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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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20111
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Subject: Soil Science and Agriculture Chemistry × Author: Anu, George × End date: 2011 × Start date: 2000 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Availability indices of boron in major soil groups of Kerala.
    (Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry,College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2011) Anu, George; KAU; Suresh, Kumar P
    Representative surface samples (0-20 cm) of eight soil types each from three locations (total 25 samples-including one additional sample from Kuttanad) covering nine agro-ecological units representing the major rice growing tracts of the state were collected for the present study on “Availability indices of boron in major soil groups of Kerala”. The agro-ecological units (AEU) included were Kuttanad (Kuttanad, AEU 4), Kole (Kole lands, AEU 6), Pokkali (Pokkali lands, AEU 5), Black cotton (Palakkad central plains AEU 23 and Palakkad eastern plains, AEU 10), Onattukara (Onattukara sandy plains, AEU 3), Palakkad rice soil (North central laterite, AEU 10), Laterite soils from Kozhikode, Vellanikkara and Pattambi (Midland laterite, AEU 11 and North central laterite, AEU 10)and Wayanad Plateau soils (Northern High hills, AEU 15 and Wayanad central plateau, AEU 20). The soils were characterized with respect to pH, EC, CEC, PBS and exchangeable cations, total sesquioxide and available nutrient status (Organic carbon, available B, P, K, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn). Among the 25 soils, 15 soils showed acute boron deficiency chances (Critical limit: <0.5 mg kg-1 soil ). Fractionation of soil boron was done to separate the different forms of boron existing in soil viz. nonspecifically adsorbed plus water soluble B (NSA-B), specifically adsorbed B (SPA-B), manganese oxy-hydroxide bound B (MOH-B), B occluded in amorphous Fe-Al oxides (AMO-B), B occluded in crystalline Fe-Al oxides (CRO-B) and residual boron. Amount of boron existed in different fractions was in the following order, Residual > CRO-B > AMO-B > MOH-B > SPA-B > NSA-B. Among these fractions, MOH-B and NSA-B contributed to available B directly as well as indirectly through each other. Electrical conductivity or rather salinity is the single most important factor influencing B availability. Adsorption studies were conducted with all the soils to study the adsorption pattern of B in the above soils. The data obtained from boron adsorption experiments were fitted into different adsorption isotherms like Freundlich, Langmuir and Tempkin isotherms. 22 soils followed Freundlich adsorption pattern where as only one each of Black cotton soils (Black cotton 1) and Onattukara soils (Onattukara 2) fitted with Langmuir and Tempkin as well. Onattukara 1, the soil which recorded the lowest available B of 0.04 mg kg-1 was used to conduct a pot culture experiment using rice as test crop with three levels of B (0,10 and 20 kg ha-1) with and without 5t of FYM per hectare. The data on soil as well as plant analysis at panicle initiation and harvest stages indicated that available B status improved with increasing levels of B. Grain and total DM yield increased with the increase in boron doses without FYM. It was also noted that FYM alone could meet the B requirement. FYM with borax was found to have antagonistic effects with respect to yield as well as the nutrient contents in rice.