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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: Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education × Author: KAU × End date: 2003 × Start date: 2003 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Comparison of polymerase chain recation with conventional methods for the diagnosis of leptospirosis
    (Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences,Mannuthy, 2003) Elaiyaraja, M; KAU; Jayaprakasan, V
    A study was undertaken to standardize the peR technique for the diagnosis of leptospirosis and to compare the efficacy of peR with DFM and culture in the diagnosis of leptospirosis. Two sets of primers, namely, primers A and B derived from Leptospira interrogans serovar canicola rrs (16S) gene and G I and G2 derived from genomic library of L. interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae, were evaluated to amplify 12 reference strains of leptospires representing the serovars viz., australis, rachmati.; canicola, grippotyphosa, hardjo, hebdomadis, icterohaemorrhagiae, pomona, poi, pyrogenes, tarassovi and patoc. The primers A and B specifically amplified all the serovars tested, while the primers Gland G2 failed to amplify the serovar patoc. The primers A and B which amplified a 331 base pair fragment of leptospiral DNA were used for the routine detection of leptospires in clinical samples. Restriction enzyme digestion of the primer A and B amplified product with the enzymes Dde I and MnI I and direct sequencing established the identity of the amplified product. A total of 192 samples were collected from different sources like human, dogs and bovines with suspected history of leptospirosis and from rodents. All were tested by peR and the positivity ranged from 33.3 to 54.2 per cent. Of the samples collected 125 samples were tested by all the three techniques viz., peR, DFM and culture and the results were compared. The peR technique was found to be more sensitive, specific and rapid, over conventional methods as it detected 41.6 per cent, compared to 25.6 per cent by DFM and 2.4 per cent by culture, of the samples tested.