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Master’s degree in Agriculture/ Horticulture/ Botany / Plant Genetic Resources with specialization in Spices/ Plantation Crops and/ or in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants/ Post Harvest Technology (Horticulture)
Particulars Details
1. Mode of ICAR ASRB NET Online computer based
2. Nature of the exam Objective type
3. Maximum Marks 150
4. Number of questions 150
5. Duration of exam 02 hours
6. Marking Scheme One mark will be awarded for every correct answer
7. Negative Marking 0.33 mark will be deducted for every wrong answer.
Unit 1 PRODUCTION OE PLANTATION CROPS
Role of plantation crops in national economy, export potential, I PR issues, clean development mechanism, classification and varietal wealth. Plant multiplication including in vitro multiplication, systems of cultivation, multitier cropping, photosynthetic efficiencies of crops at different tiers, rainfall, humidity, temperature, light and soil pH on crop growth and productivity, high density planting, nutritional requirements, physiological disorders, role of growth regulators and macro and micro nutrients, water requirements, fertigation. moisture conservation, shade regulation, weed management, training and pruning, crop regulation, maturity indices, harvesting. Cost benefit analysis, organic farming, management of drought, precision farming. Crops: Coffee and tca.Cashew and cocoa.Rubber, palmyrah and oil palm. Coconut and arecanu. Wattle and betel vine.
Unit 2. PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OE SPICE CROPS
Introduction, importance of spice crops-historical accent, present status national and international, future prospects, botany and taxonomy, climatic and soil requirements, commercial varicties/hybrids. site selection, layout, sowing/planting times and methods, seed rate and seed treatment, nutritional and irrigation requirements, intercropping, mixed cropping, intercultural operations, weed control, mulching, physiological disorders, harvesting, post harvest management, plant protection measures and seed planting material and micro¬propagation. precision farming, organic resource management, organic certification, quality control, pharmaceutical significance and protected cultivation of: Black pepper, cardamom. Clove, cinnamon and nutmeg, allspice. Turmeric, ginger and garlic. Coriander, fenugreek, cumin, fennel, ajowain, dill, celery. Tamarind, garcinia and vanilla.
Unit 3. AGRONOMY OE MEDICINAL, AROMATIC AND UNDER UTILIZED CROPS
Importance of medicinal and aromatic plants in human health, national economy and related industries, classification of medicinal and aromatic plants according to botanical characteristics and their uses, export potential and indigenous technical knowledge: Climate and soil requirements: cultural practices: yield and important constituents of medicinal plants (Mulhati, Isabgol. Rauwolfia. Poppy. Aloe vera. Satavar. Stevia. Sated Musli. Kahnegh. Asaphoetida. Nux vomica, Rosadle etc): Climate and soil requirements; cultural practices: yield and important constituents of aromatic plants (Citronella. Palmarosa. Mentha. Basil. Lemon grass. Rose. Patchouli. Geranium): Climate and soil requirements; cultural practices; yield of under-utilized crops (Fenugreek. Grain Amaranth. Coffee, l ea and Tobacco); Post harvest handling -drawing, processing, grading . packing and storage, value addition and quality standards in herbal products.
Unit 4. BREEDING OF PLANTATION CROPS AND SPICES
Species and cultivars, cytogenetics, survey, collection, conservation and evaluation, blossom biology, breeding objectives, approaches for crop improvement, introduction, selection, hybridization, mutation breeding, polyploid breeding, improvement of quality traits, resistance breeding for biotic and abiotic stresses, molecular aided breeding and biotechnological approaches, marker-assisted selection, biointormaiics. I PR issues, achievements and future thrusts. Crops: Coffee, tea. cashew, cocoa, rubber, palmyrah palm, oil palm, coconut, arecanut. black pepper, cardamom. Ginger, turmeric, fenugreek, coriander, fennel, celery, carom (ajwain). nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and allspice.
Unit 5. BREEDING OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC CROPS
Plant bio-diversity, conservation og germplasm, IPR issues, Major objectives of breeding of Medicinal and Aromatic Crops. Scope for introduction, cytogenetic background of important Medicinal and Aromatic Crops- Scope of improvement of Medicinal and Aromatic Crops through selection, intra and interspecific hybridization, induced autotetraploidy, mutation breeding and biotechnological approches. Solanum s; Prospects in breeding of aromatic crops viz., jcramum, veuiver. Lemon grass. Pahnarosa. citronella. Rosemary. Patchouli. Eucalyptus, Artemisia and Mint.
Unit 6. PROCESSING OF PLANTATION CROPS. SPICES. MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS
Commercial uses of spices and plantation crops. Processing of major spices • cardamom, black pepper, ginger, turmeric, chilli and paprika.vanilla, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice, coriander, fenugreek, curry leaf Extraction of oleoresin and essential oils: Processing of produce from plantation crops, viz. coconut, arecanui. cashewnut. oil palm, palmyrah palm, date palm, cocoa, tea. coffee and rubber. Processing of medicinal plants, viz. dioscorca. gloriosa. Stevia, coleus, ashwagandha, tulsi. isabgol. safed musli, senna, aloe and catharamhus. Different methods of drying and storage. Microbial contamination of stored product. Influence of temperature and time combination on active principles; Extraction and analysis ol active principles using TLC / HPLC / GC. Distillation, solvent extraction from aromatic plarits- davana. mint, rosemary, rose, citronella, lavender, jasmine, etc. Study ol aroma compounds and value addition. Nano-processing technology in medicinal and aromatic plants.
Unit 7. ORGANIC SPICE AND PLANTATION CROP PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
IMPORTANCE. PRINCIPLES, PERSPECTIVE. CONCEPT AND COMPONENT OF ORGANIC PRODUCTION OF SPICE AND PLANTATION CROPS; ORGANIC PRODUCTION OF SPICE CROPS AND PLANTATION CROPS. VIZ. PEPPER. CARDAMOM, TURMERIC. GINGER. CUMIN. VANILLA. COCONUT. COFFEA, COCOA. TEA. ARECANUT; MANAGING SOU FERTILITY. PESTS AND DISEASES AND WEED PROBLEMS IN ORGANIC FARMING SYSTEM. CROP ROTATION IN ORGANIC HORTICULTURE; PROCESSING AND QUALITY CONTROL FOR ORGANIC FOODS; MEI HODS FOR ENHANCING SOIL FERTILIT Y. MULCHING. RAISING GREEN MANURE CROPS. INDIGENOUS METHODS OF COMPOST. PANCHAGAVVYA BIODYNAMICS, PREPARATION ETC.. PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT IN¬ORGANIC FARMING; ITK’S IN ORGANIC FARMING. ROLE OF BOTANICALS AND BIO-CONTROL AGENTS. GAP AND GMP- CERTIFICATION OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS; ORGANIC PRODUCTION AND EXPORT - OPPORTUNITY AND CHALLENGES.