Madras Agricultural Students Union (MASU), founded in 1911, was registered as a Society in 1923. The first President of MASU was Mr. Cecil Wood, with Mr. De Silva as the first Vice-President, and Mr. Ramaswamy Sivan, the first Secretary and Editor of MAJ.

Several distinguished agricultural researchers from Southern India, including Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, have been members and officials in MASU. The Society has been continuously operating, with 850 life and annual members, along with 4500 student members as of 2026.

MASU has been publishing “The Madras Agricultural Journal” (MAJ) since 1913, one of the longest-serving journals in India for students and researchers in agriculture and allied sectors. The 98th Volume of MAJ (2011) was published and is available for access online. The journal is cited by numerous national institutes and organizations, including abstracting in prestigious journals like Commonwealth Abstracts and Chemical Abstracts.

MAJ is now included in the Directory of Open Access Journals and is widely cited in research studies in agricultural sciences.

Each year, MASU recognizes distinguished teachers, researchers, and extension experts in agriculture through awards and medals, some of which date back to 1913. MASU also conducts the "ENTHUSIA" competitions, where graduate and post-graduate scholars engage in essay writing and elocution on key agricultural development topics.