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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: Vyas, N G × End date: 2002 × Start date: 2002 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Methods to increase the efficiency of rajphos (jamarkhotra rockphosphate) in the black soils of Palakkad district for rice
    (Department of Soil Science and Agriculture, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2002) Vyas, N G; KAU; Surendran Nair, C
    There has been considerable interest in studying the efficiency of rockphosphate for direct application to the soil in the rice farming situations of Kerala, particularly tapping the iron - to - magnet type of relationship between rockphosphate and acid soils. However no work has been done in the neutral to alkaline soils of Kerala located in the Chittoor Taluk of Palakkad District to utilize the potential of rockphosphate. These soils are inherently poor In phosphorus and the situation 1S furthur complicated by the high P fixation capacity. Problems of fixation of soluble P can be alleviated to some extent by the use of less soluble forms like rockphosphate in conjunction with acid forming amendments like iron pyrites. sulphuric acid and P solubilising micro organisms. A study was undertaken to investigate the effect of direct application of rockphosphate in combination with amendments for rice in the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani. There were two experiments, an incubation study to investigate the relative efficacy of various amendments in releasing soluble P from rockphosphate and a pot culture experiment to study the comparative efficiency of rock phosphate with amendments. Incubation experiment shows an Increase In P fractions like saloid-P, occluded-P, reductant-P, Fe-P, AI-P and Ca-P upto 45 days which decreased subsequently with the advancement of time. The values stabilized towards the last observation at around 90 days of incubation which was higher than the initial starting values. Rock phosphate acidulated with sulphuric acid and amended with pyrite at all levels of P addition increased P fractions. Inoculation of phosphobacterin was also effective though the release of P was slightly lower than treatment with chemical amendments. In the pot culture experiment growth and yield character of crop were significantly influenced by treatments receiving rockphosphate amended with direct acidulation and pyrite application at all levels. Rajphos @ 45 kg ha' with 50 per cent acidulation was found to be on par with the treatment receiving Rajphos @ 30 kg ha" with 50 per cent acidulation. Rajphos treated with acid perform equally well as SSP and the results were comparable. The grain and straw yield and uptake of pi ant nutrients were significantly superior for treatment consisting of acidulated rockphosphate. Chemical amendment like iron pyrite and microbial inoculation with phosphobacterin was also found to be efficient but the effect was not significant statistically.