(Syllabus) Karnataka PSC: Preliminary Examination : Agriculture

Subject: Agriculture

1. Agriculture - Its importance in National Economy, Factors determining agro ecological zone and geographic distribution of crop plants.
2. Important Crops of India, Cultural practices for cereal, pulses, oilseed, fibre, Sugar and Tuber crops and the scientific basis for these crop rotations. Multiple and relay cropping, Inter cropping and mixed cropping.
3. Soil as a medium of plant growth and its composition. Mineral and organic constituents of soil and their role in crop production. Chemical, Physical and Microbiological properties of the soils. Essential plant nutrients and their functions. Occurrence of cycling in soils. Principles of soil fertility and its evaluation for judicious fertilizer use organic manures and bio-fertilizers straight complex and mixed fertilizers manufactured and marketed in India.
4. Principles of Plant Physiology with reference to plant nutrition, absorption, translocation and metabolism of nutrients. Diagnosis of nutrient deficiencies and their amelioration. Photosynthesis and respiration. Growth and development. Auxins and hormones in plant growth.
5. Elements of Genetics and plant breading as applied to improvement of crops. Development of plant hybrid and composites. Important varieties, hybrids and composites of major crops.
6. Important Fruit and Vegetable Crops of India, Package of practices and their scientific basis. crop rotations, intercropping and companion crops. role of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition, Post-harvest handling and processing of fruits and vegetables.
7. Serious Pests and Diseases Affecting Major Crops. Principles of pest control. Integrated management of pests and diseases. Proper use and maintenance of plant protection equipments.
8. Principles of Economics as applied to agriculture. role of agriculture in Indian Economy. Farm Planning and resource management for optimal production. Farming systems and their role in regional economics.
9. Philosophy, Objectives and Principles of extension. Extension organization at the State, District and block levels - their structure, functions and responsibilities. Methods of communication. Role of farm organizations in extension service.

1. Introduction, Present Status of Sericulture in the world, distribution of Sericulture in India Mulberry, Non-Mulberry and other sericigenous insects.
2. Different Silkworm Races, its classification, metamorphosis, Food plants of Silkworms, Mulberry production, Taxonomy of Mulberry with reference to the families pertaining to food plants of Silkworms.
3. Mulberry Cultivation, Techniques of seed production, propagation by cuttings, grafting layering, nursery requirements, Land preparation, manuring, role of organic and green manures, plating systems and methods, spacing and its importance, fertilizers, irrigation’, mulching, intercultivation, pruning, leaf harvest and preservation, chemical composition of mulberry leaf - Insect Pests and diseases of mulberry- Control measures.
4. Rearing Technology - Rearing house, model rearing house, rearing equipments, disinfection, leaf quality, environmental factors for rearing, young silkworm rearing, characteristics and methods, co-operative rearing, chawki rearing centers, adult rearing, bed cleaning, spacing, their importance in silk orm rearing, care during moult, spinning, montages, harvesting of cocoons, categorization of cocoons and assessment, pests and diseases of Silkworm and preventive measures.
5. Seed Technology - grainage activities, sex separation, pupa test, eclosion, ovipositor, types of eggs, cocoon DFL ratio, artificial hatching methods and incubation of silkworm eggs.
6. Non-Mulberry Silk-Worm-Types, rearing technology ‘of tamar, eri, muga and oak-tasar varieties, Arboriculture, importance of primary and secondary food plants, interspecific hybridization.
7. Silk Technology - Marketing of cocoons, visual inspection, characteristics of cocoons, price fixation re-reeling, lacing skeining booking and bundling, raw silk properties; testing and grading spun silk industry, ‘types of silk waste, silk throwing, weaving, knitting and processing, By’-products of silk industry

Agricultural Marketing And Co-operation

1. Rural Markets in India - Shandies, fairs etc., Regulation of markets, agricultural” produce marketing Act and other relevant Acts. Functions of regulated markets, Market arrivals, arket hinterland, market yard and market committees. Role of regulated markets in marketing agricultural produce. Agencies involved in marketing of agricultural produce”. Institutional and non institutional stages in marketing -.assembling, storage, transportation, processing, commission agency, wholesale and retailing - Relationships between different stages.
2. History of Development of Co-operation in India. Governmental support for the development of co-operation, Co-operation through five year plans. Structure of Cooperatives in India and Karnataka. Three tier structure of Co-operatives, Primary D.C.C. banks and Apex Banks. Two tier structure of Co-operatives.
3. Capital and Credit Needs of Agriculture. Sources of funds to agriculture - Money lenders, institutional agencies - Classification of agricultural credit - purpose, classification, time classification, self liquidating and non-self liquidating loans. Security for loans, hypothecation and mortgage.

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