DETAILED SYLLABUS FOR THE POST OF AGRICULTURAL OFFICER IN AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT AND FARMERS'WELFARE DEPARTMENT

DETAILED SYLLABUS FOR THE POST OF AGRICULTURAL OFFICER IN AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT AND FARMERS'WELFARE DEPARTMENT

(Category No: 475/2020)

PART _I -CROP PRODUCTION

Module 1: AGRONOMY

Agronomy - scope, seeds and sowing, tillage and tilth, crop density and geometry. Classification of

crops – agronomic, botanical, ontogenic. Growth and development of crops, factors affecting growth

and development, crop rotation and its principles, adaptation and distribution of crops. Crop nutritionessential nutrients – criteria of essentiality, classification, functions and deficiencies - manures and

fertilizers - nutrient use efficiency – fertilizer calculations. Specialty fertilizers – 100 per cent water

soluble, fortified, customised, slow release fertilizers, nitrification inhibitors. Biological nitrogen

fixation – biofertilizers. Weeds – importance, classification, invasive weeds of Kerala, crop weed

competition, allelopathy, concepts of weed management – principles and methods, herbicides –

classification, selectivity and resistance, allelopathy. Herbicide calculations, calibration of sprayers

and spraying specifications for herbicides. Integrated weed management in rice, banana, coconut.

Agriculture –scope- Importance of agriculture and agricultural resources available in India; Farming

system components - Cropping system and pattern, multiple cropping system-Sustainable agricultureproblems and its impact on agriculture, indicators of sustainability, adaptation and mitigation,

conservation agriculture strategies, HEIA, LEIA and LEISA, ecological principles of LEISA.

Homestead farming system. Economic importance – soil and climatic requirements – area and

production – varieties – seed rate spacing – methods of sowing/planting -manurial schedule- cultural

practices and yield of major field crops of Kerala, viz, rice, tuber crops (cassava, sweet potato, yams

and aroids), sugarcane, pulses, groundnut, sesamum and fodder crops, viz., guinea and hybrid

napier.Irrigation- Water management of principal crops of Kerala.- Water resources and irrigation

development in India and Kerala. Soil moisture constants-Evapo-transpiration, potential evapotranspiration and consumptive use, Reference crop evapo-transpiration (ETo)- Crop co-efficient (Kc)-

Kc values for different crops. Main empirical methods of calculation of ETo- Effective rainfall, Water

requirement of crops- Scheduling irrigation– Methods of irrigation-.Surface , subsurface, overhead

and micro irrigations. Irrigation efficiency- Water productivity and water use efficiency- Agricultural

drainage-causes of water logging and types of drainage. Quality of irrigation water. Agro ecology of

Kerala – agro ecological zones and agro ecological units, monsoon in Kerala, cropping seasons of

Kerala. Rainfed agriculture – dry farming, dryland farming, rainfed farming. Drought – classification,

drought adaptation mechanisms in crops, drought management in major crops of Kerala. Watershed –

types – characteristics and management.

MODULE 2: SOIL SCIENCE & AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY

Soil-Pedological and edaphological concepts. Weathering - soil formation - factors and processes -

soil profile. Soil physical properties - soil texture - soil consistency - soil crusting-bulk density and

particle density of soils and porosity - their significance and manipulation- Soil compaction - Soil

colour. Soils of India - geological processes and formations – characterization of soils of Kerala. Soil

colloids – properties – nature - types and significance. Layer silicate clays - their genesis and sources

of charges. Adsorption of ions - ion exchange - CEC and AEC - Concept of pH - soil acidity - saline,

sodic and calcareous soils. Soil organic matter – composition – decomposability – humus -

fractionation of organic matter. Carbon cycle - C: N ratio. Soil biology – biomass - soil organisms and

their beneficial and harmful roles. Soil fertility evaluation – soil testing – rating of soil fertility

(organic carbon, major, secondary and micronutrients). Problem soils of Kerala - characteristics,

problems and management/reclamation; Salt affected soils- Arid soils -Acid soils- submerged soilsEroded soils-Acid sulphate soils-Degraded soils. Organic farming and food security- Tools and

practices of organic farming. Organic certification – accreditation agencies, certification agencies,

NSOP, NPOP. Precision agriculture: Geo-informatics- GIS and Remote sensing concepts application

in agriculture-Global positioning system (GPS),components and its functions.Nanotechnologydefinition, concepts and techniques, nano-particles, nano-pesticides, nano-fertilizers, nano-sensors

PART II- CROP PROTECTION

Module 3 : AGRICULTURAL ENTOMOLOGY

Categories of pests of agriculture -Economic classification of insects- External Morphology,Anatomy

and general Physiology, structure and function of digestive, circulatory, respiratory, excretory,

reproductive, endocrine, exocrine, nervous systems and sense organs. Types of metamorphosisIntegrated Pest Management: Principles of IPM, concept of economic threshold and economic injury

levels, tools of IPM -. Basic concept of host plant resistance. Biocontrol of pests -Microbial controlRegulatory control- plant quarantine and phytosanitory certificate. Pesticides: Insecticide act and

rules. Newer trends in insect pest management – pheromones, Insect Growth Regulators, Chitin

synthesis Inhibitors, biotechnological methods. Distribution, bioecology, nature and symptoms of

damage and management strategies of major insect pests of Field crops: rice, wheat, maize, sorghum,

ragi, sugarcane, cotton and oil seeds – groundnut, sesamum, castor, sunflower and mustard,

pulses.Vegetable crops: solanaceous ,cruciferous , leafy vegetables polyhouse vegetables; tuber

crops , fruit crops,plantation crops,ornamentals,medicinal and aromatic plants and stored products

pests. Economically important insects - silkworms, lac insects, pollinators, predators, parasites, weed

killers, soil builders, scavengers and insects used for scientific investigation. Damage in major crops

and management of nematodes, mites, rodents, birds, molluscs (snail).

Module 4: PLANT PATHOLOGY

Importance of plant diseases-. Important plant pathogenic organisms- Fungi, bacteria, fastidious

vascular bacteria, virus, viroids, phytoplasma, spiroplasma, algae, protozoa, nematodes, phanerogamic

parasites. Diseases due to abiotic /biotic causes: Causes/ factors affecting disease developmentdisease triangle and tetrahedron.Fungi-.Bacteria-Viruses and mollicutes-Morphology, classification,

reproduction, transmission, dispersal and survival. Categories of diseases-IDM; Epidemiology:

Factors affecting disease development. Principles and methods of plant disease managementsymptoms, etiology, disease cycle and management of diseases of rice, wheat, sugarcane, groundnut,

pulses, vegetables, tubers, citrus, mango, banana, grapevine, pineapple, papaya, guava, sapota,

cashew, apple, coconut, arecanut, cocoa, black pepper, ginger, cardamom, tree spices, oil palm,

betelvine, coffee, tea, rubber and ornamentals.Methods of control: Host plant resistance, cultural,

mechanical, physical, legislative, biological and chemical control. Survey, surveillance and forecasting

of diseases.Development and validation of IDM module- IDM programmes in cereals, vegetables,

pulses, tuber crops,spices and plantation crops and ornamentals.

Part III: CROP IMPROVEMENT

Module 5: PLANT BREEDING AND GENETICS

Heredity, Mendelian principles of heredity, Cell division –.Mutation, classification, Methods of

inducing mutation & CIB technique, mutagenic agents and induction of mutation. Qualitative &

Quantitative traits, Polygenes and continuous variations, multiple factor hypothesis, Domestication,

Acclimatization, Multiline concept. Hardy-Weinberg Law, Genetic basis and methods of breeding

cross pollinated crops, modes of selection; Heterosis and inbreeding depression, development of inbred

lines and hybrids, composite and synthetic varieties. Major breeding objectives for crop improvement

and procedures including conventional and modern innovative approaches for development of hybrids

and varieties for yield, adaptability, stability, abiotic and biotic stress tolerance and quality. Seed

production technology in self pollinated, cross pollinated and vegetatively propagated crops. Hybrid

seed production technology in Maize, Rice, Sorghum, Pearl millet and Pigeonpea, etc. Ideotype

concept and climate resilient crop varieties for future. Germplasm – Methods of conservation and

utilization in crop improvement. Micropropagation -organogenesis and embryogenesis-different stages of

micropropagation - commercial micropropagation, quality assurance of tissue culture plants. Plant

tissue culture for crop improvement. Intellectual Property Rights – meaning, GATT, WTO, TRIPs,

WIPO, patents, copyrights, trademark, industrial design, geographical indications, integrated circuits,

trade secrets. Patent Act 1970 and patent system in India.

MODULE 6: SEED AND SEED TECHNOLOGY

Seed certification, field inspection- Foundation and certified seed production of important cereals

(Rice, wheat and maize), pulses (Cowpea, mung, urd, pigeonpea, field bean and soyabean), oilseeds

(Sesame, coconut, sunflower, groundnut), fodder (Guinea grass, napier grass and lucern), and

vegetables (Bhindi, tomato, brinjal, chillies and cucurbitaceous vegetables). Seed Act and Seed Act

enforcement- Central Seed Committee, Central Seed Certification Board, State Seed Certification

Agency, Central and State Seed Testing Laboratories. Seeds Control Order 1983 and Seed Bill 2004,

IPR- Intellectual Property Rights

PART –III OTHERS

Module 7: HORTICULTURE

Horticulture - area, production, productivity of horticultural crops in India and Kerala – branches of

horticulture – major fruit crops (Pomology) – importance, nutritional value, production technologies.

Commercial orchards, gardens and plantations – selection of site for crops - climate, soil, socioeconomic factors; Techniques of training and pruning , problems of unfruitfulness - internal factors,

external factors. Plant growth regulators in horticulture -.Plant propagation techniques - definition and

basic concepts, type-structures - commercial propagation of horticultural crops; Micro propagation of

horticultural plants .Important seed and herbal classification ,medicinal plants -different methods of

classification, active principles, aromatic plants- Botany, varieties, production technology, active

principles and uses, plantation crops of Kerala – commercially cultivated varieties,production

technologies – improved propagation methods..Ornamental and flowering plants (Floriculture) ––

cultivation of commercial ornamental and flower crops. Gardening and landscaping-scope and methods. Post

harvest management of major horticultural crops of Kerala

MODULE 8: OLERICULTURE

Importance and scope of vegetable crops in India with special reference to Kerala-Production and

management of warm season and cool vegetables of Kerala. Types of vegetable farming-Systems of

vegetable cultivation- traditional and specialized systems; Factors affecting vegetable productionBasic principles in vegetable production- nursery, sowing and transplanting, care and management.

Plant protection special precautions in vegetables- Seed production in cool season vegetables, post

harvest handling- losses; causes and measures to reduce losses; Packing and transport, marketing of

vegetables.

MODULE 9: AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS

.Agricultural economics- Basic concepts: Goods and services, desire, want, demand, utility, cost and

price, wealth, tax, capital, income and welfare. Theories- Utility theory; law of diminishing marginal

utility, equi-marginal utility principle. Agricultural Marketing: Concepts and definitions of market,

marketing, agricultural marketing, market structure, marketing mix and market segmentation,

classification and characteristics of agricultural markets- demand, supply and producer’s surplus of

agri-commodities: nature and determinants of demand and supply of farm products, producer’s

surplus.

Module 10: AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION

Extension Education-Extension Programme planning- Meaning, Process, Principles and Steps in

Programme Development. Extension systems in India: various extension/ agriculture development

programmes launched by ICAR/ Govt. of India (IADP, IAAP, HYVP, KVK, IVLP, ORP, ND, NATP,

NAIP, etc.). New trends in agricultural extension-Various rural development programmes launched by

Govt. of India. Community development-Rural Leadership: concept and definition, types of leaders in

rural context; extension administration. Extension teaching methods- Sociology and Rural sociology.

Management in extension, participatory approaches, entrepreneurship in agriculture, communication

and transfer of technology in agriculture.

NOTE: - It may be noted that apart from the topics detailed above, questions from

other topics prescribed for the educational qualification of the post may also appear

in the question paper. There is no undertaking that all the topics above may be

covered in the question paper

************

DETAILED SYLLABUS FOR THE POST OF LAB ASSISTANT IN APEX SOCIETIES OF CO-OPERATIVE SECTOR IN KERALA /MATSYAFED (Category Nos.: 235/2020, 236/2020, 237/2020) 1. Fish Biochemistry and Nutritional Value - composition of fishmoisture, proteins, lipids, minerals, vitamins and non-protein nitrogen components. Nutritive value of fish – essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, squalene, peptides, collagen. Vitamins in fish – water soluble and fat soluble- minerals of nutritive importance- macro elements – trace elements. Fish muscle – structure – protein denaturation – changes during heat processing (10 Marks) 2. Fish Spoilage - Post-mortem changes in fish–rigor mortis- autolysis, enzymatic spoilage, microbial spoilage, spoilage process - rancidityflavour changes. Freshness quality characteristics of fish – physicalchemical- microbial quality -Spoilage indices (10 Marks) 

 3. Fish Preservation - Traditional fish preservation techniques- curingdrying, salting, smoking,marinating, fermenting. Modern fish preservation techniques – chilling, freezing,canning, accelerated freeze drying, irradiation. (10 Marks) 4. Chilling of Fish – principles of low temperature preservation. Chilling methods- icing, refrigerated seawater system, chilled sea water system, refrigerated fish rooms, quality standards of ice - icing practices – types of ice – spoilage in chilled fish. (10 Marks) 5. Freezing of Fish – principles of freezing – methods of freezing - types of freezing- slow freezing – quick freezing – individual quick freezing – immersion freezing – air blast freezing – quality changes in frozen fish – dehydration – fat oxidation– drip loss- frozen storage – transportation of frozen fish- cold chain. (10 Marks) 6. Canning – principle of canning – thermal death time- canning processtypes of can – seaming –retortable pouches - spoilage in canned fishbotulism (10 Marks) 

 7. Fish Packaging – principles of fish packaging - packaging materials – properties – flexible packaging materials – biodegradable packaging materials – vacuum packaging – modified atmosphere packaging - labelling – standards of packaging materials (10 Marks) 8. Fishery By products- fish meal, fish oil, fish hydrolysate, fish protein concentrate, fish ensilage, isinglass, fish paste, fish pickles, value added fish products battered &breading – fish wafers, surimi and surimi based value added products. Shrimp shell products- chitin- chitosan, glucosamine hydrochloride, seaweed products. (10 Marks) 9. Quality Control in Fish – organoleptic quality assessment- snsory, biochemical and microbial quality evaluation – spoilage bacteria and pathogenic bacteria – quality standards of fish and fishery products.Additives in fish- adulterants and prohibited chemicals. (10 Marks) 10. Handling of Fish onboard Fishing Vessels- landing centres, transportation, sanitation in fishing vessels, landing centres, processing centres. Standard sanitary operating practices, good manufacturing practices, traceability, HACCP, seafood safety standards, role of FSSAI. (10 Marks) ******** NOTE: - It may be noted that apart from the topics detailed above, questions from other topics prescribed for the educational qualification of the post may also appear in the question paper. There is no undertaking that all the topics above may be covered in the question paper