UPSC IFOS Agriculture Paper II Syllabus

UPSC IFOS Agriculture Paper II: topic-wise syllabus

1. 1

   Cell Biology and Genetics

   • Cell theory, cell structure, organelles and cell division
   • Nucleic acids and gene structure and function
   • Laws of heredity and plant breeding
   • Chromosome structure, aberrations, linkage and crossing-over
   • Polyploidy, euploids and aneuploids
   • Micro and macro mutations in crop improvement
   • Variation, heritability, sterility and incompatibility
   • Cytoplasmic inheritance; sex-linked, sex-influenced and sex-limited characters
2. 2

   Plant Breeding

   • History of plant breeding and modes of reproduction
   • Selfing and crossing techniques
   • Origin and evolution of crop plants, centres of origin and law of homologous series
   • Crop genetic resources: conservation and utilization
   • Pure-line, pedigree, mass and recurrent selection
   • Combining ability, hybrid vigour and backcross breeding
   • Breeding for disease and pest resistance
   • Inter-specific and inter-generic hybridization
   • Biotechnology in plant breeding
   • Improved varieties, hybrids and composites
3. 3

   Seed Technology

   • Importance of seed technology
   • Kinds of seed, seed production and processing
   • Public and private sectors in seed production, processing and marketing
4. 4

   Crop Physiology

   • Imbibition, surface tension, diffusion and osmosis
   • Absorption and translocation of water, transpiration and water economy
   • Enzymes and plant pigments
   • Photosynthesis: modern concepts and factors
   • Aerobic and anaerobic respiration
   • C3, C4 and CAM mechanisms
   • Carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism
   • Growth, photoperiodism and vernalization
   • Auxins, hormones and plant growth regulators
   • Seed development, germination and dormancy
5. 5

   Horticulture

   • Cultivation of major fruits, vegetables and flowers
   • Package of practices and their scientific basis
   • Handling and marketing of fruits and vegetables
   • Preservation and processing of fruit and vegetable products
   • Fruits and vegetables in human nutrition
   • Ornamental plants and layout of lawns and gardens
6. 6

   Plant Protection

   • Diseases and pests of field, vegetable, orchard and plantation crops
   • Causes and classification of plant pests and diseases
   • Principles of pest and disease control
   • Biological control and integrated pest and disease management
   • Epidemiology and forecasting
   • Pesticides: formulations and modes of action
   • Compatibility with rhizobial inoculants and microbial toxins
   • Storage pests and diseases of cereals and pulses
7. 7

   Food Production and Food Policy

   • Food production and consumption trends in India
   • National and international food policies
   • Production, procurement, distribution and processing constraints
   • Food production and the national dietary pattern
   • Calorie and protein deficiencies