Agriculture Syllabus

Candidates will be required to answer questions from Sections (A) and (B) or Sections (A) and (C) below:

(A) Agricultural Economics: Meaning and scope of agricultural economics, significance of study and its relationship with other sciences, importance of agriculture in Indian Economy, contribution to national income, comparison with other countries, study of significant economic problems in Indian agricultural production, marketing, Labour, credit, etc. Nature of study of farm management, its meaning and scope, relation to other physical and social sciences, concepts and basic principles in farm management. Types and systems of farming; determining factors. Planning for profitable use of land, water, labour and equipment, methods of measuring farm efficiency, nature and purpose of farm book-keeping, farm records and accounts, financial accounting; enterprise accounting and complete cost accounting.

(B) Agronomy: Crop Production-Detailed study of KHARIF crops; Paddy, Maize, Jowar, Bajra, Groundnut, Til, Cotton, Sunhemp, Moong, Urd with reference to their introduction, distribution, seedbed preparation, improved varieties; sowing and seed-rate inter-culture, harvesting and physical inputs of production of crops.

Detailed study of important RABI crops: Wheat, Barley, Gram, Mustard, Sugarcane, Tobacco, Berseem with reference to their origin, history, distribution, soil and climate requirements, seedbed preparation, improved varieties, sowing and seed-rate inter-culture, harvesting, storing physical inputs of crops.

Weeds and Weed Control-Classification of weeds: habitat and characteristics of important weeds of India. Injurious effects and losses caused by weeds, chief agencies of weed dissemination, cultural, biological and chemical control of weeds.

Principles of Irrigation and Drainage-Necessity and sources of irrigation water, water requirements of crops, common water lifts, duty of water, prevention of wastage of irrigation water, system and methods of irrigation, advantages and limitations of each method. Measurement of irrigation of water.

Soil moisture, different forms of soil moisture and their importance. Drainage and its necessity, harm caused by excessive water, methods of drainage.

(C) Soil Science and Soil Conservation: Definition of soil, its main components, soil profile, soil-mineral colloids, cation exchange capacity, base-saturation percentage ion exchange, essential nutrients for plant growth, their forms in the soil and their role in plant nutrition.

Soil organic matter, its decomposition and its effects on soil fertility. Acid and alkali soils, their formation and reclamation. Effects of organic manures, green manures and fertilizers on soil properties, properties of common nitrogenous, phosphatic and potassic fertilizers.

Mechanical composition and soil texture, soil pore space, soil structure, soil water, types of soil water; its retention, movement, availability and measurement of soil water. Soil temperature, soil air and its importance. Soil structure, its forms and their effects on the physio-chemical properties of soil.

Soil Morphology and Soil Surveying-Earth's crust; soil forming rocks and minerals; their composition and importance in soil formation. Weathering of rocks and minerals, factors, and processes of soil formation, great soil groups of the World and their agricultural importance. Study of Indian soil. Soil survey and classification.

Principles of Soil Conservation-Soil Erosion, factors effecting erosion, soil conservation, soil properties in relation to agronomic and engineering practices, land drainage, needs and practices for agricultural lands, land use classification, soil conservation, planning and program.