SYLLABUS FOR ICAR AICE PHD JRF/SRF (PGS) EXAM FOR 15 SPICES, PLANTATION, MEDICINAL & AROMATIC PLANTS

SYLLABUS FOR THE ALL INDIA COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION FOR

ADMISSION TO DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAMMES AND THE AWARD OF

JRF/SRF (PGS):

SYLLABUS FOR ICAR AICE PHD JRF/SRF (PGS) EXAM FOR

15 SPICES, PLANTATION, MEDICINAL & AROMATIC PLANTS

Unit 1: Production Technology of Plantation Crops

• Role of plantation crops in the national economy
• Export potential and IPR issues
• Clean development mechanism
• Classification and varietal diversity
• Plant multiplication and in vitro multiplication
• Systems of cultivation
• Photosynthetic efficiencies and environmental factors
• High-density planting
• Nutritional requirements
• Physiological disorders
• Role of growth regulators
• Water and nutrient management
• Fertigation
• Shade regulation
• Weed management
• Training and pruning
• Maturity indices
• Harvesting
• Post-harvest processing
• Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
• Organic farming
• Management of drought
• Precision farming
• Role of commodity boards and developmental institutions

Unit 2: Production Technology of Spice Crops

• Introduction and importance of spice crops
• Botany, taxonomy, and site selection
• Seed/planting material production
• Sowing/planting times and methods
• Seed rate and seed treatment
• Nutritional and irrigation requirements
• Intercropping and intercultural operations
• Weed control and mulching
• Physiological disorders
• Harvesting and post-harvest management
• Plant protection measures
• Precision farming
• Quality control
• Role of commodity boards in spice development

Unit 3: Production Technology of Medicinal and Aromatic Crops

• Herbal industry and WTO scenario
• Export and import status
• Indian system of medicine and Indigenous Traditional Knowledge
• IPR issues
• Systems of cultivation
• Organic production
• Role of institutions and NGOs
• GAP in medicinal crop production
• Post-harvest handling, drying, processing, grading, packing, and storage
• Quality control and regulations
• Phytochemical extraction techniques
• Aromatic industry and advancements
• Distillation methods and solvent extraction
• Quality analysis and value addition
• Institutional support and international promotion

Unit 4: Breeding of Plantation, Spice, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops

• Species and cultivars
• Cytogenetics and genetic diversity
• Blossom biology
• Breeding objectives and approaches
• Improvement of quality traits
• Resistance breeding for biotic and abiotic stresses
• Molecular-aided breeding and biotechnological approaches
• Marker-assisted selection
• Bioinformatics
• IPR issues
• Achievements and future thrusts

Unit 5: Processing of Plantation Crops, Spices, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

• Commercial uses of spices and plantation crops
• Processing of major spices and plantation crops
• Extraction of oleoresin and essential oils
• Different methods of drying and storage
• Microbial contamination
• Extraction and analysis of active principles
• Distillation and solvent extraction from aromatic plants
• Study of aroma compounds and value addition

Unit 6: Organic Spice and Plantation Crop Production Technology

• Importance and principles of organic production
• Perspective and concept of organic production
• Soil fertility management
• Pest and disease management
• Weed control
• Crop rotation in organic horticulture
• Composting and green manure
• Indigenous methods and biodynamics
• Certification of organic products
• Organic production and export opportunities and challenges