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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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ThesisItem Open Access Standardisation of spacing and nutrient levels for fodder rice bean [Vigna umbellata (Thunb.)].(Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2018) Ajmal Fayique, C; KAU; Usha C, ThomasThe study entitled “Standardization of spacing and nutrient levels for fodder rice bean [Vigna umbellata (Thunb.)]” was conducted at College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala during Kharif 2017 to standardize the spacing and nutrient requirement of fodder rice bean and to study its impact on growth, yield and quality of the crop. The experiment was laid out in Randomised Block Design (33 confounded factorial) with three replications.The treatments consisted of three spacings (s1 - 30 cm x 10 cm, s2 - 30 cm x 20 cm and s3 - 30 cm x 30 cm), three levels of nitrogen (n0 - 0 kg ha-1, n1 - 20 kg ha-1 and n2 - 30 kg ha-1) and three levels of phosphorous (p0 - 0 kg P2O5 ha-1, p1 - 20 kg P2O5 ha-1 and p2 - 40 kg P2O5 ha-1) . FYM @ 5 t ha-1 and K2O @ 30 kg ha-1 were applied uniformly to all treatments as basal. The treatment s1 resulted in the highest plant height at 30 DAS and leaf: stem ratio at harvest. Application of N @ 20 kg ha-1 registered the highest plant height and was on par with 30 kg N (n2) while leaf stem ratio was the highest at n2. Levels of P had no significant impact on growth characters. The treatment combination s2n2p1 produced the tallest plants (173.17 cm) at harvest and treatments s1n0p1 and s1n2p2 recorded the highest leaf: stem ratio (0.82) but were on par with s1n0p0, s2n0p0, s n0p2, s1n1p0, s2n0p2 and s3n0p1. At 30 DAS, s1 produced the highest LAI (2.27) while at harvest, s2 was found superior. The highest NAR was observed at s1 and was on par with s3. Closer spacing (s1) enhanced the CGR at 30 DAS and harvest. Application of 30 kg N ha-1 (n2) enhanced LAI at both stages. At 30 DAS and at harvest, higher NAR were observed at n1 and n2. At 30 DAS, n2 and p1 registered the highest chlorophyll contents. The treatment s1 n2 p1 (30 cm x 10 cm spacing + 30 kg N ha-1 + 20 kg P2O5 ha-1) resulted in the highest LAI, CGR and chlorophyll content at 30 DAS. Spacing and N levels had significant impact on green fodder yield (GFY) and dry fodder yield (DFY). The highest GFY (12.95 t ha-1) and DFY (2.59 t ha-1) were produced at s1 (30 cm x 10 cm) and was on par with s2. The highest GFY (13.66 t ha-1) and DFY (2.73 t ha-1) were produced at n2 (30 kg N ha-1) and was on par with n1. The S x N x P interaction s1 n2 p1 (30 cm x 10 cm + 30 kg N ha-1 + 20 kg P2O5 ha-1) recorded highest GFY (17.29 t ha-1) and DFY (3.46 t ha-1). The different spacing had no impact on crude protein (CP) but the lowest crude fibre (CF) was observed at s1. Application of 30 kg N ha-1 (n2) resulted in the highest CP content and the lowest CF content was estimated at 0 kg N ha-1. Among P levels, p2 recorded the highest CP (17.69%) and was on par with p1. The lowest CF (16.43 %) was observed at s2n0p1 (30 cm x 20 cm spacing + 20 kg P205 ha-1) and was on par with s1n0p0, s1n0p1, s1n2p0, s2n0p0, s2n0p2, s3n0p0 and s3n0p1. No variation in N uptake was observed due to treatments. Uptake of P varied with N levels only and n1 and n2 recorded the highest P uptake. Spacing and P levels influenced K uptake by the crop and the highest uptake was observed at s1 and p2 but p2 was on par with p1. The three factor interaction s1n2p1 registered the highest P and K uptake. However, it was on par with s1n1p2, s1n1p0, s2n1p1 and s3n0p2 in P uptake and with s1n2p2 in K uptake. Increasing N levels increased pH and EC of soil after the experiment. Soil available N after the experiment was the highest at s3 (on par with s2) and n2 (on par with n1). At wider spacing, application of N enhanced the availability of N in the soil after the experiment. Available P in the soil varied with S x P interaction but all treatment combinations were on par except s2p0 and s3p2. The highest soil available K was observed at n0 among N levels and at p1 among P levels. The interactions S x N, S x P and N x P significantly influenced available K in the soil. Economic analysis revealed the highest net income (₹ 35762) and BC ratio (3.22) at s1n2p1 (30 cm x 10 cm spacing + 30 kg N ha-1 + 20 kg P2O5 ha-1). From the study, it can be concluded that fodder rice bean can be profitably cultivated at a spacing of 30 cm x 10 cm with application of 30 kg N ha -1 in two splits at 15 and 30 DAS and basal application of 20 kg P2O5 ha-1, 5 t ha-1 of FYM and 30 kg K2O ha-1.ThesisItem Open Access Evaluation of miRNA prediction tools and in silico analysis of micro and long non coding RNAs in sweet potato(Department of Plant Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2018) Aswathy, M B; KAU; Sreekumar, JThe study entitled “Evaluation of miRNA prediction tools and in silico analysis of micro and long non coding RNAs in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.)” was conducted at the ICAR-CTCRI, Sreekariyam. The objectives of the study is to compare different miRNA and target prediction tools and in silico analysis of the miRNAs and lncRNAs in sweet potato. The plant miRNA identification tools: NOVOMIR and miRPlant and miRNA-target prediction tools: psRNATarget and miRanda were compared. NOVOMIR and psRNATarget were found to be a better tool in miRNA identification and target prediction. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are 18-22nt small, endogenous non coding RNA that has prominent role in many biological processes. In the present study, we report the computational prediction of miRNAs and targets from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of sweet potato. We predicted 13 novel potential miRNAs and 81 potential target genes and functionally characterized by BLASTX and BLAST2GO. The predicted target genes were credited with their role in signalling cascades, metabolism, and defence and stress responses. Another candidate that has more importance in the genome regulation is lncRNAs. lncRNAs are greater than 200 nucleotide length ncRNA candidate that holds functions at RNA level itself. RNAplonc is a plant long non coding RNA identification tool which uses 16 feature selection methods to predict long non coding RNA molecules. The present study which predicts 9215 lncRNAs and 8665 protein coding genes by RNAplonc in sweet potato for the first time using available ESTs sequences. Since there is a lack of lncRNA functional annotation tool, the functional analysis of predicted lncRNAs is quiet difficult. From the predicted miRNAs and lncRNAs two miRNAs and two lncRNAs were randomly selected for experimental validation by real time quantitative PCR using three different sweet potato varieties Sree Kanaka, ST13 and Khanjakad available at ICAR-CTCRI and compared the target gene’s expression in each variety. Validation results prove that both the miRNAs and lncRNAs shows their importance in crop improvement.ThesisItem Open Access Effect of heat stress on the expression patterns of different growth related genes in Malabari goats(Academy of Climate Change Education and Research, Vellanikkara, 2018) Angel Sunny, P; KAU; Bagath, MThe impact of heat stress on growth performance of goats has been established fairly based on changes associated with phenotypic traits. However, not many reports are available on the genotypic traits which get altered on exposure to heat stress in livestock. Therefore, the study is an attempt to elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing growth performance during heat stress in goats. The primary objective of the study was to establish the influence of heat stress on the expression patterns of different growth related genes in Malabari goats. The study was conducted for a period of 45 days in twelve Malabari goats randomly allocated into two groups: MC (n=6; Malabari control) and MHS (n=6; Malabari Heat stress). Goats were stall-fed with a diet composed of 60% roughage and 40% concentrate. All animals had access to adlibitum feed and water and they were fed and watered individually. The MC goats were placed in the shaded pens while MHS goats were exposed to heat stress in outside environment between 10.00 h to 16.00 h. At the end of study period, all 12 animals were slaughtered and their liver tissues were collected for gene expression and histopathological studies. The temperature-humidity-index (THI) inside the shed (74.9) proved that the animals were not stressed while in the outside environment (86.5) the animals were extremely distressed. The hepatic growth hormone (GH), growth hormone receptor (GHR), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), leptin (LEP) and leptin receptor (LEPR) gene expression patterns were significantly (P<0.05) lower in heat stress group as compared to the control group animals. In addition, negative correlation (P<0.05) was also established between THI and all the growth related gene expression in the study. The hepatic histopathological section showed more fatty and degenerative changes (P<0.05) in hepatocytes in MHS group as compared to MC group. The study offers the first thorough insight into the expression patterns of different growth related genes during heat stress exposure in goats. Further, the study established GH, GHR, IGF-1, LEP, LEPR genes to be the ideal markers to reflect growth potential in Malabari goats. The findings from this study provide some crucial initial information on how different growth relatedgenes are expressed when Malabari goats are subjected to heat stress. This information might be of high value in assessing the growth performance of goats and may provide useful information pertaining to nutrient supplementation to the heat stressed goats.ThesisItem Open Access Identification of water stress tolerant amaranthus genotypes (Amaranthus tricolor L.) with high yield and quality(Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2018) Shahiba, A M; KAU; Beena ThomasThe present study entitled “Identification of water stress tolerant amaranthus genotypes (Amaranthus tricolor L.) with high yield and quality” was carried out in the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 2016-2018, with an objective to identify high yielding genotypes of amaranthus with good quality and tolerance to water stress. The study was conducted under two experiments. In the first experiment thirty accessions of Amaranthus tricolor L. available in the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics and collected from other sources were evaluated for yield under field condition and morphologically described using IBPGR descriptor for the amaranthus. Madhur local (A22) recorded highest yield plant-1(125.926g) followed by Kalliyoor local (A4), Ayyanthole local (A28), Haripad local (A7), Palakkadu local (A2), Anachal local (A6), Aryanadu local (A21), Poonkulam local (A20), Kazhakkuttom local (A9) and Kannara local (A29). In the second experiment, these ten genotypes selected based on the yield were evaluated in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications during November 2017- December 2017. Water stress was imposed after 5 days of irrigation to water holding capacity to the transplanted seedlings by scheduling the irrigation at a depth of 20mm at 20mm CPE (Cumulative Pan Evaporation). Analysis of variance was calculated for all the characters under study and was found to be significant for all the genotypes evaluated. The mean performance of the genotypes for the characters were studied. The maximum yield was observed for the genotype A22 (Madhur local) followed by the genotype A9 (Kazhakkuttom local), genotype A20 (Poonkulam local) and genotype A2 (Palakkadu local) and the minimum yield was recorded for genotype A4 (Kalliyoor local). The genotype A22 (Madhur local) showed the highest mean values for stem girth, number of branches, length of leaf lamina, leaf to stem ratio, membrane integrity, relative water content, proline content of leaves, vitamin A and lowest oxalate content. The character Vitamin A content registered the highest GCV (41.22%) and PCV (41.25%). High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was observed for leaf width, number of branches, yield plant-1, protein content, fibre content and vitamin A. The yield plant-1was found to be significantly and positively correlated with leaf width, number of branches, yield plot-1, membrane integrity, proline content of leaves and vitamin A both at genotypic and phenotypic levels. Petiole length and percentage leachate were found to be negatively correlated with yield plant-1. Path analysis revealed that number of branches, yield plot-1and proline content of leaves had the maximum positive direct effect on yield plant-1. The results of the present study showed that genotype A22 (Madhur local) was superior in yield performance under water stress condition followed by the genotype A9 (Kazhakkuttom local), genotype A20 (Poonkulam local) and the genotype A2 (Palakkadu local). The genotype A22 (Madhur local) also recorded the maximum stem girth, number of branches, length of leaf lamina, leaf to stem ratio, membrane integrity, relative water content and proline content of leaves with high Vitamin A and low oxalate content. Presence of proline in the leaves might be considered as an important water stress tolerance mechanism.ThesisItem Open Access Weed management in upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) intercropped in coconut(Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2018) Ravikiran; KAU; Elizebeth Syriac, KThe investigation entitled “Weed management in upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) intercropped in coconut” was undertaken during the period, 2017 - 2018 at College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram to standardise an eco-friendly and economic weed management strategy for upland rice intercropped in coconut. The field experiment was carried out at Coconut Research Station, Balaramapuram, Thiruvananthapuram district during the period from June to October 2017. The variety used was Prathyasa (MO-21) released from Rice Research Station, Moncompu. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (factorial) with sixteen treatment combinations and three replications. The treatments consisted of two stale seedbed methods viz., stale seedbed with mechanical removal of weeds (s1) and no stale seedbed (s2) and eight weed management methods i.e., penoxsulam @ 20 g ha-1 at 10-15 days after sowing (DAS) fb hand weeding (HW) at 35-40 DAS (m1), penoxsulam @ 25 g ha-1 at 10-15 DAS fb HW at 35-40 DAS (m2), penoxsulam @ 30 g ha-1 at 10-15 DAS fb HW at 35-40 DAS (m3), penoxsulam @ 20 g ha-1 at 10-15 DAS fb metsulfuron methyl + chlorimuron ethyl (MM+CE) @ 4 g ha-1 at 35-40 DAS (m4), penoxsulam @ 25 g ha-1 at 10-15 DAS fb MM+CE @ 4 g ha-1 at 35-40 DAS (m5), penoxsulam @ 30 g ha-1 at 10-15 DAS fb MM+CE @ 4 g ha-1 at 35-40 DAS (m6), HW twice at 15 and 35 DAS (m7) and weedy check (m8). Study of the weed flora of experimental area indicated the dominance of broad leaved weeds (eight spp.) followed by grasses (six spp.) and sedges (two spp.). Stale seedbed method (s1) recorded significantly lower weed density at all stages of observations (15, 30 and 60 DAS), weed dry weight at 15 and 30 DAS and higher weed control efficiency (WCE) at 30 and 60 DAS compared to no stale seedbed. Among the weed management methods, at 60 DAS, all the penoxsulam doses i.e., 20, 25 and 30 g ha-1 at 10-15 DAS fb either HW at 35-40 DAS or MM+CE at 35-40 DAS (m 6, m4, m3, m5, m1 and m2) were on par in their effect on total weed dry weight and WCE. Stale seedbed method (s1) registered significantly higher plant height at 60 DAS, number of tillers m-2 at 30 DAS and at harvest, dry matter production at harvest and LAI at 60 DAS compared to no stale seedbed (s2). Penoxsulam at different doses fb HW treatments (m 1, m2 and m3) recorded higher plant height at 30 and 60 DAS and at harvest, number of tillers m-2 at 30 DAS, DMP at harvest and LAI at 30 DAS. None of the herbicide treated plots showed any phytotoxicity symptom on rice crop. The yield attributes viz., number of spikelets panicle-1, per cent filled grains and thousand grain weight were significantly higher for stale seedbed, compared to no stale seedbed (s2). Weed management methods also significantly improved yield attributes viz., panilces m-2, spikelets panicles-1, per cent filled grains and thousand grain weight compared to weedy check treatment. Penoxsulam @ 25 g ha-1 at 10-15 DAS fb HW at 35-40 DAS (m2) registered the highest values for per cent filled grains and thousand grain weight. Stale seedbed method (s1) recorded significantly higher grain yield, straw yield and lower weed index compared to no stale seedbed method (s 2). Though penoxsulam @ 25 g ha-1 at 10-15 DAS fb HW at 35-40 DAS (m2) registered the highest grain yield (3.23 t ha-1), it was on par with the other penoxsulam fb HW treatments viz., m1 and m3. None of the s x m interactions were found statistically significant. Regarding weed index also m2 registered the lowest value and it was significantly superior to all other weed management methods. Higher net income (₹ 27, 848/-) and B:C ratio (1.48) were obtained with stale seedbed method (s1), compared to no stale seedbed (s2). Application of penoxsulam @ 25 g ha-1 at 10-15 DAS fb HW at 35-40 DAS (m2) registered the highest net income (₹ 36,090/-) and B: C ratio (1.63). The s1m2 registered the highest net income (₹ 44,433/-) and B: C ratio (1.77), among the interactions. The results on soil microbial population revealed that population of fungi, bacteria and actinomycetes increased in all the herbicidal treatments compared to pre-treatment population. Activity of dehydrogenase enzyme also increased significantly in the herbicide applied plots implying the safety of the tested chemicals on soil health. Based on grain yield, weed index and economic analysis, integration of stale seedbed method with the broad spectrum herbicide penoxsulam @ 25 g ha-1 at 10-15 DAS fb HW at 35-40 DAS can be recommended as an eco-friendly and economic weed management practice in upland rice.ThesisItem Open Access Novel bioformulations of entomopathogenic fungi and their efficacy aganist banana weevils(Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2018) Remya, S; KAU; Reji Rani, O PThe study entitled ‘Novel bioformulations of entomopathogenic fungi and their efficacy against banana weevils’ was carried out at Dept. of Agrl. Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 2016-2018, with the objective to develop novel formulations of entomopathogenic fungi, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metch.) Sorokin, Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuillemin and to evaluate their efficacy in managing banana weevils. It was intended to develop capsule and gel formulations. Experiment to standardize a coating material for developing capsules revealed that Hard Gelatin Transparent (HGT), Hard Gelatin Coloured (HGC) and Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC), were equally stable under ambient conditions of storage (26 -33°C and RH 60-80%). On testing their ability to disintegrate under field conditions, it was noted that chitosan filled HGT capsules easily disintegrated at 20% soil moisture after 36 h and after 24 h at 30 % soil moisture. It took 144 h for all capsules to disintegrate in sheath or leaf axil and 24 h in bore holes. Talc and chitosan were superior, in maintaining storage stability as well as degradability. A trial conducted to determine the moisture content of capsules, revealed that 10 % was the ideal moisture level content of the ingredient, to maintain storage stability as well as viability of the formulation. Viability noticed after three months was 2.29 × 107 cfu mL-1 and 2.27 × 107 cfu mL-1 in chitosan based capsules of M. anisopliae and B. bassiana and 2.10 × 107 cfu mL-1 and 0.76 × 107 cfu mL-1 in talc based capsules. Therefore, capsules were developed with HGT coating, with chitosan / talc as carrier at 10 % moisture content. Shelf life studies revealed that chitosan was the best carrier material compared to talc in retaining viability of Metarhizium capsules, with a mean cfu of 2.51 × 107 mL-1 and 1.77× 107 mL-1. During a period of three months of storage, there was no decline in the number of viable colonies, cfu ranging from 1.72 × 107 mL-1 to 2.79 × 107 mL-1. . Storage under refrigeration had better retention of viability (2.63 × 107 cfu mL-1) than at room temperature (1.64× 107 cfu mL-1). In Beauveria capsules, the viability did not differ in both chitosan and talc based capsules. Here also, the number of viable colonies did not decline statistically, till three months of storage, with mean cfu values ranging from 1.85 × 107 mL-1 to 2.36 × 107 mL-1. In general, shelf life of capsules could be extended by two months when chitosan was used as the carrier material. Low temperature storage could also improve the shelf life by two months. Shelf life studies of gel formulations indicated that both Metarhizium and Beauveria gels exhibited high viability in chitosan at room temperature and under refrigeration. The mean number of viable colonies observed was 2.39 × 106 cfu mL-1 in chitosan based gels of Metarhizium and 2.17 × 106 cfu mL-1 in Beauveria gels. The number of viable colonies of Metarhizium and Beauveria observed throughout the experimental period did not vary significantly over three months of storage. The mean number of cfu being 2.26 × 107 mL-1 on the 15th day and 1.41 x 106 mL-1 on the 90th day . It was also inferred that chitosan when used for formulating gels could extend the shelf life of both organisms by one month. Pathogenicity test disclosed the affinity of M. anisopliae to rhizome weevil and B. bassiana to pseudostem weevil. Pot culture studies to evaluate chitosan and talc based capsules of B. bassiana revealed that both the capsules of Beauveria were effective as chlorpyriphos 20 EC 0.05% for pseudostem weevil, in prophylactic and curative methods. The damage index (DI) was one each and reduction in pest population was 91.67 % in prophylactic control and 91.67-100 % in curative control. Metarhizium capsules reduced the damage caused by rhizome significantly, but the reduction in pest population was only to the tune of 47-55 % in prophylactic and 50- 58 % in curative control. Chitosan based gel of Metarhizium tested against rhizome weevil, reduced the damage significantly (DI 46.67 and 30, in prophylactic and curative methods). The pest population was reduced by 61.11 % in prophylactic and 36.11 % in curative methods. The study could standardize the protocol for capsule and gel formulations of entomopathogenic fungi, retaining the viability and infectivity upto three months of storage. It is concluded that placement of Beauveria capsules in leaf axils prophylactically and curatively can effectively control pseudostem weevil and Metarhizium capsules and gels placed in the rhizosphere could manage the rhizome weevil moderately.ThesisItem Open Access Status and habitat preferences of White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis ) population of Wayand wildlife sanctuary, Kerala(Department of Wildlife Sciences, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 2018) Vishnu, M; KAU; Nameer, P OThe research work entitled "Status and habitat preferences of White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) population of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala" was studied during August 2017 to April 2018. It was carried out in four study locations viz., Kurichiat, Muthanga, Sulthan Bathery and Tholpetty. The main objective of the study was to find out the status, nesting characteristics, feeding observations and interview of various stakeholders. Three species of vultures included in the family Accipitridae were reported from the current study in Wayanad WLS viz., Gyps bengalens is, Gyps indicus, and Sarcogyps calvus. Total of 4 active nesting trees were identified from two different colonies this year. All the 4 nest were present in Haldina cardifolia. Out of the 4 nests, 3 nests belongs to Gyps bengalensis located in Kazukankolli and 1 nest belongs to Sarcogyps calvus which was the 1st report of nesting of this species in the sanctuary located in Karamukku, Kurichiyad. Apart from this, 9 nests of the previous years on 6 different tree species were also studied. Other nesting tree species were Terminalia elliptica, Lagerstroemea microcarpa, Dalbergia latifolia, Stereospermum chelenoides and Tectona grandis. Thirty species of trees were identified belonging to 17 different families from the 44 circular plots surveyed in the nesting colony of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Most of the nesting are having height between 25 m - 35 m and girth more than 300 em. Mostly height of the nests are in between 23 m - 26 m of the nesting trees. IVI of the nesting trees are comparatively higher than the other tree species got from the plots. The vegetation parameters that influence the nesting habitat of vultures are the girth of the tree, height of the tree and the tree species diversity in the area. The camera trapping has been found to be a useful technique for the population estimation of the vultures at the vulture restaurants in Wayanad. The camera trap success rate of vultures observed in Kakkappadam is 34.09%. The high success rate is because it is a dumping ground of carcass. Carcass monitored was of Elephant, Sambar Deer and Spotted deer. The most preferred feeding hours by the vultures were 7-8 hours and 12-13. hours.From the survey conducted among the veterinarians and the medical shops it was found that the harmful NSAID's such as Ketoprofen are being used to treat livestock, which could be a problem for the long-term conservation of the vultures. The use of the veterinary diclofenac was nil at Wayanad District. However, some of the medical practitioners were found using the human diclofenac for treating livestock.ThesisItem Open Access Strain improvement of oyster mushrooms- pleurotus cystidiosus O.K. Mill and pleurotus opuntiae (Durieu and LEV.) SACC.(Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2018) Krishnapriya, P J; KAU; Geetha, DThe present study entitled “Strain improvement of oyster mushrooms: Pleurotus cystidiosus O.K.Mill and Pleurotus opuntiae (Durieu and Lev.) Sacc.” was carried out in College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 2015-2018, with the objective to standardize the techniques for production of oyster mushrooms: P. cystidiosus and P. opuntiae; and to study their morphological, physiological and cultural characteristics as well as nutritional and organoleptic qualities; and to undertake genetic improvement by protoplast fusion. The mushrooms were collected from two locations of Thiruvananthapuram and three fast growing isolates of Pleurotus spp. viz., PC2 (Vellayani), PNC1 (Chirayinkeezhu) and PO1 (Vellayani) were selected for the study. These isolates were identified as P. cystidiosus subsp. abalonus, P. cystidiosus and P. opuntiae using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) primers and subsequent sequencing; and registered at Genbank database with accession numbers KY214254, KY887023 and KY214255 respectively. The fast growing isolates of P. cystidiosus (coremial), P. cystidiosus (non-coremial) and P. opuntiae recorded maximum growth on PDPA amended with one per cent yeast under dark condition. The optimum temperatures for the growth were 30 0C, 25 to 30 0C and 25 0C respectively whereas, the optimum pH were 8, 8 and 7 to 8 respectively. Studies with different substrates and amendments for spawn production revealed that sorghum with one per cent yeast was the best for P. cystidiosus (coremial) and P. opuntiae whereas, paddy grains with one per cent yeast for P. cystidiosus (non-coremial). Experiments with different substrates and amendments for mushroom production revealed that rubber wood sawdust sprayed with 2.5 per cent of 1 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate recorded the maximum BE for P. cystidiosus (non-coremial) (192.76 per cent). P. opuntiae recorded the maximum BE in rubber wood sawdust amended either with 4 per cent neem cake (91.38 per cent) or wheat bran (91.37 per cent). Major insect pests observed in the beds of Pleurotus spp. were phorid flies, spring tails, black ants and staphylinid beetles. The competitor moulds observed were different species of Coprinus, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Trichoderma. Sporocarps soaked in one per cent CA for 15 minutes followed by mechanical drying and powdering was the best post harvest treatment for both P. cystidiosus (non-coremial) and P. opuntiae. Mycelium of P. cystidiosus (coremial) showed black coremial structures, representing its asexual stage (Antromycopsis broussonetiae Pat. & Trab.). The coremia comprised of elliptical (16.31 µm x 7.48 µm) and round conidia (8.06 to 8.49 µm). The black colour of coremia was due to melanin which was extracted (255.56 mg l-1) and characterized. The performance of long duration P. cystidiosus (non-coremial) and short duration P. opuntiae was compared with two ruling mushrooms of Kerala viz., long duration P. florida (Mont.) Singer and short duration P. eous (Berk.) Sacc. The study revealed that P. cystidiosus (non-coremial) and P. opuntiae showed higher BE compared to P. florida and P. eous, respectively. P. cystidiosus (non-coremial) recorded maximum moisture (94.05 per cent), starch (200.55 mg g-1), protein (30.2 mg g-1), fat (4.25 per cent), antioxidants (485.45 μg equivalent gram of ascorbic acid-1), beta-carotene (25.69 µg 100 mg-1), polyphenols (7.55 mg g-1) and energy (359.45 Kcal) compared to other Pleurotus spp. Sensory evaluation of mushroom products made from the species of Pleurotus was done and masala curry prepared from P. cystidiosus (non-coremial) scored the maximum value for overall acceptability. Shelf life of P. cystidiosus (non-coremial) was higher (5 days) compared to P. opuntiae, P. florida and P. eous (3 days each) in perforated poly propylene covers stored under refrigeration. Vanillin (0.05 per cent) and carbendazim (1 mM) were selected as dual biochemical markers for the PEG mediated protoplast fusion. Three days old P. cystidiosus (non-coremial) and four days old P. opuntiae recorded the maximum protoplast yield at five and four hours after incubation respectively with 0.6 M KCl and 30 mg ml-1 of enzyme consortium. Eight fusant lines with varied mycelial characters were obtained. Among fusants, F6 and F8 did not segregate in the second generation whereas, F4 segregated. F6 and F8 recorded higher BE of 168.05 and 99.95 per cent respectively compared to the parental lines and other fusants. Sporocarp of F6 and F8 was morphologically similar to P. cystidiosus (non-coremial) and P. opuntiae respectively; and F8 also exhibited low temperature adaptability. The present investigation indicated the exploitability of two promising isolates viz. P. opuntiae for tropical areas and P. cystidiosus (non-coremial) for cooler regions of Kerala using locally available materials and the standardized cultivation practices. The present study also standardized the protoplast fusion technique between P. cystidiosus (non-coremial) and P. opuntiae; and two fusant lines (F6 and F8) recorded higher BE which can be used for future breeding programmes.ThesisItem Open Access Bioefficacy and soil health impact of flucetosulfuron in wet seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.)(Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2018) Arya, S R; KAU; Elizabeth, K SyriacThe investigation entitled "Bioefficacy and soil health impact of flucetosulfuron in wet seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) was carried out at College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram during the period of 2015-2018. The objectives were to evaluate the bioefficacy of flucetosulfuron in wet seeded rice; to assess its impact on soil health by determining the microbial count, earthworm population, enzyme status and herbicide residue in soil through bioassay using indicator plant as well as to assess the weed seed bank. It was also envisaged to study the in vitro sensitivity of biofertilizer organisms and biocontrol agents to flucetosulfuron. Field experiment was conducted during the I and II crop seasons of 2016- ’17, in a farmer’s field in Kalliyoor Panchayat, Nemom block, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, with 12 treatments replicated thrice in Randomized Block Design. The treatments were: T1 : Flucetosulfuron @ 20 g ha-1 at 2-3 DAS, T2 : Flucetosulfuron @ 25 g ha-1 at 2-3 DAS, T3 : Flucetosulfuron @ 30 g ha-1 at 2-3 DAS, T4 : Flucetosulfuron @ 20 g ha-1 at 10-12 DAS, T5 : Flucetosulfuron @ 25 g ha-1 at 10-12 DAS, T6 : Flucetosulfuron @ 30 g ha-1 at 10-12 DAS, T7 : Flucetosulfuron @ 20 g ha-1 at 18-20 DAS , T8 : Flucetosulfuron @ 25 g ha-1 at 18- 20 DAS , T9 : Flucetosulfuron @ 30 g ha-1 at18-20 DAS, T10: Bispyribac sodium @ 25 g ha-1 at 15 DAS, T11: Hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS and T12 : Weedy check. The short duration variety Kanchana was used for the trial. The weed flora in the experimental field comprised of four species of grasses, six species of broad leaved weeds and three species of sedges. Based on density and dry weight, sedges were the predominant group in the experimental field followed by broad leaved weeds and grasses. Application of flucetosulfuron @ 20, 25 and 30g ha-1 at 10-12 and 18-20 DAS (T4, T5, T6, T7, T8 and T9) recorded lower total weed density, total weed dry weight and nutrient removal by weeds and higher total weed control efficiency and were on par with the hand weeding treatment (T11). Yield reduction due to weeds was found to be 52.33 and 55.61 per cent during the I and II crop seasons respectively. The highest grain yield was recorded by the application of flucetosulfuron @ 25 g ha-1 at 10-12 DAS (T5) and flucetosulfuron @ 20 g ha-1 at 10-12 DAS (T4) during the first and second crop seasons respectively. The same trend was observed in the case of dry matter production also. Pooled analysis of the grain yield for the two seasons indicated the superiority of T5 which recorded the highest grain yield of 8.33 t ha-1. This treatment was on par with the other levels of flucetosulfuron viz., 20 and 30 g ha-1 at 10-12 DAS (T4 and T6) and hand weeding treatment (T11). Higher yield attributes, harvest index and nutrient uptake were also recorded for these treatments. However, net income and B:C ratio were significantly lower for hand weeding treatment. Herbicide application did not cause any significant inhibitory effect on the earthworm population and spider count. Application of herbicides increased the microbial population in herbicide treated plots. Flucetosulfuron, at the tested doses (20, 25 and 30 g ha-1) and time of application (2-3, 10-12 and 18-20 DAS), did not show any adverse impact on the activity of soil enzymes (dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and urease) and soil organic carbon status. To identify the most suitable indicator plant for assessing flucetosulfuron residue in soil, four separate pot culture experiments were conducted using barnyard millet, cucumber, sunflower and maize. Sunflower was identified as the most sensitive indicator plant and shoot length of sunflower was adjudged as the best parameter to assess the flucetosulfuron residue in soil. Bioassay after each field experiment using sunflower revealed that there was no residual toxicity of flucetosulfuron in the post experiment soil. Pot culture experiments were carried out before and after each field experiment, to study the weed seed bank dynamics. Results revealed that non- herbicidal plots recorded higher weed count compared to herbicide applied plots. In all the herbicide treated plots, effective reduction in weed seed bank could be obtained irrespective of the dose of the herbicide. Regarding the time of application, application of flucetosulfuron at 10-12 and 18-20 DAS caused significant depletion of weed seed bank during both the seasons compared to its application at 2-3 DAS. In vitro sensitivity of biofertilizer organisms viz., Azospirillum lipoferum, Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus megaterium and Frateuria aurantia to flucetosulfuron indicated that growth of none of the organisms were significantly inhibited by the tested doses of flucetosulfuron. Similarly, in vitro sensitivity to biocontrol agent Trichoderma viride revealed that, at all the tested concentrations of flucetosulfuron, it showed a colony diameter of 9 mm uniformly with zero per cent inhibition indicating the compatibility of the herbicide. The compatibility studies with Pseudomonas fluorescens also revealed the safety of the herbicide. The present study revealed that application of flucetosulfuron @ 20, 25 and 30 g ha-1 at 10-12 DAS was very effective in controlling the weeds and recorded significantly higher grain yield and monetary benefits in wet seeded rice. Application of flucetosulfuron @ 20, 25 and 30 g ha-1 at 2-3/10-12/18-20 DAS had no adverse impact on soil health and was found compatible with the tested biofertilizer organisms (Azospirillum lipoferum, Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus megaterium and Frateuria aurantia) and biocontrol agents (Trichoderma viride and Pseudomonas fluorescens).
