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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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2003 - 20093
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Author: KAU × Author: Priya, P × End date: 2010 × Start date: 2003 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Availability indices for stressed nutrients for coconut (Cocos nucifera L) in an ultisol
    (Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 2003) Priya, P; KAU; Sureshkumar, P
    The present study was conducted with an objective to analyse the soil-plant system, the levels and interactions of nutrient ions in soil, soil solution and plant thereby / finding out the contributing factors to yield. The importance of the term relative intensity lies in the fact that the contribution of mineral elements to growth and yield of plants depend much on the relative amount of one element with respect to the others rather than the absolute content of individual elements. To study the ionic interactions and to unravel the role of Net Ionic Equilibrium based on Ratio Law on soil plant system, a sample of fifty phenotypically identical palms varying in yield from 14.4 to 84.4 nuts palm" year"! grown under an Ultisol were selected. Index leaf samples were collected during pre and post monsoon seasons from 25 palms each from high yielding and low yielding groups. Soil samples were also collected from the basins of these palms during the same seasons at 30 cm (surface) arid 60 cm (subsurface) depths. Soil solutions at saturation point were extracted from the surface samples by centrifugation technique. These leaf, soil and solution samples were analysed / . for different nutrient ions, and the NIE ratios in these three phases were worked out with respect to K and Na. The soil samples were acidic in nature and the variation in rhizosphere pH must have definitely influenced the solubility as well as absorption of different nutrient ions. In the case of available nutrients, the micro nutrients showed significant direct relation with yield both for high and low yielding populations. This might be due to their restricted availability due to aerobic oxidised condition where Fe and Mn might have been precipitated and got into unavailable forms. The BaCh exchangeable ions and the CEC derived from summing up of these exchangeable ions influenced yield directly. Exchangeable K had got a significant dominance in deciding the NIE ratio in soil, solution and in index leaves. Exchangeable K controlled the soil solution concentration of K which in turn controlled the NIE ratio in solution and the ratios in plant. Exchangeable K directly controlled the plant K content and plant K was positively and significantly correlated with the NIE ratios in plant and these ratios were positively and significantly correlated with yield. The negative significant correlation of exchangeable K with plant Mn and Zn revealed the antagonistic effect of exchangeable K in restricting the absorption of Mn and Zn by plants. Among the ionic concentrations in soil solution, Fe was positively and significantly correlated with yield in both the seasons. Soil solution concentrations of Ca and Mg were antagonistically and significantly related with plant Mn content. Potassium content and the NIE ratio in index leaves were found to have a significant direct relation with yield in the pre-monsoon season. Potassium, Ca and Mg were the dominant cations in plant deciding the total cation concentration in index leaves. The NIE ratios between the exchangeable ions, the ions in soil solution and the ions in index leaf samples were mutually, .positively and significantly correlated among themselves. This lead to the conclusion that there exists a constancy in the relative proportion of nutrient ions in the entire soil-plant system which followed Ratio Law. The study lead to the conclusion that the soil test values of the individual ions alone or the plant content of individual ions alone can't give a clear picture of optimum nutrient requirements for the plant. The relative concentration of K in soil through the ~ concentration in soil solution was found to govern the relative concentration in plant which in turn influenced the yield.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Seroepidemiology of Bovine Brucellosis
    (Department of Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2003) Priya, P; KAU; Vijayakumar, K
    An investigation was carried out on 1602 cattle and buffaloes of Kerala including 1535 cattle and 67 buffaloes to assess the seroprevalence of brucellosis using serological tests like Rose Bengal plate' test, Standard tube agglutination test, 2-Mercaptoethanol test and Avidin-Biotin ELISA. Sera samples were collected from bovines belonging to different farms, hospitals and households of Kerala covering eleven districts. Samples were collected randomly from animals of different sex, age, breed, gestation, lactation, reproductive performance, management practices and also from slaughter house. Out of the 1602 sera samples tested 15.29 per cent gave positive result for brucella antibodies. Of this cattle showed a seropositivity of 14.72 per cent and buffaloes showed 28.35 per cent seropositivity. Female cattle and female buffaloes showed higher seroprevalence than male cattle and male buffaloes. Bulls and cows aged more than five years showed the highest seropositivity. Among the breeds pure bred Holstein Friesian bulls and crossbred Jersey female cattle showed the highest seroprevalence. Seroprevalence of brucellosis was found higher in pregnant cattle, in late stage of gestation, in pregnant dry animals and also in cows and heifers with the history of repeat breeding. Animals maintained under unorganised farming system, animals from high altitude agroecological region showed more number of positive reactors. Northern zone of Kerala showed more number of positive reactors. Districtwise analysis revealed that animals belonging to Kozhikode district having highest seropositivity and animals from Kottayam and Malappuram districts as zero positives. RBPT, STA T and 2 MET was evaluated for the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and accuracy using, A-B ELISA as the 'gold standard'. RBPT was found to have higher sensitivity, predictive value of a negative test and accuracy than STAT and 2 MET and all the three tests found to have 100 per cent specificity and predictive value of a positive test with that of ELISA. It was concluded that RBPT can be used as a preliminary screening test and ELISA as a confirmatory diagnostic test.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Evaluation and management of glaucoma in dogs
    (College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2009) Priya, P; KAU; Syam, K Venugopal
    The efficacy of various treatments for glaucoma were studied in nine cases. Dogs presented with the ophthalmological complaints were thoroughly examined and eight dogs with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) were selected for the study. Initially medical treatment was given and for those cases which are refractory to medical treatment, surgical treatment was adopted. The medical treatment consisted of a combination of oral administration of carbonic anhydrase enzyme inhibitors and ocular instillation of beta blockers. The surgical techniques adopted was iridectomy and trabeculectomy. Both performed under general anaesthesia. Parenteral administration of antibiotics, topical instillation of polymyxin-choramphenicol eyedrops, flurbiprofen eyedrops were given on the post operative days. The incidence of glaucoma was 11% among the cases presented with the ophthalmological complaints. The dogs belonged to various breeds like Spitz, Dachshund, Labrador Retriever, Cocker Spaniel and Mongrel dogs of either sex with an average age of 8.61 years( range 3 years to 14 years). The major clinical signs observed were episcleral congestion, corneal oedema, vascularization of cornea, mydriasis, congestion of conjunctival blood vessels and buphthalmos. Medical management with oral administration of carbonic anhydrase enzyme inhibitors and beta blockers effectively reduced the IOP for short term period but in long term management they were ineffective. Panting and gastrointestinal upsets, cardiac arrhythmia were the side effects observed in animals underwent medical therapy. Surgical procedure iridectomy effectively reduced the IOP but the post operative complications like anterior synechiae and corneal oedema limited the success of this technique. Surgical procedure trabeculectomy effectively reduced the IOP without any significant post operative complications and lowering of IOP lasted for more than six months. The advantages of trabeculectomy over iridectomy were greater reduction in IOP with a clear cornea and absence of post operative complication like anterior synechiae.