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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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20211
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Author: Ann Annie, Shaju × Author: KAU × Start date: 2021 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Tech. ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Development of small scale parboiling cum drying unit for paddy processing
    (Department of Processing and Food Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 2021) Ann Annie, Shaju; KAU; Sudheer, K P
    Parboiling is an optional unit operation in paddy processing, which results in enhanced milling efficiency with improved nutritional quality of the rice. It is accomplished through the process of soaking, steaming and drying, to gelatinize the starch. Technological advancement in the industrial parboiling has resulted in extensive improvisation of process controls in large-scale industrial parboiling units. But enormous initial investments required for infrastructure, along with the time, labour and energy involved in paddy parboiling made it uneconomical for small scale milling and processing units to undertake parboiling. In this scenario, a small scale parboiling cum drying unit with reduced drudgery and less human interventions was fabricated in this present study for paddy processing and its evaluation was done. The unit mainly consists of two soaking cum steaming chambers (100 kg/tank), LSU dryer, bucket elevator, steam boiler and heat furnace. Soaking and steaming was carried out in the same chamber and drying was carried out in the LSU dryer. The paddy crop variety Jyothi was parboiled at different soaking and steaming times (20, 25 and 30 min) and drying temperatures (50, 60 and 70 ° C) in both hot soaking and cold soaking methods. The performance evaluation of the developed unit was done by analysing the milling and cooking qualities of the parboiled paddy. The treatments were optimised using the Response Surface Methodology (Box Behnken) method. An increase in steaming time exerted a significant effect on milling and cooking qualities of parboiled paddy. The increase in drying time decreased the milling efficiency, head rice yield and hardness of the parboiled milled rice. After optimisation, for hot soaking, milling efficiency of 65.43% and head rice yield of 87.78% were obtained with a soaking time of 7 h, steaming time of 26.07 min and drying temperature of 52 ° C. In case of cold soaking, milling efficiency of 62.15% and head rice yield of 81.93% were obtained with a soaking time of 60 h, steaming time of 27 min and drying temperature of 52 ° C. The processing cost of parboiling one-kilogram paddy in the developed unit were Rs. 2.55/-. The benefit cost ratio for the parboiling process was found to be 1.33:1, which revealed that the developed unit was economically feasible.