AGRICULTURE

1. IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE
Importance of Agriculture in Indian Economy and its sectoral relationship - Agricultural Development through five year plans in India - Growth pattern of crops in India in terms of area, production and productivity.

2. CROP PRODUCTION
Factors of Production - Agricultural seasons of India - Cropping patterns in India - package of practices of different crops - Agro-Climatic zones of India and their features - Weather and Climate - Weather forecasting. Soil - Soil structure - Factors influencing soil structure - Physical and Chemical properties - Effect of nutrient availability and plant growth - Problem soils and their management - Soil survey - its objectives and scope - Soil fertility and productivity - Organic manures, green manures, bio fertilizers - Balanced usage - integrated nutrient management - Physiological disorders in crop plants and their management - Dry farming - Rainfed agriculture - Conservation of soil and water - Watershed and waste land development.

3. CROP IMPROVEMENT
Principles of breeding - Breeding methods - Modern tools in crop improvement - Hybrid production - Latest varieties of major crops - Application of bio technology in Agriculture - Tissue culture & its significance - Transgenic Plants. Seeds - Importance of quality seeds in Agriculture - Nucleus, Breeder, foundation, certified and labelled seeds - Seed certification techniques and processes - Seed testing - Used village concept.

4. CROP PROTECTION
Importance of pest, disease and weed management in agriculture - pest and disease surveillance and forecasting weather on pest and disease incidence - Symptoms of damages and control measures of pest and diseases of major crops - Integrated post and disease management in crop production - Pesticide and their use - Pattern - plant production equipments and their use - Plant quarantine. Storage pests and disease and their management. Importance of biological control in insect management. Weeds - Major weeds and their control.

5. CROP MANAGEMENT
Land use pattern and planning - Size and distribution of holdings - types and systems of farming - Water resources development and management - Irrigation management of different crops - Command area development - Ground water Development and Conjunctive use - Water use efficiency - Quality of irrigation water - Its effect in soil and crops - Management of poor quality water for crop growth. Cropping system and integrated farming - Recycling of agricultural waste - Mushroom cultivation, bee keeping, silkwork rearing etc., Engery in Agricultural production - Sources - Solar, wind, animal, biomass and biogas - Mechnisation in agriculture - Tractors & tillers - Agricultural implemets and Machineries and their usage. Farm management - Principles of farm business management - Cost concepts - Management of resources - Farm Planning and budgeting - Investment analysis - Agricultural credit system in India - Multi credit delivery system - Role of nationalised banks and Regional Rural Banks - Lead Bank Scheme - Service area - approach - Scale of finance. Marketing - Agricultural marketing and price policy of Agricultural commodities - Market structure - Warehouses & rural godowns - Post harvest technologies - Agri business management - Marketing Institutions. Policies for agricultural development - Economic liberalisation - WTO and its impact on agricultural export. Extension methods for transfer of technology - Agriocultural Information technology - Role of women in Agriculture.