Pesticide Residue Research and Analytical Laboratory

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) initiated “All India Co-ordinated Research Project (AICRP) On Pesticide Residues” during the year 1984-85 with 17 research centres. The centre under the Kerala Agricultural University is functioning at the College of Agriculture,Vellayani since 1986. The funding of the project is through ICAR (75 % share) and Government of Kerala (25 % share). The laboratory secured accreditation by NABL under ISO:IEC 17025:2005 w.e.f February 2012 and is being continually reassessed by verifying managerial and technical compliances to the NABL standards. The provisions of accreditation of testing laboratories has been shifted from ISO- 17025:2005 to ISO 17025:2017, from 2019 onwards and the laboratory has been reassessed for its facilities for testing pesticide residues from water and food samples as per the new clauses of ISO and was granted accreditation status wef. 12.03.2020, for a period of 3 years. By this, the laboratory can issue test results with NABL logo, for the level of pesticide residues estimated in various commodities, including water, fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals, pulses, spices, meat, milk etc. up to a maximum of 97 pesticides. The Laboratory is equipped with the most modern facilities for performing these tests and is offering its test facilities for the convenience of researchers, public and private institutions, exporters, as well as farmers. Laboratory has state of art equipments viz., GC, GC- MS, GC- MS/MS, LC- MS/MS, LC-HRMS etc. This laboratory is the only one laboratory under Govt. of Kerala having ISO 17025: 2017 accreditation for testing pesticide residues from food commodities and acting as a lead Laboratory for assisting the functioning of sister laboratories in South India.

The centre functions as a station under KAU with separate Drawing and disbursing powers. The Laboratory also serves as a referral laboratory catering to all the pesticide related issues of the state viz., imparting training to all the sister departments on pesticide residue analysis, doing residue analysis of samples on payment basis etc. It is also a consultative centre, co-ordinating the functioning and operationalization of other pesticide residue laboratories under KAU, to perform residue analysis and also to secure accreditation.