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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 Ɨ End date: 2007 Ɨ Start date: 2007 Ɨ Thesis Type: Ph.D Ɨ
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria mediated induced systemic resistance against bacterial wilt in ginger
    (College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2007) Reshmy, Vijayaraghavan; KAU; Koshy, Abraham
    The pathogen causing bacterial wilt of ginger was isolated and identified as Ralstonia solanacearum biovar III based on its cultural, morphological and biochemical characters coupled with pathogenicity. Rhizosphere microflora of ginger from different locations of Thrissur, Waynad and Palakkad districts were isolated. Altogether, 163 rhizobacterial isolates were selected from these areas and their antagonistic activity against the pathogen assessed. Out of 163 isolates, only 45 showed antagonistic reaction. Further, study of these antagonists based on zone of inhibition resulted in selection of 20 isolates. The effect of these 20 isolates in promoting the growth of ginger was studied in pot culture in comparison with three reference cultures of P. fluorescens and B. subtilis. Result of this experiment revealed that only 11 isolates including the two reference cultures of P. fluorescens had growth promoting effect as evidenced in terms of yield and yield attributing characters of ginger. Factors which impart growth promotion in ginger by these isolates were assessed by estimating the inhibition zone, vigour index, hydrogen cyanide, indole acetic acid, ammonia production and ā€˜Pā€™ solubilzation and based on that, PGPR index of the isolates was worked out. In addition to that, production of salicylic acid, antibiotics and siderphore by the isolates, the secondary metabolites which are known to play a role in disease suppression were assessed. The isolates varied in their ability to produce salicylic acid. Isolates RB-22 followed by RB-11, RB-144 and RB-66 produced more number of antibiotics which include pyoluteorin, pyrrolnitrin, 2,4DAPG etc. Similarly, isolate RB-22 and RB-11 produced maximum siderophores. The potential of these 11 rhizobacterial isolates in imparting resistance against the disease was assessed in another pot culture experiment by estimating phenol, proteins and amino acid content of ginger upon challenge inoculation. Here also, the isolates showed a profound effect on growth and yield of ginger especially by those plants bacterized with RB-11. There was no natural incidence of bacterial wilt in plants treated with RB-11 and RB-22. Upon challenge inoculation also, plants bacterized with RB-11 showed the least incidence. In general, rhizobacterial treated plants contained more amount of phenol, protein and amino acids than untreated ones. Upon challenge inoculation with the pathogen, the rate of increase of these compounds in rhizobacteria treated plants was more than that of control during different intervals of observations. A third pot culture experiment was conducted to assess the effect of rhizobacterial treatments on defense related enzymes of ginger upon challenge inoculation. Here, eight most promising ones including the reference cultures were used. In general, the study revealed more activity of peroxidase (PO), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) in rhizobacterial treated plants that too after challenge inoculation. Native PAGE analysis revealed six isoforms of PO and four isoforms of PPO in a majority of the rhizobacterial treated plants whereas only three were noticed in control. Similarly, difference in the protein profile of rhizobacterial treated plants and control was noticed. Chlorophyll, NPK and oil and oleoresin content varied among treatments where the highest was observed in rhizobacterial treated plants. An attempt was made to elucidate the molecular mechanism of induced systemic resistance (ISR) in ginger by synthesizing cDNA and was subjected to RAPD assay. However, no conclusive evidence on ISR was observed. The compatibility of eight rhizobacterial isolates including the two reference cultures with antibiotics, fungicides, insecticides and fertilizers were assessed which revealed variation in their sensitivity. Moreover, mutual compatibility of the rhizobacterial isolates and compatibility with Trichoderma spp. were also studied and it was observed that all bacterial isolates were mutually compatible. However, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, P. fluorescens (RB-66) and the reference culture of P .fluorescens (P.f2) were found incompatible with the Trichoderma spp. The promising six rhizobacteria isolates were identified based on cultural, morphological and biochemical characters and also in comparison with that of reference culture of P. fluorescens. They were tentatively identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (RB-22), Pseudomonas fluorescens (RB-82, RB-66, RB-11) and the remaining two, RB-144 and RB-77, as non-fluorescent Pseudomonads.