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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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1981 - 19872
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Author: Celine, V A × End date: 1987 ×
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    ArticleItemOpen Access
    Tomato lines resistant to bacterial wilt
    (Kerala Agricultural University, 1987) Celine, V A; Peter, K V; KAU
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Genetic cataloguing of tomato germplasm towards isolation of line(s) resistant to bacterial wilt
    (Department Of Olericulture, College Of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1981) Celine, V A; KAU; Peter, K V
    Bacterial wilt caused by Pseudomonas solanacearum is the single disease causing the greatest damage in tomato grown in the acidic soils of Kerala. Isolation of a line(s) tolerant/resistant would be a worthwhile attempt which would have considerable Impact on tomato production in Kerala. An experiment was planned and carried out during 1980-‘81 in the College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara to isolate tolerant/resistant line to bacterial wilt. Seventy eight lines collected from different sources where genetically catalogued as per the Reports of the Tomato Genetics Cooperative, 1980. Field screening indicated the tolerance of one line, LE 79 (CL -32d - 0.1-19 GS) received from AVRDC, Taiwan. This line had indeterminate growth habit, green shouldered and medium sized fruits and the seeds covered by yellow gel. The line was grown in the field continuously for six seasons to confirm the tolerance/resistance. The susceptibility ranged from zero per cent to 1.34 per cent in the adult plant stage. Breeding methods like pureline and mass selection were adopted to improve the fruit size and other characters of the resistant line. Genetic information like realised heritability were gathered for plant height, primary branches per plant, days to first fruit set, days to first fruit harvest, fruits per plant, marketable fruits per plant, locules per fruit, marketable fruit weight per plant and to tail fruit weight per plant. The tolerance/resistance was tested using soils from susceptible plots. Here again, LE 79 showed freedom from disease infection. The artificial inoculation proposed by Winstead and Kelman (1952) caused susceptibility in the resistant line. This may probably be due to high inoculum density which alter the disease resistance.