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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 Sciences × Author: KAU × Author: Samikutty, V × End date: 2020 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Investigations on the salinity problems of pokkali and kaipad areas of Kerala state
    (Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1977) Samikutty, V; KAU; Aiyer, R S
    The saline soils of the State viz., Pokkali, Kaipad and Orumundakan are coastal saline soils, which cover an area of about 30,000 hectares, cropped to a single crop of paddy. The profile characteristics of the soil reveal that they are Entisols. They contain varying levels of soluble salts depending upon their nearness to sea, backwater, or their situation on the flood plains of rivers and their nearness to the river mouths. The electrical conductivity of the saturation extract (ECe) of these soils range between 7.6 to 226.3 mmhos/cm showing differences in the magnitude of salinity encountered, prior to the soils being leached in summer months. Though the soils are exhibiting extremely high levels of salinity in the summer months, they get decreased rapidly below critical levels for growing a successful saline resistant paddy crop by July-August. The observed SAR and ESP values ranging to the maximum values of 25.0 and 26.3 in the months of February-March rapidly get decreased to 1 to 3 by between August and November. These low levels of salinity are maintained till December-January with an occasional spurt in salinity levels dependent on the opposing hydrological situation caused by the flood and rain waters on the one hand from east to west and the tidal waters from the west to the east on the other. The long period of nearly six months, when salinity in the soils are below critical levels, indicate the possibility of introducing a two crop system instead of one, provided nurseries are raised in non – saline uplands and transplanting resorted to in the raised mounds: previously leached free of soluble salts during the monsoon. The cationic-anionic composition of the soils reveal that they are Na-Mg-Cl-SO4 type of coastal saline soils. About 50 per cent of the soils studied have a pH below 5.5 and 15 to 20 per cent of the soils have lime requirement of more than 5 tons per hectare. In general the soils are extremely poor in phosphates and rich in potash. Application of non-magnesium containing lime materials at the time of mounding and subsequent leaching together with basal application of phosphate prior to planting are likely to enhance the yields of paddy in these areas. In short, the methods of management are highly location-specific calling for intensified research. The occurrence of saline water in the pits between the mounds even during the cropping period indicates the possibility of mixed rice culture with pisciculture