FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE – (Year of Establishment – 1958)

FACULTY PROFILE
Circumfusion of rural scenario and agriculture around the University premises has been taken advantage to establish faculty of Agriculture in the year 1958, due to idealized perception of former Founder-Pro-Chancellor.
Agriculture remained as a single department for over 19 years and it was due to the far-sighted vision of Prof. S.V. Chittibabu, the then Vice-Chancellor, who recognized the major role Agriculture is destined to play in the welfare of our country, 4 major Departments viz., Agronomy, Agricultural Botany, Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry and Agricultural Microbiology came into being in the year 1981.  Two more Departments viz., Entomology and Plant Pathology were inaugurated in the year 1984 by the dynamic Founder Pro-Chancellor, Dr. M.A.M. Ramaswamy.
The Divisions of Horticulture, Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Extension were upgraded as Departments in 1990, 1993 and 1994 respectively.  With this, the total number of Departments in the Faculty of Agriculture are nine, Animal Husbandry remains as a Division. 
The Faculty of Agriculture celebrated its Silver Jubilee in the year 1983 and celebrated its Golden Jubilee in the month of April 2008.
Teaching Programmes
The Faculty of Agriculture offers two Bachelor Degree Programmes of four year duration viz., B.Sc. (Ag.) and B.Sc.(Horti.), thirteen Master Degree Programmes viz., Agronomy, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Entomology, Agricultural Extension, Genetics and Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Technology, Horticulture, Agricultural Microbiology, Microbial Biotechnology, Plant Pathology, Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Business Administration in Agri-Business, Agricultural Biotechnology and doctoral programmes in all the above disciplines.  A Five Year Integrated Degree Programme in M.Sc. (Microbiology) and M.Phil. (Microbiology) are also offered by the Department of Agricultural Microbiology in association with Faculty of Science.
Teaching Programmes
Ph.D by Course Work
In addition to the existing system, Ph.D by course work has been introduced during the academic year 2010-2011 in all the Departments of Studies in the Faculty of Agriculture.
On Campus UG Programmes

• B.Sc.(Ag.)*
• B.Sc.(Horti.)*

*Offered by the Faculty of Agriculture.

            The Faculty comprises Nine Departments and one division, with 238 teaching staff and 2646 students in total. (The teacher student ratio is 1:11). The unique feature of this faculty is that it offers B.Sc. (Ag.) and B.Sc. (Horti.) programmes as undergraduate courses, where in all the nine departments and one division join hands and share the credit loads of the programmes as outlined by ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research). Besides these two undergraduate progrmmes, that are common for the faculty, individual departments offer post-graduate and Ph.D programmes independently. One highest research degree viz. Doctor of Science that is offered by the University for superior Post Doctoral research was offered in the Department of Agronomy in 2009. Different departments of this Faculty offered 134 Ph.D degrees during this last five year period.
            The research grants generated from various funding agencies in these departments works out to Rs. 19.34 crores. The Faculty has also obtained a patent from DST, New Delhi and submitted one rice variety and one technology for release by the Government of Tamilnadu for adoption by it’s farmers. The prestigious National Agricultural Innovation Project funded by ICAR and World Bank to a tune of Rs. 9.45 crores has substantially raised the livelihoods of 2400 farming households in four disadvantaged districts of Tamilnadu viz., Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Villupuram and Thiruvannamalai. This project was adjudged as the best among 36 Sustainable Rural Livelihood Projects implemented across the country by ICAR. Faculty has a unique academic collaboration with Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculture (Erstwhile Nova Scotia Agriculture College), Canada for a dual degree programme. Students have to take six semesters in Annamalai University’s Faculty of Agriculture and three semesters in Dalhousie University, Canada so as to get two degrees simultaneously viz., B.Sc.(Ag.) from Annamalai University and B.Tech. Landscape Horticulture from Dalhousie, Canada. During 2011-12, three students from Annamalai University have gone to Canada, in this programme. Global farm research premiers like FAO, IRRI and USDA collaborate with different departments of this Faculty. Two of departments Genetics and Plant Breeding and Agronomy are identified by UGC for SAP Level 1 and six departments viz., Agronomy, Entomology, Microbiology, Horticulture, Genetics & Plant Breeding and Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry have been receiving FIST grant from DST, Government of India. Some of the salient features of the faculty are tabulated below.
1. Salient Features of the Faculty

2. Academic achievements during last 5 years:
2.1. Books/Publications:

          2.2. National / International Conferences / Seminars organized by the Faculty:

          2.3. Research projects awarded by the UGC and other funding agencies:

          2.4 Patents awarded:
            The Faculty has successfully brought out tempo mediated extraction of nano fibres from aquatic weeds for which a patent (File No. 62/10 of DST dated 11.08.2010) has been awarded.
          2.5 Other major achievement(s):

• The Faculty has produces 814 graduates in the last five years, 345 post graduates, 134 Ph.D. holders and one Doctor of Science in Agriculture.
• SC/ST population contribute for 42% of this while women contribute 17%.
• So far 92% graduates have been placed.
• Many of them occupy or have occupied significant positions viz.,
  Vice-Chancellors of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and Karpagam University, Chairman, National Bio-diversity Authority, Plant Protection Adviser to Government of India, Senior Policy Designer for South Asian Agricultural Economics in International Food Policy Research Institute in U.S.A., Directors of ICAR Institutes, Country Managers and Asia-Pacific Managers of MNCs like Monsanto, Vice-President of Sugar Industries etc.
• The Faculty celebrated it’s Golden Jubilee in the year 2008, with Dr. Mangla Rai, Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as Chief Guest.
• The Faculty had its mile stone in implementing the prestigious National Agricultural Innovation Project for sustainable rural livelihood security in disadvantaged districts of Tamilnadu with an outlay of Rs.9.45 crores, funded by ICAR and World Bank.
• This project is adjudged as the best project in improving rural livelihoods, among 36 similar projects implemented across the country by ICAR.
• The project has also been appreciated by many global leaders in farm research, such as Director General of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
  Dr. Robert Zeigler, who visited the target sites and the Faculty and released a documentary film covering the activities of the project during February 2011.
• The Faculty has also been collaborating with global leaders such as United States Department of Agriculture, USA, Rothamsted Experimental Station, U.K, International Rice Research Institute, Philippines, Food and Agricultural Organization of United Nations, Rome.
• The research outputs from the faculty are valuable and acclaimed global recognition such as nano fibres from weeds, submergence tolerant rice, climate resilient farming system models viz., Rice+Fish+Poultry, Saline tolerant rice, aphid resistant brinjal, technology for mine spoil reclamation, integrated bio-control of aquatic weeds, procedure for Weed Risk Assessment, utility avenues for lignite flyash etc.
• The Faculty members have won prestigious international and national awards and fellowships such as British Crop Protection Council Bursary, Commonwealth Senior Academic Fellowships, Indian Society of Weed Science, Gold Medal of Tamilnadu State Young Women Scientist award. 
• One patent has been obtained on Tempo mediated extraction of nano fibres from aquatic weeds. 
• Incorporation of submergence tolerant QTL from wild relatives of rice in to popularly cultivated rice varieties through Marker Assisted Selection is being undertaken, in collaboration with International Rice Research Institute.
• The expertise available in the Department of Agronomy of the Faculty has also been utilized by premier International Agricultural Research and Development organizations such as Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations, Rome (FAO).
• FAO organized a training for the representatives of all Asian countries on Weed Risk Assessment, at the Faculty of Agriculture, with weed science expert of the Faculty as Co-ordinator during 2007.
• FAO also had consultancy services from the Faculty on impact of global climate change on invasivity of alien plants during 2011.
• A team of national experts from Iraq were trained on eco-friendly management of aquatic weeds at the Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture during 2008.
• Three Deputy Director Generals, DDG (Education), DDG (Extension) and DDG (Horticulture) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research have visited the Faculty last year and appreciated the performance.

 Thrust Area         

• Location specific crop development  / improvement
• Low input farming & Integrated farming systems.
• Biological and integrated pest and weed management.
• Natural resource management
• Alternate land & input use.
• Alternate food security options.
• Bio-fertilizer, bio- fuel & bio-composting.
• Entrepreneurship development.
• Indigenous knowledge system.
• Rural youth / women empowerment.
• Value addition & Post harvest processing in farm produces.
• Sericulture & Apiculture

h. International Collaboration

• IACR Long Ashton, UK and Natural Resources International, UK & United States Department of Agriculture, USA on " Bio-control of water hyacinth“
• International Rice Research Institute, Philippines for screening of rice cultivars for abiotic stress and screening of rice cultivars for brown plant hopper
• Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China.
• Reading University, U.K., Visyas State College of Agriculture, Philippines and Mymensingh Agriculture University, Bangladesh.
• Invitrogen inc., U.S.A. on Biotechnology.

Prestigious Alumni