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

1990 - 19926
Reset filters
Subject: Plant Breeding × End date: 1992 × Start date: 1990 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
Reset filters

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
  • Thumbnail Image
    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
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Genetic analysis of productivity parameters in horsegram
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture,Vellayani, 1991) Elizabeth, Mathew; Ramachandran Nair, N
    A study on the parameters of variability, correlation and path coefficient were undertaken in forty eight horsegram varieties. The study was conducted at the Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during Rabi 1989. The varieties showed significant differences in all the characters studied. Genotypic coefficient of variation was maximum for days to flowering and minimum for length of pod. High heritability estimates were observed for hundred seed weight and days to flowering. Genetic gain was maximum for days to flowering. Hundred seed weight and days to flowering recorded high heritability and high genetic gain indicating the presence of additive gene action. At the genotypic level seed yield showed high positive correlation with harvest index and number of pods per plant. Path coefficient analysis projected number of pods per plant, length of pod and number of branches as the traits exerting high positive direct effect on seed yield. The study indicated that the model for plant selection in horsegram should be one with more number of branches, long pods and more number of pods per plant. The varieties P. Palayam, CODB-1, Calicut local, PLS-6056 and No.447 were found to fit in this model.
  • Thumbnail Image
    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.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Combining ability in grass cowpea [Vigna unguiculata var- sesquipedails]
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1992) Rejatha, V; KAU; Ramachandra Nair, N
    Two lines, six testers and twelve bybrids of cowpea were evaluated in the partially shaded conditions of coconut garden of Vellayani for combining ability and gene action. The lines and testers were selected based on their previous performance and crossed in line x tester manner to get twelve hybrids. Observations were made on sixteen characters of which twelve characters showed significant differences among the twenty treatments. Combining ability analysis was carried out as suggested by kempthorn (1957) suggested the importance of specific combining ability for all the characters except for length of pod and days to flowering. It was seen that the varieties chharodi – 1, Culture – 9, V – 26 and GC – 82 – 7 were the best general combiners and the cross combinations Chharodi – 1 x V – 26, Chharodi – 1 x Kanakamani and Culture – 9 x V – 322 were the best specific combinations for yield and yield attributes under partially shaded upland conditions. The yield and important yield attributes were under the control of non – additive gene actions except days to flowering and length of pod. The varieties Culture – 9, GC – 82 – 7,Chharodi – 1 and V – 26 and the cross combinations Chharodi–1 x V–26, Chharodi-1 x Kanakamani and Culture –9 x Kanakamani can be further exploited through selection
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Genetic evaluation of M2 V1 guinea grass (Panicum Maximum Jacq) clones under partially shaded conditions
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1991) Santhi Priya, G; KAU; Manikantan Nair, P
    he top ranking ten clumps from the open pollinated seed progeny of each of the four mutant clones of guinea grass variety FR - 600 viz., MC - 2, MC - 14, MC - 16 and MC-23 and two control varieties FR – 600 and Makueni were studied in terms of green fodder yield, dry matter yield, tiller count and root length and were evaluated to identify genetically superior clones. The six clones comprising of 60 progenies were evaluated in a field trial in a compact family block design with four replications. Analysis of variance carried out for ten characters revealed significant differences among the six families for seven characters. The familywise analysis of variance carried out displayed significant differences among the progenies in either one or more of the families for eight out of the ten characters, indicating that sexual reproduction is prevalent in the crop at least to some extent. As genetic variability existed within the families, selection will be effective within the families too. Genotypic coefficient of variation was maximum for inflorescence count and minimum for height of grasses. High heritability estimates were recorded for inflorescence count, height of grasses and free proline content of leaves, indicating that its genetic improvement can be effected through selection. Moderate heritability values were recorded for root length, leaf area and dry matter yield while tiller number. Leaf/stem ratio, green fodder yield and reaction to collar rot recorded low heritability values. Genetic advance expressed as percentage of mean was high for free proline content of leaves and inflorescence count and low for all the other characters. A selection index based on plant height, tiller number, leaf area, leaf/stem ratio and green fodder yield identified six of the progenies as genetically superior from among the sixty progenies studied, when ten per cent selection was exercised. The top ranking six progenies belonged to the families MC – 23 and Makueni.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Correlation and path analysis in sesamum (Sesamum Indicum L.) under rainfed conditions
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1991) Kuriakose Conil; KAU; Sreekumari Amma, J
    A research programme was carried out at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani with twentyfive varieties of sesamum during the rabi season of 1989, in order to identify superior sesamum genotypes possessing high oil content and to asses the relationship between yield oil content and to assess the relationship between yield and other plant characters through correlation and path analysis under rainfed conditions in the rabi uplands. The design adopted was a randomised block design with three replications and observations were recorded from randomly tagged plants on 13 plant characters and the major weather parameters. Significant differences existed among varieties with respect to six characters studied. The variety C-6 had the maximum seed oil percentage of 56.96 per cent. The variation in oil content of seeds was largely due to genotypic differences. The highest estimate of 94 per cent heritability was shown by the character oil content of seeds, while the highest genetic advance under 5 per cent selection was shown by the character number of seeds per capsule. At the genotypic level, seed yield was positively correlated with plant height, length of the capsule, breadth of the capsule, root-shoot ratio, number of seeds per capsule, days to first flowering and oil content of seeds and negatively with number of leaves per plant and number of capsules per plant. The oil content of seeds showed positive genotypic correlations with number of seeds per capsule, days to first flowering and seed yield and a negative correlation with root- shoot ratio. Path analysis technique was not found to be satisfactory to explain the direct and indirect effects of plant characters since the residual values obtained were high. The variety ACV-2 ranked first among the five varieties identified as superior genotypes at 20 per cent selection. The expected genetic gain was estimated as 37.25. The maximum amount of drymatter was produced by the variety ACV-1. The variety NPG-3 had the highest amount of proline in its leaves. None of the varieties could be regarded as a 'proline accumulating' genotype. The highest percentage of soil moisture available was at 56 days after sowing. The sesamum crop received the highest amount of 25.5 mm rainfall during the 42nd standard meterological week and the lowest amount of 1 mm rainfall during the 50th standard meterological week.