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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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ThesisItem Open Access Precision farming techniques for quality seed produciton in okra (abelmoschus esculentus (l.) moench)(Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2019) Rosna, S; KAU; Sreelatha, UQuality seeds of okra, a popular vegetable crop in Kerala, are in great demand. An experiment was conducted during the period from January to April 2019 at the Centre for High-tech Horticulture and Precision Farming, Vellanikkara, to study the effect of precision farming techniques on growth, fruit and seed yield of okra. The field experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 7 treatments which included two levels of irrigation viz., I1- Drip irrigation at 75% evapo-transpiration (EP) and I2- Drip irrigation at 100% EP and three levels of Fertigation viz., F1: 75% RDF (recommended dose of fertilizer), F2:100% RDF and F3:125% RDF. Fertilizer doses as per POP recommendation for the crop i.e., 110:35:70 kg NPK/ ha was adjusted based on soil test data. Drip irrigation was given daily based on PAN evaporation data while fertigation was administered twice a week. All the drip fertigation plots were mulched with 30 μ silver polythene film. A plot that was administered flood irrigation along with soil application of fertilizer as per POP fixed, vide soil test data, served as the control. The growth parameters of the crop in all the drip fertigation treatments were significantly superior to control. I1F1 exhibited significant superiority over other treatments with respect to plant height (84.40 cm), height of the first bearing node (17.55 cm), LAI (1.19) and fruit set (73.00%). Early flowering (47.33days) was also observed in this treatment. Between the different levels of irrigation, I1 (irrigation at 75% EP) showed significant increase in plant height (79.23 cm), height of the first bearing node (14.40 cm), LAI (1.01) and fruit set (70.33%) when compared to I2 (100% EP). I1 also registered earlier flowering (48.89 days) when compared to I2 (53.33 days). However, LAI was not influenced by different levels of irrigation. No significant difference was exerted by different levels of fertigation on characters like plant height, LAI, days to 50% flowering and fruit set. However, in the case of first bearing node, F1 (15.21 cm) followed by F3 (13.90 cm) was superior to F2 (12.95 cm). Significant interaction effect of irrigation and fertigation levels was evident with respect to LAI and fruit set. Fruit characters like length, girth, weight, mature fruit yield per plant and number of mature fruits per plant were significantly superior in drip fertigation treatments compared to control. Except I2F3, all other fertigation treatment produced significantly thicker fruits than the control (1.90 cm). Mature fruit weight was significantly high in treatments 11F1 (9.10 g) and I1F2 (8.59 g), followed by I2F2 (7.60g). However, mature fruit yield (154.85 g) and number of mature fruits (30.91) were significantly high in I1F1. Fruit characters like fruit length and girth were not influenced by different levels of irrigation and fertigation as well as their interaction effect. However, I1 showed significant increase in fruit weight (8.09 g), mature fruit yield (116.49 g) and number of fruits (25.67g) when compared to I2. Mature fruit weight (8.20 g & 8.09 g) and number of fruits (24.19 & 22.98) were on par in F1 and F2. Among the interactions, I1F1 showed superior performance in fruit weight, mature fruit yield/plant and number of fruits/plant. With respect to seed characters like number of seeds per fruit, seed weight /fruit, seed yield per plant, 100 seed weight, seed germination and seedling vigour index, the drip fertigation treatments were significantly superior to control. Between the irrigation levels, I1 significantly increased number of seeds/fruit, seed yield/plant and seedling root length when compared to I2. But seedling vigour index was significantly higher in I2 (2504) compared to I1 (2424). However, characters like seed weight/fruit, 100 seed weight, 100 seed volume, germination, moisture content, hard seed content and seedling shoot length were not affected by irrigation levels. Among the fertigation levels, seed germination and seedling vigour index was highest in F1 (93.33 % and 2914) while F2 showed increased number of seeds/fruit (42.87) whereas F3 showed increased 100 seed weight (6.70g), seedling shoot length (22.68 cm) and low hard seed content (8.48%). Seed weight and seed yield were not influence by fertigation levels. Significant interaction effect of irrigation and fertigation levels were evident in number of seeds/fruit, 100 seed weight, seed germination and seedling root length. I1F1 was found to be significantly superior for most seed traits studied. But seedling vigour index was significantly higher in I2F1 (2947). Storage studies were conducted with seeds of okra variety, Arka Anamika procured from Centre for High-tech Horticulture and Precision Farming, Vellanikkara. The seeds were treated with polykote (synthetic polymer) @ 5 and 10 ml per kg of seed along with plant protection chemicals viz., carbendazim-mancozeb (Saaf- 2g/kg of seed) and bifenthrin (0.1%) or biocontrol agent- Trichoderma viridae (4g/kg of seed). Untreated seeds served as control. The seeds were packed in 700 gauge polyethylene bags and stored under both cold (refrigerated) and ambient conditions and seed quality parameters assessed at bimonthly intervals. With the advancement of storage period, germination declined irrespective of the treatments in both the storage conditions. Throughout the storage period, performance of treated seeds was found to be significantly superior over control. At the end of twelve months of storage, higher seed germination was recorded in seeds treated with polykote (10ml) + carbendazim- mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) both under cold (75.33%) and ambient (71.33%) conditions. Lower values were recorded in untreated control (60.33 per cent under cold storage and 56.33 under ambient storage). Both seedling shoot length and root length were significantly higher in treatment with polykote (10ml) + carbendazim- mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) both under cold and ambient conditions. Seedling dry weight was also significantly higher in the same treatment in the cold storage while in the ambient condition, there was no significant difference among the treatments. The EC of seed leachate and seed microflora also showed the same trend with very low value for polykote (10ml) +carbendazim- mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) in both cold and ambient conditions. From the study it can be concluded that drip irrigation at 75% EP and 75% of RDF along with mulch, is best for seed production in okra. Storage of seeds treated with polykote (10ml) + carbendazim- mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) in cold is recommended to ensure minimum seed certification standards.ThesisItem Open Access Susceptibility of red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum (herbst) (coleoptera:(Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2019) Anusree, R P; KAU; Berin, PathroseThe red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is a cosmopolitan stored grain pest, causing postharvest losses of more than 20 per cent in developing countries and up to nine per cent in developed countries. Even though several practices are available for management of T. castaneum, chemical control remains the most efficient, easy and economic method to reduce the insect pest populations to acceptable levels. Selection pressure from insecticides, however has led to development of resistance in T. castaneum to insecticides. Tribolium castaneum ranks 17th among the 20 most insecticide resistant arthropods in the world and it has already developed resistance against phosphine, methyl bromide, organophosphates, pyrethroids and insect growth regulators which are the commonly used insecticides for its management. The present study entitled “Susceptibility of red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) to insecticides” was undertaken at the Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during October 2018 to July 2019. The objective of the study was to assess the susceptibility of red flour beetle populations to selected insecticides, to study the biochemical basis of resistance and to screen new molecules for the safe management of T. castaneum. Different populations of T. castaneum were collected from five different godowns of Food Corporation of India (FCI), viz., Thikkodi, Olavakkode, Mulangunnathukavu, Angamaly and Valiyathura. These five strains, along with the susceptible strain of T. castaneum (procured from Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi) which was maintained without exposure to any insecticides for more than 35 years, were used to conduct the experiments. Residual film bioassay with malathion, dichlorvos and deltamethrin, which were the recommended and commonly used insecticides in FCI godowns, revealed that susceptibility to malathion was lowest in the Angamaly strain of T. castaneum, while susceptibility to dichlorvos and deltamethrin was lowest in Olavakkode and Thikkodi strains, respectively. While, all the three recommended pesticides were toxic to the susceptible strain. Resistance ratio for all the field collected strains, with malathion, ranged from 10.95 in Thikkodi strain to 13.34 in Angamaly strain. There was a significant decrease in susceptibility to dichlorvos also. Biochemical basis of insecticide resistance was investigated by estimating the amount of detoxifying enzymes such as carboxyl esterase, glutathione-Stransferase and cytochrome P450 in different strains of T.castaneum. The activity of all the three detoxifying enzymes were significantly higher in field collected populations over that of the susceptible strain. Correlation studies indicated that carboxylesterase and cytochrome P450 levels were significantly correlated with the LC50 values. Residual film bioassay was done to evaluate the susceptibility of different strains of T. castaneum to new insecticide molecules viz., bifenthrin, chlorfenapyr, spinosad and flubendiamide. Bifenthrin and chlorfenapyr was found to be most toxic to all the T. castaneum strains, while, spinosad and flubendiamide were not effective in controlling T. castaneum. When compared to malathion, bifenthrin was 104 to 378 times more toxic, while chlorfenapyr was 1214 to 2236 times toxic to the field collected strains. The most effective insecticides, selected based on the relative toxicity studies along with FCI recommended pesticides, were sprayed on small jute bags containing 1 kg of rice. A method was developed and validated to analyse the residues of malathion, deltamethrin, chlorfenapyr and bifenthrin in rice samples with limit of detection and limit of quantification of 0.02 and 0.08 ppm, respectively. Pesticide residue analysis was carried out at different sampling intervals. When the sprayed sample was analysed after 2 hours of pesticide spray, 0.084 ppm of malathion was detected, which was below the MRL level of 4 ppm. However, residue levels, 1 and 3 days after spraying were below detection limit. In case of chlorfenapyr, bifenthrin and deltamethrin the residue levels were below detection limit throughout the study period.ThesisItem Open Access Potassium nutrition on vivipary and seed quality in oriental pickling melon (cucumis melo var. conomon mak.)(Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2019) Athulya Kumar, S; KAU; Dijee, BastianOriental pickling melon ( is an important vegetable crop cultivated in Kerala. This short duration crop has the potential to produce high yields with low input requirements, so often referred as unique vegetable of Kerala. Quality seed production in melon is affected due to the occurrence of vivipary. A study in oriental pickling melon varieties, Saubhagya and Mudicode was conducted in the Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, during 2017-2019 to elucidate the effect of potassium nutrition on vivipary and seed quality. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of time of planting and potassium application on vivipary and their effect on seed quality. The effect of time of planting on vivipary was assessed with three different time of planting i.e., December, January and February following a factorial randomized design with four replications. The fruit and seed yield attributes were found to be significantly influenced by varieties, time of planting and their interaction. Variety Mudicode was superior in parameters like fruit weight, fruit yield and female flower emergence was early in the crop sown in December. However, the presence of viviparous seeds and chaffy seed percentage were observed to be high in December planted crop. The potassium content in fruit flesh and placenta was found to be highest in the crop sown during February with minimum percentage of viviparous and chaffy seeds. The results point out that December planting is advantageous for fruit yield while February planting is advantageous for seed production in variety Mudicode. The interaction between varieties and time of planting on seed quality indices pointed out that it is advantageous to go for February time of planting for variety Mudicode for seed production. In order to study the effect of potassium on vivipary a crop was raised in February 2018 following a factorial randomised design with six treatments and three replications. During the experiment, fruit and seed quality parameters were found to be significantly influenced by varieties, fertilizer levels and their interaction. Variety Mudicode exhibited high fruit yield attributes, fresh and dry weight of seeds and 100 seed weight whereas seeds per fruit, seed yield was superior in Saubhagya with low percentage of viviparous seeds. Irrespective of varieties, treatments with additional potassium application i.e., POP + 25% K, POP + 50% K, and POP + foliar spray recorded high fruit and seed yield. Organic nutrient management also resulted in seed yield of 7.48 kg ha-1. High potassium content in fruit placenta and fruit flesh was found in treatments which exhibit least percentage of viviparous and chaffy seeds i.e., POP + foliar spray and POP + 50% K. Additional potassium application was found to be advantageous for reducing the occurrence of viviparous seeds by increasing the K content in fruit placenta and flesh. The interaction between varieties and fertilizer levels on fruit and seed parameters pointed out that additional potassium nutrition was advantageous for fruit and seed yield production of Mudicode whereas fruit weight, seeds per fruit, seed yield and occurrence of viviparous seeds and chaffy seed percentage was the least among the treatment combination of variety Saubhagya with POP + foliar spray. The seed quality during storage was evaluated following a factorial completely randomized design with the seeds collected from Experiment-II (six treatments and two replications). The seeds were dried to less than 8 per cent moisture and packed in polyethylene covers of 700G and stored under ambient conditions for a period of six months. The seed quality parameters were recorded at monthly intervals. The seed moisture and seed micro flora per cent were recorded at the start and end of the storage. Seed longevity was found to be significantly vary between varieties, fertilizer levels, and their interaction throughout the storage period. Germination, vigour indices I and II, decreased progressively over the storage period. However, towards the end of storage period, there was an increase in mean time to germination, time taken for 50 per cent germination, electrical conductivity of seed leachate, seed micro flora per cent. Irrespective of the varieties, fertilizer levels and their interaction, germination percentage of 60 per cent was retained even after six months. The study revealed that that the seeds can be stored for 6 months under the ambient conditions.ThesisItem Open Access Seed invigoration with inorganic nanoparticles in chillies (capsicum annuum l.)(Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2019) Gayathri, Sathees; KAU; Dijee, BastianA study entitled ‘Seed invigoration with inorganic nanoparticles in chillies (Capsicum annuum L.)’ was conducted in the Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara between February 2018 and May 2019 to investigate the effect of nano and bulk particles of zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2), on longevity of chilli variety Anugraha. The present study was subdivided into four experiments. In experiment I, fresh seeds of chilli were treated with ZnO (nano and bulk particle) and stored under ambient conditions. Experiment I consisted of dry dressing chilli seeds with TiO2(nano and bulk). In both the experiments treated seeds performed better than the control. In experiment I, the seeds treated with T3 - ZnO @ 900 mgkg-1, T4 - ZnO @ 1300 mgkg-1, T6 - nano ZnO @ 250 mgkg-1 and T7 - nano ZnO @ 500 mgkg-1 were able to maintain the minimum germination standard of 60.00 per cent stipulated by the IMSCS (Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards) in chilli upto 10 MAS. The vigour index-I and II were found to be high in T4 (ZnO @ 1300 mgkg-1), T7 (nZnO @ 500 mgkg-1) and T3 (ZnO @ 900 mgkg-1). The seed leachate obtained from T7 gave the lowest measurement (246 μS cm-1) of electrical conductivity. Control seeds were found to contain higher per cent of infection on comparison with the treated seeds. Chilli seeds treated with T3 - TiO2 @ 900 mgkg-1, T4 - TiO2 @ 1300 mgkg-1, T6 - nanoTiO2 @ 250 mgkg-1 and T7 - nanoTiO2 @ 500 mgkg-1 were able to maintain IMSCS up to ten months of storage, while the control (T1) lost the germination after eight months, i.e., T7 (63.00 per cent), T3 (61.33 per cent), T4 (61.00 per cent) and T6 (60.00 per cent). At the end of ten months of storage, all the treated seeds had lower electrical conductivity compared to control seeds. In both experiments, the seed infection per cent was found to be higher in untreated seeds compared to the treated ones. It was also evident that the treated seeds possessed better seed quality parameters compared to untreated seeds (control). In experiments III and IV fresh seeds which were treated with various doses of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide respectively, were subjected to accelerated ageing at a temperature of 40±1°C and relative humidity of 100 per cent for one day. In experiment III, the zinc oxide treated seeds after accelerated ageing revealed that seeds treated with T7 - nano ZnO @ 500 mgkg-1 retained a high germination of 49.00 per cent, followed by T4 (43.00 per cent). In terms of vigour index I and II, T7 and T4 were found to be on par with each other. The seed infection was found to be lower in nano ZnO treated seeds compared to control and normal grade ZnO treated seeds. The least infection was detected in T7 - nano ZnO @ 500 mgkg-1. Experiment IV consisted of untreated and TiO2 treated seeds which were subjected to accelerated ageing. Even after artificial ageing, T7 - nano TiO2 @ 500 mgkg-1 was able to retain 51.67 per cent germination in the first month. It was on par with T4 - TiO2 @ 1300 mgkg-1 (47.33 per cent) and T3 - TiO2 @ 900 mgkg-1 (44.67 per cent). The highest vigour index was observed in seeds treated with T7 - nano TiO2 @ 500 mgkg-1 (520) and it was on par with T4 - TiO2 @ 1300 mgkg-1 (437). T7 exhibited the highest vigour index-II (953) and was on par with T3 - TiO2 @ 900 mgkg-1 (863) and T4 - TiO2 @ 1300 mgkg-1 (813). The lowest electrical conductivity was obtained from the seed leachate of T7 (246 μS cm-1). The seed infection per cent was found to be the least in T7 - nano TiO2 @ 500 mgkg-1 treated seeds. Scanning electron micrograph of the radicles of seeds treated with nZnO and nTiO2 @ 500 mgkg-1 revealed higher cell proliferation at root tip and larger cells in the zone of elongation. The results obtained indicate that dry dressing of chilli seeds with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide is effective in improving the seed quality parameters during storage. The results of accelerated ageing test are also in agreement with the results obtained from storage under ambient conditions during natural ageing. Among various doses of zinc oxide T7 - nano ZnO @ 500 mgkg-1 and T4 - ZnO @ 1300 mgkg-1 exhibited the best results, whereas, among titanium dioxide treatments, T7 - nano TiO2 @ 500 mgkg-1 and T4 - TiO2 @ 1300 mgkg-1 seed were found to be the best doses.ThesisItem Open Access Seed invigoration for improved field performance and storability in ash gourd (Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.)(Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2019) Bennett Thomas, K; KAU; Rose mary, FranciesAgeing of seeds is an inevitable natural phenomenon, subsequently resulting in loss of vigour and viability. Adopting appropriate packaging, ensuring optimum storage environment and priming ash gourd seeds was found to be beneficial in slowing down the pace of the deteriorative process during storage, maintaining the seed quality and prolonging seed longevity. Despite the improvements in seed performance following priming treatments, there have been contrasting reports on its impact on seed storage potential and crop performance. Considering the above, a study to elucidate the effect of seed priming on field performance in ash gourd variety KAU Local and to assess the impact of packing material on seed quality and longevity, was conducted at College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, during 2016 - 2019. The effect of seed invigouration and packing material on seed viability and seed quality parameters under ambient storage environment was assessed following a completely randomized design with three replications and seven priming treatments (I1 to I7). Freshly extracted seeds were separately primed using CaCl2 (50 mM) for 12 h (I1), CaCl2 (50 mM) for 24 h (I2), kinetin (10 ppm) for 12 h (I3), kinetin (10 ppm) for 24 h (I4), KH2PO4 (10-1 M) for 24 h (I5) and Psuedomonas fluorescens (1×106 cfu.ml-1) for 12 h (I6). Untreated seeds (I7) served as control. Both treated and untreated seeds were dried to ≤ 8 per cent moisture content and packed in polyethylene 700 gauge pouches (P1: Poly 700G pouches) and in aluminium laminated pouches (P2: Al. pouches). The seed quality parameters were recorded after treatment from the start of storage and at monthly intervals for a period of six months of storage (MAS). At bimonthly intervals, quantification of lipid peroxidation, sugar and amino acids leached out from the seeds were also done. In addition, the performance of crop raised from seeds, stored for five months and subjected to priming just prior to sowing (T1: Pre-sowing treatment) and prior to storage (T2: Pre-storage treatment), was also assessed following a randomized block design with three replications and seven priming (I1 to I7) treatments as detailed in the laboratory studies. The fruit as well as seed yield parameters were recorded from the crop raised. Results of storage studies revealed that irrespective of the packaging material, germination and vigour indices I and II in both treated and untreated seeds decreased progressively over the storage period. However, there was an increase in and lipid peroxidation, electrical conductivity of seed leachate, leachate of sugar and amino acid towards the end of storage period. Irrespective of the invigouration treatment and the storage period, storing seeds either in Poly 700 G pouches (P1) or Al. pouches (P2) did not influence seed viability, vigour (VI-I), moisture content and lipid peroxidation in packed seeds. Considering the influence of invigouration treatment alone, priming seeds with kinetin 10 ppm either for 12 h or 24 h or biopriming seeds (P. fluorescens 1 × 106 cfu ml-1 12 h) or storing them untreated, was found to be the best. Existence of a strong influence of the interaction between packing material, invigouration treatment and storage period on seed quality and longevity of packed seeds was discerned. Under ambient storage environment (72% RH and 32 0C), it would be best to pack seeds in aluminium foil pouches after invigouration with P. flourescens 1 × 106 cfu ml-1 for 12 h (P2I6), as this was found to prolong seed longevity the farthest i.e., until five months after storage (5 MAS). However, the bioprimed seeds if stored in polyethylene 700G pouches (P1I6) had retained viability above the minimum standards of seed certification (MSCS) for 4 MAS only. Similar to P1I6, storing untreated seeds in polyethylene (P1I7) or seeds primed with CaCl2 50 mM for 24 h in polyethylene 700G pouches (P1I2) retained viability above MSCS for 4 MAS. However, storing them in Al. pouches (P2I7 and P2I2) was less effective. From the results of the field experiment it was evident that administering the seed treatment prior to sowing i.e., as a pre-sowing treatment was more beneficial for plant growth and yield, rather than applying the same as a pre-storage treatment. Seed yield per fruit on dry weight basis was the highest (I7: 12.10 g) when the crop was raised from unprimed seeds [(both pre-sowing (T1I7: 12.15 g) and pre-storage (T2I7: 12.05g)], while the fruit yield per vine from unprimed seeds ranged between 7.01 kg (T1I7) and 7.08 kg (T2I7). In addition, the production of female flowers was observed to be the earliest (I7: 93.67 days; T1I7: 95.00 days and T2I7: 92.33 days) in the crop raised from untreated seeds. The single fruit weight (I7: 2.12 kg; T1I7: 2.01 kg and T2I7: 2.22 kg) and 100-seed weight (I7: 4.67 g T1I7: 4.53 g and T2I7: 4.80 g), were also high on using untreated seeds. Pre-sowing priming seeds with KH2PO4 10-1 M 24 h (I5) had registered the highest fruit yield per vine (T1I5: 7.64 kg), although the weight of single fruits in this treatment (1.65 kg) was less than that observed in untreated seeds (2.01 kg to 2.22 kg). This was attributed to the higher number of fruits per vine (4.63 Nos.) produced in KH2PO4 primed seeds compared to untreated seeds (3.19 Nos. to 3.49 Nos.) The seed yield per fruit in KH2PO4 10-1 M 24 h primed seeds (I5: 8.37 g; T1I5: 7.93 g and T2I5: 8.80 g) was the highest, next to using unprimed seeds. Hence, considering the impact of priming treatment, time of seed priming and their interaction, it was evident that using untreated seeds was most advantageous to raise a seed crop from aged seeds. However, pre-sowing seed priming of aged seeds with KH2PO4 10-1 M 24 h would help realise better fruit yield per vine.ThesisItem Open Access Characterisation of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata duch.) varieties through morphological and molecular markers(Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2019) Agina Gopan; KAU; Rose Mary FranciesPumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duch.), a crop of Central Mexican origin belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae, is popularly cultivated and valued in Kerala as a vegetable. The tender, large and often round immature fruits of pumpkin with a thick, smooth to slightly ribbed skin, which is mostly deep yellow to orange in colour, is an integral part of the Kerala cuisine. Despite its popularity in the state, few high yielding varieties are in cultivation. To ensure increased production, availability of high quality seeds of improved varieties or hybrids has to be guaranteed. Pumpkin being a cross pollinated crop, occurrence of cross contamination during its seed programme cannot be overruled. Hence, ensuring the purity and identity of seeds of the variety before sale becomes inevitable. Considering the importance of varietal identification in maintaining the genuineness and quality of seeds in seed production programmes, the present investigation envisaged to characterise six pumpkin varieties in the seed chain using morphological and molecular markers, and to generate fingerprints or molecular ID’s of the six varieties using selected polymorphic Inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) and Simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers. Characterisation of pumpkin varieties based on 28 quantitative and 16 qualitative traits was done using DUS and NBPGR descriptors. Qualitative vegetative traits like tendril characteristics (presence or absence of tendril, nature of coiling and branching) and leaf shape were not useful for grouping the varieties. Similarly, among the qualitative fruit characteristics, waxiness of mature fruit skin also proved insufficient to distinguish the varieties. Fruit shape was round flat in varieties Ambili, Suvarna and CO-2, while it was elongate/oblong in Saras, club shaped in CO-1 and flattish round in Arka Chandan. Based on qualitative traits, variety Arka Chandan could be clearly distinguished from the other varieties based on poor early growth vigour, moderately incised leaf blade margin, absence of silver patches on leaf blade, flattish round fruit shape, light green immature fruits and dark orange fruit flesh colour. In addition, the seeds of the Arka Chandan had a characteristic marking on the dorso-ventral surfaces unlike other varieties. Quantitative traits proved to be more useful than the qualitative traits for effective identification and categorisation of varieties. Results revealed that among the quantitative traits studied, leaf dimensions (blade length and width) and length of petiole could not be employed for distinguishing the six varieties. Variety Ambili flowered the earliest (49.25 days) and also possessed highly pubescent leaves, while variety Arka Chandan was late flowering (68.00 days). Peduncle length, fruit length and most of the seed dimensions (seed count per fruit, 100 seed weight, width and thickness of seed) was the least in this variety. In general, the size of seeds in varieties CO-1 and CO-2 was higher than those of others. Cluster analysis grouped Arka Chandan (Cluster V) and varieties CO-1 and CO-2 (Cluster IV) the farthest with an inter-cluster distance of 212.25. Principal component (PC) analysis indicated that trait components in PC1 registered an Eigen value of 16.79 and the traits in PC1 contributed 58 per cent to the variability among the varieties, emphasising their utility in identification of varieties. Among the 33 ISSR markers, 28 exhibited polymorphism. The total number of amplicons detected by an individual primer ranged from 4 in UBC-818 to 18 in UBC-847. High polymorphic information content (PIC) value was observed in UBC-809, whereas, low PIC was recorded in UBC-818. The six varieties grouped into four clusters based on ISSR binary data. Out of 20 SSR markers used for genotyping, only five showed polymorphism. The highest Jaccard’s similarity value (1.00) was observed between Saras and Suvarna. The most dissimilar varieties were Saras and Arka Chandan, and Suvarna and Arka Chandan, with a similarity coefficient of 0.12 each. The clustering algorithm grouped the varieties into four clusters. The polymorphic SSRs could be efficiently utilised for distinguishing Arka Chandan and therefore can prove useful for testing the genetic purity of this variety. Unique bands producing ISSR markers were used to generate variety specific DNA fingerprints. No single primer per se proved useful in distinguishing all six pumpkin varieties. However, ISSR primer UBC-822 could distinguish four out of six varieties studied. It produced unique amplicons of size 473 bp, 552 bp, 1403 bp and 517 bp, respectively in Ambili, Saras, CO-1 and Arka Chandan, proving its utility in testing for genuiness and purity of seed lot. In general, it can be concluded that the correlation that existed between morphological and molecular assessments was of medium magnitude. The absence of high consensus between the assessments should not be considered a limitation of these tools to characterize and quantify variability. It only indicates that both morphological and molecular characterisation is important and play a complementary role in providing a better understanding and differentiation of the pumpkin varieties.ThesisItem Open Access Seed quality enhancement in okra and oriental pickling melon with film coat(Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2018) Reshma, P K; KAU; Dijee BastianAn experiment on ‘Seed quality enhancement in okra and oriental pickling melon with film coat’’ was conducted at the Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during 2016-18 to standardise the optimum dose and effect of polymer coating on okra and oriental pickling melon seeds and to evaluate the storage potential of polymer coated seeds under ambient storage condition Seeds of okra variety, Arka Anamika and oriental pickling melon variety Mudicode local were used in this study. Polykote and Hitron were the polymers used. Seeds were treated with polymers either alone or in combination with plant protection chemicals. Performance of treated seeds was compared with untreated control. The polymer treatments comprised of both polymers at two doses Viz. Polykote @ 5 ml per kg of seed, Polykote @ 10 ml per kg of seed, Hitron @ 5 ml per kg of seed and Hitron @ 10 ml per kg of seed. A combination of plant protection chemicals such as fungicides, carbendazim-mancozeb (2g per kg of seed), insecticide- bifenthrin (0.1%) and biocontrol agent – Trichoderma viride (4g) were used. Polymer coated seeds were packed in 700 G polyethylene bag and stored under ambient conditions. Seed quality parameters were recorded at bimonthly intervals for a period of sixteen months. With the advancement of storage period, germination declined irrespective of the treatments in both the seeds. Throughout the storage period, performance of treated seeds was found to be superior over control. In okra, at the end of the storage period of sixteen month , higher germination per cent (60.67 %) was recorded in seeds treated with Polykote (10ml) +carbendazim- mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) followed by Hitron (5ml) + carbendazim-mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) (54.00%), while lower values were recorded in untreated control (28.67%). All the treatments except untreated control maintained MSCS (Minimum Seed Certification Standards) of 65 per cent germination up to ten months of storage. The seeds treated with Polykote (5ml) + carbendazim-mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) per kg seed, Polykote (10ml/kg seed), Polykote (10ml) + carbendazim-mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) per kg seed, Hitron (5ml/kg seed), Hitron (10ml) + carbendazim-mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) per kg seed retained germination per cent above MSCS up to twelve months of storage whereas, the best treatment Polykote (10ml) +carbendazim- mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) maintained MSCS up to fourteen months of storage. Similarly in the case of quality parameters like vigour indices and dehydrogenase activity, seed treatment with polykote (10ml) +carbendazim- mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) found to be superior. In case of electrical conductivity of seed leachate a higher value was observed in untreated control while the least was recorded in seed treatment with polykote (10ml) +carbendazim- mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) per kg of seed. In OP melon, the effect of polymer film coating on seed quality parameters followed the same trend as that of okra. Higher per cent of germination noticed in seed treated with polykote (10ml) +carbendazim- mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%). These treatments retained germination per cent above MSCS till fourteenth month. Electrical conductivity of seed leachate was least in seeds treated with polykote (10ml) +carbendazim- mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) per kg of seed compared to untreated control. Microflora infection was found to be lower in polymer treated seeds when compared to control in both the crops. The major microorganisms observed were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus. The results indicated that seed treatment with polymers was highly effective for enhancing the storage life of okra and OP melon. The polymers along with plant protection chemicals help to retain viability and storability of seeds. Among the treatments, polykote (10ml) +carbendazim- mancozeb (2g) + bifenthrin (0.1%) showed best results which may be recommended for pre storage seed treatment. Seed treatment with polymers therefore provides a cheaper and safe method to enhance seed viability and seedling performance under ambient storage condition.ThesisItem Open Access Impact of foliar application of nutrients and growth promoters on seed yield and quality of okra(Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2018) Nishidha, C T; KAU; Rose Mary, FranciesExperiments to assess the impact of foliar application of secondary nutrients, micronutrients growth promoters on growth, fruit and seed yield of okra variety Arka Anamika, and the influence of storage environment on quality and longevity of the seed thus produced were conducted at College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, during 2016-2018. The field experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 18 treatments. The dosage of micronutrients and secondary nutrients to be applied as foliar nutrition in the experimental plot were fixed based on the soil test data. As the soil of the experimental plot was found to be deficient in secondary nutrients viz., magnesium and sulphur as well as in micronutrients; zinc and boron, the treatments were designed to augment the required secondary and nutrients through foliar application. Foliar application of 0.75% ZnO, 1% MgO, 0.2% Pseudomonas Fluorescens (Pf), 0.2% Salicylic acid (SA), 0.5% Sampoorna KAU vegetable multimix (SVM), 0.1% H3BO3, 0.5% Sulphur (s), 0.75%ZnSO4 and water (control:C), was done either once at 25 days after sowing (T1: 0.75%ZnO-1, T3:1% MgO-1, T5:0.2% pf-I, T7:0.2%SA-I, I,T9:0.5% SVM-I,T11:0.1%H3BO3-I, T13:0.5% 0.5%S-I, T 158:0.75% ZnSO-I and T 17:C-I) or twice at 25 DAS and 45 DAS (T2:0.75% ZnO-II, T4:1% MgO-II, T6:0.2%PF-II, T8:0.2%SA=II, T10:0.5% SVM-II,T12 :0.1%H3BO3II,T14:0.5%SII,T16:0.75%ZnSO4-II and T18:C-II,during the cropping period and observation on growth and yield parameters were recorded at appropriate stages. Results revealed the existence of significant differences in most vegetative and reproductive traits in okra, following foliar application of various nutrients and growth promoters. However, no significant difference was observed with respect to plant height at 30 days after sowing (DAS) and 60 DAS, days to flowering pollen viability (%), seeds per pod, shrivelled seeds per pod (%) and seed yield per pod (g). Considering the impact of various nutrients and growth regulators, it may be concluded that foliar application of micronutreint mixture (0.5% Sampoorna KAU vegetable multimix) or 0.75% ZnSOS4 or 0.1% H3BO3 twice during the crop growth was advantageous. Foliar application of micronutrient mixture (0.5% Sampoorana KAU vegetable multimix) twice, exerted high positive influence on the vegetative growth and reproductive traits in okra seed crop except per cent of hard seeds and test weight. The treatment had registered the highest fruits per plant and the least per cent of flower shedding. Two-time foliar application of 0.5% Sampoorna KAU vegetable multimix was more advantageous than its one-time application. Although high in saleable seed (%) as well as test weight and low in hard seed per cent, the plant stature at both 45 DAS and 75 Das, chlorophyll content in leaves, number of branches and fruits per plant, fruit length and seed density were comparatively low in one-time application of 0.5% Sampoorna KAU vegetable multimix. The flower shedding was also application of comparatively high in one time application of vegetable multimix. One- Time application of 0.5% Sampoorna KAU vegetable multimix was found next best to two-time application of 0.5% Smpoorna KAU vegetable multimix or 0.75% ZnSO4 and 0.1% H3BO3. Foliar application of 0.75% ZnSO4 twice and 0.1% H3BO3 twice were comparable to each other. The treatments were on par with respect to plant height at 75 DAS, chlorophyll content in the leaf, flower shedding (%), number of fruits per plant, fruit lengh, per cent hard seeds and saleable seeds, test weight of seed and seed density. Application of 0.75% ZnSO4 twice exhibited a highly beneficial effect on reproductive traits of seed crop. The highest saleable seed per cent was registered in this treatment. Low percent of flower shedding and hard seeds as well as high number of fruits per plant and fruit length were observed in this treatment. In spite of the low plant stature at both 45 and 75 DAS and chlorophyll content, all the reproductive traits viz., number of fruits per plant, fruit length, saleable seed per pod (%)test weight and seed density in treatment 0.1% H3BO3twice i.e., at 25 DAs and 45 DAS was of high magnitude. In addtiion, the treatment had regidstered lower percent of flower shedding and hard seed. High test weight coupled with high seed density indicates good grain filling. Administering plant growth promoting rhizobacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens twice via foliar sprays can also be recommended to reduce per cent of hard seeds and obtain high saleable seed per pod (%). However, it did not improve the plant stature at early stages (45 DAS) and number of branches, chlorophyll content in leaves and seed test weight or lower the occurrence of hard seeds per pod (%). Seed storge experiments were laid out following a Completely Randomized Desigh (CRD) with eighteen treatments (T1 to T18) and three replications (R1 to R 3) under three storage conditions. The study was done using the seeds extracted from the pods harvested at physiological maturity from each of the 18 treatments in Experiment I. Seeds were stored under three storage conditions viz., shelled seeds under refrigerated storage (S1), shelled seeds under ambient storage (S2) and unshelled pods under ambient storage (S3). The foliar application of nutrients and growth promoters in okra significantly influenced the seed the elemental composition of seeds except for iron and sulphur content. It was observed that the foliar application of boron, zinc, and magnesium increased the content of respective elements in the seed. Sampoorna KAU vegetable multimix (0.5%) was beneficial in increasing the boron, manganese, copper calcium and magnesium content of seed. Next to the micronutrient mixture, it was also evident that the content of boron, manganese magnesium and calcium content of seed was enhanced through spray of salicylic acid. Before storage, the foliar application of nutrients and growth promoters was found to exert a significant influence on the seed quality indices (Germination per cent, seedling vigour index I and seedling vigour index II). Results of storage studies indicated that, as storage period increased the seed quality decreased irrespective of the storage environment. The rate of seed deterioration was found to be maximum when the seeds were stored in unshelled pods. Hence, it can be summarized that compared to storing seeds with i unshelled pods, ambient storage and cold storage conditions are beneficial in prolonging longevity and maintaining higher seed quality parameters during storage. Although, the results point out that foliar application 0.5% Sampoorna KAU vegetable multimix twice positively influenced seed quality during storage, a conclusive evidence as to the best foliar treatment that positively impacts seed quality parameters can be drawn only from the study of seed quality parameters over prolonged storage (>6 Months). Further evaluation of seed quality under ambient and refrigerated storage environment over a longer storage period would also help delineate the impact of these treatments as well as environment on seed longevity and quality during prolonged storage.ThesisItem Open Access Impact of pre-storage seed invigoration in ash gourd (benincasa hispida (thunb.) cogn.)(Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2018) Athmaja, S; KAU; Rose Mary, FranciesA study to elucidate the effect of seed invigoration on viability and quality of seeds in ash gourd variety KAU Local was conducted at College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, during 2016-2018. The impact of seed invigoration on seed viability and seed quality parameters under ambient (S1) and refrigerated storage (S2) was assessed following a completely randomized design with seven invigoration treatments (I1 to I7) and three replications. Seeds were separately invigorated using CaCl2 (50 m M) for 12h (I1), CaCl2 (50 mM) for 24h (I2), kinetin (10 ppm) for 12h (I3), kinetin (10 ppm) for 24h (I4), KH2PO4 (10-1 M) for 24h (I5), Pseudomonas fluorescens (1x106 cfu.ml-1) for 12h (I6). Untreated seeds (I7) served as control. Both treated and untreated seeds were dried to < 8 per cent moisture content and packed in polythene bags (700 gauge). The seed quality parameters were recorded immediately after treatment and subsequently at monthly intervals for a period of 10 months, while, germination of stored seeds was assessed up to 14 months after storage (MAS). At bimonthly intervals, quantification of lipid peroxidation, sugar and amino acids leached out from the seeds and the seed micro flora infection was also done. Seed quality during storage and seed longevity were found to be significantly influenced by storage environment, invigoration treatment and their interaction throughout the storage period. The results revealed that germination and other seed quality parameters such as germination index, coefficient of velocity of germination, energy of germination, vigour indices I and II, in both treated and untreated seeds decreased progressively over the storage period. However, there was an increase in mean time to germination, time taken for 50 per cent germination, allometric index, electrical conductivity of seed leachate, seed infection per cent, leachate of sugar, amino acid and lipid peroxidation, towards the end of storage period. Germination of seeds stored under the refrigerated storage was lower than that under ambient storage in the initial storage period (upto 3 MAS). Henceforth, refrigerated seeds exhibited significant superior germination than that under ambient storage till the end of storage period (14 MAS). Germination of seeds under refrigeration was retained above 60 per cent (the minimum seed certification standards required for ash gourd) for 13 MAS compared to 5 MAS in ambient stored seeds. The study thus revealed that irrespective of seed invigoration treatments, to prolong seed longevity and maintain seed quality, storing seeds under refrigeration is advantageous over ambient storage. Irrespective of storage environment, priming induced early germination. The seed quality parameters of the invigorated seeds before storage were found to be superior to untreated seeds. The invigorated seeds had also exhibited a germination per cent above 80 at 1 MAS, while, the germination in untreated control (I7) during the corresponding period was below the MSCS. Seeds invigoration with calcium chloride for 12h (I1) and 24h (I2) recorded significantly high germination and other seed quality parameters during the storage period of ten months. Owing to the significant superiority of seeds invigorated with I1 (CaCl2 50mM 12h) and I2 (CaCl2 50mM 24h) with respect to germination in the initial period of storage (up to 4 MAS), superior seed qualities during storage as well as retention of germination above MSCS for 8 MAS, seed invigoration with CaCl2 50mM before storage can be advocated to help retain seed qualities and prolonging seed longevity during storage. The interaction between storage condition and invigoration treatment on germination and other seed indices pointed out that it was most advantageous to treat seeds with CaCl2 50mM for 12h (I1) before storing under ambient conditions. If provision for refrigerated storage is available, bio-priming with Pf 1x10-6 cfu.ml-1 for 12h (S2I6) or priming with CaCl2 50mM for 24h (I2), kinetin 10 ppm for 12h (I3) or kinetin 10 ppm for 24h (I4) or KH2PO4 10-1 M for 24h (I5) would be most advantageous. Analysis of the impact of pre-storage seed invigoration treatment on seed longevity subsequent to retrieval of seeds from refrigerated storage revealed that, irrespective of the storage period under refrigeration, the seeds were found to retain viability above MSCS for a minimum period of one month after retrieval from refrigerated storage. Viability retention of invigorated and untreated seeds during further periods of thawing was unpredictable. It was also evident that none of the treatments could help retain seed viability above MSCS for five months after retrieval from refrigeration. Results also revealed that seed invigoration with CaCl2 50mM 12h (I1) is advantageous, if one or two months of ambient storage after retrieval from cold storage is unavoidable. Hence, considering the impact of storage environment, invigoration treatment and their interaction on seed longevity and quality, as well as their influence on seed longevity during thawing, it can be summarised that seed invigoration with CaCl2 50mM for 12h (I1) or 24h (I2) would be beneficial.
