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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: Eurekha Savadatti × End date: 2018 × Start date: 2018 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Mass trapping of cowpea pod borer maruca vitrata (F.) (lepidoptera; pyralidae) using sex pheromones
    (Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Padannakkad, 2018) Eurekha Savadatti; Sreekumar, K M
    A study was conducted know the efficacy of synthetic sex pheromone of legume pod borer Maruca vitrata (F.) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) at College of Agriculture, Padannakkad. Also investigated the female calling and mating behaviour of the adult moths of M. vitrata. Response of commercial lure to male moths of the test insect was studied in Electroantennogram at NBAIR, Bangalore. The commercial synthetic pheromone lure of legume pod borer M.vitrata from M/s Pest control India (P) Limited, Bangalore was tested and found that it failed to attract not even a single moth. Subsequently, the mating behaviour of the moth was undertaken in detail to investigate whether pheromones are involved in the mating process of the insect. 30 per cent of moths emerged during photophase (6am-5pm) out of which male moths constituted 36.25% and female moths constituted 23.75%. During scotophase (6pm-5am), 69.68% moths emerged, out of which 63.12% was males and 76.25% was females. The emergence found to peak at 5th and 9th hour of scotophase. During calling period female extrudes its pheromone gland beyond the abdominal tip. Female calling behaviour of one to eight day old moths was observed throughout the scotophase. A single calling peak was observed in all aged moths at 6 th hour of scotophase except for three old day moths, which showed additional peaks of calling at fifth, eighth and 9th hour of scotophase. For three-day-old moths, 43.5% was the mean percent of calling at 6th hour of scotophase. The mating behaviour of 1-8 day old M.vitrata moths involving 15 pairs throughout the scotophase showed maximum mating percentage of 26.2 % and 16.6 % for 3 day old and 2 day old moths respectively. Electroantennogram study conducted to know the response of 3-day-old male moths to synthetic lure obtained from PCI, Bangalore showed that response to the stimulus was 0.05mv only, which was the same for the solvent hexane and the air. 75 This showed that there was no distinct physiological response for synthetic pheromone lure. For further confirmation, GC-MS analysis was done and the compound E, E-10, 12-Hexadecadienal was identified at a retention time of 16.42 min. This is the major pheromonally active compound identified in previous studies. In GC- EAD analysis, the response of M.vitrata male moths to E, E-10, 12-Hexadecadienal was checked by matching EAD and FID peaks but without any response. So, the exact reason for the absence of response to commercial synthetic lure is to be elucidated in future studies for developing an effective commercial pheromone for the legume spotted pod borer M. vitrata.