Agriculture
Unit-1: Agrometeorology, Genetics and Plant Breeding, Biochemistry and Microbiology
Agrometeorology
- Elements of Weather: rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind velocity, Sunshine.
- weather forecasting, climate change in relation to crop production.
Genetics & Plant Breeding
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(a) Cell and its structure, cell division-mitosis and meiosis and their significance.
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(b) Organisation of the genetic materials in chromosomes, DNA and RNA.
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(c) Mendel’s laws of inheritance, reasons for Mendel’s success, absence of linkage.
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(d) Quantitative inheritance, continuous and discontinuous variation in plants..
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(f) Role of Genetics in Plant breeding, methods of breeding in field crops: introduction, selection, hybridization, mutation, polyploidy, tissue and cell culture..
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(g) Plant Biotechnology - definition and scope in crop production..
Biochemistry
- pH and buffers.
- Classification and nomenclature of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, and enzymes.
Microbiology
- Microbial cell structure.
- Micro-organisms: Algae, Bacteria, Fungi, Actinomycetes, Protozoa, Viruses.
- Role of micro-organisms in respiration, fermentation, and organic matter decomposition.
Unit-2: Livestock Production
Scope and Importance
- (a) Importance of livestock in agriculture and industry, White revolution in India.
- (b) Important breeds: Indian and exotic, distribution of cows, buffaloes, and poultry in India.
Care and Management
- (a) Systems of cattle and poultry housing.
- (b) Principles of feeding and feeding practices, balanced ration definition and ingredients.
- (c) Management of calves, bullocks, pregnant and milch animals, chicks, cockerels, layers, and poultry.
- (e) Signs of sick animals, symptoms of common diseases in cattle and poultry.
- (f) Prevention and control of diseases like Rinderpest, black quarter, foot and mouth, mastitis, haemorrhagic septicaemia, coccidiosis, Fowl pox, and Ranikhet disease.
Artificial Insemination
- Reproductive organs, collection, dilution, preservation of semen, and artificial insemination.
- Role of artificial insemination in cattle improvement.
- Livestock Products: Processing and marketing of milk and milk products.
Unit-3: Crop Production
Introduction
- (a) Targets and achievements in foodgrain production in India, sustainable crop production, commercialization of agriculture.
- (b) Classification of field crops: cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fibre, sugar, forage crops.
Soil, Soil Fertility, Fertilizers, and Manures
- (a) Soil properties: pH, texture, structure, organisms, tilth, fertility, health.
- (b) Essential plant nutrients, functions, deficiency symptoms.
- (c) Soil types of India and their characteristics.
- (d) Organic manure, common fertilizers, biofertilizers, integrated nutrient management system.
Irrigation and Drainage
- (a) Sources of irrigation: rain, canals, tanks, rivers, wells, tubewells.
- (b) Scheduling of irrigation based on growth stages, soil moisture, weather.
- (c) Water requirement of crops.
- (d) Methods of irrigation and drainage.
- (e) Watershed management.
Weed Control
- Principles of weed control.
- Methods: cultural, mechanical, chemical, biological, integrated weed management.
Crops
- Seedbed preparation, seed treatment, sowing/planting methods and timings, seed rate.
- Fertilizer application: dose, method, timing.
- Irrigation, intercultural operations, weed control.
- Pests and diseases: bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes, integrated pest management.
- Harvesting, threshing, post-harvest technology: storage, processing, marketing of major crops.
Unit-4: Horticulture
- (a) Importance of Fruits and vegetables in the human diet, Crop diversification & processing industry.
- (b) Orchard- location and layout, ornamental gardening, and kitchen garden.
- (c) Planting systems, training, pruning, intercropping, protection from frost and sunburn.
- (d) Trees, shrubs, climbers, annuals, perennials-definition and examples. propagation by seed, cutting, budding, layering, and grafting..
- (e) Cultivation practices, processing, and marketing of
- (i) Fruits - mango, papaya, banana, guava, citrus, grapes.
- (ii) Vegetables - radish, carrot, potato, onion, cauliflower, brinjal, tomato, spinach, and cabbage.
- (iii) Flowers - gladiolus, canna, chrysanthemums, roses and marigold.
- (f) Principles and methods of fruit and vegetable preservation.
- (g) Preparation of jellies, jams, ketchup, chips and their packing.