The primary objective of this study is to determine the extent of agricultural cooperatives' contribution to fertilizer diffusion at the farm level. A systematic interview of villagers together with the observation of village behavior and attitude in rural Chiangmai form the hard core data on which the findings of this empirical study rest. Chi-square tests of independent variables have been employed to determine the relationship of agricultural cooperative membership and fertilizer adoption. None of the results is statistically significant. This implies that agricultural cooperative fails to influence fertilizer adoption in the research area. This is consistent and thus reinforced by the field observation. The failure of the agricultural cooperative in introducing fertilizer to farmers is due not only to the inefficiency of the cooperative but also the unfavorable price ratio between fertilizer and agricultural product as well as the unreliable quality of fertilizer. The field data collection was financed by an ADC research grant. The report writing has been made possible by ISEAS of Singapore.

The survey of the intestinal parasites of the swine in Nakhon Pathom Province was performed by egg, oocyst and cyst identification in 346 fecal samples. In suckling piglets, 4.08%, 6.12%, 6.12%, 34.69%, 18.37%, and 22.45% were infected with Ascaris suum, Trichuris suis, Strongylates, Strongyloides ransomi, Coccidia and Balantidium coli respectively. The relative incidence of these parasitic infection was higher in the fattening pigs. Ascaris suum, Trichuris suis, Strongylates, Strongyloides ransomi, Metastrongylus spp. Coccidia, Balantidium coli and Trichomonad were found in 31.15%, 35.52%, 32.24%, 31.15%, 0.55%, 35.52%, 37.70% and 0.55% respectively of the fattening pigs. The percentage of breeding pigs infected with Ascaris suum, Trichuris suis, Strongylates, intestinal flukes, Coccidia, Balantidium coli and Trichomonad was found to be 9.65%, 4.39%, 68.42% 12.28%, 38.60., 42.98% and 0.88% respectively. By parasitic identification, the examination of the gastrointestinal tracts in 82 piglets, 1-8 weeks of age, revealed 2.44%, 67.07%, 39.02%, 40.24%, and 2.44% of the piglets infected with Ascaris suum, Strongyloides ransomi, Trichuris suis, Oesophagostomum spp. and Globocephalus spp. respectively. The control of Strongyloides ransomi infection was studied in 15 litters with the total of 132 suckling piglets, 1-2 weeks old. Each litter was divided into nontreated control and treated groups; but only the latter was orally treated once with 100 mg/kg. body weight of Thiabendazole. Each piglet was weekly weighed until weaned. The average increase in growth rate found to be equal, 0.89 kg. per week in both groups.

The gram negative bacteriam Aeromonas hydrophila is a common cause of different diseases of fish in Thailand. The most serious disease caused by this organism is ulcer disease in catfish (Clarias batrachus). One hundred and eight strains of A. hydrophila were isolated in May 1976 to March 1978. All tested strains were sensitive to Kanamycin, 1 percent resistance to nitrofurantein and polymyxin B, 5% to neomycin, 8% to chloramphenicol, 9% to tetracyclin, 13% to trimethoprim, 15% toerythromycin, 40% to sulfamethoxine and sulfathiazole, 45% to streptomycin, 46% to sulfamerazine, 52% to sulfadiazine, 97% to penicillin. The results indicated that the local isolated strains are more resistant to antimicrobial agents than the Danish strains.

Aeromonas hydrophila is a fish-pathogen microorganism. The organism could also produce diseases in reptiles, e.g. snakes and turtles, and in amphibian, e.g. frogs. The epidemic of the ulcer disease in catfishes have been studied for the last 6 months in this laboratory. The disease was observed in the fish-cultures in Rangsit, Sampran and Supanburi. The markable lesion was the center necrosis surrounded with haemorrhage. In the severe cases the flesh was sloughed and the vertebrates were exposed. The disease in the adult fishes occasionally had the primary infection in the kidney. The nodule (or nodules) was observed at the area over the anterior kidney with the characteristic of haemorrhage and then broken out to form the ulcer. In some cases the papules were developed. The mortality rate was 5-20%. Most of the organisms produced the typical lesion in fishes after I/M inoculation 24 hrs with the dosage of 8 x 10/ml. The infection of this organism was also observed in white gibbon and swine. The gibbon had the following clinical signs; lethargic, anorexia, polydipsia, diarrhea and dyspnea. The animal died 4 days after showing the signs of sickness. In the swine case, the incoordination and circular movement was observed. The post-mortem revealed meningitis. The pathology and serological studies are in progress.

Examination to determine ovarian and uterine changes by palpation per rectum has been accepted as the most practical method, commonly used in cattle and horses. However, there has been no report of study on the feasibility and practicability of using such method in the Thai swamp buffalo. This study was conducted on ten healthy non-pregnant post subesent Thai swamp buffaloes selected at random. Examination per rectum for ovarian determinations was performed on every animal daily for one hundred and twenty consecutive days. Variance analysis shows that the average means of the length, width and thickness of the left ovary are 1.57 cm., 1.21 cm. and 0.68 cm. respectively while those on the right ovary are 1.65 cm., 1.23 cm. and 0.67 cm. respectively. The length and thickness of the right ovary is very highly significant, greater than those on the left every (P very much 0.01). The width of the right ovary is greater than that of the left ovary which is highly significant (P 0.01). The average means of the length and width of follicles on the left ovary are 1.7 cm. and 0.91 cm. respectively while those on the right ovary are 1.25 cm. and 0.95 cm. respectively. The length of the follicle on the left ovary is greater than that of the right ovary which is highly significant (P 0.01). The width of the follicle is greater on the right than on the left ovary (P, 0.05). Determination of sizes of corpora lutea were signified by +, ++, +++. Graphical analysis reveals extensive changes with irregular patterns. The comparison of the findings to the results of hormonal measurements by radioimmunoassay appears to be corresponding. The results show that the method of examination per rectum is applicable and practical for determinations of changes and status of ovaries of the Thai swamp buffalo thus valuable for future work in buffalo reproduction.

The suitable diluters for the buffalo semen are milk yolk and coconut milk yolk. Diluted semen is kept at 4-5 degrees Centigrade with the result of sperm survice 6-2 days, in some cases the viable sperm up to 60 percent for 8 days in recorded.