അഗ്രിക്കൾച്ചറൽ അസിസ്റ്റന്റ് ഗ്രേഡ് II — വേണ്ട എല്ലാ വിവരങ്ങളും ഒരിടത്ത്

Agronomic classification of crops (cereals, pulses, millets, oilseeds, tuber crops, fruits, vegetables, spices, plantation crops, medicinal & aromatic plants, fibre crops, sugar crops, fodder crops, narcotic crops, green manure crops). Elements of crop production, yield-contributing characters, harvest index. Tillage & tilth, primary/secondary tillage implements. Seeds and sowing methods, seed drills, transplanting. Soil fertility vs productivity, organic manures, bio-fertilizers, fertilizer calculation for major crops.

Farming systems: cropping patterns, multiple/inter/sequential/relay/mixed cropping, Kerala's agro-climatic zones, integrated farming (mushroom, vermicompost, azolla, livestock, poultry, aquaculture, biogas), organic farming, sustainable agriculture, biodynamic/natural farming/permaculture, precision farming, dry farming and agro-forestry.

Watershed management: land use capability classification, slope measurement, contour bunds, soil & water conservation structures, water harvesting, ground water recharge, watershed development planning.

Agricultural meteorology, weather vs climate, microclimate, meteorological instruments, automated weather stations, weather forecasting. Atmosphere composition, global warming, climate change. Drought types and disaster management/mitigation.

Agricultural seasons: crop seasons in India and Kerala, Njattuvela, monsoons in Kerala, climate change adaptation, mitigation and vulnerability.

Fundamentals of soil: origin, rocks and minerals, weathering, soil formation and profile development, physical/chemical/biological properties, soil colloids, soil taxonomy and classification, remote sensing & GIS, soils of Kerala and India, soil acidity/salinity/alkalinity.

Soil erosion & conservation: types of erosion, agronomic and mechanical conservation measures, water harvesting techniques.

Engineering conservation measures: percolation pits, contour bunding, terracing, check dams, gabions.

Plant nutrition: essential/beneficial elements, N-P-K deficiency & toxicity, manures & fertilizers classification, integrated nutrient management, soil testing, nutrient cycles, soil health card, KAU Fertulator.

Tillage, fertilizers & manures, organic nutrient management: panchagavya, jeevamruth, biofertilizers, DRIS method.

Rice: climate, soil, varieties, seed rate, nursery types (wet/dry/dapog), Kole, Kuttanad, Pokkali, Kaipad cultivation, SRI technique, mechanization, cereals & millets (maize, sorghum, barley, oats).

Tapioca: mini-sett propagation, planting, intercropping, value addition, biopesticides from tapioca.

Fodder crops: Guinea grass, Hybrid Napier, Congo Signal Grass, Subabul, Agathi, Stylo, silage/haylage.

Other crops: sugarcane, sugar beet, cotton, jute, sweet potato, potato, yams, pulses (cowpea, green gram, horse gram, black gram, red gram, chickpea, soybean), oilseeds (groundnut, sesamum, sunflower).

Vegetables: solanaceous (brinjal, tomato, chilli), cucurbits (bitter gourd, snake gourd, bottle gourd, ash gourd, pumpkin), cool-season vegetables (carrot, cabbage, cauliflower), amaranthus/bhindi/cowpea, kitchen garden, protected cultivation.

Plantation crops: coconut, areca nut, oil palm, rubber, cashew, tea, coffee, cocoa — botany, varieties, cultivation, pests/diseases, processing.

Spices, medicinal & aromatic plants: pepper, betel vine, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, lemon grass, palmarosa, citronella, vetiver.

Fruit culture: mango, banana (incl. GI varieties), pineapple, papaya, jack, sapota, grapes, citrus, minor tropical & temperate fruits.

Commercial floriculture & ornamental gardening: orchids, anthuriums, rose, jasmine, gerbera, chrysanthemum, gladiolus, landscape design, propagation methods.

Nursery techniques & tissue culture: nursery structures, potting, layering, budding, grafting, tissue culture of banana & pineapple.

Seed production: classes of quality seed, seed certification, hybrid rice seed production, seed testing.

Genetics & plant breeding: basic genetics, heredity, self/cross-pollinated crop breeding techniques, hybridization, mass/pedigree/backcross selection, heterosis, mutation & polyploidy breeding, biotechnology & bioinformatics, GI/IPR laws.

Plant physiology: water/solute transport, photosynthesis, respiration, plant defense, growth regulators (auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene, ABA), seed physiology, herbicide physiology, water deficit/salinity/temperature stress management.

Crop pest management: insect classification, economic insects (honey bees, sericulture), pests of cereals/plantation crops/fruits/vegetables/spices, IPM techniques, bio-pesticides, pesticide classification, pheromones, E-Crop Doctor.

Plant disease management: plant pathology basics, fungal/bacterial/viral disease characters, diseases of major crops (rice, vegetables, plantation crops, spices, fruits), biocontrol agents (Trichoderma, Pseudomonas fluorescens), mushroom cultivation.

Weed management: weed classification, crop-weed competition, mechanical/cultural/biological/chemical/IWM control, herbicide classification, weed management in rice/coconut/banana/vegetables.

Primary/secondary tillage implements, sowing & transplanting machines, rice transplanters, sprayers, harvesters, post-harvest processing of rice.

Work, power & energy concepts, renewable energy, IC engines, tractors, power tillers, biogas, solar energy fundamentals.

Irrigation: surface/subsurface/micro irrigation (drip, sprinkler, mist, bubbler, pivot), fertigation, chemigation, drainage, rainwater harvesting, irrigation scheduling (IW/CPE ratio, evapotranspiration).

Agricultural development milestones in India, institutions (KVK, ATIC, ATMA, VFPCK, AHADS), five-year plans, diffusion & adoption of innovations, ITK, extension communication methods, digital/social media in TOT, agripreneurship, farm & photo journalism, cyber extension, functions of Kerala Agricultural University.

Mixed economy, rural challenges (land reforms, employment, NABARD, rural finance), agricultural production factors (land, labour, capital), farm management, marketing scope & problems, Agmark grading, marketing channels (regulated markets, NAFED, e-NAM), support agencies (FCI, CWC, SWC), input marketing.