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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: Soil Science and Agriculture Chemistry × Author: Irene Elizabeth, John × End date: 2020 × Start date: 2016 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Carbon: nitrogen dynamics in acid sulphate and acid saline rice soils of Kerala
    (Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Vellanikkara, 2019) Irene Elizabeth, John; KAU; Sureshkumar, P
    The present study was undertaken to unravel the chemistry of Carbon: Nitrogen dynamics in submerged acid sulphate and acid saline soils, to identify the labile fractions of these elements contributing to soil fertility and to modify the organic carbon based fertility ratings for nitrogen recommendation in Kale lands. Forty-five representative soil samples from 4 different rice growing acid saline and acid sulphate soils of Kerala were collected and characterized for pH, EC, OC, total carbon, total nitrogen, available nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn and B) and microbial biomass carbon. The soil samples were analysed as such after sampling on wet basis and the results were expressed on moisture free basis to have uniformity. The organic carbon status of the soils varied from 0.81 to 7.58 per cent. Soils from Kaipad recorded the lowest and soils from Vechoor Kari of Kuttanad recorded the highest value of organic carbon. The total nitrogen ranged from 0.05 per cent in upper Kuttanad to 0.42 per cent in Vechur Kari. The highest available nitrogen content of281.38 kg ha' was recorded in sample from Vechoor Kari and the lowest of 19.84 kg ha in Purakkad Kari. The C:N ratio varied from 13:1 to 24:1. Widest C:N ratio was recorded in soils of Upper Kuttanad and the lowest in soils from Thrissur Kale. The organic carbon was significantly and positively correlated with total nitrogen and available nitrogen status. Total nitrogen was the single most independent factor explaining 94 per cent variability of organic carbon. Soil samples were subjected to fractionation studies (both physical and chemical) to quantify the carbon and nitrogen that is associated with different inorganic and organic constituents in soil. In physical fractionation, soil carbon and nitrogen preferentially recovered from the sand, silt and clay size fractions were estimated. Of this, carbon recovered from clay size fraction was the dominant independent variable that explained 64.6 per cent variability of organic carbon. The different chemical carbon fractions studied were water soluble carbon (WSC), hot water extractable carbon (HWEC) and permanganate oxidizable carbon (POC). The water soluble carbon being derived from completely decomposed organic matter was not associated with nitrogen in soils. The HWEC being the most labile pool of carbon had significant influence on mineralisation process thereby contributing to total and available nitrogen content. The permanganate oxidizable carbon being a stabilized pool might not undergo further decomposition to release nitrogen and hence, its contribution to available pool was negligible. Among the organic pools of nitrogen, the total hydrolysable nitrogen contributed significantly to mineralizable N. Among the inorganic fractions of nitrogen, ammoniacal nitrogen was contributing more to the available pool of nitrogen than nitrate nitrogen fraction probably because of high solubility and losses of latter by leaching. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the response of rice to different levels of nitrogen in Adattu Kole with an initial C:N ratio of 20:1. The treatments with increased levels of nitrogen based on C:N ratio (treatments Ts-TlO) produced significant effect on plant height, number of productive tillers, number of grains per panicle, straw yield and grain yield. The total nitrogen content both in soil and plant were significantly influenced by higher doses of nitrogen fertilizers prescribed as per the C:N ratio. Among the carbon fractions, hot water extractable carbon contributed more to the mineralizable pool than water soluble carbon. The direct effect of total hydrolysable nitrogen on total and available nitrogen was very high. Ammoniacal nitrogen being a dynamic and time dependent variable, though contributing significantly to available N content, its effect on total nitrogen was negligible. This was in conformity with the results of experiment in characterization of soil samples collected from 45 locations. The maximum grain yield of 8.22 Mg ha" was recorded in the treatment where nitrogen was applied based on C:N ratio (wet analysis). An increase of 1.15 Mg ha of grain yield was recorded over the treatment where soil test based fertilizer recommendation was applied. The highest straw yield of 17.47 Mg ha was recorded in treatment where nitrogen applied was double that of C:N ratio based recommendation. The highest net return was obtained in treatment where nitrogen was applied as per the C:N ratio in soil.