It is felt that the experiences that our faculty gain from visits /trainings programmes /summer institutes outside the college is not fully utilized by disseminating it. To this end the staff Council decided to beef up the process by making the HRD intervention a regular process. Members of faculty have lead short discussion sessions every fortnight, preferably on Thursdays in the afternoon. Faculty members can also give lectures on frontier areas
Discussion session on HRD
in topics of their eminence. This intervention is intended to make the faculty member present things in a better, more organized and time conscious ma-nner. Participating faculty critically analyse the presentation in a faultfinding fashion, and deliver it to the scientist concerned.This is to help the faculty to improve presentation. Members of the faculty benefit immensely from the colleagues who visited abroad through the process to a large extent. The rich experience sharing has brodened the outlook of faculty and improved problem- solving capabilities and has immensely benefited the way things are presented to the students. They also have benefited from the exposure and personal acquaintance that the faculty built up with scientists within and outside the country. The large number of placements that our students have bagged in the Universities abroad is a standing testimony to this achievement.
Cocoa research was initiated in Kerala Agricultural University in 1979 as a part of the World Bank-aided Kerala Agricultural Development Project. This project envisaged standardisation of management practices on cocoa, initiation of work on crop improvement and survey and management of pests and diseases. After its termination in 1986, the projects were taken over by the Kerala Agricultural University. As the financial position of the University was not very sound to support cocoa research as envisaged, proposal for funding was submitted to M/s Cadbury India Ltd. for financial assistance. The Company accepted the proposal and cocoa research was strengthened substantially from April 1987 with the establishment of Cadbury- KAU Co-operative Cocoa Research Project. The objectives of the project included evolution of varieties suited to this region, standardization of agro techniques and plant protection. The facilities developed at this project are being utilized for instructional and research purposes both at UG and PG levels of the college.
Research focus
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Collection, maintenance and evaluation of germplasm of cocoa .
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Selection for high yield, desirable bean characters and disease resistance .
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Hybridization for evolving superior varieties with desirable characteristics.
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Inbreeding to produce fully homozygous genotypes and their further exploitation in breeding.
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Breeding for disease resistance especially to Vascular Streak Die Back and Black Pod.
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Standardization of farm practices.
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Development of management strategies for major pests and diseases of cocoa .
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Production of hybrid seeds for area expansion programme in South India.
The Germplasm collection at Kerala Agricultural University is the biggest in India with diverse types. Enrichment of germplasm is undertaken by import from the University of Reading, UK and also by collecting local types with unique characters. The collection includes very valuable accession like Sca 6, which is the only source of resistance to all known diseases of cocoa. The other important accessions are IMC 67 and ICS 6. The clones maintained under the germplasm are being regularly utilized in the breeding programme for direct distribution as an improved clone, as a parent in hybridization programme and for inbreeding. The unit has standardised the technology for small-scale fermentation for quantities ranging from 2 kg to 50 kg wet beans. In order to safeguard the interests of the growers, technology for small scale secondary processing have also been standardised. A small agro-industrial unit on cocoa products is established in the unit under the Kerala Agricultural University. This unit provides employment for educated unemployed women. This unit attracts women entrepreneurs and is being visited by people from all fields of life.
The Instructional Farm, College of Horticuture, Vellanikkara was established during 1988. It consists of 60 ha of land of which , the major part consists of coconuts for which the farm is famous for. The other important crops are fruit trees ( Mango, Jack, Sapota and Guava), spices (Nutmeg,Clove,Cinnamon),vegetables (Banana, Bitter gourd, Ash gourd, Pumpkin, Amaranthus), and tuber crops(Tapioca).Nursery and vegetable seeds production units are also important components of the farm.
A number of experiments on Agroforestry , Medicinal plants and Cocoa are also conducted by various departments of the university. Demonstration plots of Jetropha, Areca nut , Teak and Mahagony are also unique features of this farm. The average annual expenditure comes around Rs.40 lakhs and revenue 20 lakhs. The main source of income is coconuts both ripe and tender, followed by nursery plants and vegetable seeds.
The main activities of the farm are :-
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Imparting training to UG/PG students on Agro- Techniques of crops
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Conducting Research on Coconut , Mango, Cocoa, Vegetables, Medicinal plants and Agro forestry
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Maintaining varietal collections of fruits and plantation crops especially Coconut and Mango
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Production of Foundation / Certified Seeds of vegetables
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Production of planting materials of Coconut, Areca nut, Mango, Jack, Sapota, Nutmeg, Pepper, Acid lime, Ornamental plants etc.
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Providing facilities for work experience courses of students.
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Providing facilities for PG/ Departmental research programmes.
Agro-Biotechnology Agency for Rural Employment and Development (ABARD) is an initiative to translate scientific findings and technology prescriptions into agricultural enterprises/agri-business recognising the crucial role of small agro-industrial units in poverty alleviation and employment generation. It was promulgated with the prime objective of developing
entrepreneurship of educated and unemployed rural youth in different options of agro-biotechnology during the year 2001. As a part of this,vermitechnology, Biotechnology and mushroom units were set up.The vermitechnology unit initially gave training to 15 rural youths on various aspects of vermitechnology and promising partners are now involved in the production and sale of earthworms, vermicompost, vermi wash, coir pith compost, organic seed and organic farm products. It is one of the sustainable units. Biotechnology and mushroom units are also involved in imparting regular training to rural youths and production and sale of TC plants of fruits, ornamentals, spices etc. and edible mushrooms and spawn.
The Centre for Information Technology (CIT) was established in 2003. In order to strengthen I.T. enabled teaching and learning facilities of the College, the Centre for Information Technology (CET) was reorganized during 2007 as Centre for Education Technology with Dr.E.Sreenivasan and Mr.A.T. Francis, the I.T.Nodal Officers of the College as other member. All the computers are interconnected and a common file ‘public’ is used for exchange of information. The centre took leadership in providing e-mail and intercom facility to all scientists of the College.
The Computer and Intercom Networks of the College are maintained and monitored by the Network Computer Centre. A full-fledged College Intranet is being developed to provide office automation, digital library and e-learning facilities to the users, especially to the student community. An ARIS Computer Facility has been established in the College under the NATP – ISD Programme of ICAR, with a full-fledged building LAN on UTP cabling. This LAN is connected to the main campus LAN tfibre optic backbone. The College LAN runs on Windows 2003 Server Software with a capacity to serve about 250 nodes. UPS power back up and high-speed broadband Internet facility is available all over the Network. The Computer and Internet facility is available in all the teaching departments, administrative office as well as the College library.
ARIS Computer facility was shifted to a new fully furnished air-conditioned room during 2007 with 24 computers networked through Wireless Network (Wi-Fi). This is the first Wire-Free Networking facility in the University. Wi-Fi enabled LapTops and other PC's can automatically access the Net Work. The room is also equipped with LCD projector and video-conferencing facility. The SCC immensely helps the students to higher agricultural education and research. This has enabled the students to get access to the latest developments and opportunities in the field of Agriculture. A large number of students secured fellowships and placements abroad, utilizing this facility.
The need for a Students’ Counseling Centre at the College was widely felt need to help out students with their emotional problems and personality development issues. Accordingly the centre was inaugurated on 13-01-2004. It has been organizing guest lectures by eminent speakers on various topics related to personality development besides providing counseling on one-to-one basis for needy students on a regular basis. A one-day trip for soul sharing and emotional camaraderie between staff advisers and students under their ward-ship arranged to preferred destination was well received by staff and students alike. A database of students with relevant details on family ties and emotional bonds is also being prepared under the aegis of the Centre to analyze and identify deficient areas and work out support strategies for individual students.
A placement cell functions actively in the College, which provides guidance to students on career opportunities. Bio data of the graduate and postgraduate students are collected and sent to needy entrepreneurs and potential employers for placement. Latest development in employment and higher education are disseminated to the students through display boards and interactive sessions by guest faculty from reputed management institutes. More over, campus recruitments are arranged in tie up with commercial banks, input agencies and industries related to Agriculture.
National Service Scheme, sponsored by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Governement of India, is an important programme functioning in the college. The prime aim of NSS is to make education more realistic and community oriented. The sanctioned strength of volunteers is 300 under two units. The total strength of students in the college is 251. Two teaching faculty members are nominated as Programme Officers for proper guidance to the volunteers.
The NSS units take up community based activities and the students get an opportunity to work with the people. They engage in creative and constructive social activities. Programme of water conservation, tree planting, setting up of kitchen gurdenes in rural households, awareness against drug abuse, blood grouping and blood donation are being undertaken. Recently a novel activity namely “Horticulture Therapy” has been started by NSS units. The venue selected is at Tropical Health Foundation of India, Kunnamkulam- a school for the mentally and physically disabled children. The programme envisages for the betterment of the status of disabled children through various gardening activities.
Special programmes are also organized in connection with important auspicious days such as Independence Day, NSS Day, Gandhi Jayanti Day, Republic Day, World Environment Day and World Food Day.
A full-fledged labour management cell functions in the college, with an Associate Professor as the Officer-in-Charge. Sixteen men and sixty three women permanent labourers are at present on rolls. A senior farm supervisor is in immediate charge of the Cell. The main functions of LMC are distribution of labourers to various departments and schemes of the college, taking muster rolls and maintenance of DMS, keeping records of permanent labourers and distribution of wages and supervision of farm activities. The cell also makes arrangements for various functions like farewells and felicitations organized by the college.
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