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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 Pathology × Author: KAU × End date: 1990 × Start date: 1990 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Bio-deterioration of important cucurbitaceous seeds due to mycoflora
    (Department of Plant Pathology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1990) Saleena George; KAU; Cheeran, A B I
    The study "Bio-deterioration of important cucurbitaceous seeds due to mycoflora" was conducted at College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara. The objectives of this study were to find out the role of seed borne mycoflora on the bio-deterioration of important cucurbitaceous seeds, the variation in the seed mycoflora in different periods of the year, to assess the role of different humidity levels on the viability of seeds and to evolve a suitable management practice to prevent the bio-deterioration of seeds. The study revealed that the unsterilised seeds were found associated with mycoflora throughout the period of investigation . Mycoflora associated with surface sterilised seeds was less than that of unsterilised seeds. The maximum fungal association was found on the seed coat, then in the endosperm and least in the embryo in all the three vegetable seeds. Twentyseven species of fungi were found associated with bitter gourd seeds . Ten of them were external contaminants. Twentyfive species of fungi were obtained from the cucumber seed of which 11 species were found to be externally seed borne fungi were Aspergillus sp., Pencillium sp. and Rhizopus sp. while among the internally seed borne fungi the predominant ones were Fusarium solani, Aspergillus flavus and Rhizopus stolonifer.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Standardisation of food bases for selected antagonistic microflora against soil-borne pathogens
    (Department of Plant Pathology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1990) Mini, S Nair; KAU; Nair, P V
    Techniques for mass multiplication and production of antagonistic microflora isolated from the forest soils of Kerala for the biocontrol of soil-borne pathogens viz., Rhizoctonia, Pythlum and Phytophthora were investigated. The antagonists used were Trichoderma harzianum, T, Ionqibrachiatum, Aspergillus terreus, Panicillium citrinum, P.simplicissimum and Bacillus subtillis. The food bases tried were rice, wheat bran, paddy straw, rice bran, cowpea, forest soil and soil + dried.cowdung. The growth and survive! of antagonists in various food bases were estimated in vitro. A pot culture experiment was laid out during the period from March to September 1989 at the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara to assess the population dynamics of the Introduced antagonists in rhizosphere of crop plants end to find out the effect of carrier based antagonist in controlling collar rot of cowpea caused by Rhizoctonia solani, soft rot of ginger caused by Pythium myriotylum and quick wilt of black pepper caused by Phvtophthora palmivora. Milled rice was found to be the most promising food base for all the isolates tested. Wheat bran was also found good for all the Isolates except T. longibrachiatum, T. longibrachiatum as well as B. subtilis were found to grow well in rice broil. A. terreus and P. citrlnum exhibited good growth while moderate growth of T. longibrachiatum and P. simpliciasimum was observed with cowpea as a food base. In general paddy straw, forest soil and soil + cowdung was found to be poor substrates compared to other food bases. But in paddy straw, T. harsianum ,A. terreus. P. citrinum and B. subtilis survived better compared to other food bases.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Integrated management of sheath blight disease of rice
    (Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1990) Geogy Zacharia; KAU; Rajan, K M
    The present investigation was undertaken to evolve an economically feasible management strategy integrating biological and chemical aspects of control measures of sheath blight disease of rice. An attempt has been made to identify a potential biocontrol agent to combat sheath blight disease causing considerable loss to rice cultivation. Another important aspect of the programme was to develop and easy and cheap method of assaying the population of R. solani in paddy soil. Among different techniques screened, floatation sieving using both Fenwick can and glass cylinder were effective in selective recovery and the latter was further modified using different concentrations of salt. Among selective media mineral antibiotic media amended with Fosetyl-al and in studies using different baits autoclaved straw bits were superior. Among the microorganisms isolated from rice soils of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, thirteen species of fungi were found to be antagonistic to R. solani. Among the antagonists, Trichoderma harzianum was found to be the best biocontrol agent against sheath blight disease. This was followed by T. koningii. A field study incorporating various soil amendments viz., neem cake and lime, Carbendazim and T. harzianum, a combination of amendments with Carbendzim and T. harzianum reduced disease severity and increased yield of grain and straw. These combinations also showed higher fungal and bacterial population and reduced R. solani population. Negative correlation between total fungi/bacteria and R. solani was observed suggesting inoculums reduction of the pathogen in critical growth stages of the crop. From the economic point of view, lime alone was found to have highest cost- benefit ratio compared to other treatments. The above result is possibly due to poor disease pressure observed during the investigation
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Inhibitory effects of certain plant extracts on the incidence of cowpea mosaic
    (Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1990) Mallika Devi, S; KAU; Rajagopalan, B
    The inhibitory effect of certain plant extracts on the incidence of cowpea mosaic was studied. Preliminary screening of non-host plants for antiviral property against cowpea mosaic virus revealed that extracts of sixteen plants viz. Adenocalyma allicea, Azadirachta indica, Boerhaavia diffusa, Bougainvillea spectabilis, Calotropis gigantean, Clerodendron inflortunatum, Curcuma longa, Eupatorium odoratum, Ferrula indica, Mirabilis jalapa, Moringa Olifera, Phyllanthus niruri, Polyalthia longifolia, solanum indicum, Thespesia populnea and Vitex negundo inhibited the production of local lesions on the leaves of Chenopodium amaranticolor indicating that these extracts possessed antiviral property. The extracts of A. Indica, B. diffusa, B. spectabilis, C. gigantean, C. infortunatum, C. longa, M. jalapa, P. niruri, S. indicum, and V. negundo caused 100 per cent inhibition of the production of local lesions on C. amaranticolor even at five per cent concentration. The inhibitory effect of the plant extracts was found to be less pronounced when tested on the primary leaves of cowpea seedlings. Pre - inoculation application of plant extracts was found to be more effective than post-inoculation application in checking the incidence of cowpea mosaic. In insect transmission studies with Aphis craccivora cent per cent inhibition of disease incidence was obtained with the extracts of A. indicum, C. infortunatum, P. niruri and V. negundo. Studies on the effect of plant extracts on the acquisition and transmission of cowpea mosaic virus by A. craccivora revealed that the extract of P. niruri caused 100 per cent reduction over control. Maximum inhibition of disease development was obtained in plants inoculated with cowpea mosaic virus upto two days after the application of extracts of A. indica, P. niruri, V. negundo and C. infortunatum. Extracts of V. negundo and A. indica caused considerable reduction in the survival of A. craccivora on cowpea. The present studies indicated that, the extract of C. infortunatum had some systemic effect against cowpea mosaic virus. Repeated application of plant extracts on cowpea plants revealed that V. negundo had the maximum inhibitory effect on symptom development, in both sap and insect transmission trials. Height and weight of plants, number and weight of pods and root nodules of cowpea plants treated with plant extracts were found to be more than that of the control.