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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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20151
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Subject: Soil Science × Author: Gopika, Rani K S × Author: KAU × Start date: 1961 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Modeling soil carbon dynamics of two major ecosystems of humid tropics
    (Academy of Climate Change Education and Research, Vellanikkara, 2015) Gopika, Rani K S; KAU; Betty, Bastin
    A study on “Modelling soil carbon dynamics of two major ecosystems of humid tropics” was carried out in the Academy of Climate Change Education and Research (ACCER) during 2014-2015. The study was done using two soil carbon models such as Roth-C and CENTURY. The objectives of the study included the evaluation of suitability of these two models in rice and teak ecosystems and also to analyse the soil organic carbon changes due to predicted climate change scenarios. The study was based on secondary data sets collected from experiments done in paddy fields and teak plantations of Pattambi and Thrissur areas respectively belonging to humid areas. The simulated total soil organic carbon (1965 to 2050) by Roth-C and CENTURY models was found to be declining in rice ecosystem. The active carbon in rice ecosystem showed decreasing trend and thereafter it was showing an increasing trend. In case of slow carbon it showed a gradual declining trend during the period from 1965 to 1990. There after it started to increase in a rapid manner during the next eleven years and afterwards it started decreasing. The passive carbon in rice ecosystem kept on increasing throughout the simulation period. In teak ecosystem, both the models Roth-C and CENTURY predicted a declining trend of total soil organic carbon. The active carbon of teak ecosystem decreased by the end of third year and slowly increased by ninth year. By the end of fifty five year it showed a rapid decline and slowly increased by the following years. Slow carbon pool showed a declining trend up to thirty years and kept on increasing to the next thirty years. Then it showed a rapid decline and thereafter it started to increase. The passive carbon kept on decreasing throughout the period. The model efficiency of Roth-C and CENTURY models for rice ecosystem were 0.63 and 0.82, respectively whereas for teak ecosystem the values were 0.69 and 0.88. Hence it was concluded that for simulation of soil organic carbon, both the models are suitable, but CENTURY model was more efficient than Roth- C model. From the study based on different RCP scenarios, RCP 8.5 had predicted higher temperature and precipitation values compared to others (RCP 6.0, RCP 4.5 and RCP 2.6) over both Pattambi and Vellanikkara. In rice ecosystem, it was noticed that in 2015 and 2050, RCP 2.6 recorded the highest values of total soil organic carbon and the lowest values were by RCP 8.5, respectively. In the case active carbon, RCP 4.5 recorded the highest values and RCP 8.5 recorded the lowest values. The highest value of slow carbon was recorded by RCP 2.6 and the lowest by RCP 8.5. The predicted values of passive carbon showed highest values by RCP 6.0 and recorded the lowest by RCP 4.5. In the study based on predicted climate change scenarios in teak ecosystem, RCP 4.5 recorded highest values of total soil organic carbon in 2015 and 2050 where as the lowest value was found by RCP 6.0 in 2015 and RCP 8.5 in 2050. The highest value of active carbon was found in 2015 by RCP 4.5 and in 2050 by RCP 2.6. The lowest values of active carbon were recorded by RCP 6.0 and RCP 8.5 in 2015 and 2050 respectively. In 2015 the highest value of slow carbon was recorded by RCP 4.5 and in 2050 by RCP 2.6. The least value of slow carbon was recorded in 2015 by RCP 6.0 and in 2050 by RCP 8.5. The passive carbon simulated by different RCPs, it was observed that RCP 4.5 predicted the highest value in 2015 and 2050. Then the lowest values recorded by RCP 6.0, respectively The present study indicated that modelling is suitable for studying carbon dynamics in soils under rice and teak ecosystems. It highlights the potential of CENTURY model over Roth-C model in terms of simulation of soil carbon. Using different scenarios it is possible to know that, what might be the future conditions of soil carbon and its different pools.