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 OPERATOR GRADE III IN APES SOCIETIES OF CO-OPERATIVE SECTOR IN KERALA/ KERALA STATE CO-OPERATIVE FEDERATION FOR FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT LIMITED(MATSYAFED) (Category No. 241/2020, 242/2020) FITTER MODULE – I (10 Marks) Safety - Importance of safety, general safety, personal safety, machine safety precautions. Personal protective equipments and its applications. First Aid - Importance of first aid, basic first aid, ABC of first aid,aim of firstaid, methods of giving first aid to the victim. Fire – Fire triangle, class of fire, fire extinguisher, type of fire extinguisher, fire extinguisher recommended for each class of fire. Handling of waste material – Waste material, list of waste material,methods of waste disposal. Shop floor maintenance – Benefits of shop floor maintenance, introductionto 5 S concept, its applications and benefits. MODULE – II (10 Marks) Units – Units of linear and angular measurements, SI, CGS, MKS, FPS units,fundamental units and supplementary units, Unit conversions. Linear measuring tools – outside calliper, inside calliper, steel rule, depth gauge, vernier calliper, vernier height gauge, micrometers – constructional features, working principle, least count, applications, care and maintenance Angular measuring tools – bevel gauge, universal bevel gauge, bevel protractor, combination set, vernier bevel protractor – constructional features, working principle, least count, applications, care and maintenance. Sine bar, slip gauge and dial test indicator – constructional features, working principle, applications, care and maintenance. MODULE – III (10 Marks) Hand tools – File, hack saw & blade, chisel, punch, hammer, jenny calliper, divider, tap & tap wrench, die & die stock, drill bit, reamer, scriber – type, use, constructional features, specifications, care and maintenance. Gauges – Feeler gauge, SWG, screw pitch gauge, snap gauges, limit gauges, radius gauge, telescopic gauge, small hole gauge – use, constructional features, care and maintenance. Marking media – White wash, Prussian blue, copper sulphate, cellulose lacquer – type, 

applications, preparation, advantages & disadvantages. Holding and Supporting devices – Bench vice, machine vice, pipe vice, hand vice, pin vice, tool makers vice, V-block, parallel block, surface plate, angle plate, marking off table – type, use, constructional features, specifications, care and maintenance. MODULE – IV (10 Marks) Engineering materials – metals & non metals Metals – ferrous metals – pig iron, wrought iron, cast iron, plane carbon steel – ore, manufacturing process, properties, uses, melting points. Non ferrous metals – copper, aluminium, tin, led, zinc – ore, manufacturing process, properties, uses, melting points. Furnaces – cupola furnace, blast furnace – other making process of metals. Heat treatment process – hardening, tempering, annealing, normalizing, case hardening – process, applications, important temperatures points. Importance of safety and general precautions observed in welding shop Welding – principle of welding, types of welding – forge welding, arc welding, Gas welding , method of operation, tools and equipments used for welding – arc Welding equipments, gas welding plant, gases used in gas welding, types of Flames, types of joints in welding. Soldering – Soldering iron – type, specification, uses, Solder – soft solder, hard solder, composition of various type of solder and their applications, Heating media of soldering iron, flux type, selection and applications Rivets – Type, size and selection for various works, method of riveting MECHANICAL MODULE – V (10 Marks) Introduction to Engine: Description of internal &external combustion Engines, Classification of IC engines, Principle & working of 2&4-stroke diesel engine, compression ignition Engine (C.I), Principle of Spark Ignition Engine(SI), Differentiate between 2-Stroke and 4 stroke, C.I Engine and S.I Engine Petrol Engine Basics: 4-stroke spark-ignition Engines- 

Basic 4-stroke Principles. Sparkignition Engine components- Basic Engine components, Engine Cams & camshaft, Engine Power transfer, Scavenging, Counter weights, Piston Components. Intake & exhaust systems –Electronic fuel injection Systems, Exhaust systems. Intake system components, Air cleaners, Carburettor air Cleaners, EFI air cleaners, Intake manifolds, Intake air Heating. Gasoline Fuel Systems:Description of Gasoline fuel, Gasoline fuel characteristics, Controlling fuel burn, Stoichiometric ratio, Air, density, Fuel supply system MODULE – VI (10 Marks) Power Transmission – Belt drive, chain drive, gear drive Belt drive – types of belt, size, specification, material, selection of type of belt, advantages and disadvantages of belt drive, calculation of length of belt and slip. Chain drive – Types of chain, types of sprocket, specification of chain and sprocket, advantages and disadvantages of chain drive. Gear drive – Type of gear, parts of gear, type of gear drives, specifications, advantages and disadvantages of gear drive, calculation of gear drive. Other elements in power transmission – pulleys, shaft, bearing, clutches, keys, pins – type, specification, uses. Lubrications – methods of lubrication, lubricants used, method of application, uses. MODULE – VII (10 Marks) Limit, Fit, Tolerance – interchangeability, necessity in engineering field, definition BIS, definition and type of limit, terminology of limits and fits, basic size, actual size, deviation, high and low limits of size, zero line, tolerance zone. Different standard systems of fits and limits, British standard systems,

 BIS systems. Methods of expressing tolerance as per BIS. Fit – definition, type – clearance, transition, interference – description of each. Limit systems – hole basis and shaft basis systems. Fundamental deviations and fundamental tolerance. Thread – Types of thread, features of thread, applications of thread, thread cutting operations. ELECTRICAL MODULE – VIII (10 Marks) Fundamentals of electricity, definitions, units & effects of electric current. Conductors and insulators. Conducting materials and their comparison. MODULE – IX (10 Marks) Ohm’s Law; Simple electrical circuits and problems-Kirchoff’s Laws and applications. Series and parallel circuits - Open and short circuits in series and parallel networks Laws of Resistance and various types of resistors.- Wheatstone bridge; principle and its applications. Effect of variation of temperature on resistance. Different methods of measuring the values of resistance. Series and parallel combinations of resistors. MODULE – X (10 Marks) Conventional and nonconventional sources of energy and their comparison. Power generation by thermal and hydel power plants Various ways of electrical power generation by non-conventional methods. Power generation by solar and wind energy. Principle and operation of solar panel. 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 *****************