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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Postnatal development of testis and epididymis, semen characteristics and fertility of brown- swiss crossbred bulls
(Department of Animal Reproduction and Gyneacology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1981) Surendran Varma Raja, C K; KAU; Ramachandran Rao, A
A systematic investigation involving the use of 24 Brown Swiss crossbred bull calves and 7 adult bulls with 62.5% exotic inheritance varying in age from 0- 360 days and 22-40 months respectively, resred and maintained at Indo-Swiss Project, Mattupatty, Kerala, was carried out in order to (a) trace the postnatal growth and development of the testis and epididymis and (b) assess the semen characteristics such as volume, initial motility, sperm concentration, live sperm count and incidence of abnormal sperms; As a corrolary to and as an integral part of this comprehensive study, 6679 semen collection particulars from the records maintained at the Indo-Swiss Project, Mattupatty and 7586 insemination data at the Crossbreeding Research Centre, Muvathuphza werecritically scrutinised to deduce freezability/discard rate of the ejaculates and the fertility potenoy of the bulls, respectively. The materials used, the salient observations made and the valid inferences drawn aare given below: Twenty four pairs of testis and epididymis collected from the bull calves were processed to study the postnatal growth and development. The pattern of growth of testis and of the epididymis was found to be curvilinear. The testicularand epididymal weights were observed to be significantly (p<0.01) correlated with the age, and body weight of the animals. A highly significant (p<0.01) correlation between epididymal weight and testicular weight was also observed. The growth rate of the seminiferous tubules appeared to be of sigmoid type. Formation of lumen in the seminiferous cords was initiated at 150 days and completed, at 180 days of age. The transformation of gonocytes to spermatogonia occurred at 150 days of age. The formation of primary spermatocytes, spermatid and spermatozoa cocurred at the age of 150 days, 300 days and 300-360 days, respectively. The process of transformation of supporting cells was initiated at 120 days and completed at 180 days of age. The transformation of immature Leydig cells to mature cells was initiated at 150 days and completed, by 180 days of age. There were distinct regional differences between the caput, the corpus and the cauda epididymis in respect of the diameter of the tubules, height of the epithelium and the degree of transformation of Epithelial lining from simple columnar to pseudostratified type. The distal part of the ductus epididymis seemed to have attained the adult size at an earlier age than the proximal. Sperms were seen in all the three regions at about 300 days. The mean values of ejaculate volume, initial motility, sperm concentration, live sperm count, sperm head abnormalities, tail abnormalities and proximal protoplasmic droplets were found to be 2.65 ± 0.84 ml, 66.24 ± 0.87%, 1599.64 ± 55.371 milions per ml of semen, 72.55 ± 1.310%, 4.91 ± 0.439%, 0.65 ± 0.045%, 6.47 ± 0.775% and 1.20 ± 0.143%, respectively. Significant (p<0.01) variations between bulls were observed in respect of sperm head abnormalities, tail abnormalities and proximal protoplasmic droplets and between months, in respect of ejaculate volume, sperm head abnormalities, free loose head, tail abnormalities and proximal protoplasmic droplets. Seasonal variation (p<0.05), however, was evident only in the incidence of tail abnormalities. Variations due to age of bulls were found to be significant (p<0.01) in the casse of ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, free loose head, middle piece abnormalities and tail abnormalities. The freezability of sperms expressed in terms of per cent of post-thawing motility was found to be 36.86. There was no seasonal effect on the freezability of sperms. The freezability rate increased significantly (p<0.01) with advancement of age of bulls. The overall rejection rate of the ejaculates was noted to be 39.80%. Most of the rejection (71.75%) was done before freezing. The pre-freezing rejection was found to be 28.55% of the total ejaculate. The post-freezing discard to be 15.74% of the frozen samples. The rejection rates of the ejaculates differed significantly (p<0.01) between months/seasons/age of the bulls. The rate of rejection was found to decrease with advancing age. The overall fertility rate of the bulls was found to be 56.06%. There were significant (p<0.01) differences in the fertility rate between months/seasons of insemination and between age of the bulls. As between bulls also, there was a significant variation (p<0.01) in the fertility rate. The significance of the observations inferences indicated above and their relevance to the implementation of cross breeding programme in Kerala were discussed briefly.
Open Access
Influence of particle size of feed and plane of feeding on growth,physiological reactions and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs
(Department of Livestock and Production Management, College of Veterinary and Animal sciences, Hissar, 1981) Kurien, Thomas; KAU; Singh, R A
Thirtysix Large White Yorkshire barrows averaging 70 days of age and 11.2 kg weight were assigned at random to six dietary treatments in order to study the influence of feed particle size and level of digestible energy on the performance, physiological reactions and carcass characteristics. They were individually housed and maintained on diets compounded mainly of dried sardines, dried tapioca, groundnut cake and rice bran till they were 8 months of age. The barrows were provided with the experimental diets having 100%, 90% or 85% of NRC standards of DE with feed particle size of less than one or two to three millimeter. It was observed that variations in feed particle size did not produce any significant effect on growth, physiological reactions and carcass characteristics of pigs under any of the treatments. At 8 months of age, the pigs under treatments 1 and 4 (100% DE of NRC; 2 and 5 (90% DE of NRC) and 3 and 6 (85% DE of NRC) had, (i) a final weight of 102.9; 99.4; 86.8; 92.3; 67.1 and 67.2; (ii) an average daily gain of 0.545; 0.524; 0.448; 0.473; 0.329 and 0.326 kg, and (iii) feed conversion ratio of 3.4; 3.5; 4.3; 4.2; 5.6 and 5.4, respectively. The pigs under treatments 1 and 4 reached 70 kg weight at an age of 197.5 days on an average, while pigs under treatments 2 and 5 reached the same weight by 208.5 days, and under 3 and 6 by 228 days. The digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, ether extract and crude carbohydrate in pigs under all the treatments was significantly (p <0.01) lower with decreasing levels of DE at 5 and 7 months of age. Although the digestibility of crude protein was significantly higher (p <0.01) in pigs that received 100% DE of NRC than 85% at 5 and 7 months of age, it was statistically of the same order with that of 90% at 5 months of age. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on the rectal temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and haemoglobin concentration of blood of the experimental pigs. The yield of dressed carcass was decreased from 72.3% to 68.8% or 64.7% with the decreasing body weight of pigs on 100%, 90% or 85% DE of NRC standards, respectively. The yield of ham was increased from 21.3% to 22.5% or 23.5% with the decreasing levels of DE, respectively. The length of carcass, eye muscle area and overall backfat thickness were significantly (p <0.01) lower as the level of DE was decreased. The fat percentage in dried eye muscle was almost uniform (22.3 to 24.9%) in pigs under different dietary treatments. The quality score for marbling, colour and firmness was significantly (p <0.01) in favour of diets that contained higher of DE. The feed cost per kg body weight gain of pigs under different dietary treatments or total cost of feed and labour at market weight of 70, 80 and 90 kg were determined. The cost of raising pigs from weaning to these weights on rations containing 90% DE of NRC standards and two to three millimeter feed particle size was found to be most economic. An equation W = 5.16 + LG2/11568 was evolved predicting live weight of barrows ranging from 8 to 144 kg, where W, is the weight in kg, L, is the length of body in cm, and G, is the girth in cm.
Open Access
Studies on heterosis and combining abilities with respect to important economic traits in Capsicum annuum, L.
(Division of Agricultural Botany, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1981) Manikantan Nair, P; KAU; Mary, K George
Sixty three varieties of Capsicum annuum representing different agroclimatic regions of the country constituted the base material of the study. Based on yield potential , adaptability and tolerance to leaf curl complex disease, thirty varieties were selected for subsequent studies. Comprehensive genetic studies including estimation of genetic parameters, cause effect relationship by path coefficient analysis, genetic divergence by Mahalanoble D2 statistic and a nine parent diallel analysis to causes the combining ability, to unravel the pattern of inheritance and also to examine the level of heterosis manifested with respect to eighteen economic characters including four nutritiveand quality attributes namely Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Capsaicin and Oleoresin content were conducted during the year 1976-79. Analysis of plot means exhibited highly significant differences among varieties except for Capsaicin content. The high degres of variability in economic attributes offers scope for recombining desirable genes from different varieties.
Open Access
Studies on the physiological and biochemical changes in relation to reproductive efficiency in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)
(Division of Plant Physiology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 1981) Seshadrinath, S; KAU; Sabra Abbas
The average yield of chickpea in India is as low as 700 kg/ha. One of the major causes for this low yield can be attributed to the low reproductive efficiency. The cause for low reproductive efficiency is mainly due to heavy shedding of reproductive structures. The present investigations were, therefore, initiated with the following objectives: 1) To study the genetic variability and diversity with reference to the flowering behaviour and shedding of flowers during the reproductive stage in order to evaluate the peak periods of flowering, shedding percentage and reproductive efficiency.
Open Access
Use of insecticides as granules for protecting paddy crop against pests
(Division of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1981) Sasidharan, Pillai K; KAU; Gopalakrishnan, Nair N R

Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur

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