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KERALA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
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The "Package of Practices Recommendations: Crops" released
The latest edition of Package of Practices Recommendations: Crops was
released by Smt. K.R. Gouri Amma, Minister for Agriculture on March 27, 2003 by
handing over a copy of the publication to Shri. K.R. Jyothilal, Director of
Agriculture, Govt. of Kerala, at a function held at the chamber of the Minister
at the Govt. Secretariat, Thiruvananthapuram.
This is the most authentic record of reference on agricultural practices and
technological developments pertaining to the major and minor crops of Kerala. It
has a long standing credential of over thirty years as a reliable information
source to all the stakeholders in the field of agriculture, right from policy
makers to practicing farmers.
The twelfth edition of the Package of Practices Recommendations : Crops has been
updated with all the recent developments and research findings approved by the
State Level Workshops and Task Groups on Specific Problems. These workshops were
attended by the scientists of the university, ICAR institutes, commodity boards,
State level extension functionaries and progressive farmers. Though the basic
ideas have been retained, no effort was spared in including the emerging areas
of importance like biological control of pests, bio-fertilizer use,
vermicomposting, post-harvest technologies and also information on agri-related
enterprises.
The book has been made more comprehensive by organising it into eighteen
chapters and appendices dealing with the seed to seed recommendations for all
the crops and enterprises having potential for Kerala. There are chapters on
cereals and millets, pulses, tubers, commercial crops, oil seeds, spices and
condiments, beverages and stimulants, vegetables, fruits, ornamental plants,
medicinal and aromatic plants, fodder crops, green manure crops, agro-forestry
and another chapter dealing with agro-ecological zones of Kerala, vermicompost
and coir pith compost, bio-fertilizers, guidelines for maximizing fertilizer use
efficiency, bee keeping, sericulture, rodents and their control, biocontrol of
salvinia, bio-control agents against plant pathogens, soil solarization,
mushrooms, tissue culture propagation of crops, keeping quality of fruits and
vegetables, low-cost technology for irrigation and farm machinery suitable for
Kerala. All the information related to the use of pesticides and fertilizers
have been included under appendices. The internet edition of the publication is
available on www.kau.edu/pop.