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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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Author: Bhindhu, P S × Author: KAU × End date: 2017 × Start date: 2010 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Chemistry and transformations of calcium and magnesium in tropical acid soils of kerala
    (Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Thrissur, 2017) Bhindhu, P S; KAU; Sureshkumar, P
    Calcium and magnesium are indispensible as secondary nutrients for plant growth. Availability of these nutrients to plants depends on the form and quantity present in soil. Soils of the tropics normally pose the problem of acidity due to high rainfall and leaching of bases causing widespread deficiency of these nutrients. The study aims at characterization of soil samples from 23 agro ecological units of Kerala with respect to supplying power, chemistry, dynamics, transformations and availability indices of calcium and magnesium and also to optimize the level of calcium and magnesium for rice nutrition in lateritic soils. Sixty four representative soil samples from 23 agro ecological units under five agro ecological zones of the state were collected and characterised for physico-chemical properties. Among these soils, ninety two per cent were acidic in reaction, of which sixty three per cent were strongly to very strongly acidic (4.5-5.5). Lowlands of Kuttanad, Pokkali and Kaipad were extremely to ultra acidic. Twenty seven per cent of samples were deficient (< 300 mg kg-1) in available calcium, while sixty seven per cent samples were deficient in available magnesium (< 120 mg kg-1). Deficiency was negligible in soils from Attapady hills (AEU 18 and 19), Palakkad central and eastern plains (AEU 22 and 23) and the lowlands of Kuttanad, Pokkali, and Kaipad (AEU 4, 5 and 7). The availability of calcium and magnesium increased with pH, cation exchange capacity and decreased with increase in exchangeable aluminium. Forty one soil samples from different agro ecological units were subjected to sequential fractionation. The mean per cent contribution of different fractions to total calcium was in the order exchangeable > mineral > acid soluble > water soluble > organic complexed, whereas in the case of magnesium, it was observed as mineral > acid soluble > exchangeable > water soluble > organic-complexed. Exchangeable calcium and water soluble magnesium were the sole forms contributing directly to the available pool. The quantity-intensity relationship of calcium and magnesium in twenty- three soils belonging to different AEUs of Kerala were studied at 25oC and 40oC. Potential buffering capacity or the supplying power of soil had significant positive correlation with CEC and exchangeable cations in soil. The adsorption data of both calcium and magnesium at 25oC and 40oC were best explained by Tempkin adsorption isotherm indicating that the affinity for adsorption decreases linearly with degree of saturation. The change in free energy of adsorption for calcium and magnesium was negative in all the soils studied signifying the spontaneous nature of adsorption. The change in enthalpy (ΔH0) was negative in most of the soils indicating the process to be exothermic. The close correlation of enthalpy change with change in entropy proved that as the enthalpy change becomes more negative, stronger is the bond and more orderly is the adsorption. The incubation experiment conducted to study the effect of organic matter on the adsorption of calcium and magnesium revealed a positive influence of organic matter on availability of calcium and magnesium. The addition of organic matter improved the supplying power with respect to calcium and magnesium either through mineralization or formation of stable soluble complexes especially at higher pH. Two field experiments to optimize the level of calcium and magnesium nutrition for rice in low land of north central laterites (Pattambi) revealed the clear role of calcium and magnesium in improving the yield and yield attributing characters of the crop. Application of dolomite as per ΔpH was found to be effective in increasing the yield and maintaining optimum level of calcium as well as magnesium in soil. Application of lime was not found to influence the in situ soil pH. The response of crop to magnesium showed yield improvement to the tune of 1.18 t ha-1 by application of magnesium sulphate @ 120 kg ha-1. Residual effect of dolomite had significant influence on the yield of rice whereas no residual effect of applied magnesium sulphate was evident. The correlation studies and path analysis clearly indicated that plant absorption of calcium mainly takes place from exchangeable fraction and that of magnesium from water soluble fraction.