Thumbnail Image

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.

Browse

20071
Reset filters
Author: Geetha Nath, G × End date: 2007 × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
Reset filters

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Socio-technical system analysis of tribal and settler farmers in the western ghat regions of wayanad district in Kerala
    (Department Of Agricultural Extension, College Of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2007) Geetha Nath, G; KAU; Kumari Sushama, N P
    Agriculture cannot be sustainable unless it is integrated into the existing social systems. Furthermore, it must enhance social justice. Social integration means that the farmers must accept the technology. Optimum adoption of agricultural production innovations is achieved only when a farmer is persuaded to accept a technical innovation, which for him is technically sound, economically feasible, physically possible and politically and socially compatible. Research studies exploring the socio-technical system aspects of agricultural technology generation and diffusion among the diverse tribal and settler farmers in ecologically sensitive locations like Wayanad district will help in envisioning sustainable developmental interventions. It is in this background, the present investigation has been designed to analyse and compare the socio-technical system determinants, to study the cropping pattern and farming systems of the tribal and settler areas, to study the differential diffusion of agricultural innovations among the tribal and settler farmers and to construct a socio-technical feasibility index to evaluate the agricultural innovations among tribal and settler farmers. The study was carried out in Wayanad district, as this district has the maximum population of tribals and settlers. Six panchayats having the maximum tribal populations from the three blocks of Wayanad were taken. From each panchayat, 30 tribal and 30 settler farmers were selected randomly, making the total sample size of 360 respondents. An index for measuring the socio-technical feasibility of agricultural innovations was developed for the study taking into consideration the socio- technical determinants and adoption variables. In addition to the index, the differential diffusion of agricultural innovations among tribal and settler farmers, the personal, socio-psychological, economic variables and constraints experienced by the tribal and settlers farmers were also studied. Regarding the distribution of the tribal and settler farmers, with respect to some variables like education, family education status, annual income, exposure to mass media, risk preference, achievement motivation, self confidence, rational orientation, information source utilization, progressiveness and cosmopoliteness the settlers belonged to the high category, whereas in the case of family size, dependency, value orientation and fatalism the tribals belonged to the high category. Still in the case of some variables like farming experience, economic motivation, credit orientation and attitude towards development programmes, there was not any significant difference between the tribals and settlers. The predominant crops in Wayanad are paddy, coffee, banana, ginger, pepper and arecanut. There was also cultivation of newly introduced crops like vanilla, banana, cardamom, coconut etc. present in small numbers. Majority of the tribals in Wayanad are agricultural labourers having no cultivable land and no control over land resources. The crops they cultivated were also the traditional ones. So the favoured combinations seen among the tribals were limited to the traditional crops namely paddy, coffee, pepper and banana. A shift in favour of the newly introduced crops like vanilla, cardamom, arecanut, banana etc. were seen among the settlers. Settlers had more land compared to the tribals and they were also in favour of new crops or cash crops along with the traditional ones. The comparison of the tribals and settlers, in the three blocks with respect to the selected variables showed that significant difference in almost all the variables except age, type of family, family size, self confidence, cosmopoliteness and attitude towards development. A comparative analysis of the three blocks revealed that the differential diffusion was higher in settlers as compared to the tribals of Wayanad. Tribals did not have access to the new technologies and in some cases where there was access, the technology did not suit their existing conditions. The settlers, on the other hand, if they practised new technologies, there were problems with the social and technical determinants, which affected the diffusion. Evaluation of agricultural innovations using the socio-technical feasibility index showed significant difference between the two major categories, i.e, tribals and settlers. Among tribals also, there was significant difference among the three blocks selected for the study. Kalpetta and Mananthavady showed significant difference among the tribals with regard to the index values. Similar was the case of Mananthavady and Sulthan Bathery. But with respect to CD values of Kalpetta and Sulthan Bathery, there was not much difference. Whereas in the case of settlers, there was not much difference among the settlers from among the three blocks of the district. Significant difference was observed between tribal and settler farmers, in which the tribals were much backward in the case of development. The study indicated the need for evolving a new strategy for solving the problems in technology generation and its transfer at the field level. Only 30 per cent of the technology generated can be used by the farmers. This shows the non-feasibility of the technologies with respect to the social and technical determinants such as profitability, acceptability, complexity, sustainability etc. These social and technical factors, which are particular for each system, should be taken into consideration while generating and transferring technologies further.