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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: Spices, Plantation and Medicinal and Aromatic Plants × Author: Farhana, C × Author: KAU × Start date: 2018 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Nutrient scheduling in bush pepper (piper nigrum L.)
    (Department of Plantation Crops and Spices College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2018) Farhana, C; KAU; Sreekala, G S
    The present study entitiled “Nutrient scheduling in bush pepper (Piper nigrum L.) was taken up with the specific objective to standardize potting media and nutrient level in bush pepper for yield. The pot culture experiment on bush pepper was carried in the Department of Plantation Crops and Spices, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during the period 2017-18 using variety Panniyur 1.The efficacy of different combinations of organic manures and different levels and intervals of inorganic fertilizers were evaluated. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized design with three different types of potting media (P1, P2, P3), five inorganic fertilizer treatments (I1, I2, I3, I4, I5) and a control. The different types of potting media used were soil + FYM + neem cake + coir pith compost (P1), soil + FYM + vermicompost + coir pith compost ( P2) and soil + FYM + leaf compost + coir pith compost (P3) in the ratio 3:3:1:1. Inorganic fertilizers applied at different levels and intervals were I1- 37.5: 37.5: 50.0 g of NPK plant-1 year-1at monthly splits, I2 - 37.5: 37.5: 50.0 g of NPK plant-1 year-1 at quarterly splits, I3 - 25.0: 25.0: 50.0 g of NPK plant-1 year-1 at monthly splits, I4 - 25.0: 25.0: 50.0 g of NPK plant-1 year-1 at quarterly splits and I5 - 12.5:12.5:25.0 g of NPK plant-1 year-1 as soil application at equal monthly splits up to 3 MAP and foliar application of 13:0:45 (0.5 %) at fortnightly intervals from 4th MAP. The control treatment contained soil + sand+ FYM, (1:1:1) as potting mixture and inorganic fertilizer applied as per package of practices recommendations of KAU (1.0, 0.5, 2 g NPK plant-1 at bimonthly interval). Trichoderma @ 1 g kg-1 of potting medium and lime @ 50 g plant-1 were applied to all the treatments. The results of the study revealed that potting media containing soil + FYM + vermicompost + coir pith compost (3:3:1:1) and inorganic fertilizers applied at the rate of 25.0: 25.0: 50.0 g of NPK plant-1 year-1at quarterly splits (p2i4) recorded significantly higher plant growth characters like number of secondary branches, length of primary branches, length of secondary branches, number of leaves and leaf area from 8MAP to 12 MAP. Fresh weight, dry weight and volume of roots at 12 MAP were also significantly higher for the treatment combination, p2i4 Significantly higher dry matter production (150.92 g plant-1) at 12 MAP and chlorophyll content at 6 MAP was noticed in p2i4 while dry matter production was the least in control (72.42 g plant-1). The yield attributes like number of spikes plant-1, length of spike, number of berries spike-1, hundred berry weight, hundred berry volume, fresh and dry weight of berries were significantly higher for p2i4 recording a dry yield increase of 98 per cent over the control. Quality parameters of berries revealed that essential oil, oleoresin and piperine were highest in p2i4 while highest starch content was obtained in p1i5. . The total uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium by bush pepper was significantly superior with a higher uptake of N (2.159 g plant-1), P (155.17 mg plant- 1 ), K (2.367 g plant-1), Ca (1.577 g plant-1), Mg (296.64 mg plant-1) and S (253.34 mg plant-1) in p2i4. Higher nitrogen harvest index (33.58 %), phosphorous harvest index (41.03 %) and potassium harvest index (31.41 %) were recorded from p2i4, indicating that nutrient removal in bush pepper was proportional to the yield. The discounted benefit-cost ratio was 2.51 with 67 % of Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for p2i4 implied that investments made in bush pepper following the above treatment was highly profitable. The results of the study indicated that growing bush pepper in potting medium containing soil + FYM + vermicompost + coir pith compost ( 3:3:1:1) with the application of inorganic fertilizers @ 25.0: 25.0: 50.0 g of NPK plant-1 year-1 scheduled at quarterly intervals produced better growth characters like number of secondary branches, length of primary and secondary branches, number of leaves, total leaf area , root dry weight and yield parameters like number of spikes and number of berries spike-1 which ultimately doubled the yield compared to the package of practices recommendations of KAU.