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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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19833
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Subject: Poultry Science × End date: 1983 × Start date: 1983 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Survey on the status of duck farming in Kerala state
    (Department of Poultry Science,College of Veterinary Science, Mannuthy, 1983) Ravindran, T K; KAU; Venugopalan, C K
    The results of a survey to assess the status of duck farming in Kerala is reported in this thesis. The economic background of duck farmers in the state was not generally found enough to support their families. Educationally, majority of them had only primary education. Unlike chicken, flocks of ducks consisting of 350-400 are taken from place to place in search of post-harvested paddy fields for browsing . Three members are necessary to mange one flock. Duck rearing is mainly concentrated in Kuttanad area of Alleppy and Kottayam district were the conditions are congenial for brooding and rearing of ducklings. Specialization in the production of day-old duckling is a feature of Kuttanad duck industry. Large number of broody hens are the only natural incubators for the duck eggs and the percentage of hatchability obtained by farmers is 80-85. Artificial incubation and day-old sexing are not at all practiced. Cooked rice mixed with fresh coconut gratings formed the opening meal for the ducklings. Mortality during the rearing period is only five per cent. Ducklings are allowed to swim from seventh day onwards and they are taken to the open paddy fields for foraging after one month. The average egg production reported by the farmers for the desi ducks is 130-140 eggs per duck per year and flock of ducks is used for laying upto the age of three years. Mortality among adult ducks is very rare. The marketing of duck eggs is now fully under the control of private commission agents, who act as financiers to the duck farmers as well.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Genetic effects influencing egger traits from diallel mating system
    (Department of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1983) Rashbehari, Singh K; KAU; Unni, A K K (Guide)
    A 3 x 3 diallel cross was made using IWP, IWN and F strains of White Leghorn at the All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Poultry for Eggs, Thrissur centre. Age at first egg in days, body weight at 20 and 40 weeks of age in grammes, egg number up to 280 days of age and egg weight (g) at 38 weeks of age were recorded for all the nine genetic groups. Strain F was found to be superior in performance among the purebreads in terms of the traits considered in the study. The over all merit of F strain, as sire line, was found to be good, yielding birds in cross combinations with low age at maturity, moderate body weight and egg weight satisfactory egg yield. IWP strain appeared to perform well as a dam line and crosses produced using IWP strain as a dam line were heavy in body weight and egg weight matured early and also produced quality good number of eggs. F strain when used as a female line might be more economical as they produced lighter hybrids capable of producing good number of eggs and maturing early. However, the impact on egg weight had to be critically assessed. Beneficial heterosis of significance was not generated up on crossing. However a positive heterosis was obtained when F and IWP strains were crossed but it did not reach a level of significance. IWN x IWP was also found to be a cross with good potential and as such both F x IWP and IWN x IWP crosses may exposed for extensive field testing while efforts to improve the production potential in these strains may be continued by appropriate intra-population selection method.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Comparative performance of khaki kampbell and desi ducks
    (Department of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary Science, Mannuthy, 1983) Eswaran, K R; KAU; Ramakrishnan, A
    A trial was conducted to evaluate the comparative performance of Khaki Campbell ducks and desi (local) ducks. Khaki Campbell ducklings required for the experiment were bought from the Government Duck Farm, Niranam, at day-old and reared in to four groups on deep litter up to 18 weeks of age. Initial body weight and body weight at weekly intervals of all the ducklings were recorded. The average daily feed consumption from first to 18 weeks of age were also noted. After 18 weeks of age,96 numbers of good ducks were selected and divided at random and housed in eight different pens in semi-intensive system. Body weights and feed consumption were recorded at 28 day period intervals. Trap nests were provided for all individual birds. All the ducks were put in to the trap nest box in the evening of the day at about 4.30 pm and releasing them the next day morning after verifying for eggs inside the trap nest. The age at first egg of all individual ducks, the weight of first egg, age at 10 per cent production, age at 50 per cent production, total egg production upto 280 days of age, feed efficiency and livability per cent of the flock were calculated and recorded. The same procedure was repeated using desi ducklings hatched out at the University Duck Farm. The desi ducklings were reared as straight-run as they were not sexed at day-old into four groups of litter upto 18 weeks of age and at 18th week 96 females were selected and distributed at random in to five pens in semi-intensive system at the rate of 19 ducks in four pens and 20 ducks in the fifth one. All the ducks of the two genetic groups were managed under identical conditions. At the end of the trial the egg quality studies were also carried out using one hundred eggs from each group. The overall performance of both Khaki Campbell and desi ducks in respect of the different parameters studied is presented in table. The first egg among the flock of Khaki Campbell was obtained at 163 days of age and that of desi ducks laid at 134 days of age. The average age of the above two flock at first egg was 188 and 158 days. The age at 10 per cent and 50 per cent production recorded was 174 and 187 days in Khaki Campbell and 146 and 155 days respectively in desi ducks. The average egg production upto 280 days of age was 60.16 and 51.06 for two groups in the same order. The egg weight averaged 62.41g 71.4g for Khaki Campbell and desi ducks. The feed efficiency for the above two genetic groups in terms of the number of eggs produced was 5.21 and 10.40. Though the size of Khaki Campbell duck eggs was smaller than desi duck eggs, the other quality factors were almost similar. The study has thrown some light on the fact that the locally available germplasm can be improved by through continued research and better feeding and management practices. This will help to attain better production from desi stock in terms of egg number and better size of eggs.