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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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20161
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Subject: Plant Breeding × Author: Amaranatha, Reddy M ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Identification of molecular markers linked to iron toxicity tolerance through bulk segregant analysis (BSA) in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
    (College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2016) Amaranatha, Reddy M; KAU; Rose, Mary Francies
    Globally rice is the most important food crop, serving as staple food for more than half of the world’s population. As in other parts of the country, rice is the major food crop grown in Kerala too. The total annual production of rice is however insufficient to meet the total demand in the state. Iron toxicity prevalent in the rice growing tracts of the state, further compounds the problem of low rice production. Although, several attempts to ameliorate the iron toxic soil conditions are being made, the best way to combat this stress and increase rice production in the affected soils is to develop varieties tolerant to iron toxicity. The present investigation on 'Identification of molecular markers linked to iron toxicity tolerance through bulk segregant analysis (BSA) in rice (Oryza sativa L.)’ was conducted at College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), Vellanikkara, Thrissur during 2013 to 2015 year. The study involved screening of thirty rice genotypes for response to iron at toxic levels, hybridization between the most tolerant and susceptible genotype, production of F2 generation of this cross, parental polymorphism study using molecular markers and Bulk Segregant Analysis (BSA). The thirty rice genotypes were selected on the basis of their response to iron stress under KSCSTE project: ‘Donor identification for tolerance to iron toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.)’. Further screening of the thirty genotypes (Confirmation test 1 and 2) as per the method advocated by Shimizu et al. (2005) to confirm their tolerance or susceptibility to iron toxicity revealed existence of high significant differences among the genotypes with respect to leaf bronzing and biomass produced under varying concentrations of iron (0 ppm, 600ppm and 800ppm of Fe). Considering that at higher concentrations of Fe, a lower leaf bronzing and reduction in biomass, is a valid criterion for identifying genotypes tolerant to Fe stress, twelve genotypes viz., Cul-8709, Cul-210-29, AM-10-7, Cul-90-03, PM-709, ASD-16, ASD-18, Abhaya, IR-1552, T(N)-1, IR-36 and Cul-3 213 were found to be highly susceptible to iron stress while genotypes Cul-8723, Tulasi, Cul-18716, Kargi and IVT-33 were identified as the most tolerant ones. Selfing of F1s obtained on hybridizing the genotype (Tulasi) and genotype (CUL-8709) which were found respectively to be most tolerant and most susceptible to iron stress was done, to produce F2 population for the conduct of bulk sergegant analysis (BSA). Phenotyping of F2 plants under iron at toxic levels indicated presence of wide variability for shoot length, root length, total number of roots, number of fresh roots, shoot weight, root weight and visual scoring for iron-toxicity symptoms. The measures of skewness and kurtosis for various traits revealed a large quantitative variability. All the above traits except iron content in root of F2 lines exhibited a positive platykurtic distribution pointing to presence of gene interaction in trait expression. Measures of skewness and kurtosis also indicated occurrence of transgressive segregation in the F2 population. Leaf bronzing the typical symptom of Fe toxicity, showed a strong negative correlation with shoot length, root length, total number of roots, number of fresh roots, shoot weight and root weight. The results indicated that leaf bronzing is associated with growth reduction due to Fe2+ toxicity in this F2 population. Parental polymorphism (Tulasi and CUL-8709) survey using 338 Rice Microsatellites (RM) markers revealed 37 RM markers polymorphic between the two. These 37 polymorphic rice microsatellites markers (SSR markers) were found to be distributed over all 12 linkage groups of rice varying between one in case on Chromosome 7 to five each on Chromosome 2, 9 and 10. Bulk segregant analysis indicated that out of the 37 microsatellite markers that were polymorphic between parents seven viz., RM 263, RM 107, RM 12292, RM 24616, RM 24664, RM 13619 showed clear co-segregation with the susceptible parent and susceptible bulk, and resistant parent and resistant bulk. Probability of all seven putative markers was highly significant (P < 0.001) indicating strong association of these markers to the genomic region governing Leaf Bronzing Index which is a valid indicator of tolerance to iron toxicity. Through single marker analysis, three probable quantitative trait loci (QTL’s) of Leaf Bronzing Index were identified, each on 214 chromosome 1, 2 and 9. The QTL on chromosome 1 was located between 42.8 Mb and 43.2 Mb and associated with markers RM 12255 and RM 12292. The QTL for LBI was found to be associated with RM 13619 and RM 263 markers and placed between 24.9 Mb and 25.9 Mb on chromosome 2 while on chromosome 9, it was a located between 19.3 Mb and 20.1 Mb and linked to marker RM 107, RM 24616 and RM 24664.