Note :-

1. Duration of Paper: 3 Hours
2. All Questions carry equal marks.
3. Medium of Competitive Exam: Bilingual in English & Hindi
4. There will be Negative Marking.
5. Objective type paper .

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Syllabus : Agricultural Agronomy-II

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Unit 1: Crop Production

1. Crop production techniques for cereals, millets, legumes, oilseeds, fiber crops, sugarcane, tobacco, fodder and pasture crops
2. Origin
3. History
4. Distribution
5. Adaptation
6. Climate
7. Soil
8. Season
9. Modern varieties
10. Fertilizer requirements
11. Intercultural operations
12. Water requirement
13. Weed management
14. Quality components
15. Industrial use
16. Economics
17. Post-harvest technology

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Unit 2: Soil Water Relationship

1. Soil and water as vital resources for agricultural production
2. Occurrence of groundwater
3. Groundwater aquifers
4. Exploration of groundwater
5. Hydrological cycle
6. Soil-plant water relationship
7. Fate of rain water received at the soil surface
8. Runoff and infiltration reciprocity
9. Factors affecting infiltration
10. Means to enhance infiltrability of soil
11. Mechanical means to reduce runoff and soil loss
12. Biological means to reduce runoff and soil loss
13. Cropping patterns in rainfed areas
14. Alternate land use in rainfed areas
15. Crop diversification in rainfed areas
16. Soil water relations
17. Water retention by soil
18. Soil moisture characteristics
19. Field capacity
20. Permanent wilting point
21. Plant available water
22. Extractable water
23. Soil irrigability
24. Classifications of soil irrigability
25. Factors affecting profile water storage
26. Determination of soil water content
27. Computation of soil water depletion
28. Soil water potential
29. Components of soil water potential
30. Movement of soil water under saturated water flow
31. Movement of soil water under unsaturated water flow
32. Field water budget
33. Water gains from soil
34. Water losses from soil
35. Deep percolation beyond root zone
36. Capillary rise
37. Evapotranspiration (ET)
38. Scope for economizing water
39. Measures for reducing direct evaporation from soil
40. Measures for reducing direct evaporation from crop canopies
41. Soil physical properties in relation to plant growth
42. Soil physical properties in relation to plant development
43. Erodability of soils
44. Prevention of soil erodability

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Unit 3: Plant Water Relationship

1. Concept of plant water potential
2. Cell water relations
3. Plant water potential
4. Components of plant water potential
5. Significance of osmotic adjustment
6. Leaf diffusive resistance
7. Canopy temperature
8. Water movement through soil – plant atmosphere systems
9. Uptake of water by roots
10. Transport of water by roots
11. Development of crop water deficit
12. Crop adaptation to water deficit
13. Morphological effect of water deficit
14. Physiological effect of water deficit
15. Drought tolerance
16. Mechanisms of drought tolerance
17. Potential drought tolerance traits
18. Measurements of potential drought tolerance traits
19. Management and strategies to improve crop productivity under different patterns of drought situations of limited water supplies
20. Effect of excess water on plant growth and production
21. Types of droughts
22. Drought indices

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Unit 4: Irrigation Water Management

1. History of irrigation in India
2. Major irrigation projects in India
3. Water resources development
4. Crop water requirements
5. Concepts of irrigation scheduling
6. Different approaches of irrigation scheduling
7. Soil water depletion
8. Plant indices
9. Climatic parameters
10. Concept of critical stages of crop growth in relation to water supplies
11. Crop modelling
12. Crop coefficients
13. Water production functions
14. Methods of irrigation viz. surface methods
15. Methods of irrigation viz. overhead methods
16. Methods of irrigation viz. drip irrigation
17. Methods of irrigation viz. air conditioning irrigation
18. Merits of various irrigation methods
19. Demerits of various irrigation methods
20. Design and evaluation of irrigation methods
21. Measurement of irrigation water
22. Application efficiencies
23. Distribution efficiencies
24. Management of water resources (rain, canal and ground water) for agricultural production
25. Irrigation legislation
26. Water quality
27. Conjunctive use of water
28. Irrigation strategies under different situation of water availability
29. Optimum crop plans in canal command areas
30. Cropping patterns in canal command areas
31. Socio-economic aspects of on-farm water management
32. Irrigation water distribution
33. Irrigation efficiencies
34. Interaction between irrigation and fertilizers

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Unit 5: Management of Problematic Soils and Water

1. Problem soils and their distribution in India and Rajasthan
2. Salt-affected soils
3. Acidic soils
4. Water logged soils
5. Ground water resources
6. Water quality criteria and use of brackish waters in agriculture
7. Reclamation of problem soils
8. Role of amendments in reclamation of problem soils
9. Drainage in reclamation of problem soils
10. Crop production techniques in problem soils
11. Crops suitable for problem soils
12. Varieties suitable for problem soils
13. Cropping system for problem soils
14. Agronomic practices for problem soils
15. Excess salt and salt tolerant crops
16. Drainage for improving water logged soils for crop production
17. Quality of irrigation water
18. Crop production and alternate use of problematic soils
19. Crop production and alternate use of poor quality water for agricultural production
20. Amelioration of salt affected soils

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Unit 6: Organic Farming

1. Natural farming - concept
2. Natural farming - components
3. Natural farming - principle
4. Zero budget natural farming- concept
5. Zero budget natural farming- components
6. Zero budget natural farming- principle
7. Organic farming – concept
8. Organic farming – definition
9. Organic farming – relevance and future prospects
10. Organic farming – principles
11. Organics and farming standards
12. Selection of land for organic farming
13. Conversion of land for organic farming
14. Soil management in organic farming
15. Water management in organic farming
16. Land use in organic farming
17. Organic farming and water use efficiency
18. Soil fertility in organic farming
19. Nutrient recycling in organic farming
20. Organic residues
21. Organic manures
22. Composting
23. Soil biota and decomposition of organic residues
24. Earthworms and vermicompost
25. Green manures
26. Bio-fertilizers
27. Farming systems in organic farming
28. Control of weeds in organic farming
29. Control of diseases in organic farming
30. Insect pest management in organic farming
31. Biological agents
32. Pheromones
33. Bio-pesticides
34. Inspection
35. Certification
36. Labelling and accreditation procedures
37. Organic farming and national economy

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Unit 7: Modern Concepts in Crop Production

1. Crop growth and development
2. Growth curves
3. Quantitative agro-biological principles
4. Inverse yield nitrogen law
5. Mitscherlich equation
6. Baule unit
7. Physiology of grain yield in cereals
8. Plant population in relation to different resources
9. Planting geometry in relation to different resources
10. Ideal plant type
11. Scientific principles of crop production
12. Soil plant relations
13. Yield and environmental stress
14. Use of growth hormones for better adaptation in stressed condition
15. Use of growth regulators for better adaptation in stressed condition
16. Modern concept of tillage
17. Determining the nutrient needs for yield potentiality of crop plants
18. Precision agriculture
19. Use of GIS in modern agriculture
20. Use of GPS in modern agriculture
21. Use of remote sensing in modern agriculture