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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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2016 - 20192
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Author: Ishrath, P K × End date: 2019 × Start date: 2016 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Vetiver based Organic Mediculture Technologies for the Sustainable development of Watersheds
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture,Vellayani, 2019) Ishrath, P K; KAU; Anilkumar, A S
    An investigation entitled “Vetiver based organic mediculture technologies for the sustainable development of watersheds” was carried out during 2016 to 2019 at the Instructional farm, College of Agriculture, Vellayani. The investigation comprised of three field experiments and one pot culture study. The objectives were to standardise nursery management practices for quality planting material production, develop vetiver based biological systems for soil and water conservation and to explore the phytoremediation potential of vetiver for waste water and degradable solid waste utilization. The vetiver variety “ODV-3”, turmeric variety “Varna”, cowpea variety “Bhagyalakshmi” and a local variety of greater galangal were used for the study. The techniques for quality planting material production were standardised by testing planting materials (a1- slips; a2- clumps), planting systems (b1- planting strips; b2- shallow basins), rooting medium (c1- coirpith compost: soil: cowdung (2:1:1) + inoculation with Azospirillum and AM Fungi); c2- c1 + cowdung slurry at monthly interval) and moisture regimes (d1- irrigation at 8 mm CPE; d2- irrigation at 16 mm CPE) in a 24 factorial Randomised Block Design with three replications. Conclusions were drawn after two and four months of planting. Inoculation of vetiver clumps with biofertilizers and planting in shallow basins filled with enriched rooting medium and application of cowdung slurry at monthly interval with irrigation scheduling at 16 mm CPE resulted in the production of higher number of planting materials (10.67 tillers per plant) and the highest benefit cost ratio (2.83) after two months of planting. Considering the dual benefit of planting material production and root yield, inoculation of vetiver slips with biofertilizers and planting in polythene mulched trenches, filled with enriched rooting medium followed by application of cowdung slurry at monthly interval and irrigation scheduling at 8 mm CPE resulted in the highest net income (₹.5.84 lakhs ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (2.96) after four months of planting. The study on “Vetiver based alley cropping systems for soil and water conservation” was undertaken in 32 factorial Randomised Block Design with three replications. Combinations of vetiver vegetative barriers were developed in three different planting geometries, i.e., a1- normal row planting (50 cm x 50 cm), a2- paired row planting (25/75 cm x 50 cm); a3- high density planting (25/75 cm x 25 cm) with three different sequential intercropping systems, i.e., b1- turmeric- cowpea- turmeric, b2- greater galangal and b3- control (without intercropping). High density planting of vetiver followed by continuous alley cropping of greater galangal (a3b2) resulted in the highest vetiver equivalent yield (14.44 t ha-1), net income (₹.4.05 lakhs ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (2.27). Substantial reduction in runoff (95 %), soil loss (166 %) and nutrient erosion (76 %) could be achieved through a3b2 within a period of 18 months, extending from June 2017 to December 2018. Considerable improvement in soil health with respect to physical properties of soil, viz., bulk density (33 %), porosity (28 %), water holding capacity (47 %) and infiltration rate (72 %) and build-up of soil organic carbon (43 %) were also observed in a3b2 compared to initial soil status. To develop vetiver systems for waste water utilization in agriculture, an experiment was laid out in Completely Randomised Block Design with seven types of waste water in three replications. The treatments were, a1- waste water from coconut husk retting yards, a2- kitchen waste water, a3- waste water from fish market, a4- coirpith leachate, a5-sewage water, a6- Vellayani lake water and a7- nutrient solution. Vetiver was proved as a good phytoremediator with respect to decontamination and water purification properties (nutrient and heavy metal uptake). In general, the morphological characters (number of leaves and tillers) and root characters (root weight, spread, volume and drymatter) were significantly improved by growing vetiver in fish-waste water. To explore the phytoremediation potential of vetiver for degradable solid waste utilization, a study was conducted in 4 x 2 x 2 factorial Randomised Block Design with three replications. Four ratios of degradable land fill materials (sewage sludge) and virgin soil (a1- 1:0; a2- 1:1; a3- 1:3; a4- 1:5), two crop establishment techniques (nursery grown rooted slips with enriched rooting medium (b1) and without enriched rooting medium (b2)); foliar nutrition (c1-sequential application of cow‟s urine, vermiwash and fermented plant juice; c2- sequential application of NPK fertilizer grade of 19:19:19, KNO3 and Ca(NO3)2 at monthly interval) were tested in this study. It could be concluded that, production of vetiver slips inoculated with Azospirillum and AM Fungi in enriched rooting medium and transplanting in the main field with sewage sludge and virgin soil (1:5) followed by sequential application of foliar fertilizers @ 0.50 per cent (19:19:19, KNO3 and Ca(NO3)2 ) resulted in the highest root yield (4.11 t ha-1), net income (₹.1.01 lakhs ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (1.97). Vetiver based mediculture technologies in relation to cost effective quality planting material production, alley cropping systems for soil and water conservation and phytoremediation techniques for waste water and biosolid utilization were developed for the sustainable development of watersheds.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Cutting intervals and additives for quality silage production
    (Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2016) Ishrath, P K; KAU; Usha, C Thomas
    The investigation entitled “Cutting intervals and additives for quality silage production” was conducted at Kerala Livestock Development Board farm, Dhoni, Palakkad during May 2015 to April 2016. The main objectives were to assess the effect of cutting intervals on quality fodder production for ensiling and to study the effect of additives and cutting intervals for quality silage production using hybrid napier variety Suguna. The investigation comprised of two experiments. The first experiment was conducted in field and was laid out in RBD with three treatments and seven replications. The treatments comprised of three cutting intervals - 45 days, 60 days and 75 days. The results showed that, the highest fodder yield of 57.85 t ha-1 cut-1 was obtained in T3 (75 days), but the fodder quality was better in T1 (45 days) which registered high crude protein content (10.56 %) and low crude fibre content (26.81 %). The second experiment on silage production was laid out as factorial experiment in CRD with two factors i.e. ensiling material and additives with three replications. Three types of ensiling materials tested were - E1 (fodder harvested at 45 days interval), E2 (fodder harvested at 60 days interval) and E3 (fodder harvested at 75 days interval) and additives tested were - A1 (Urea 2 %), A2 (Jaggery 2 %), A3 (Urea 1 % + Jaggery 1 %), A4 (Molasses 2 %) and a no additive (A5) treatment was also included. The results indicated that among the different ensiling materials, fodder harvested at 45 days produced good quality silage. The silage was characterized by high crude protein content (11.59 %), low crude fibre content (29.01 %), ideal pH and other quality parameters like ash, ether extract fat (EEF) and nitrogen free extract (NFE) in safe limit. Ensiling with urea 2 % or urea 1 % + jaggery 1 % produced good quality silage characterised by a crude protein content of 10.55 % and 10.52 % respectively and a crude fibre content of 37.27 % and 36.87 % respectively. Crude protein, crude fibre, ash, EEF and NFE contents were significantly influenced by ensiling material. Additives significantly influenced the crude protein, EEF and NFE contents in silage and did not influence ash and crude fibre contents significantly. Interaction effect was found significant in ash, EEF and NFE contents of silage. Both ensiling materials and additives did not show any significant effect on pH of silage as well as recovery percentage. Based on the study, it can be concluded that quality silage from hybrid napier can be prepared by ensiling the fodder harvested at 45 days interval and by adding urea 2 % or urea 1 % + jaggery 1 % as additives. For the preparation of organic silage, molasses 2 % or jaggery 2 % can be recommended as additive depending upon availability.