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
13. FRUIT SCIENCE/POMOLOGY

Unit 1: Tropical and Dry Land Fruit Production

• Commercial varieties of fruits
• Eco-physiological requirements
• Recent trends in propagation
• Scion-stock relationship
• Planting systems
• Cropping systems
• Canopy management
• Nutrient management
• Water management
• Fertigation
• Role of bio-regulators
• Abiotic factors limiting fruit production
• Physiology of flowering, pollination, fruit set, and development
• Honeybees in cross-pollination
• Physiological disorders, causes, and remedies
• Quality improvement
• Maturity indices
• Harvesting, grading, packing
• Storage and ripening techniques
• Industrial and export potential
• Agri. Export Zones (AEZ) and industrial supports
• Crops covered: Mango, Banana, Citrus, Papaya, Guava, Sapota, Annonas, Aonla, Bael, Wood apple, Jamun, Pomegranate, Ber, and minor fruits of the tropics.

Unit 2: Subtropical and Temperate Fruit Production

• Commercial varieties of fruits
• Eco-physiological requirements
• Recent trends in propagation
• Scion-stock relationship
• Planting systems
• Cropping systems
• Root zone and canopy management
• Nutrient management
• Water management
• Fertigation
• Role of bio-regulators
• Abiotic factors limiting fruit production
• Physiology of flowering, pollination, fruit set, and development
• Honeybees in cross-pollination
• Physiological disorders, causes, and remedies
• Quality improvement
• Maturity indices
• Harvesting, grading, packing
• Storage and ripening techniques
• Industrial and export potential
• Agri. Export Zones (AEZ) and industrial supports
• Crops covered: Avocado, Pineapple, Jackfruit, Mangosteen, Carambola, Fig, Rambutan, Litchi, Loquat, Apple, Pear, Quince, Grapes, Plums, Peach, Apricot, Cherries, Persimmon, Kiwifruit, Strawberry, Walnut, Almond, Pistachio, Hazelnut.

Unit 3: Biodiversity and Conservation

• Biodiversity and conservation
• Centres of origin of cultivated fruits
• Genetic diversity centers
• Germplasm exploration and collection
• Conservation in-situ and ex-situ
• Germplasm conservation techniques
• Intellectual property rights
• Regulatory horticulture
• Detection of genetic constitution of germplasm
• GIS and documentation of local biodiversity
• Geographical indication
• Crops covered: Mango, Sapota, Citrus, Guava, Banana, Papaya, Grapes, Jackfruit, Custard apple, Ber, Aonla, Malus & Prunus sp., Litchi, Nuts.

Unit 4: Canopy Management in Fruit Crops

• Importance and advantages of canopy management
• Factors affecting canopy development
• Canopy types and structures
• Geometry of planting
• Canopy manipulation for optimal light utilization
• Light interception and distribution
• Spacing and land area utilization
• Canopy management through rootstock and scion
• Canopy management through plant growth retardants, training, pruning, and other practices
• Canopy development and management in relation to growth, flowering, fruiting, and fruit quality
• Crops covered: Temperate fruits, Grapes, Mango, Sapota, Guava, Citrus, Ber.

Unit 5: Breeding of Fruit Crops

• Origin, distribution, and taxonomy of fruit crops
• Genetic resources and breeding systems
• Breeding objectives and constraints
• Approaches for crop improvement
• Biotechnological interventions
• Crop-specific breeding achievements and future thrust
• Crops covered: Mango, Banana, Pineapple, Citrus, Grapes, Guava, Sapota, Jackfruit, Papaya, Custard apple, Aonla, Avocado, Ber, Litchi, Jamun, Phalsa, Mulberry, Raspberry, Apple, Pear, Plums, Peach, Apricot, Cherries, Strawberry.

Unit 6: Post-Harvest Technology

• Maturity indices and harvesting practices
• Grading for market requirements
• Influence of pre-harvest practices
• Physiology and biochemistry of fruit ripening
• Ethylene management
• Factors leading to post-harvest loss
• Pre-cooling and treatment prior to shipment
• Packaging methods and transport
• Quality evaluation and preservation
• Food processing and safety standards
• Role of HACCP

Unit 7: Growth and Development

• Definitions and parameters of growth and development
• Growth dynamics and morphogenesis
• Environmental impacts on growth and development
• Hormonal regulation
• Assimilate partitioning
• Influence of water and mineral nutrition
• Biosynthesis of plant growth regulators
• Developmental physiology and biochemistry
• Growth and development during stress
• Manipulation of growth and development
• Molecular and genetic approaches

Unit 8: Biotechnology of Fruit Crops

• Biotechnology for crop improvement
• In vitro culture techniques
• Callus culture, somatic embryogenesis, and organogenesis
• Use of bioreactors
• Micropropagation
• Hardening of tissue culture plants
• Clonal propagation
• Genetic engineering and transformation
• Use of molecular markers
• Application of gene editing tools

Unit 9: Protected Fruit Culture

• Greenhouse design and types
• Environmental factors
• Basics of greenhouse design
• Interaction of light, temperature, humidity, CO2, and water
• Greenhouse heating, cooling, and ventilation
• Ventilation types and techniques
• Microcontrollers and automation
• Pest and disease management

Unit 10: Principles and Practices of Plant Propagation

• Sexual propagation and seed germination
• Rooting of cuttings
• Selection of elite mother plants
• Establishment of bud wood bank
• Stock, scion, and interstock relationship
• Physiology of dwarfing rootstocks
• Rejuvenation of orchards
• Micropropagation
• In vitro mutation and genetic engineering
• Preservation of genetic resources