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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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  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Structural analysis of Infectious bursal disease virus isolates from clinical cases in vaccinated and unvaccinated birds
    (Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1995) Vengadabady, N; KAU; Sulochana, S
    Field cases with history suggestive of infectious bursal disease (IBD) were screened for confirmation by Agar gel diffusion test (AGDT), using reference antigen and antisera received from Madras Veterinary College. From the positive cases, 4 isolates, two each from unvaccinated (PKD, EKM) and vaccinated (THR, KAN) flocks and an avirulent vaccine strain (VAC) were used for structural analyses and antigenic relationship studies. The percentage of mortality of the embryos infected by these strains ranged between 50 – 100 per cent, during the third and fifth day of inoculation, in the fourth passage. The lesions produced were cutaneous haemorrhages all over the body, congestion and thickening of CAM. Enlarged bursa and typical yellowish green discolouration of liver with brown patches were also noticed. All the five isolates were propagated in chicken embryo fibroblast culture, in which cytopathic changes characterised by rounding and subsequent detachment was seen from the third passage onwards. The chicks infected with field isolates revealed mildclinical symptoms. The lesions noticed after sacrificing them on the third day were moderately swollen gelatinous bursa with slight haemorrhage in some of them. Chicks that received vaccine strain revealed only mild lesion. The viral strains by SDS – PAGE revealed that all the field isolates contained nine identical polypeptides with molecular weights of 86 KD (VP2), 77 KD (VP4), 73 KD (VP5), 62 KD (VP6), 52 KD (VP7), 47 KD (VP8), 39 KD (VP10), 36 KD (VP11) and 32 KD (VP12). The vaccine strain resolved 11 peptides of whichthree, namely VP1 (93 KD), VP3 (80 KD) and VP9 (43 KD), were absent in the field isolates, but it lacked VP7 (52 KD). Mild difference in the molecular weights of VP6 and VP12 were also noticed between the field isolates and vaccine strain. Nucleic acid analyses in agarose gel showed two bands for all the five isolates without any difference in their migration pattern. Antigenic relationship of the IBDV isolates was studied by AGDT, CIE and IE. All the four isolates produced only one precipitation line against the antiserum and this precipitation line was identical to the one produced by the vaccine strain. From the observations made, the possible reasons for breakdown of immunity and a schedule of vaccination to overcome this situation have been discussed.