BPSC Bihar Block Agriculture Officer Recruitment: Syllabus (Agronomy)

BPSC Bihar Block Agriculture Officer Recruitment 2024:

Syllabus broken down into bulleted points:

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Syllabus for Bihar Agriculture Service Category-1 (Agronomy) Paper-1:

–

I. Meaning and Scope of Agronomy:

• Meaning and scope of Agronomy
• National and International Agricultural Research Institutes of India
• Agro-climatic zones of India and Bihar
• Weather and climate
• Microclimate
• Weather elements
• Formation and classification of clouds
• Basics of weather forecasting
• Dry land agriculture
• Area, production, and productivity of major crops in India and Bihar
• Tillage
• Crop stand establishment
• Planting geometry and its effect on growth and yields of cropping systems
• Harvesting
• Classification of crops
• Concept of multiple cropping (multistoried, relay, and intercropping) and their importance in relation to food production
• Basic elements of crop production
• Factors affecting crop production
• Irrigation: definition, objectives, water resources, and irrigation development in India and Bihar
• Soil-plant water relationships
• Definition, principles, and components of organic farming
• Sustainable agriculture: introduction, definition, goal, and current concepts
• Factors affecting ecological balance and ameliorative measures
• Land degradation and conservation of natural resources
• Definition, principles, and components of farming systems

II. Plant Physiology:

• Plant cell: an overview
• Diffusion and osmosis
• Absorption of water, transpiration, and stomatal physiology
• Mineral nutrition of plants: functions and deficiency symptoms of nutrients, nutrient uptake mechanisms
• Photosynthesis: Light and Dark reactions, C3, C4, and CAM plants
• Respiration: Glycolysis, TCA cycle, and electron transport chain
• Plant growth regulators: physiological roles and agricultural uses
• Physiological aspects of growth and development of major crops
• Growth analysis
• Role of physiological growth parameters in crop productivity

III. Plant Breeding and Genetics:

• Indian history of Plant Breeding
• Major objectives and achievements of plant breeding in India
• Centre of diversity and its importance in crop improvement
• Nature of pollination of crops
• Parthenocarpy in plants
• Germplasm conservation and its utilization
• Concept of gene and gene pool
• Hybridization and methods of handling segregating generations
• Mass selection, back cross method, recurrent selection
• Crop ideotype: concept and importance
• Male sterility and self-incompatibility mechanisms and their utilization in crop improvement
• Pure line, Synthetic, and composite variety and their development
• Hybrid production and importance in different crop plants
• Wide hybridization and constraints related to it
• Mutation and types of mutagens
• Quantitative and qualitative characters
• Components of genetic variation, correlation, and regression
• Cell division: mitosis and meiosis
• Mendel's laws of inheritance and their exceptions
• Linkage and crossing over
• Polyploidy and its importance in crop breeding
• Totipotency in plants
• Meristem culture, anther culture
• Transgenic: achievements and future prospects
• Plant breeder's rights and regulation for plant variety protection

IV. Seed Science and Technology:

• Basic principles of seed production
• Kinds of seed and Indian Seed Act 1966
• Seed Act and Seed Act enforcement
• Duty and powers of seed inspector, offences, and penalties
• Seeds Control Order 1983
• Varietal Identification through Grow Out Test and Electrophoresis
• Molecular and Biochemical tests
• Seed storage: general principles, stages, and factors affecting seed longevity during storage
• Measures for pest and disease control during storage
• Seed marketing: structure and organization, sales generation activities, promotional media
• Factors affecting seed marketing

V. Entomology and Plant Pathology:

• Economic importance of insects
• General morphology and anatomy of insects
• Classification of insects
• Apiculture, sericulture, and lac culture
• Important insect and non-insect pests of important field crops, vegetables, orchard, and plantation crops and their management
• Storage pests and their management
• Integrated pest management
• Biological control of pests
• Plant quarantine measures
• Different categories of pesticides, their formulation, and modes of action
• Insect toxicology and concept of LD50/LC50
• MRL and waiting period
• Recent techniques of pest management
• Plant protection equipment and its application in pest management
• Insecticide act, 1968 & puts, 1971
• Introduction, important plant pathogenic organisms (fungi, bacteria, fastidious vesicular bacteria, phytoplasmas, Spiroplasmas, viruses, viroids, algae, Protozoa, and phanerogamic parasites) with examples of diseases caused by them
• General characters, reproduction, and classification of fungi
• Definition and objectives of Plant Pathology
• Survival and Dispersal of Plant Pathogens
• Plant disease epidemiology
• General principles of plant disease management
• Integrated plant disease management (IDM)
• Economic importance, symptoms, cause, epidemiology, and disease cycle of important diseases of important field crops, vegetables, horticultural crops and their management
• General characteristics of plant pathogenic nematodes
• Morphology and biology of nematodes
• Classification of nematodes up to family level with emphasis
• General symptoms caused by nematodes and their management

VI. Agricultural Economics and Rural Development:

• Public Finance: meaning, principles, sources, Direct Tax, Indirect Tax
• Nationalized and Commercial Banking System
• Agricultural Credit
• Agricultural Co-operative Structure and Function
• Agricultural Marketing: definition, classification, marketable surplus, marketed surplus, Marketing Channel, Price-Spread, Market Structure
• Agricultural Price Policy
• FCI, SWC, CWC, APMC, State Trading
• Production Economics: Classical Production Function, Relationships between output and input
• Agri-Business Management, Product Life Cycle, strategies in different stages of PLC, pricing and promotion strategies, Marketing mix, Capital Management, Balance Sheet, project loss statement, Project Life Cycle

VII. Horticulture:

• Definition and importance of horticulture
• Classification of horticulture
• Area and production of different fruit, vegetables, and flower crops planting systems, high-density planting
• Planning and establishment of new orchard
• Propagation methods and use of growth regulators in horticultural crops
• Package of practices of important fruits, vegetables, and ornamental crops
• Maturity indices
• Harvesting and postharvest handling of fruits and vegetables
• Pre-harvest factors affecting quality and postharvest shelf life of fruits and vegetables
• Principles of preservation by heat, low temperature, chemicals, and fermentation
• Preparation of jams, jellies, preserves, pickles, ketchup, sauce

VIII. Agricultural Extension and Communication:

• Agricultural extension, its importance
• Extension teaching methods
• Etawah Pilot Project
• Community Development Programme
• Panchayati Raj System
• High Yielding Variety Programme
• National Demonstration Programme
• Krishi Vigyan Kendra, AIMA, Institutional Village Linkage Programme (IVLP)
• IRDP
• Demonstrations
• Leadership, Attitude, Knowledge, Skill, Training, Communication skill, Local leaders
• Adoption and Diffusion
• Innovations and their characteristics
• Kisan Call Centers
• Entrepreneurship in Agriculture
• SWOT analysis

IX. Information Technology in Agriculture:

• Concepts and components of e-Agriculture, concepts and applications
• Use of ICT in Agriculture
• Smartphone Apps in Agriculture for farm advises, market price, postharvest management, etc.
• Geospatial technology for generating valuable agri-information
• Decision support systems, concepts, components, and applications in Agriculture
• Agriculture Expert System
• Soil Information Systems, etc. for supporting Farm decisions
• Preparation of contingent crop-planning using IT tools

***

Syllabus for Bihar Agriculture Service Category-1 (Agronomy) Paper-2:

–

I. Crop Production:

• Origin, geographic distribution, economic importance, soil and climatic requirements, varieties, cultural practices, and yield of crops:
• Cereals: Rice, Maize, Sorghum, Pearl millet, minor millets, Wheat, Barley
• Pulses: Pigeon pea, Mungbean, Urdbean, Chickpea, Lentil, Peas, Bean
• Oilseeds: Groundnut, Sesame, Soybean, Rapeseed and mustard, Sunflower, Safflower, and Linseed
• Sugar crops: Sugarcane and Sugar beet
• Fiber crops: Cotton, Jute, and Sunhemp
• Medicinal and aromatic crops: Mentha, Lemon grass, Citronella, Isabgol
• Commercial crops: Potato and Tobacco
• Forage crops: Sorghum, Maize, Cowpea, Cluster bean, Napier, Berseem, Lucerne, and Oat
• Calculation of seed rate, fertilizers, weedicide, and yield estimation
• Preparation of cropping scheme for irrigated and dry land situations

II. Precision Agriculture and Nanotechnology:

• Precision agriculture: concepts and techniques, issues, and concerns for Indian agriculture
• Geo-informatics: GIS, GPS, and Remote sensing concepts and application in agriculture
• Nanotechnology: definition, concepts, and techniques, nano-particles, nano-pesticides, nano-fertilizers, nano-sensors
• Use of nanotechnology in seed, water, fertilizer, plant protection for scaling-up farm productivity

III. Soil Science and Soil Health:

• Pedological and Edaphological concepts
• Earth Crust, Composition, and weathering of rocks and minerals
• Factors and processes of soil formation
• Types of soil, production importance, and their management
• Concept of soil quality and soil health: physical, chemical, and biological indicators
• Movement of soil water
• Soil health assessment techniques
• Soil as a source of plant nutrients
• Criteria of nutrient essentiality and their function, forms of nutrients in soil
• Mechanism of nutrient transport to plants and factors affecting nutrient availability to plants
• Acidic, calcareous, and salt-affected soils: characteristics, nutrient availabilities, and reclamation (Mechanical, chemical, and biological methods)
• Fertilizers and insecticides and their effect on soil
• Indian standards for water quality
• Use of saline water in agriculture
• Different approaches to soil fertility evaluation
• Role of microbes in soil fertility and crop production: Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulphur cycles
• Biological nitrogen fixation: symbiotic, associative, and asymbiotic
• Azolla, blue-green algae, and mycorrhiza
• Rhizosphere and phyllosphere
• Microbes in human welfare: silage production, biofertilizers, biopesticides, biofuel production, and biodegradation of agro-waste

IV. Irrigation and Water Management:

• Methods of soil moisture estimation
• Crop water requirement
• Scheduling of irrigation
• Methods of irrigation: surface, sprinkler, and drip irrigation
• Irrigation efficiency and water use efficiency
• Conjunctive use of water
• Irrigation water quality and its management
• Water management of important field crops
• Agricultural drainage

V. Organic Farming and Rainfed Agriculture:

• Organic farming: introduction, concept, relevance in the present context
• Organic production requirement
• Biological intensive nutrient management
• Recycling of organic residues
• Bio-fertilizers
• Soil improvement and amendments
• Integrated diseases and pest management
• Quality considerations, certification, labeling, and accreditation processes
• Marketing and exports
• Rainfed agriculture: introduction, types, history, and watershed in India
• Problems and prospects of rainfed agriculture in India
• Soil and climatic conditions prevalent in rainfed areas
• Soil and water conservation techniques
• Drought: types, effects of water deficit on physio-morphological characteristics of plants
• Crop adaptation and mitigation to drought
• Water harvesting: importance, techniques, efficient utilization of water through soil and crop management practices
• Management of crops in rainfed areas
• Contingent crop planning for aberrant weather conditions
• Concept, objective, principles, and components of watershed management
• Factors affecting watershed management

VI. Farming Systems and Weed Management:

• Definition, principles, and components of Farming Systems
• Useful IFS modules for lowland, upland, and dryland situations
• Principles of integration of different enterprises for the preparation of farming system modules
• Utilization of wasteland through farming systems
• Maintenance of records of IFS modules and evaluation of IFS modules against existing farming systems
• Weeds: their characteristics, harmful and beneficial effects, classification, multiplication, and dissemination
• Crop-weed competition
• Physical, cultural, chemical, and biological control of weeds
• Integrated weed management
• Herbicide classification, formulations, methods of application
• Weed management in major field and horticultural crops
• Aquatic and problematic weeds and their control

VII. Nutrient Management and Farm Economics:

• Fertilizers and manures: types, application, methods, nutrient use efficiency, and integrated nutrient management
• Factors influencing nutrient use efficiency
• Biofertilizers and their advantages
• Preparation of organic manures: vermicompost, FYM, green manuring
• Measures to overcome deficiencies and toxicities of nutrients
• Types and systems of farming
• Farm planning and budgeting
• Risk and Uncertainty
• Principles of production and costs
• Cost of cultivation, net returns
• Farm records, Balance sheet, Profit-loss analysis

***

BPSC Bihar Block Agriculture Officer Recruitment 2014: Syllabus(Old)

Syllabus for Bihar Agriculture Service Category-l (Agronomy) Paper-1:

–

1. Meaning and scope of Agronomy
2. National and International Agricultural Research Institutes of India
3. Agro-climatic zones of India and Bihar
4. Weather and climate, microclimate, weather elements
5. Formation and classification of clouds
6. Basics of weather forecasting
7. Dry land agriculture
8. Area, production, and productivity of major crops in India and Bihar
9. Tillage, crops stand establishment, Planting geometry, and its effect on growth and yields of cropping systems
10. Harvesting and classification of crops
11. Concept of multiple cropping, multistoried, relay, and inter-cropping and their importance in relation to food production
12. Basic elements of crop production
13. Factors affecting crop production
14. Irrigation, definition, and objectives
15. Water resources and irrigation development in India and Bihar
16. Soil-plant-water relationships
17. Definition, principles, and components of organic farming
18. Sustainable agriculture: Introduction, definition, goal, and current concepts
19. Factors affecting ecological balance and ameliorative measures
20. Land degradation and conservation of natural resources
21. Application of Remote Sensing, GPS, and GIS techniques in agriculture
22. Pedological and Edaphological concepts
23. Earth Crust, Composition, and weathering of rocks and minerals
24. Factors and processes of soil formation
25. Types of soil, production importance, and their management
26. Concept of soil quality and soil health
27. Movement of soil water
28. Soil health assessment techniques
29. Soil as a source of plant nutrients
30. Criteria of nutrients essentiality and their function
31. Forms of nutrients in soil
32. Mechanism of nutrient transport to plants
33. Acidic, calcareous, and salt-affected soils: characteristics, nutrient availabilities, and reclamation
34. Fertilizer and insecticides and their effect on soil
35. Indian standards for water quality
36. Use of saline water in agriculture
37. Different approaches of soil fertility evaluation
38. Indian history of Plant Breeding
39. Major objectives and achievements of plant breeding in India
40. Centre of diversity and its importance in crop Improvement
41. Nature of Pollination of crops
42. Germplasm conservation and its utilization
43. Concept of gene and gene pool
44. Hybridization & methods of handling segregating generations
45. Mass selection, back cross method, recurrent selection
46. Crop ideotype-concept and importance
47. Male sterility and self-incompatibility-mechanism and their utilization in crop improvement
48. Pure line, Synthetic, and composite variety and their development
49. Hybrid production and importance in different crop plants
50. Wide hybridization and constraints related to it
51. Mutation and types of mutagens
52. Quantitative and qualitative characters
53. Components of genetic variation, correlation, and regression
54. Cell division-mitosis and meiosis
55. Mendel’s laws of inheritance and their exceptions, linkage and crossing over
56. Polyploidy and its importance in crop breeding
57. Tot potency in plant, meristem culture, anther culture
58. Transgenic- achievements and future prospects
59. Plant breeder’s rights and regulation for plant variety protection
60. Basic principles of seed production, kinds of seed, and Indian Seed Act 1966
61. Economic importance of insects
62. General morphology and anatomy of insects
63. Classification of insects
64. Apiculture, sericulture, and lac culture
65. Important insect and noninsect pests of important field crops, vegetables, orchard, and plantation crops and their management
66. Storage pests and their management
67. Integrated pest management
68. Biological control of pests
69. Plant quarantine measures
70. Different categories of pesticides, their formulation and modes of action
71. Insect toxicology and concept of LD50/LC50 MRL and waiting period
72. Recent techniques of pest management
73. Plant protection equipment and its application in pest management
74. Insecticide act, 1968 & rules, 1971
75. Introduction, important plant pathogenic organisms
76. Fungi, bacteria, fastidious vesicular bacteria, phytoplasmas, Spiroplasmas, viruses, viroids, algae, Protozoa, and phanerogamic parasites with examples of diseases caused by them
77. Prokaryotes: classification of prokaryotes according to Bergey’s Manual of systematic Bacteriology
78. General characters, reproduction, and classification of fungi
79. Definition and objectives of Plant Pathology
80. Survival and Dispersal of Plant Pathogens
81. Plant disease epidemiology
82. General principles of plant diseases management
83. Integrated plant disease management (IDM)
84. Economic importance, symptoms, cause, epidemiology, and disease cycle of important field crops, vegetables, Horticultural crops and their management
85. General characteristics of plant pathogenic nematodes
86. Morphology and biology of nematodes
87. Classification of nematodes up to family level with emphasis
88. General symptoms caused by nematodes and their management
89. Public Finance-Meaning, Principle, Sources, Direct Tax, Indirect Tax
90. Nationalized and Commercial Banking System
91. Agricultural Credit
92. Agricultural Co-operative Structure and Function
93. Agricultural Marketing - Definition, classification, marketable surplus & marketed surplus, Marketing Channel, Price-Spread, Market Structure
94. Agricultural Price Policy
95. FCI, SWC, CWC, APMC, State Trading
96. Production Economics - Classical Production Function
97. Relationships between output & input
98. Agri Business Management
99. Product Life Cycle
100. Marketing mix
101. Capital Management
102. Balance Sheet
103. Project toss statement
104. Project Life Cycle
105. Definition and importance of horticulture
106. Classification of horticulture
107. Area and production of different fruit vegetables and flower crops planting systems
108. High-density planting
109. Planning and establishment of new orchard
110. Propagation methods and use of growth regulators in horticultural crops
111. Package of practices of important fruits, vegetables, and ornamental crops
112. Maturity indices, harvesting, and postharvest handling of fruits and vegetables
113. Pre-harvest factors affecting quality on postharvest shelf life of fruits and vegetables
114. Principles of preservation by heat, low temperature, chemicals, and fermentation
115. Preparation of jams, jellies, preserves, pickles, ketchup, sauce
116. Agricultural extension, its importance
117. Extension teaching methods
118. Etawah Pilot Project
119. Community Development Programme
120. Panchayati Raj System
121. High Yielding Variety Programme
122. National Demonstration Programme
123. Krishi Vigyan Kendra, ATMA
124. Institutional Village Linkage Programme ( IVLP)
125. IRDP
126. Demonstrations
127. Leadership
128. Attitude
129. Knowledge
130. Skill
131. Training
132. Communication skill
133. Local leaders
134. Adoption and Diffusion
135. Innovations and their characteristics
136. Kisan Call Centers
137. Entrepreneurship in Agriculture
138. SWOT analysis

***

Syllabus for Bihar Agriculture Service Category-1 (Agronomy) Paper-2:

—

1. Origin, geographic distribution, economic importance, soil and climatic requirement
2. Varieties, cultural practices, and yield of crops - Cereals: rice, maize, sorghum, pearl millet, minor millets, wheat, barley
3. Pulses: pigeon pea, mungbean, urdbean, chickpea, lentil, peas, bean
4. Oilseeds: groundnut, sesame, soybean, rapeseed and mustard, sunflower, safflower, and linseed
5. Sugar crops: sugarcane and sugar beet
6. Fibre crops: cotton, jute, and sunhemp
7. Medicinal and aromatic crops: mentha, lemon grass, citronella, palma rose, isabgol, and posta
8. Commercial crops: potato and tobacco
9. Forage crops: sorghum, maize, cowpea, cluster bean, napier, berseem, Lucerne, and oat
10. Calculation of seed rate, fertilizers, weedicide, and yield estimation
11. Preparation of cropping scheme for irrigated and dry land situations
12. Methods of soil moisture estimation
13. Crop water requirement
14. Scheduling of irrigation
15. Methods of irrigation: surface, sprinkler, and drip irrigation
16. Irrigation efficiency and water use efficiency
17. Conjunctive use of water
18. Irrigation water quality and its management
19. Water management of important field crops
20. Organic farming: Introduction, concept, relevance in the present context
21. Organic production requirements
22. Biological intensive nutrient management
23. Recycling of organic residues, bio-fertilizers
24. Soil improvement and amendments
25. Integrated diseases and pest management
26. Quality considerations, certification, labeling, and accreditation processors
27. Marketing, exports
28. Definition, Principles, and components of Farming System
29. Useful IFS modules for lowland, upland, and dry land situations
30. Principles of integration of different enterprises for the preparation of farming system modules
31. Utilization of wasteland through farming system
32. Maintenance of records of IFS modules and evaluation of IFS modules against existing farming systems
33. Weeds, their characteristics
34. Harmful and beneficial effects
35. Classification, multiplication, and dissemination
36. Crop-weed competition
37. Physical, cultural, chemical, and biological control of weeds
38. Integrated-weed management
39. Herbicide classification, formulations, methods of application
40. Weed management in major field and horticultural crops
41. Aquatic and problematic weeds and their control
42. Fertilizers and manures, types
43. Application methods, nutrient use efficiency
44. Integrated nutrient management (INM)
45. Factors influencing nutrient-use efficiency
46. Biofertilizers and their advantages
47. Preparation of organic manures, vermicompost, FYM, green manuring
48. Measures to overcome deficiencies and toxicities of nutrients
49. Types and systems of farming
50. Farm planning and budgeting
51. Risk and Uncertainty
52. Principles of production and costs
53. Cost of cultivation, net returns
54. Farm records, Balance sheet
55. Profit-loss analysis
56. Agriculture journalism, meaning, definition, scope, and importance
57. Capacity building of extension personnel
58. Programme planning, meaning, definition, steps, principles, monitoring, evaluation of Extension programme
59. Social group, meaning, definition, classification, role of social group in agriculture extension
60. Teaching, learning process

***

Course Outline based on syllabus:

Syllabus for Bihar Agriculture Service Category-l (Agronomy) Paper-1:

—

1. Meaning and scope of Agronomy, National and International Agricultural Research Institutes of India.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
2. Agro-climatic zones of India and Bihar, Weather and climate, microclimate, weather elements.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
3. Formation and classification of clouds. Basics of weather forecasting. Dry land agriculture.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
4. Area, production, and productivity of major crops in India and Bihar. Tillage, crop stand establishment.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
5. Planting geometry and its effect on growth and yields of cropping systems, harvesting, Classification of crops.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
6. Concept of multiple cropping, multistoried, relay and inter-cropping and their importance in relation to food production.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
7. Basic elements of crop production, Factors affecting crop production. Irrigation, definition, and objectives.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
8. Water resources and irrigation development in India and Bihar, Soil-plant water relationships.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
9. Definition, principles, and components of organic farming. Sustainable agriculture: Introduction, definition, goal, and current concepts.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
10. Factors affecting ecological balance and ameliorative measures; Land degradation and conservation of natural resources.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
11. Application of Remote Sensing, GPS, and GIS techniques in agriculture. Pedological and Edaphological concepts.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
12. Earth Crust, Composition and weathering of rocks and minerals factors and processes of soil formation, Type of soil, production importance, and their management.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
13. Concept of soil quality and soil health- physical, chemical, and biological indicators of soil quality. Movement of soil water.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
14. Soil health assessment techniques. Soil as a source of plant nutrients. Criteria of nutrients essentiality and their function, forms of nutrient in soil.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
15. Mechanism of nutrient transport to plants and factors affecting nutrient availability to plant. Acidic, calcareous and salt-affected soils: their characteristics, nutrient availabilities, and reclamation (Mechanical, chemical, and biological methods).
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
16. Fertilizer and insecticides and their effect on soil, Indian standards for water quality, use of saline water in agriculture. Different approaches of soil fertility evaluation.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
17. Indian history of Plant Breeding, major objectives and achievements of plant breeding in India.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
18. Centre of diversity and its importance in crop Improvement. Nature of Pollination of crops, parthenocarpy in plants. Germplasm conservation and its utilization, concept of gene and gene pool.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
19. Hybridization & methods of handling segregating generations. Mass selection, back cross method, recurrent selection. Crop ideotype-concept and importance.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
20. Male sterility and self-incompatibility- mechanism and their utilization in crop improvement. Pure line, Synthetic, and composite variety and their development, Hybrid production and importance in different crop plants.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
21. Wide hybridization and constraints related to it. Mutation and types of mutagens. Quantitative and qualitative characters. Components of genetic variation, correlation and regression.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
22. Cell division-mitosis and meiosis. Mendel’s laws of inheritance and their exceptions, linkage and crossing over. Polyploidy and its importance in crop breeding.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
23. Tot potency in plant, meristem culture, anther culture. Transgenic- achievements and future prospects. Plant breeder’s rights and regulation for plant variety protection.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
24. Basic principles of seed production, kinds of seed and Indian Seed Act 1966.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
25. Economic importance of insects. General morphology and anatomy of insects, Classification of insects, Apiculture, sericulture, and lac culture.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
26. Important insect and non-insect pests of important field crops, vegetables, orchard and plantation crops and their management. Storage pests and their management. Integrated pest management.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
27. Biological control of pests. Plant quarantine measures. Different categories of pesticides, their formulation and modes of action. Insect toxicology and concept of LD50/LC50 MRL and waiting period, Recent techniques of pest management. Plant protection equipment’s and its application in pest management. Insecticide act, 1968 & puts, 1971.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
28. Introduction, important plant pathogenic organisms, fungi, bacteria, fastidious vesicular bacteria, phytoplasmas, Spiroplasmas, viruses, viroids, algae, Protozoa and phanerogamic parasites with examples of diseases caused by them.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
29. Prokaryotes: classification of prokaryotes according to Bergey’s Manual of systematic Bacteriology. General characters, reproduction, and classification of fungi. Definition and objectives of Plant Pathology.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
30. Survival and Dispersal of Plant Pathogens. Plant disease epidemiology. General principles of plant diseases management. Integrated plant disease management (IDM). Economic importance, symptoms, cause, epidemiology and disease cycle and important diseases of important field crops, vegetables, Horticultural crops and their management.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
31. General characteristics of plant pathogenic nematodes its morphology and biology. Classification of nematodes up to family level with emphasis. General symptoms caused by nematodes and their management.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
32. Public Finance-Meaning, Principle, Sources, Direct Tax, Indirect Tax. Nationalized and Commercial Banking System, Agricultural Credit, Agricultural Co-operative Structure and Function.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
33. Agricultural Marketing - Definition, classification, marketable surplus & marketed surplus, Marketing Channel, Price-Spread, Market Structure. Agricultural Price Policy. FCI, SWC, CWC, APMC, State Trading.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
34. Production Economics - Classical Production Function. Relationships between output & input. Agri Business Management, Product Life Cycle, Marketing mix, Capital Management, Balance Sheet, project toss statement, Project Life Cycle.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
35. Definition and importance of horticulture, Classification of horticulture. Area and production of different fruit vegetables and flower crops planting systems, high-density planting, planning and establishment of new orchard.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
36. Propagation methods and use of growth regulators in horticultural crops. Package of practices of important fruits, vegetables and ornamental crops. Maturity indices, harvesting and postharvest handling of fruits and vegetables. Pre-harvest factors affecting quality on postharvest shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Principles of preservation by heat, low temperature, chemicals and fermentation. Preparation of jams, jellies, preserves, pickles, ketchup, sauce.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
37. Agricultural extension, its importance, Extension teaching methods, Etawah Pilot Project, Community Development Programme, Panchayati Raj System, High Yielding Variety Programme, National Demonstration Programme.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
38. Krishi Vigyan Kendra, ATMA, Institutional Village Linkage Programme (IVLP), IRDP. Demonstrations, Leadership, Attitude. Knowledge, Skill, Training. Communication skill. Local leaders. Adoption and Diffusion. Innovations and their characteristics, Kisan Call Centers. Entrepreneurship in Agriculture. SWOT analysis.
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
39. Practice Test 1
40. Practice Test 2

***

Syllabus for Bihar Agriculture Service Category-1 (Agronomy) Paper-2:

—

1. Origin, geographic distribution, economic importance, soil and climatic requirement, varieties, cultural practices and yield of crops - Cereals: rice, maize, sorghum, pearl millet, minor millets, wheat, barley; Pulses; pigeon pea, mungbean, urdbean, chickpea, lentil, peas, bean;
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
2. Oilseeds: groundnut, sesame, soybean, rapeseed and mustard, sunflower, safflower and linseed ; Sugar crops: sugarcane and Sugar beet; Fibre crops- cotton, jute, and sunhemp, Medicinal and aromatic crops: mentha, lemon grass, citronella, palma rose, isabgol and posta ; Commercial crops: potato and tobacco;
• Download PDF Notes - Coming Soon
3. Forage crops: sorghum, maize, cowpea, cluster bean, napier, berseem, Lucerne, and oat. Calculation of seed rate, fertilizers, weedicide, and yield estimation. Preparation of cropping scheme for irrigated and dry land situations.
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4. Methods of soil moisture estimation, crop water requirement, Scheduling of irrigation, Methods of irrigation, surface, sprinkler and drip irrigation. Irrigation efficiency and water use and efficiency, Conjunctive use of water, Irrigation water quality and its management, Water management of important field crops. Agricultural drainage.
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5. Organic farming; Introduction, concept, relevance in the present context; Organic production requirement; Biological intensive nutrient management, recycling of organic residues, bio-fertilizers; Soil improvement and amendments; Integrated diseases and pest management; Quality considerations, certification, labeling, and accreditation processors, marketing, exports.
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6. Definition, Principles, and components of Farming System:, Useful IFS modules for lowland, upland, and dry land situations, Principles of integration of different enterprises for the preparation of farming system modules. Utilization of wasteland through farming system. Maintenance of records of IFS modules and evaluation of IFS modules against existing farming systems.
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7. Weeds, their characteristics, harmful and beneficial effects, classification, multiplication and dissemination, crop-weed competition, physical, cultural, chemical and biological control of weeds, integrated -weed management; Herbicide classification, formulations, methods of application, weed management in major field and horticultural crops. Aquatic and problematic weeds and their control.
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8. Fertilizers and manures, types, application methods, nutrient use efficiency and integrated nutrient management (INM). Factors influencing nutrient-use efficiency. Biofertilizers and their advantage. Preparation of organic manures, vermi compost, FYM, green manuring, Measures to overcome deficiencies and toxicities of nutrient.
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9. Types and systems of farming. Farm planning and budgeting. Risk and Uncertainty. Principles of production and costs. Cost of cultivation, net returns, Farm records, Balance sheet, Profit -loss analysis.
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10. Agriculture journalism, meaning, definition, scope, and importance. Capacity building of extension personal, programme-planning, meaning, definition, steps, principles, monitoring, evaluation of Extension programme, Social group, meaning, definition, classification, role of social group in agriculture extension, teaching, learning process.
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Outline for fast study- 30 days:

Lecture 1: Introduction to Agronomy

• Meaning and scope of Agronomy
• National and International Agricultural Research Institutes of India
• Agro-climatic zones of India and Bihar
• Weather and climate, microclimate, weather elements
• Formation and classification of clouds
• Basics of weather forecasting
• Dry land agriculture
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Lecture 2: Crop Production

• Area, production, and productivity of major crops in India and Bihar
• Tillage, crop stand establishment
• Planting geometry and its effect on growth and yields of cropping systems
• Harvesting
• Classification of crops
• Concept of multiple cropping, multistoried, relay, and inter-cropping
• Importance in relation to food production
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Lecture 3: Crop Production (Continued)

• Basic elements of crop production
• Factors affecting crop production
• Irrigation: definition, objectives, and types
• Water resources and irrigation development in India and Bihar
• Soil-plant water relationships
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Lecture 4: Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Management

• Definition, principles, and components of organic farming
• Sustainable agriculture: Introduction, definition, goals, and current concepts
• Factors affecting ecological balance and ameliorative measures
• Land degradation and conservation of natural resources
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Lecture 5: Remote Sensing, GPS, and GIS in Agriculture

• Application of Remote Sensing, GPS, and GIS techniques in agriculture
• Pedological and Edaphological concepts
• Earth Crust, Composition, and weathering of rocks and minerals
• Factors and processes of soil formation
• Types of soil, production importance, and their management
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Lecture 6: Soil Quality, Soil Health, and Nutrient Management

• Concept of soil quality and soil health
• Physical, chemical, and biological indicators of soil quality
• Movement of soil water
• Soil health assessment techniques
• Soil as a source of plant nutrients
• Criteria of nutrient essentiality and their function
• Forms of nutrient in soil
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Lecture 7: Soil Fertility and Nutrient Availability

• Mechanism of nutrient transport to plants
• Acidic, calcareous, and salt-affected soils: characteristics, nutrient availabilities, and reclamation methods
• Fertilizers and insecticides and their effect on soil
• Indian standards for water quality
• Use of saline water in agriculture
• Different approaches of soil fertility evaluation
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Lecture 8: Plant Breeding and Genetics

• Indian history of Plant Breeding
• Major objectives and achievements of plant breeding in India
• Centre of diversity and its importance in crop Improvement
• Nature of Pollination of crops, parthenocarpy in plants
• Germplasm conservation and its utilization
• Concept of gene and gene pool
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Lecture 9: Plant Breeding Techniques

• Hybridization and methods of handling segregating generations
• Mass selection, back cross method, recurrent selection
• Crop ideotype: concept and importance
• Male sterility and self-incompatibility mechanisms
• Utilization in crop improvement
• Pure line, Synthetic, and composite variety development
• Hybrid production and importance in different crop plants
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Lecture 10: Plant Breeding Techniques (Continued)

• Wide hybridization and constraints related to it
• Mutation and types of mutagens
• Quantitative and qualitative characters
• Components of genetic variation, correlation, and regression
• Cell division: mitosis and meiosis
• Mendel’s laws of inheritance and their exceptions, linkage, and crossing over
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Lecture 11: Genetic Engineering and Plant Protection

• Polyploidy and its importance in crop breeding
• Totipotency in plants, meristem culture, anther culture
• Transgenic: achievements and future prospects
• Plant breeder’s rights and regulation for plant variety protection
• Basic principles of seed production, kinds of seed, and Indian Seed Act 1966
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Lecture 12: Insect Morphology and Pest Management

• Economic importance of insects
• General morphology and anatomy of insects
• Classification of insects
• Apiculture, sericulture, and lac culture
• Important insect and non-insect pests of field crops, vegetables, orchards, and plantations
• Management of storage pests
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Lecture 13: Integrated Pest Management

• Integrated pest management principles and strategies
• Biological control of pests
• Plant quarantine measures
• Different categories of pesticides, formulations, and modes of action
• Insect toxicology and concept of LD50/LC50, MRL, and waiting period
• Recent techniques of pest management
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Lecture 14: Soil Microbiology and Plant Pathology

• Introduction to important plant pathogenic organisms
• Fungi, bacteria, fastidious vesicular bacteria, phytoplasmas, Spiroplasmas, viruses, viroids, algae, Protozoa, and phanerogamic parasites with examples of diseases caused by them
• Classification of prokaryotes according to Bergey’s Manual of systematic Bacteriology
• General characters, reproduction, and classification of fungi
• Definition and objectives of Plant Pathology
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Lecture 15: Plant Pathology and Nematology

• Survival and Dispersal of Plant Pathogens
• Plant disease epidemiology
• General principles of plant diseases management
• Integrated plant disease management (IDM)
• Economic importance, symptoms, cause, epidemiology, and disease cycle of important diseases
• General characteristics of plant pathogenic nematodes, morphology, biology
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Lecture 16: Agriculture Economics and Marketing

• Public Finance: Meaning, Principles, Sources
• Direct Tax, Indirect Tax
• Nationalized and Commercial Banking System
• Agricultural Credit, Agricultural Co-operative Structure and Function
• Agricultural Marketing: Definition, classification, marketable surplus & marketed surplus
• Marketing Channel, Price-Spread, Market Structure
• Agricultural Price Policy, FCI, SWC, CWC, APMC, State Trading
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Lecture 17: Production Economics and Farm Management

• Production Economics: Classical Production Function, Relationships between output & input
• Agri Business Management, Product Life Cycle, Marketing mix
• Capital Management, Balance Sheet, project toss statement, Project Life Cycle
• Types and systems of farming, Farm planning and budgeting
• Risk and Uncertainty, Principles of production and costs
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Lecture 18: Agricultural Extension and Communication

• Agricultural extension: Importance, Extension teaching methods
• Etawah Pilot Project, Community Development Programme
• Panchayati Raj System, High Yielding Variety Programme
• National Demonstration Programme, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, ATMA
• Institutional Village Linkage Programme (IVLP), IRDP
• Demonstrations, Leadership, Attitude, Knowledge, Skill, Training
• Communication skill, Local leaders, Adoption and Diffusion, Innovations and their characteristics
• Kisan Call Centers, Entrepreneurship in Agriculture, SWOT analysis
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