TNPSC Mains Syllabus for Optional Subject: Agriculture
UNIT- I: IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE
Importance of Agriculture in Indian Economy and its sectoral relationship -
Agricultural Development through five year plans in India and Tamil Nadu – Growth pattern of crops in India and Tamil Nadu in terms of area, production and productivity
- Government Agricultural Policies – Agricultural development through NITI AYOG – import and export – role of NSC, FCI and PDS.
UNIT - II: FUNDAMENTALS OF CROP PRODUCTION
Factors of Production - Agricultural seasons of India and Tamil Nadu – Cropping patterns in India and Tamil Nadu - package of practices of different crops - AgroClimatic zones of India and Tamil Nadu and their features - Weather and Climate -
Weather forecasting - Climate change and its impact – Minimal tillage practices –
Stress mitigating technologies including microorganisms – Nanoparticles and their applications.
UNIT - III: NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Soil - Soil structure - Factors influencing soil structure - Physical and Chemical properties - Effect of nutrient availability and plant growth - Problem soils and their management - Soil survey - its objectives and scope - Soil fertility and productivity -
Dry farming - Rainfed agriculture - Conservation of soil and water - Watershed and waste land development. Land use pattern and planning - Size and distribution of holdings - types and systems of farming - Water resources development and management - Command area development - Ground water Development and Conjunctive use - Water use efficiency - Quality of irrigation water - Its effect in soil and crops - Management of poor quality water for crop growth.
UNIT - IV: CROP MANAGEMENT & ALLIED AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES
Cropping systems and integrated farming - Recycling of agricultural waste – Organic manures, green manures, bio fertilizers - Balanced usage - integrated nutrient management - Physiological disorders in crop plants and their managementIrrigation management of different crops Mushroom cultivation, bee keeping, silkwork rearing etc., Energy in Agricultural production - Sources - Solar, wind, animal, biomass and biogas - Mechanization in agriculture - Tractors & tillers – Agricultural implements and Machineries and their usage - livestock and poultry rearing.
UNIT - V: CROP IMPROVEMENT
Principles of breeding - Breeding methods in self , cross and vegetatively propogated crops - Modern tools in crop improvement – Heterosis breeding and Hybrid seed production technologies - Latest varieties of major crops in Tamil Nadu -
Breeding for Climate resilience varieties – Variety release procedures - Application of bio technology in Agriculture - Tissue culture & its significance - Transgenic Plants.
Plant Genetic Resources: Collection conservation and exchange-Crop varietal protection-PPV& FR authority and its role.
UNIT- VI: SEED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Seeds - Importance of quality seeds in Agriculture – Nucleus, Breeder, foundation, certified and labelled seeds - Seed certification techniques and processing in Tamil
Nadu - Seed testing – Seed testing laboratories-ISTA standards for seed testing - seed village concept Seed Act - Seed coating and priming technologies – Seed enhancement technologies.
UNIT – VII: CROP PROTECTION PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES
Importance of pest, disease, nematodes and weed management in agriculture – categories of pests, diseases, nematodes and weeds - pest and disease surveillance and forecasting weather on pest and disease incidence - Symptoms of damages and control measures of pest, disease and nematodes of major crops in Tamil Nadu -
Integrated pest, disease and nematode management in crop production – Pesticides and their use in IPM – mode of action - Pattern - plant protection equipments and their use - Plant quarantine. Storage pests, disease and nematodes and their management. Importance of biological control in pest, disease and nematode management. Weeds - Major weeds and their control.
UNIT – VIII: FARM BUSINESS AND FINANCE MANAGEMENT
Farm business management - Principles of farm business management – Types and systems of farms-Classical Production Functions - Cost concepts - Management of resources - Farm Planning and budgeting - Investment analysis – Risk and uncertainties in Agriculture - Agricultural credit system in India - Multi credit delivery system - Role of nationalized banks, NABARD and Regional Rural Banks - Lead
Bank Scheme - Service area approach - Scale of finance-Credit Worthiness-3
Rs,5Cs and 7Ps of credit- Crop Insurance - Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) – Agricultural Insurance Company.
UNIT – IX: AGRICULTURAL MARKETING AND MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Marketing - Agricultural marketing - Market structure – Marketing Efficiency - Price
Spread-Market Integration-Market Risk-Speculation and hedging - Market
Institutions- Warehouses and rural godowns - Agmark-Cooperatives - Commodity
Boards – Agri business management – Principles of Management-Entrepreneurship
Development - Forms of Business organizations - Agricultural Price Policy - CACPMSP - FRP- Procurement Price-Policies for agricultural development – Economic liberalization - WTO and its impact on agricultural export - Importance of Agriculture in Indian economy - Land size and distribution of holdings and land use pattern in
Tamil Nadu - Agriculture under Five year Plans (FYPs) - Food Security - Public
Distribution Systems (PDS) - Buffer Stock.
UNIT - X: AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION: PRINCIPLES AND METHODS
Extension methods for transfer of technology - AV aids-Communication models -
Use of ICT in transfer of technology-Diffusion and adoption- Pre and post independence rural development initiatives: key features, strength and weakness of individual programmes - Programme planning and evaluation methods- Rural sociology - key features of Indian rural system-value system-social change- rural migration. Role of women in Agriculture.