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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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End date: 1983 × Start date: 1983 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of planting date, weight of rhizome and spacing on the growth, yield and quality constituents on turmeric (Curcuma longa L)
    (Department of Horticulture (Plantation Crops & Spices), College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1983) Chatterjee, R K; KAU; Mohanakumaran, N
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Ochratoxicosis in the goat
    (Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1983) Maryamma, K I; KAU; Krishnan Nair, M
    An experimental study was carried out to delineate the pathological effects of ochratoxin in goats. A comparative assessment of ochratoxin production by A. ochraceus and A. sulphureus on what and rice under static and shake cultures was also made. A. ochraceus was found to be a better toxin producing strain in both substrates under static and shake cultures systems and wheat was a better substrate than rice. Toxicity studies were conducted in Sannen – Malabari cross-bred goats of 1 to 3 months age. Purified ochratoxin produced in the laboratory was administered by oral, intra-peritoneal and intravenous routes. The different dose levels adopted were 2.5 mg/kg body weight, 1 mg/kg body weight and 0.5 mg/kg body weight. The synergistic effect of ochratoxin and aflatoxin in goats was studied by adminstering the crystalline toxins simultaneously (Makor Chemicals, Israel) by itraperitoneal route. The parameters of study were: clinical signs, haematological and biochemical alterations, pathological changes in urine, and macroscopic, microscopic and ultra-structural alterations in organs. Varying degree of clinocopathological changes were noticed in the test animals. The animals became weak and listless and in general there was reduction of total erythrocyte count, PCV, haemoglobin and lymphocyte count. Serum protein level was lowered while BUN and creatinine and blood coagulation time were high. There was rise in ALP, SGOT and SGPT in some of the test animals. The changes and degree of variation depended on the dose, total quantity and rate of administration of the toxin and duration of the experiment. More severe alterations were noticed when ochratoxin and aflatoxin were administered simultaneously. Important changes in the urine were lowering of pH, albuminurea and presence of epithelial cells and casts. Pathological changes varied in severity in different organs and were observed in the following descending order: kidney, liver, intestines, stomach, lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, genital organs, endocrines. In the kidneys, the order of intensity of pathological alterations was: proximal convoluted tubules, Henle’s loop, distal convoluted tubule, glomeruli, collecting tubules. Retrogressive changes of different degree and necrosis of the lining epithelial cells of tubules and endothelium and epithelium of glomeruli were the important lesions. Changes in glomeruli and Bowman’s capsule noticed in the higher dose group included shrinkage of glomeruli and presence of proteinaceous material in the capsular space. Eosinophilic granular casts and PAS positive bodies were present in the lumen of tubules. The necrobiotic renal changes were more intense when orchatoxin and aflatoxin were administered simultaneously. Hepatic lesions were mainly fatty infiltration, necrosis of hepatocytes and haemorrhage. The changes were most severe in combined toxicity. Mallory bodies and mild biliary hyperplasia were noticed in a few sections. Necrosis and subsequent depletion of lymphocytes wee the lesions in lymph nodes, spleen and thymus in some test animals. Degenerative changes were also noticed in testis, ovary, pituitary, adrenals and pancreas in experimental groups. In the combined toxicity group the pathological effect was more intense. At the ultra-structural level, the hepatcytes as well as the epithelial cells in the kidney showed severe changes. The cell organelles were either completely damaged or showed partial configurational alterations. Mitochondria showed changed in the density of matrix as well as disorientation and destruction of the limiting membranes and cristae. Cytolysosomes incorporating damaged cell organelles were abundant. Disaggregation of ribosomes and fragmentation of ER were noticed. In the glomerulus, there was destruction of the basement membrane and disruption of the regular arrangement of the foot processes of podocytes. In the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, Mallory bodies and lipid droplets were present. Varying degree of nuclear changes like clumping, condensation and disappearance of chromatin and fragmentation of nucleolus and nuclear membrane were observed. Changes occurred in the tight junctions of epithelial cells of bile ducts. Pathological alterations were more pronounced when ochratoxin was administered by the pwerenteral route. Oral administration of toxin also effected structural alterations which indicated that some fraction of ochratoxin escaped degradation in the rumen. From this study it became evident that aflatoxin potentiated the effect of ochratoxin. The structural damage to the cells might be due to the inhibition of oxidative enzymes which is reflected by the extensive ultra- structural alteration observed in the mitochondria and RER. Biochemical changes like high BUN and creatinine were evidently due to necrobiotic changes in the kidney. Interference in the synthesis of proteins due to damage of hepatic cells and escape of protein molecules due to alteration in the podocyte foot processes and basement membranes may account for the reduced serum protein levels. The nature of organellar destruction and configurational changes in the cells indicate the toxic potency of the mycotoxin on the biological system.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Studies on purple top roll (PTR) of potato in Karnataka
    (Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, 1983) Sreedharan, A; KAU; Reddy, H R
    1. Survey for the incidence of potato purple top roll revealed that the disease was present in Bangalore, Belgaum, Dharwad, Hassan and Kolar districts of Karnataka. The average percentage of incidence varied from 8.94 to 50.07. The survey also indicated that there was low incidence of the disease in summer and high incidence in kharif and rabi. 2. The pathogen was transmissible by wedge, side and core grafting. 3. The disease was transmitted through dodder, Cuscuta chinensis Lam. 4. The disease was not transmissible through sap and aphids Myzus persicae Sulz. And Aphis gossypil Glov. 5. The etiological agent was transmitted by the leafhopper, Orosius albicinctus Distant and not by Hishimonus phycitis Distant. 6. The vector, O. albicinctus could acquire the pathogen in two hr and inoculate to healthy plants in 30 min. The percentage of active transmission was 35 – 40 and the minimum incubation period in the plant was between 20 and 25 days. Maximum percentage of transmission was obtained on 40th day after inoculation. 7. Characteristic symptoms of the disease was inward rolling of basal parts of top leaflets, purple/pink pigmentation, smalling of leaves, excessive proliferation of axillary buds, erect appearance, production of purple coloured, aerial tubers and stunting and dwarfing of plants. 8. The etiological agent infected tomato, tree tomato, Datura stramonium and D. metel by grafting. 9. The pattern of spread of the disease in the field was from external source in the beginning and later the spread was within. 10. The vector population was correlated with the disease incidence in the field. The increase in the incidence of the disease followed the increase in the vector population. 11. The leafhopper vector, O. albicinctus Distant was high in the months from late June to December and low from January to early June. 12. The high population of leafhoppers was correlated with low temperature and high humidity and low population was correlated with high temperature and low humidity. 13. The disease appeared 40 days after planting in the field and then it gradually increased reaching the peak by 90th day. 14. The pathogen was transmitted through tubers for two successive generations but to a lower percentage in the second generation. 15. Of the 36 cultivars/varieties of potato tested under field conditions, none were found to be resistant, However, the vars. JF 542, JF 4612, JG 676, JG 900, JC 750 and JE 812 had less than five per cent infection. Kufri Chandramukhi and Kufri Jyoti were highly susceptible having 48.3 and 47.6 per cent incidence, respectively. The highest average incidence of PTR in these cultivars in farmer’s fields was 35.85 and 26.03 per cent, respectively. 16. There was considerable loss in yield in many cvs. Viz., JC 750, BS/F 100, JC 182 and EM/F 2120. 17. The weight of tubers produced by the infected plants was always less than the tubers obtained from the adjacent healthy plants. The infected plants produced more number of smaller tubers which aggregated close to the main stem attached on short stolons. 18. Complete remission was obtained at 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm, incomplete remission at 100 and 250 ppm and no remission at 50 ppm of tetracycline given alternatively for 20 days.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Biology, Bionomics and control of coconut cockchafer Leucopholis coneophora Burm.
    (Division of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1983) Abraham, V A; KAU; Mohan Das, M
    The biology of the coconut cockchafer Leucopholic coneophora Burm. was studied in detail for the first time. Techniques for rearing the pests from egg to adult in potted palnts kept in field were standardized. The egg laying behaviour of adults was observed. The morphological changes off eggs, different instars of grubs and pupae during development were studied in detail. The changes in immature stages of male and female insects were traced separately. The general morphology of different instars of the grubs was studied in full with a view to finding distinct identifying characters for each.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Genetic resources utilisation and biometric analysis in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1983) Pushkaran, K; KAU; Gopinathan Nair, V
    Maximising the production, of vegetable oils in the country is one of the badly felt national needs for which the improvement in the productivity of groundnut, the major oilseed crop of the country, deserves the best attention. As a crop, groundnut has wide adaptability and a number of other favourable attributes. Breeding improved varieties suited to the two major areas of groundnut cultivation viz, the traditional uplands during kharif land the non-traditional, but potential rice fallows during summer is an immediate necessity for popularising the crop in this State. Germplasm collection, evaluation and utilisation constitute the basic approaches in the genetic improvement of any crop. Hence this investigation. Eighty eight divergent varieties of groundnut were collected from different sources and subjected to preliminary evaluation in uplands during kharif. Ninety three varieties were evaluated in rice fallows during summer. These varieties showed wide variability in general performance, yield and other attributes within and between the situations. AH-6915 in uplands and TG-3 in rice fallows were the highest yielders. Several varieties were better in yield than the recommended varieties, viz., TMV-2 and TMV-7. A few varieties such as TG-14 end Spanish Improved were consistently superior at both' the situations.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of potassium nutrition on the yield and quality of cassava
    (Department of soil science and agricultural chemistry, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1983) Gopalakrishnan Nair, P; KAU; Aiyer, R S
    Investigations were carried out as the College of Agriculture, Vellayani to find out the optimum dose and time of application of potassium to conserve in relation to yield and quality. For this purpose a seed culture experiment with nutrient solutions at varying duration of it application and a microplot field experiment with different levels of E were conducted during 1977-80. Before conducting the field experiment, two crops of cassavawere taken in the same plot without applying potassium and thus bringing down the available K to a low level.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Host resistance in brinjal varieties to the fruits and shoot borer Leucinodes orbonalis Guen ( Lepidoptera: pyralidae)
    (Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1983) Madhavan, Nair G; Abraham, C C
    In studies on the host plant resistance in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) against the shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis Guen. (Lepidoptera : Pyralidae), germplasm materials were screened to identify sources of resistance and an attempt was made to investigate the mechanisms of resistance involved. Forty accessions of brinjal and related species were initially screened in a field trial conducted during the monsoon season of 1982 and these were classified into highly susceptible, moderately susceptible, moderately resistant and resistant classes. The accessions SM-6, SM-56, SM-72 and SM-74 from the highly susceptible group; SM-1, SM-45, SM-48 and SM-71 from in moderately susceptible group; SM-65, SM-68, SM-97 and SM-105 from the moderately resistant group and SM-67, SM-88, S.indicum and S.incanum from the resistant group were further field tested during the summer season, 1982-83 and were evaluated for the levels of resistance. Under artificial infestation of caged single plants of the accessions by the first instar larvae of L. orbonalis, the susceptibility spectrum was found to be similar to the trend noticed in the field trials. In the resistant types, the infestation by L. orbonalis occurred for a relatively shorter duration than in the susceptible ones. In studies on the antibiosis, it was found that the resistant accessions gave rise to larvae and pupae of reduced weights which took longer durations as compared to the highly susceptible accessions. The larval survival was lower in the resistant types. The highly susceptible accessions produced more females than did the resistant line. There was no significant variation in the fecundity of second generation females. In multiple-choice and no-choice tests, the females of L.orbonalis showed a clear preference for the highly susceptible and moderately susceptible accessions for oviposition. Correlation studies revealed that the density of trichomes on the shoot apex, lower leaf surface and lower surface of midribs exerted considerable influence on the ovipositional response of the female moth, the relationship between oviposition and trichome density being of a negative nature. Among the biophysical characters, the higher density of trichomes on shoot apex and lower midrid; lower pith area, lingnified selerenchymatous hypodermis and compact vascular bundles in shoot apex and tight or semi-tight calyx in fruit were found to impart resistance to borer infestation. Positive correlations were detected between the mean percentages of total sugars, crude protein, total ash, nitrogen, potassium and calcium in the fruit on the one hand and fruit infestation on the other. The contents of total ash, calcium, magnesium and iron in shoots on the one hand and shoot infestation on the other were also found to be positively correlated, while silica, zinc, copper and crude fibre contents were negatively correlated with shoot infestation.The implications of the findings have been discussed.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Genetic studies in brlnjal with relation to bacterial wilt resistance
    (Department of Agricultural Botany, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1983) Gopimony, R; KAU; Krishnan, Nair N