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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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1979 - 197921980 - 19872
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Subject: Veterinary Extension Education × End date: 1989 ×
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Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Comparative effectiveness of extension communication media used under the dairy development programme and extent of adoption of improved dairy husbandry practices by members of milk cooperatives in selected areas in Trichur taluk
    (Department of Extension, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1979) Subhadra, M R; KAU; Nair, G R
    The objective of the study were to know the effectiveness of various extension communication media used in dairy development programs for disseminating improved dairy husbandry practices, to measure the extent of adoption of selected improved dairy husbandry practices and to understand the influence of personal and socioeconomic characteristics on the adoption of improved dairy husbandry practices. One hundred members of seven milk supply cooperative socities in ollukara block area were selected for the study. The findings showed that nighberhood and government agencies played dominant roles in diffusing the improved practices concerning dairy husbandry. Among the neighbourhood agencies, milk supply cooperative socities ranked first. Government agencies were found to be effective for influencing the respondents in adoption. Veterinary surgeons were found to be a powerful medium within the government agencies. Thus veterinary surgeons and milk supply cooperative socities accounted very much to the knowledge as well as the adoption of all the practices expect for the practices “clean milk production” which was influenced by mass media. The adoption of practices in the aggregate were not influenced by the nine personal and socio-economic characteristics, viz.,age,education,caste,income, land holding size, farming experience, herd size, social participation and contact with extension agencies. But for some individual practices there was slight significant difference between adopters and non-adaptors. Age, herd size and education seen to have only a very negligible role in the adoption behavior of dairymen, while content with extension agencies appeared to have the largest influence on dairy husbandry practices. It was also observed that among the 10 practices only one practice, viz., “Vaccination against contageous disease“ was not influenced by any one of the nine variable studied.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Impact of correspondence course in dairying on adoption of improved dairy practices
    (Department Of Extension, College Of Veterinary And Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1987) Ramkumar, S; KAU; Pushkaran, P S
    With a view to study the impact of correspondence course dairying on adoption of improved dairy practices, the present study was conducted among 50 respondents scattered all over Kerala out of the 285 participants and 50 non-participants selected on a matched pair basis. The study aimed at measuring the knowledge, attitude, symbolic adoption, and [practice adoption levels of the participants and non-participants with regard to improved dairy practices. The attitude of the respondents was measured using an attitude scale constructed for this purpose. Age, education, annual income , family size, herd size , social participation , economic motivation, scientific orientation, risk preference and cosmo politeness were the independent variable studied in relation to the extent of adoption of the participants. The study revealed that the mean scores obtained by the participants for knowledge, attitude, symbolic adoption, and practice adoption were significantly higher than those obtained by non-participants. Of the eight improved dairy practices, the practices of early breeding of animals, full hand milking and mild antiseptic washing of udder after milking had four percent, 32 per cent and 80 percent non –adopters respectively. There were no non-adopters for the other practices. Un availability of service personnels, lack of service facilities un availability, quality feed at reasonable price, non – availability of vaccines, strenuous nature of practices and more time consumption for adoption of practices were the major reasons attributed to partial and non-adoption of various practices. Of the 10 independent variables, only economic motivation scientific orientation and risk preference of the participants were significantly and positively correlated to the extend of adoption of the participants where as family size was negatively and significantly correlated to the extent of adoption of improved dairy practices, economic motivation and scientific orientation of the participants had maximum direct and indirect effect on extend of practice adoption of improved dairy practices.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Role of financial assistance and incentives in farmer motivation in dairying
    (Department of Extension, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1981) Raju, V; KAU; Nair, G R
    The objectives of the study were to understand the awareness of the various assistances and incentives provided for the dairy development and whether these assistances have influenced the farmers to adopt improved dairy husbandry practices, besides the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and its influence on the adoption of improved practices as well as the reasons for not availing the assistances by them. The members of Chalakudy Milk Co-operative Society who have availed the assistances given by the Small Farmers Development Agency were selected as beneficiaries (50 respondents randomly selected) and those who have not availed any assistance from any source were selected as the nonbeneficiaries (50 respondents). Forty improved practices recommended by the University were included for the study and the six socio-economic characteristics of the respondents included in the study were age, education, income, herd size, social participation and extension contact. The data were gathered from the selected respondents using a pretested interview schedule. The analytical procedure adopted were simple percentage analysis, chisquare test and regression analysis. All the beneficiaries were found to have adopted atleast 15 recommended practices whereas only 12 practices were adopted by all the non-beneficiaries. Practices like premilking udder cleaning had 98 per cent of adoption among both the groups of respondents, and the practice of feeding commercial feed had 96 per cent adoption among the beneficiaries and 68 per cent adoption among the non-beneficiaries. The practice like weaning had the least adoption of zero per cent among both the groups of respondents. The mean adoption index among the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries were 53.75 and 53.55 respectively. Among the six socio-economic characteristics studied significant influence/as shown by education and herd size on adoption among the non-beneficiaries and income among the beneficiaries. Dairying appeared to be a supplementary enterprise aimed at additional income in both the groups. Other than the natural aversion to get involved in debts no other reason seems to be predominant among the non-beneficiaries for not availing the assistances. The assistances as such did not reveal any significant influence on the adoption behaviour, but can be said to have some prohibition on employment and income generation.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Study of Selected Environmental Factors Influencing extension personnel in communicating improved Animal Husbandry Practices
    (Department of Extension, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1979) Raj Kamal, P J; KAU; Prabhakaran, T
    The objectives of the study were to understand the working conditions of the personnel engaged in animal husbandry extension with regard to selected environmental factors and to explore the relationship, if any, existing between the perception of the selected environmental factors by the extension personnel and their self-assessment on their role in the 'Change agent-Client system contact'. The study was conducted in Trichur taluk with all the 60 personnel engaged in animal husbandry extension work. These personnel comprised of Village Extension Officers, Livestock Assistants, Dairy Farm Instructors and Veterinary Surgeons. Results revealed that for majority of the Village Extension Officers the 'Guidance and supervision', 'Services and supplies' and 'Job satisfaction' were only 'some-what satisfactory' and below, while for factors like 'People's participation', 'Interpersonal relations and 'Communication', the environment was 'some-what satisfactory' and above. Livestock Assistants were in general not satisfied with 'Guidance and supervision', 'Services and supplies','Communication' and 'Job satisfaction'; 'some-what satisfied' with 'People's participation' and 'satisfied' with 'Interpersonal relations'. Most of the Dairy Farm Instructors expressed the existence of 'some-what satisfactory' environment on factors like 'Guidance and supervision', 'Services and supplies', 'People's participation', 'Communication' and 'Job satisfaction'. They were quite satisfied with their 'Interpersonal relationship'. For majority of Veterinary Surgeons, all the six environmental factors appeared to be 'some-what satisfactory'. Livestock Assistants had an entirely different perception of the environmental factors leaning more towards total dissatisfaction when compared to other categories in the study. There was almost unanimous agreement by all categories of personnel to the unsatisfactory nature of 'Services and supplies' prevailing in the diffusion of animal husbandry innovations and also in their 'Job satisfaction'. It was found that in the self-assessment of the extension personnel's contacts with clients the environmental factors studied had least importance in the case of Village Extension Officers and some importance in the case of Livestock Assistants and Veterinary Surgeons. The results thus indicate the necessity to improve upon the efficiency of the existing administrative machinery. It also suggests the need for a more detailed study of the working environment prevailing in the projects and organisations engaged in livestock development.