction was occurred in the rest. The calli initiated from seeds inoculated in MS and SH media supplemented with 1.5 and 2 mg L-1 Pic and 3% sucrose produced somatic embryos in the same medium. Somatic embryogenesis was early in SH medium (40 days) compared to MS medium (60 days). The somatic embryos produced from the calli, failed to produce secondary embryos in any of the 42 treatments tried, however, they germinated to produce plantlets. Somatic embryos directly formed (SH with 3% sucrose) from the seed showed secondary embryo formation from the root pole of the primary embryo (20%) in the same medium itself. The primary embryos formed in SH medium with 1.5% sucrose produced the maximum (51.4%) secondary embryos in semi solid SH medium with 1.5% sucrose medium. Secondary formed in SH+3.5% sucrose got regenerated in to plantlets in the same medium. Secondary embryos from semi solid SH medium were regenerated only when transferred to liquid SH medium with different concentration of sucrose (1.5% and 3.5%) with continuous shaking (110 rpm). Plantlets regeneration was early (48.73 days) in liquid SHmedium with 3.5% sucrose. Somatic embryogenesis was confirmed by visualizing the different developmental stages of the somatic embryos viz. globular, heart, torpedo and cotyledonary stages under the stereo microscope. Histological studies of the embryos confirmed their origin from micropylar tissue and not from zygotic tissue. It showed the presence of secondary embryos from primary embryos as well as the emergence of globular structure from the callus. The present study was successful in developing a somatic embryogenesis mediated regeneration protocol in black pepper var. Panniyur 5 which can be used for the in vitro propagation and genetic modification based crop improvement programmes