Circumfusion of rural scenario and agriculture around the Unive4rsity 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.

The Faculty has 238 teaching staff and 170 administrative and technical staff.

International and National Recognitions

            Faculty of Agriculture was recognized as one of the centres of International Rice Research Institute for screening of rice cultivars for abiotic stress and screening of rice cultivars for brown plant hopper.  It has international collaboration with IACR – Long Ashton, U.K. and Natural Resources International, U.K. on Biocontrol of water hyacinth.  It also serves as a centre for Indian Council for Agricultural Research for screening of rice, sunflower and sesame cultivars.

            Teaching, research and extension activities are the three vital components for any Agricultural college and more so to the Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University.  The research and extension activities of the Faculty of Agriculture have clearly made definite strides in improving the life style of the farming community.

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.)*

Degree Awarded:

Thrust Area         

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

Other Activities:

No. of Seminars/
Conferences Organized                                                     - 21

No. of Refresher  Courses / Workshop conducted                - 14

Publications by faculty

Books                                   -   50
International Journals             -  308
National Journals                    -  565
Citation Index                       -   27

f. Research paper publications of Faculty

g. Awards and fellowships received by the staff

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.

i. Grants Received for Research Projects
(X Plan Period)

j. Research Accomplishments:

• Imparts value based education with updated knowledge in agriculture and horticulture both at UG & PG level to meet the global standards.
• Significantly contributed to farming community by release of ‘Annamalai’ Brinjal (high yielding and Aphid resistant), saline tolerant rice, AU1, drought tolerant rice, AU2 and flood tolerant rice, AU3.

• Technology developed for efficient use of lignite fly ash and humic acid for enrichment of soil fertility and sustainable crop production and Lignite fly ash as a pesticide.
• A new viricide of natural product origin viz., “Annamalai mixture” was developed for the management of viral disease of crops.
• Effective transfer of latest technologies in Agriculture, Horticulture, Dairy and allied fields.

k. Number of Books and Journals in the Library

Number of Books & Journals according to Languages

l. Equipments available