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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: Ranjit, A × End date: 2001 × Start date: 2001 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Exploitation of hypovirulence in Rhizoctonia solani kuhn for Management of sheath blight in rice
    (Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2001) Ranjit, A; KAU; Girija, A K
    A study was conducted at Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani to explore the variability in Rhizoctonia so/ani with a view to detect hypoviruient strains of the fungus, and evaluate the efficacy of these isolates in management of sheath blight disease of rice. Six hypovirulent isolates were selected after screerung 28 isolates obtained from different rice growing tracts of Kerala. Screening for hypovirulence was . based on cultural characters like mycelial growth rate and sclerotial production under ill vitro conditions, and pathogenicity tests through cut stalk assay. The hypovirulent isolates were non-sclerotial whereas the virulent isolate produced profuse sclerotia. The hypovirulent isolates produced tan mycelia appressed to the medium In Petri dishes. Antibiosis and hyperparasitism were absent in the interaction between the hypovirulent and virulent isolates in vitro. The character of hypovirulence could not be transmitted from hypovirulent to the virulent isolate. The hypovirulent isolates had no effect on the germination and seedling vigour of rice plants. They did not produce symptoms of sheath blight on susceptible variety. Two of the six hypovirulent isolates selected viz A 13 and GR23 which were binucleate and did not anastomose with the selected virulent isolates, offered the maximum protection to the rice plants from sheath blight. The plants treated with GR23 showed immune reaction to challenge inoculation with virulent isolate, showing no symptom production on challenge inoculation with virulent isolate. The protective effect was found to be higher than that of chemical and biological control treatments. The phenol oxidase activity in the plants treated with the hypovirulent isolates was found to be significantly higher than that of the plants treated with virulent isolate while the peroxidase activity was higher in the plants treated with virulent isolate. Among the different carrier materials tested for hypovirulent Rrsolani rice bran was found to be good for long term storage and coirpith was found to be a cheap indigenous material for its mass multiplication.