Kerala PSC has already published the exam date for the post of Soil Conservation Officer under the Soil Survey and Soil Conservation Department. The exam date is on 21st January 2021, Thursday. The notification for the post was released on 11th December 2019. There were existing 09 vacancies for a scale of pay Rs. 39500-83000/-. Candidates who have a degree in Agriculture from a recognized university. Download the complete PDF of the Soil Conservation Officer syllabus.
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Soil Conservation Officer Syllabus
Part I – Horticulture
- Module 1
Horticulture – definition – area, production, the productivity of horticultural crops in India, and Kerala. Branches of horticulture – major fruit crops (Pomology) – importance, nutritional value – commercially cultivated varieties – improved propagation methods – methods of the layout of the orchard – planting systems, high-density planting – factors affecting fruit production – training, pruning, top working – cultural operations – plant protection – harvesting, storage, marketing. Major plantation crops of Kerala – commercially cultivated varieties – improved propagation methods – factors affecting production – training, pruning, top working – methods of the layout of the plantation – planting systems, high-density planting – cultural operations – plant protection – harvesting, storage, processing and value addition – marketing.
- Module 2
Vegetables (Olericulture) – importance, nutritional value – factors affecting vegetable production – classification of vegetables – types of vegetable growing – summer vegetables, cool-season vegetables – cultivated varieties – cultural practices – protected cultivation – plant protection – harvesting, storage, processing, and value addition – marketing. Ornamental and flowering plants (Floriculture) – gardening and landscaping – the cultivation of commercial ornamental and flower crops – post-harvest handling – principles and methods of extension of shelf life – methods of extraction of floral concrete packing, storage, marketing. Importance and scope of gardening and landscaping – styles of the garden – garden designs – garden plants and other components for landscaping – special types of garden.
Part II – Plant Breeding and Genetics
Module 3
Germplasm – Methods of conservation and utilization in crop improvement. Induction of variability – Hybridization, Mutation, and Polyploidy and its utilization in crop improvement. The exploitation of heterosis in crop improvement – coconut, tapioca, rice, maize, and vegetable crops. Improved varieties of crops – coconut, rice pulses, and oilseeds. Production of quality seedlings in coconut.
Module 4
Seed Act 1966 – seed certification agencies, procedure, field inspection, seed testing, seed certification standards, and classes of seed. Seed Bill 2004. Biological Diversity Act of 2002. Convention on Biological Diversity, National Biodiversity Board. Intellectual Property Rights – Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Act (PPVFRA) and Geographical Indications.
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Part III – Plant Protection
Module 5
Abundance and success of insects – Beneficial, productive and harmful insects – categories of pests of agriculture – Tools of integrated pest management (IPM) – host plant resistance, cultural, mechanical, physical, legislative, biological (microbial and microbial control), chemical (synthetic, new molecules with a novel mode of action) and botanical pesticides – Use of repellants, antifeedants, pheromones, chitin synthesis inhibitors, irradiation (genetic control) and biotechnology (transgenic plants) in pest management, plant protection equipment – Bionomics, damage caused and management practices of pests of coconut, areca nut, cashew, mango, banana, other fruits, vegetables, tubers, pulses, tea, coffee, spices (pepper, cardamom, ginger), ornamentals and medicinal plants – pests of stored products – their preventive and curative management. Bionomics, damage caused and management – of non-insect pests of agriculture – nematodes, mites, rodents, birds, mollusks (snail), etc.
Module 6
Important plant pathogens – fungi, bacteria, phytoplasma, Spiro plasma, viruses – algae, protozoa, and phanerogamic parasites, the phenomenon of infection and pathogenesis. Principles of crop diseases management – plant quarantine – cultural control – biological control (biocontrol agents, PGPR), physical methods (soil solarization, heat treatment), chemical control – fungicides – inorganic, organic, systemic, antibiotics – plant diseases resistance. Biotechnology in plant disease management – integrated plant disease management. Economic importance, symptoms, cause, epidemiology, disease cycle, and integrated management of disease or rice, wheat, sugarcane, groundnut, pulses, vegetables, tubers, citrus, mango, banana, grapevine, pineapple, papaya, guava, sapota, cashew, apple, coconut, areca nut, cocoa, black pepper, ginger, cardamom, tree spices, oil palm, betel vine, coffee, tea, rubber, and ornamentals.
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Part IV – Agronomy
Module 7
Importance of agriculture in National Economy – basic principles of crop production – National and International research institutes – classification of crops – tillage – tilth – soil fertility and productivity – water resources and irrigation development – water and irrigation requirement of crops – scheduling of irrigation for crops – methods of irrigation – the measurement of irrigation water – application, distribution, and use efficiencies – irrigation water quality and its management – water management in major field crops (rice, sugarcane, banana, cowpea, sesamum, groundnut) – soil erosion – water harvesting – watershed – types – characteristics and management – agricultural drainage. Weeds – definition – characteristics – classification – crop – weed competition – allelopathy – weed control methods – integrated weed management – classification, formulation and selectivity of herbicides – herbicide application methods and equipment’s – weed management in field crops, viz, rice, banana, pineapple, vegetables, and sugarcane.
Module 8
Economic importance – soil and climatic requirements – area and production – varieties – seed rate – spacing – methods of sowing/planting – manurial schedule, cultural practices and yield of major field crops of Kerala, viz, rice, tapioca, sugarcane, pulses, groundnut, sesamum and fodder crops, viz, guinea and hybrid Napier. Crop stand establishment and planting geometry and their effect on crop growth and yield – cropping systems – terminology – plant interactions in multiple cropping systems – criteria for assessing yield advantage – major cropping systems of Kerala – (rice-based – coconut-based – cassava-based – homestead farming) – organic farming – precision farming – Integrated farming system – sustainable agriculture – LEIA – HEIA – LEISA – sustainable technologies for crop production.
List of Important Days in January 2021.
Download the Soil Conservation Officer Syllabus PDF:
Moreover, candidates note that those candidates who successfully submitted their confirmation on or before 11th November 2020 can download the Admission Tickets through their One Time Registration Profile on the website www.keralapsc.gov.in from 06 January 2021.
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