3.8 (112)
Master’s degree in Olericulture/ Vegetable Sciences/Agriculture or Horticulture/Plant Genetic Resources with specialization in Vegetable Sciences/ Post Harvest Technology (Horticulture).
Two separate competitive written examinations (Computer Based Test + Written) followed by Viva-voce shall be conducted as per the following plan of examinations:-
Examination Max. Marks Duration
Preliminary-ARS 150 2 hours (Objective Type)
ARS – Main 240 3 hours (Descriptive Type)
Viva-voce 60 1/3 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer in ARS-2021 (Preliminary)
Examination (Objective Type). There will be no rounding off of fractions of marks. This is a qualifying examination and marks scored will not be counted for final selection. ARS-2021 (Mains) Examination Paper will have only one paper of 240 marks in therespective disciplines, to be attempted in 3 hours duration. The paper shall be divided in three parts A, B and C. Part ‘A’ will consist of 40 (forty) questions of 2 (two) marks each. In this 30 part, answers required will be of very short, not exceeding 10 (Ten) words at the most. Part ‘B’ will have 20 (twenty) questions of 5 (five) marks each requiring one or two paragraphs and/or graphic explanation. Part ‘C’ will have 6 (six) essay type or descriptive type questions. Each question will carry 10 (ten) marks and may have two or more parts. Answers are required to be written in the space provided below the question. In no case extra sheets will be provided. All questions in parts ‘A’ ‘B’ and ‘C’ will be compulsory.
UNIT 1. PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF COOL SEASON VEGETABLE CROPS
Introduction, botany and taxonomy, climatic and soil require ments, commercial varieties/hybrids, sowing/planting times and methods, seed rate tnd seed treatment, nutritional and irrigation requirements, intercultural operations, weed control, mulching, physiological disorders, harvesting, post-harvest management, plant protection measures and seed production of: Potato, Cole crops: cabbage, cauliflower, knoll kohl, sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprout, Root crops: carrot radish, turnip, and beetroot, Bulb crops: onion and garlic, Peas and broad bean, green leafy cool season vegetables.
UNIT 2. PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF WARM SEASON VEGETABLE CROPS
Introduction, botany and taxonomy, climatic and soil requin ments, commercial varieties/hybrids, sowing/planting times and methods, seed rate and seed treatment, nutritional and irrigation requirements, intercultural operations, weed control, mulching, physiological disorders, harvesting, post harvest management, plant protection measures, economics of crop production and seed pre duction of: Tomato, eggplant, hot and sweet peppers, Okra, beans, cowpea and cluster bean, Cucurbitaceous crops, Tapioca and sweet potato, Green leafy warm season vegetables.
UNIT 3. BREEDING OF VEGETABLE CROPS
Origin, botany, taxonomy, cytogenetics, genetics, breeding objectives, breeding methods (introduction, selection, hybridization, mutation), varieties and varietal characterization, resistance breeding for biotic and abiotic stress, quality improvement, molecular marker, genomics, marker assisted breeding and QTLs, biotechnology and their use in breeding in vegetable crops-Issue of patenting, PPVFR act. Potato and tomat, Eggplant, hot pepper, sweet pepper and ol ra, Peas and beans, amaranth, chenopods and lettuce, Gourds, melons, pumpkins and squashes, Cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, beetroot, radish, sweet potato and tapioca.
UNIT 4. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Cellular structures and their functions; definition of growth and development, growth analysis and its importance in vegetable production; Physiology of dormancy and germination of vegetable seeds, tubers and bulbs; Role of auxins, gibberellilns, cyktokinins and abscissic acid; Application of synthetic horn ones, plant growth retardants and inhibitors for various purposes in vegetable crops; Role and mode of action of morphactins, antitranspirants, anti-auxin, ripening retardant and plant stimulants in vegetable crop production; Role of light, temperature and photoperiod on growth, development of underground parts, flowering and sex expression in vegetable crops; apical dominance; Physiology of fruit set, fruit development, fruit growth, flower and fruit drop; parthenocarpy in vegetable crops; phototropism, ethylene inhibitors, senescence and abscission; fruit ripening and physiological changes associated with ripening; Plant growth regulators in relation to vegetable production; morphogenesis and tissue culture techniques in vegetable crops, sex expression in cucurbits and checking flower and fruit drops and improving fruit set in Solanaceous vegetables; growth analysis techniques in vegetable crops.
UNIT 5. SEED PRODUCTION
Introduction; modes of propagation in vegetables; Seed morphology and development in vegetable seeds; Floral biology' of these plant species; classification of vegetable crops based on pollination and reproduction behavior; steps in quality seed production; identification of suitable areas/locations for seed production of these crops; Classification based on growth cycle and pollination behavior; methods of seed production; comparison between different methods e.g. seed-to-seed vs. root-to-seed method in radish; seed multiplication ratios in vegetables; pollination mechanisms; sex types, ratios and expression and modification of flowering pattern in cucurbits; nursery' raising and transplanting stage; Seed production technology of vegetables viz. solanaceous, cucurbitaceous, leguminous, malvaceous, Cole crops, leafy vegetables, root, tuber and bulb crops and spices; harvesting/picking stage and seed extraction in fruit vegetables; clonal propagation and multiplication in tuber crops e.g. Potato, sweet potato, colocasia, tapioca; seed-plot technique in potato tuber seed production; hybrid seed production technology of vegetable crops, TPS (true potato seed) and its production technique; hybrids in vegetables; maintenance of parental lines; use of male sterility and self incompatibility in hybrid seed production, environmental factors related to flowering/bolting in vegetable crops; Share of vegetable seeds in seed industry; importance and present status of vegetable industry; intellectual property rights and its implications, impact of PVP on growth of seed industry.
UNIT 6. SYSTEMATICS OF VEGETABLE CROPS
Principles of classification; different methods of classification; salient features of international code of nomenclature of vegetable crops; Origin, history, evolution and distribution of vegetable crops, botanical description of families, genera and species covering various tropical, subtropical and temperate vegetables; Cytological level of various vegetable crops; descriptive keys for important vegetables; Importance of molecular markers in evolution of vegetable crops; molecular markers as an aid in characterization and taxonomy of vegetable crops.
UNIT 7. PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF UNDEREXPLOITED VEGETABLE CROPS
Introduction, botany and taxonomy, climatic and soil requirements, commercial varieties/hybrids, owing/planting times and methods, seed rate and seed treatment, nutritional and irrigation requirements, intercultural operations, weed control, mulching, physiological disorders, harvesting, post harvest management, plant protection measures and seed production of: Asparagus, artichoke and leek; Brussels sprout, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, kale and artichoke; Amaranth, celery, parsley, parsnip, lettuce, rhubarb, spinach, basella, bathu (chenopods and chekurmanis; Elephant foot yam, lima bean, winged bean, vegetable pigeon pea, jack bean and sword bean; Sweet gourd, spine gourd, pointed gourd, Oriental pickling melon and little gourd (kundru).
UNIT 8. POST HARVEST TECHNOLOGY OF VEGETABLE CROPS
Importance and scope of post harvest management of vegetables; Maturity indices and standards for different vegetables; methods of maturity determinations; biochemistry of maturity and ripening, enzymatic and textural changes, ethylene evolution and ethylene management, respiration, transpiration, regulation methods; Harvesting tools, harvesting practices for specific market requirements; post-harvest physiological and biochemical changes, disorders-chilling injury in vegetables, influence of pre¬harvest practices and other factors affecting post harvest losses, packaging house operations, commodity pretreatments- chemicals, wax coating, prepackaging and irradiation; packaging of vegetables, post harvest, diseases and prevention from infestation, principles of transport; Methods and practices of storage- ventilated, refrigerated, MA, CA storage, hypobaric storage, pre-cooling and cold storage, zero energy cool chamber; storage disorders.