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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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1992 - 19983
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Author: KAU × End date: 1999 × Start date: 1992 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.F.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Studies on certain aspect of the biology of the barracuda of Cochin region
    (Department of Fishery Biology, College of Fisheries, Panangad, 1992) Krishnadas, K J; KAU; Rajasekharan Nair, J
    A systematic redescription of the three species viz. SphyraenajelloCuv.,S.obtusata (Cuv. & Val.) andS. barracuda (Walbaum), available in the Cochin region has been done. The food and feeding habits, breeding biology, length – weight relationship and condition cycles of S. jello, the commercially most important species of the region, have been studied in detail. A total of 141 males (270 – 943 mm TL) and 64 females (322 – 770 mm TL) collected during Nov. ’88 to Oct. ’90 were subjected to various investigations like qualitative and quantitative assessment of stomach content, feeding intensity, prey – predator length relationship, feeding habits, quantification of maturity stages, size at first maturity, spawning season and spawning frequency, sex ratio, spawning potential, length – weight relationship and condition and relative condition cycles using standard methods. S. jello is found to be a typical predator and a predominant piscivore. The species mostly feeds on small pelagic and mid – water shoaling fishes like clupeids, anchovies, scads and silverbellies, occasionally consuming cephalopods. The total length of the prey rangfed from 18.68 to 31.43% of the predator length. The size at first maturity is found to be 360 mm for males and 370 mm for females (350 – 400 mm length class). The species exhibits a prolonged spawning season in the Cochin region, spanning from April – September/October with increased activity during June to September. Individuals of S.jello spawn more than once during this prolonged spawning season. Female dominance in the population was noticed during May to July coinciding with spawning activity. The absolute fecundity of recruit spawners of S. jello ranged between 82, 431 and 1, 63,533 9400 – 501 mm TL). The intensity of feeding was lower during the period of increased spawning activity and higher during post – spawning period. The length – weight relationship worked out for the species is log W = -4.2751 + 2.5848 log L, the relationship showing no significant difference between the sexes. The relative condition cycle closely followed the spawning cycle, the values being close to ‘1’. Condition factor calculated using eviscerated weight of fish provided an index of true well being of the fish.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of eyestalk ablation on androgenic gland and male secondary sexual characters in Macrobrachium Idella (Hilgendorf)
    (Department of Aquaculture, College of Fisheries,Panangad, 1998) Sherine Sonia, Cubelio; KAU; Thampy, D M
    The present study in the prawn, Macrobrachium idella was taken up to find out morphotypic variation among the males, the endocrine basis for these variations and also to know the role if any, the eyestalk endocrines have, on the control of androgenic gland, which in turn is controlling the development of male primary and secondary sex characters. The study conducted to find the relationship between development of sex characters with that of androgenic gland conducted using 30 male prawns of different sizes has ShO\\-l1 that these sex characters are under the control of androgenic gland and have no relationship with that of the body size. Of the 30, 22 individuals were found to have a bodylength to cheliped length ratio below 1: 1.5, their androgenic gland and appendix masculina, not fully developed indicating that they are reproductively inactive. Remaining 8 individuals have a body length to cheliped length ratio above I: 1.5. They have well developed androgenic gland and appendix masculina showing that there is positive correlation between the biomass of androgenic gland and the cheliped length. An experiment conducted to find out the effect of unilateral eyestalk ablation on growth and development of primary and seconadry sexual characters as well as on the androgenic gland, had shown that destalking brings about a positive change in the development of androgenic gland and sex characters. The increase in the size of the androgenic gland and consequent hypertrophy of primary and secondary sexual characters brought about as a result of unilateral eyestalk ablation do indicate that the GlH, a hormone produced in the eyestalk has got an inhibitory effect on androgenic gland as well as on the growth of the prawn, which when removed by " destalking" , results in the enlargement of the androgenic gland and other sexual characters.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of eyestalk ablation on growth and reproduction of macrobrachium equidens (Dana)
    (Department of Aquaculture, College of Fisheries, Panangad, 1994) Bijulal, P S; KAU; Thampy, D M
    The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of eyestalk ablation on survival, growth, food conversion and reproduction of adult Macrobrachiumequidens. In the first experiment conducted for 35 days, unilateral eyestalk ablation, bilateral ablation and control treatments were employed at four level of salinities viz 5, 10, 15 and 20 ppt. Complete mortality in bilateral ablation and survival rates of 40.625 % and 68.75% for unilateral and control treatments were recorded at the end of the experiment, the values ranging significantly. The four salinity levels applied did not significantly affect survival. The difference in growth between ablated and unablatedtreatments was insignificant in terms of percentage gain, specific growth rate and average daily percentage gain in terms of length and weight. Salinity levels also showed insignificant difference in growth. Food conversion rate was significantly better in ablated treatment. The different salinity levels tried showed significant difference with regard to food conversion, being better at 20 ppt. In the second experiment conducted for 60 days on females, eyestalk ablation was found to enhance ovarian. In the second experiment conducted for 60 days on females, eyestalk ablation was found to enhance ovarian development in terms of the number of spawns per female. Fecundity, absolute fecundity, and incubation period were not significantly affected although a marginal increase in absolute fecundity could be observed . In the experiments conducted on males it was found that growth rate and cheliped development were significantly better in ablated ones. The number of spines in the appendix masculine, length and biomass of the androgenic gland and width of vas deference, did not show significant variation, although a marginal increase in the biomass of the androgenic gland and the number of spines in appendix masculine was observed in ablated treatment. The different eyestalk ablation experiments have shown that in females destalking does not stimulate growth but there is better response for reproduction, whereas in males there is better growth and only marginal response to reproduction.