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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 Breeding × Author: KAU × End date: 1994 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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Now showing 1 - 9 of 42
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Combining ability in vegetable cowpea
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1992) Rejatha, V; KAU; Ramachandra Nair, N
    A 6 x 6 diallel analysis was conducted at the Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, during 1990, aimed at analysing the combining ability, gene action and heterosis of six vegetable cowpea (Vigna unguiculata var-sesquipedalis) lines collected from the germplasm maintained in this department. The experiment I consisted of crossing the six parental lines in all possible combinations, without reciprocals. The material for experiment II consisted of the six parental lines and fifteen hybrids. They were grown in a Randomised Block Design with three replications.The combining ability analysis was carried out based on method 2 under model I as suggested by Griffing (1956). The treatments showed significant differences in most of characters except number of pods/plant and fruit yield/plant. The variance due to general combining ability was significant and higher in magnitude than specific combining ability for the characters days to flowering, mean weight of pod, mean length of pod, number of seeds/pod, length of internode and seed/pod ratio. It was found that the parent selection 104 and selection 145 were the best general combiners for most of the characters studied. The parent selection 129 was the best general combiner for earliness. The hybrids selection 145 x selection 129 was the best specific combiner for mean weight of pod and number of seeds/pod. The hybrid selection 145 x kurutholapayar was the best specific combiner for earliness. The significance of g.c.a. and s.c.a. variances for most of characters indicate the importance of additive and non-additive gene action in controlling the inheritance of these characters. But additive gene action played a major role suggesting that improvement could be made through selection. Heterosis was calculated over mid and better parental values. Maximum positive heterosis was found for the character fruit yield/plant. Since considerable heterosis was evident in most of the characters, heterosis breeding can be attempted in cowpea
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Analysis of Maturity related Characters and Identification of Early Maturing Varieties in Groundnut
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture,Vellayani, 1990) Sunil Kumar, A C; KAU; Sverup John
    With the intention of identifying suitable superior early maturing genotypes for intensive cultivation in the summer rice fallows of Kerala, a study was conducted for determining the time of optimum physiological maturity of twelve bunch type groundnut genotypes by analyzing the various maturity related component characters in staggered harvests. The twelve test genotypes and the yield and duration checks were staggered harvested at 70, 80, 90, 100 and 110 DAS. The characters that were put to study in each harvest included the height of plant, number and percentage of mature pods, pod yield, 100 pod weight, 100 kernel weight, shelling percentage, percentage of sound mature kernels, haulms yield, harvest index and oil percentage. Analysis of the various parameters in different genotypes indicated that peak pod yield and time of optimum maturity were closely associated with peak performances of components like number of mature pods, 100 pod weight, 100 kernel weight, sound mature kernel percentage and shelling percentage. It was also noted that the genotypes gave fairly high oil percentage at the time of optimum maturity. The genotypes IES 882, IES 883. IES885, ICGS(E) 21, ICGS(E) 52, ICGS(E) 121, Dh(E) 20 and Dh(E) 32 attained optimum physiological maturity at 90 DAS due to attainment of peak values for the various maturity related component characters. A critical appraisal however showed that the genotypes ICGS (E) 52 and IES 883 exhibited significantly superior performance over the remaining genotypes and the yield and duration checks at 90 DAS. The genotypes ICGS (E) 52 and IES 883 may be recommended for intensive cultivation in the summer rice fallows of Kerala owing to realization of high yield and yield attributes, combined with early maturity. ICGS (E) 52 ranked first with a pod yield 12.85 g per plant, 100 pod weight of 88.6 g and 100 kernel weight of 38.1 g. The genotype IES 883 stood second in performance with a pod yield of 12.00 g per plant, 100 pod weight of 88.3 g and 100 kernel weight of 36.2 g. Both the genotypes exhibited appreciably high performance for shelling percentage and sound mature kernel percentage also.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Combining ability for yield and drought tolerance in cowpea
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture,Vellayani, 1993) Anilkumar, S G; KAU; Sreekumar S G, S G
    A research programme was carried out at the Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 1991 to 92 with five lines, three testers and their fifteen F1s'. The data on sixteen characters were collected and subjected to line x tester analysis for estimating combining ability and gene action in the inheritance of drought tolerance, yield and related characters. Analysis showed that the line DPLC-198 had a positive and significant gca for leaf area index, grain filling period, number of pods per plant, hundred seed weight, grian yield per plant and biological yield. The line IC-38956 showed negative and significant gca for duration upto first flowering and duration upto maturity. The line DPLC-216 had positive and significant gca for grain filling period and hundred seed weight. The line V-240 for number of seeds per pod and VCM-8 for duration upto maturity showed significant gca. The tester C-152 showed significant positive gca for number of seeds per pod, grain yield per plant and biological yield and showed significant gca for duration upto maturity. The tester Chharodi-1 showed significant negative gca for duration upto first flowering and duration upto maturity. The tester Kanakamany showed significant positive gca for grain filling period, hundred seed weight and biological yield. DPLC-198 x chharodi-1 and IC-38956 x C-152 showed significant and negative sca for duration upto first flowering while DPLC-198 x Kanakamany, IC-38356 x Chharodi-1 and VCM-8 x Kanakamany showed significant negative sca for duration upto maturity. Significant negative sca for proline content was recorded by IC-38956 x C-152, V-240 x Chharodi-1 and DPLC-216 x Kanakamany. DPLC-216 x C-152 and DPLC-216 x Kanakamany recorded significant positive sca for filling period. A significant positive sca for number of pods per plant, grain yield per plant and biological yield was recorded by DPLC-198 x C-152. Leaf area index, number of seeds per pod and hundred seed weight which had additive gene action can be improved by selection. Number of pods per plant and proline content had non-additive gene action.Presence of additive and non- additive gene action with preponderance of non-additive gene action was noticed for duration upto first flowering, duration upto maturity, grain yield per plant and biological yield while preponderance of additive gene action was noticed for grain filling period. The characters that are controlled by non-additive genes or predominantly under the control of non-additive gene can be improved by recurrent selection and recombination breeding. Based on the gca estimates the lines DPLC-198 and IC-38956 and the testers C-152 and Chharodi-1 and the hybrids such as DPLC-198 x C-152, DPLC-198 x Chharodi-1, IC-38956 x C-152 and IC-38956 x Chharodi-1 were recommended for further utilization. Exploitation of heterosis normally is not a viable proposition in cowpea in the absence of easy methods of large scale production of hybrid seeds.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Morphological Effect of Gamma Rays and EMS on Winged Bean [Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.)]
    (Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1993) Reeja Dharan, S; KAU; Kamalam, N
    Seeds of winged bean [Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.)] variety PT-62 were subjected to induced mutagenesis using six doses of gamma rays (100 to 500 Gy) and six doses of EMS (40 to 200 mM) to obtain information on the extent of genetic variability that can be induced in the M1 generation. The germination percentage was observed to be decreased by both the mutagens, however the effect was more severe with gamma rays in the field study. But gamma rays caused a stimulation of germination and an earlier germination, at all the doses in the laboratory trials. Number of days taken to complete germination was not much affected by either of the mutagens in the field. The growth of root and shoot were reduced by gamma rays linearly with increase of dose and by EMS drastically at its highest dose, however gamma rays showed greater inhibition of shoot growth and EMS caused greater inhibition of root growth. Survival percentage was observed to be reduced by both mutagens, but EMS was of not much effect. Gamma rays caused a stimulatory effect at its lowest dose. Plant height was beneficially affected by gamma rays at the lowest dose and drastically reduced at higher doses. EMS caused not much variation in plant height. Chlorophyll chimeras and morphological variations were mostly observed in gamma rays treated populations. Morphological variations mostly included alteration in number, size and shape of leaves and size and colour of seeds. Earlier flowering was observed in lower doses of gamma rays, but higher doses caused delayed flowering. Days taken to first flowering was not affected by EMS treatments. Both mutagens exhibited not much effect on the number of days to last flowering. However gamma rays treated populations were in reproductive phase for longer period than EMS treated populations. Number of pods per plant and fruit yield per plant were not affected by EMS treatment. But lower dose of gamma rays caused a stimulatory effect, and thereafter a gradual reduction with increase in dose. Weight and length of pod were slightly increased by EMS treatment, and decreased linearly with increase in dose of gamma rays treatment. EMS caused no significant effect on number of seeds per pod, whereas gamma rays showed an inverse relationship with dose. Both the mutagens showed not much variation in hundred seed weight. Greater pollen sterility was induced by gamma rays treatments, but the effect of EMS was not pronounced. An insignificant increase in seed sterility was exhibited by both the mutagens. In the present investigation greater variability for morphological characters was produced by gamma rays than EMS in the M1 generation of winged bean.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Yield and its components in groundnut under partial shade in coconut garden
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1988) Rajasree, M R; KAU; Gopimony, R
    A study on the parameters of variability, heritability and genetic advance and correlation of pod yield with other components were undertaken in thirtyone varieties of groundnut to select genotypes having good yield and adaptability under partially shaded conditions of coconut gardens. The study was conducted during kharif 1987 at the Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, by raising the varieties in a randomised block design with four replications. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among varieties for the characters like plant height, first date of flowering , flowering duration, pod yield per plant on fresh weight basis, pod number per plant, mature to immature pod ratio, pod yield per plot on fresh and dry weight basis, 100 pod weight, 100 kernel weight, shelling percentage, halum yield per plant and per plot on fresh and dry weight basis, harvest index, photosynthetic efficiency at reproductive phase, leaf area index at reproductive phase and Cercospora leaf spot disease score. Analysis of variance for chlorophyll-a, b and total pigments revealed that there was no significant difference among the varieties with respect to chlorophyll pigment content. Analysis of variance for shade intensity measured in each plot during vegetative and reproductive phase indicated the presence of uniform shade in the experimental field. High genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation, heritability and genetic advance were observed for hundred pod weight and mature to immature pod ratio, suggesting the reliability of these characters during the selection programme for the improvement of this crop. Correlation analysis of dry pod yield per plot with twentyfour characters revealed that fresh pod yield per plot, fresh and dry pod yield per plant, pod number per plant, halum yield per plot on fresh and dry weight basis, harvest index and photosynthetic efficiency during reproductive phase showed relatively high genotypic correlation with dry pod yield per plot. The study indicated that for selecting an ideal plant type of groundnut for partially shaded conditions we have to look for the tallest, earliest flowering and vegetatively maximum vigorous individual plant.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Genetics divergence in bhindi (abelmoschus esculentus (L.) moench)
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1993) Bindu, K K; KAU; Manju, P
    A study was conducted in the Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during the period 1991-93. The main aim was to estimate the magnitude of genetic divergence in a collection of bhindi varieties to select suitable ones for use as parents for developing commercial hybrid varieties. The estimation of genetic parameters of important economic characters, the association among these characters, direct and indirect effects and D2 values were undertaken. Seventy genotypes of bhindi were evaluated in a RBD with three replications. The genotypes showed significant differences in most of the characters studied except fruiting phase and leaf axil bearing the first flower. Genotypic coefficient of variation was maximum for weight of fruits per plant and minimum for days to first flowering. Heritability estimate was maximum for length of fruit while it was minimum for leaf axil bearing the first flower. Genetic advance as percentage of mean was maximum for weight of fruits per plant. High hertibility coupled with high genetic advance was recorded for length of fruit, leaf area, weight of single fruit, height of the plant and weight of the fruits per plant. At genotypic level yield per plant showed positive correlation with all the characters studied. Path coefficient analysis at genotypic level revealed that the number of fruits per plant, weight of single fruit and number of branches exhibited high direct influence on yield. The study indicated that the model for selection of high yielding varieties of bhindi should be based on the number of fruits per plant, weight of single fruit and number of branches. D2 analysis revealed that the 70 genotypes were grouped into six clusters. Cluster I, II, III, IV, V and VI contained fifty seven, four, three, two, three and one genotypes respectively. The maximum divergence was obtained between clusters II and VI and the minimum between clusters I and IV. The intra cluster distance was maximum in cluster III and minimum in cluster IV. In future breeding programme for the development of heterotic hybrids parent may be selected from cluster II and VI for hybridization.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Potential for drought tolerance in cowpea
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1989) Magie, Mereena; KAU; Sreekumar, S G
    A research programme was carried out at the department of plant breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Trivandrum during 1988 with sixteen varieties of cowpea for studying the potential for drought tolerance. The date on twentysix characters and soil moisture percentage in different plots were collected and subjected to analysis of variance/covariance. The genetic variability and correlations were estimated for the characters contributing to drought tolerance, yield and its components. The path analysis was conducted using yield as the effect and seven components contributing to drought tolerance as causes. Analysis of variance for twentysix characters revealed that significant differences existed among varieties for all the characters except for root spread at vegetative period. The analysis of variance for soil moisture percentage showed no significant difference among experimental plots indicating uniform soil moisture status in all the plots. High genotypic coefficient of variation, moderate to high heritability and high genetic advance was shown by characters such as leaf area index at vegetative, flowering and harvest periods, number of pods per plant, hundred grain weight, and proline content. Harvest index also had moderately high heritability and genetic advance. This indicates the reliability of the above components during selection programmes for the improvement of yield. Grain yield per plot showed positive genotypic correlation with leaf area index at vegetative and flowering period, root spread at harvest period, number of pods per plant, root/shoot ratio at vegetative period, grain filling period, and plant height at maturity. Path analysis revealed that harvest index and leaf area index at vegetative period had maximum positive direct effect on yield. Based on the studies on variability, correlation and path analysis it can be concluded that a plant type. Suited to drought conditions should be early flowering with deep and wide spread root system, high root/shoot ratio and leaf area index at vegetative period, low proline content, few number of stomata, long grain filling period and medium duration resulting in the production of more number of pods per plant and high harvest index. The cowpea varieties UPC-124, DPLC-198 and DPLC-216, satisfying the above plant type can be considered as drought tolerant.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Genetic variability in guinea grass
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1993) Shajan, V R; KAU; Sreekumar, S G
    Thirty guinea grass clones were evaluated in a field experiment laid out in an RBD with two replications at the Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 1990. Data on nine biometric characters and fodder yield were collected and subjected to analysis of variance and co-variance. Genetic parameters like heritability, genetic advance and correlations were estimated. The path anlysis was done to assess the cause-effect relationship and discriminant function analysis was done to formulate selection index for identifying superior clones. The analysis of variance revealed significant difference with respect to all the characters except dry fodder yield. High genotypic and phenotypic variances were observed for number of panicles per hill, leaf length, and plant height. High phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation were observed for number of panicles per hill, weight of seeds per hill and leaf-stem ratio indicating the presence of large amount of genetic variability. High heritability estimates were recorded for the leaf length, number of panicles per hill, protein percentage, leaf-stem ratio, leaf breadth, weight of seeds per hill, number of tillers per hill, plant height and leaf area index. High heritability along with high genetic advance observed for number of panicles per hill, weight of seeds per hill, leaf-stem ratio number of tillers per hill, length, leaf area index and leaf breadth indicates additive gene action and the reliability of these characters during selection. High positive genotypic correlation and significant positive phenotypic correlations of green fodder yield with dry fodder yield, plant height, leaf length and leaf area index indicate that selection based on any one of these characters will result in the improvement of green fodder yield. The yield components showed varying degrees of association among themselves. Correlation studies indicate that selection based on plant height, leaf length and leaf breadth will be effective in the improvement of fodder yield. Path analysis revealed that leaf area index had the maximum direct effect on green fodder yield followed by plant height and leaf-stem ratio. Number of tillers per hill exerted negative direct effect on green fodder yield. Based on the results of variability, correlation and path analysis it can be concluded that selection based on plant height, leaf area index and leaf-stem ratio will be effective for the improvement of fodder yield in guinea grass. A selection index was constructed and by practicing twenty per cent selection, six top ranking clones viz. FR 42, MC 14, FR 559, Mackuenii, FR 550 and MC 16 were identified for use in future breeding programmes.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of harvesting time in seednut characters in coconut
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1993) Vanaja, T; KAU; Sreekumari Amma, J
    On the west coast of India, seednuts are being harvested during the summer months (February to May). The present investigation was mainly to know whether the nuts harvested through out the year can be used for seednut purpose in komadan. An attempt was also made to find out the effect of season on the floral characters in the two varieties. Study on the effect of season on the manifestation of the various floral characters revealed that, in both Komadan and WCT, during February to May there was higher production of bunches having proportionately more female flowers resulting in higher nut yields. The study on mother palm characters revealed that the Komadan variety exhibited superiority over WCT in number of spadices per palm per year, number of nuts per bunch and annual nut yield per palm. Correlation studies in mother palm characters revealed that the principal yield components in Komadan were number of nuts per bunch, number of bunches per season and percentage fruitset, while in WCT, high yields were the resultant effect of number of nuts per bunch, number of female flowers per spadix, number of bunches per season, total number of female flowers and number of spadices. It was also observed that in both varieties when the number of female flowers per spadix increases the retention percentage gets reduced. Most of the correlations between floral and yield traits studied were found to be homogeneous at different times of harvest in both varieties, with more homogeneity in Komadan. Study on the effect of harvesting time on seednut characters revealed that February to May (hot weather periods) is the best period for seednut collection in both WCT and Komadan. This is based on the fact that the important seednut characters like copra content per nut, kernel weight, size of nut, husked nut weight and seednut quality index were found to be at its maximum for nuts harvested during summer months in both WCT and Komadan. The Komadan variety was found to be significantly superior to WCT in four seednut characters viz., weight of kernel, copra content per nut, weight of embryo and volume of nut water. Varietal difference affected only a very limited number of correlations among seednut characters. Most of the inter correlations among seednut characters were found to be homogeneous at different times of harvest in both Komadan and WCT. In both Komadan and WCT, among the seednut characters, weight of kernel was found to be highly correlated with copra content. Oil content was not correlated with any of the seednut characters in Komadan. But in WCT, it was found to be negatively correlated with kernel weight. Among the 15 seednut characters studied, five characters viz., equatorial diameter, weight of unhusked nut, weight of husked nut, weight of kernel and oil content contributed 90 per cent of the total variation explained by the 15 seednut characters on copra content per nut, in both Komadan and WCT. In both Komadan and WCT, the very limited variability for oil content was explained by the 15 seednut characters studied. In Komadan, yield of nuts was negatively correlated with equatorial diameter of nut, weight of unhusked nut and weight of husked nut. But in WCT, yield of nuts was negatively correlated with almost all seednut characters. Based on seednut qualities, hot weather periods (February to May) were found to be the most suitable time for seednut collection in both Komadan and WCT.