UNDER-GRADUATE COURSES

Course No. : Agron. 51

Course Title: Elementary Agriculture

Credit Hours: 2(1+1)

Semester: I

Theory

Agriculture and its component sciences. Classification of crops. Seed, its structure, germination, phases of growth, factors affecting growth. Seed bed preparation. Nutrients for plant growth. Fertilizers and manures. Importance of water to plants, its uptake and losses. Weeds and their control.

Practical

Identification of various crops and seed. Study of germination of different types of crop seeds. Familiarization of important agricultural implements and hand tools, weeds, fertilizers.

Course No. : Agron. 52

Course Title: Elementary Agronomy

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: I

Theory

Agronomy - its importance and relation with other sciences. Classification of crops. Tillage - principles and practices. Different methods of sowing. Common manures and fertilizers, and their time and method of application. Green manuring. Methods of irrigation. Weeds and their control. Cropping systems, crop rotations and inter-cropping. Harvesting and threshing. Conservation agriculture.

Practical

Land measurements. Use of common hand tools and farm implements. Identification of different fertilizers. Computation of fertilizer doses. Methods of fertilizer application. Germination and purity test. Use of spray pumps. Practice in harvesting and threshing. Farm visit for familiarization with field problems.

Course No. : Agron. 53

Course Title: Crop Production – I

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: I

Theory

Important kharif crops – rice, maize, bajra, cotton, sugarcane, moong, mash, red gram, soybean, groundnut, sesamum, mentha, turmeric and fodder crops, their importance, improved varieties, cultural practices, harvesting and threshing.

Practical: Identification of important kharif crops, their seeds and weeds. Field practices like seedbed preparation, seed treatment, preparation of sugarcane seed sets, sowing, transplanting, thinning, earthing up, hoeing, fertilizer and herbicide application, propping, maturity indexing and harvesting.

Course No. : Agron. 54

Course Title: Crop Production – II

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: II

Theory

Important rabi crops – wheat, winter maize, gram, lentil, rapeseed and mustard, sunflower, safflower, celery and fodder crops, their importance, improved varieties, cultural practices, harvesting and threshing.

Practical: Identification of important rabi crops, their seeds and weeds. Field practices like seedbed preparation, seed treatment, sowing, transplanting, thinning, earthing up, hoeing, fertilizer and herbicide application, maturity indexing and harvesting.

Course No. : Agron. 101

Course Title: Fundamentals of Agronomy

Credit Hours: 4(3+1)

Semester: I

Theory

Agronomy and its scope. History of agriculture and impact of green revolution on Indian agriculture. Seeds and sowing, tillage and tilth. Crop density and geometry. Crop nutrition, manures and fertilizers, nutrient use efficiency. Water resources. Soil-plant-water relationship; crop water requirement, water use efficiency. Irrigation- scheduling criteria and methods, quality of irrigation water, water logging. Weeds-importance, classification, crop weed competition, concepts of weed management-principles and methods, herbicides- classification, selectivity and resistance, allelopathy. Growth and development of crops. Cropping system and its diversification in present day agriculture. Factors affecting growth and development. Plant ideotypes. Crop rotation and its principles. Adaptation and distribution of crops. Crop management technologies in problematic areas. Harvesting and threshing of crops.

Practical

Identification of crops, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and tillage implements. Study of agro-climatic zones of India. Identification of weeds in crops, methods of herbicide and fertilizer application. Study of yield contributing characters and yield estimation. Seed germination and viability test. Numerical exercises on fertilizer requirement, plant population, herbicides and water requirement. Use of tillage implements-reversible plough, one way plough, harrow, leveller, seed drill. Study of soil moisture measuring devices, measurement of field capacity, bulk density and infiltration rate. Measurement of irrigation water.

Course No. : Agron. 102

Course Title: Principles of Agronomy

Credit Hours: 2(1+1)

Semester: II

Theory

(For students of B. Tech. Agri. Engineering)

Introduction and scope of Agronomy. Classification of crops. Effect of different weather parameters on crop growth and development. Principles of tillage, tilth and its characteristics. Modern concepts of tillage. Crop seasons. Varieties, methods, time and depth of sowing, weed control, irrigation and fertilizer management of major field crops. Methods and time of application of manures and fertilizers. Precision agriculture. Organic farming. Sustainable agriculture. Soil water plant relationship, methods of irrigation, water requirement of crops and critical stages for irrigation. Weeds and their control. Crop rotation, cropping systems, relay cropping and mixed cropping.

Practical

Land measurement. Identification of crops, seeds, hand tools, implements, fertilizers and weeds. Calculation of fertilizer doses, fertilizer application methods. Different weed control methods. Practice of ploughing, practice of puddling, practice of sowing.

Course No. : Agron. 103

Course Title: Crop Production Technology

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: I

Theory

(For students of B.Tech. Biotechnology - In collaboration with Department of Soil Science)

Soil and its components. Soil morphological, physical, chemical and biological properties. Acidic, saline and alkali soils and their reclamation. Essential plant nutrients-functions and deficiency symptoms. Soil micro-organisms. Rhizosphere and its domain in soil. Organic manures and inorganic fertilizers. Agriculture, Agronomy and its relation with other sciences. Classification of crops. Tillage and tillage practices, concepts of tillage and objectives. Seed, its characteristics and different sowing methods. Weed management-definition of weed, losses and benefits of weeds, different weed control methods and their suitability under different conditions. Irrigation-Soil water classification, methods of irrigation, approaches for scheduling irrigation. Soil fertility and productivity. Concept of essentiality of plant nutrients. Fertilizers, manures and their types, methods of fertilizer application. Concepts of crop rotation, multiple cropping and intercropping - their principles, advantages and limitations. Cropping intensity. Production technology of major crops: Rice, maize, cotton, soybean, mung bean, mash, wheat, rapeseed and mustard, gram and Egyptian clover.

Practical

Study of soil profile and its characteristics. Determination of soil particle size distribution, particle density and bulk density. Determination of soil pH, electrical conductivity and organic carbon. Isolation of soil micro-flora (bacteria, fungus and actinomycetes). Land measurement. Practice in seedbed preparation and seeding methods. Identification of crop seeds, crops, weeds and fertilizers. Identification and use of hand tools and implements. Computation of fertilizer doses and their method of application.

Course No. : Agron. 105

Course Title: Crop Production Practices

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: I

Theory

(For students of B. Tech. Food Technology - In collaboration with Department of Fruit Science & Vegetable Science)

Classification of crops. Effect of different weather parameters on crop growth and development. Principles of tillage. Soil-water-plant relationship. Crop rotation, cropping systems, relay cropping and mixed cropping. Crop production technology for major cereal crops viz., paddy, wheat, maize, pearl millet, sorghum, etc. Major varieties, sowing time, method of sowing, spacing, inter-culturing, fertilizer and water requirement, time of harvest, maturity index, yield potential, etc. Crop production technology for major oilseed crops viz., groundnut, sesame, rapeseed, mustard, castor, etc. Major varieties, sowing time, method of sowing, spacing, inter-culturing, fertilizer and water requirement, time of harvest, maturity index, yield potential, etc. Crop production technology for major pulse crops viz., pigeon pea, cowpea, gram, green gram, black gram, etc. Major varieties, sowing time, method of sowing, spacing, inter-culturing, fertilizer and water requirement, time of harvest, maturity index, yield potential etc. Crop production technology for major spices and cash crops viz., cumin, coriander, fennel, ginger, garlic, sugarcane etc. Major varieties, sowing time, method of sowing, spacing, inter-culturing, fertilizer and water requirement, time of harvest, maturity index, yield potential, cost of cultivation, income from production, etc. Horticulture - Scope of horticultural crops. Soil and climatic requirements for fruits and vegetables, nursery raising and management. Crop production technology for major fruit crops viz., mango, banana, sapota, aonla, pomegranate, guava, etc., Major varieties, time of transplanting, spacing, inter-culturing, fertilizer and water requirement, time and method of harvest, maturity index, yield potential, cost of cultivation, income from production, etc. Crop production technology for major vegetable crops viz., potato, onion, tomato, chilli and other green and leafy vegetables; Major varieties, sowing time, method of sowing, spacing, inter-culturing, fertilizer and water requirement, time of harvest, maturity index, yield potential, cost of cultivation, income from production, etc.

Practical

Examination of soil profile in the field, Introduction to different equipments utilized in a weather observatory. Identification of seed of different agricultural crops and their varieties. Study of seed viability and germination test. Identification of different weeds and methods of their control. Use of different inter-culturing equipments. Study of water requirement of different crops. Fertilizer application methods and equipments. Judging maturity time for harvesting of crop. Identification and description of important fruit and vegetable crops. Preparation of nursery. Study of different garden tools. Practices of pruning and training in some important fruit crops.

Course No. : Agron. 201

Course Title: Production Technology for Kharif Crops

Credit Hours: 2(1+1)

Semester: I

Theory

Origin, geographical distribution, economic importance, soil and climatic requirements, varieties, cultural practices and yield of kharif crops. Cereals- rice, maize, sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet; pulses- pigeon pea, mung bean and urdbean; oilseeds- groundnut and soybean; fibre crops- cotton and jute; forage crops- maize, sorghum, bajra, cowpea, cluster bean and Napier-bajra hybrid.

Practical

Rice nursery preparation and transplanting. Sowing of cotton, maize, soybean, pigeon pea, mung bean, groundnut and forage crops. Effect of seed size and sowing depth on germination and seedling vigour of kharif crops. Identification of weeds in kharif crops. Top dressing and foliar application of fertilizers. Morphological description of kharif crops. Yield calculation of kharif crops. Visit to experiments at Agronomy farm and research centres.

Course No. : Agron. 202

Course Title: Production Technology for Rabi Crops

Credit Hours: 2(1+1)

Semester: II

Theory

Origin, geographical distribution, economic importance, soil and climatic requirements, varieties, cultural practices and yield of rabi crops. Cereals - wheat and barley; pulses- chickpea, lentil, peas; oilseeds - rapeseed, mustard and sunflower; sugar crops- sugarcane; medicinal and aromatic crops- lemon grass and citronella; forage crops-berseem, lucerne and oat.

Practical

Sowing methods of wheat and sugarcane. Identification of weeds in rabi season crops. Study of morphological characteristics of rabi crops. Study of yield contributing characters of rabi season crops and their yield. Study of important agronomic experiments of rabi crops at experimental farms. Study of rabi forage experiments. Oil extraction of medicinal crops. Visit to research stations of related crops.

Course No. : Agron. 203

Course Title: Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture

Credit Hours: 1(1+0)

Semester: II

Theory

Farming System-scope, importance, and concept. Types and systems of farming system and factors affecting types of farming. Farming system components and their maintenance. Cropping system and pattern. Multiple cropping system. Efficient cropping system and their evaluation. Allied enterprises and their importance. Tools for determining production and efficiencies in cropping and farming system. Sustainable agriculture-problems and its impact on agriculture. Indicators of sustainability. Adaptation and mitigation. Conservation agriculture strategies in agriculture. HEIA, LEIA and LEISA and its techniques for sustainability. Integrated farming system-historical background, objectives and characteristics. Components of IFS and its advantages. Site specific development of IFS model for different agro-climatic zones, resource use efficiency and optimization techniques. Resource cycling and flow of energy in different farming system, farming system and environment, Visit of IFS model in different agro-climatic zones of nearby states University/ institutes and farmers field.

Course No. : Agron. 301

Course Title: Practical Crop Production-I (Kharif Crops)

Credit Hours: 2(0+2)

Semester: I

Practical

Crop planning. Raising field crops in multiple cropping system- field preparation, seed treatment, nursery raising, sowing, nutrient, water, weed, insect-pest and disease management of crops, harvesting, threshing, drying, winnowing, storage and marketing of produce with emphasis on seed production, mechanization, resource conservation and integrated nutrient, weed, insect-pest and disease management technologies. Preparation of balance sheet including cost of cultivation and net returns per student and as well as per team of 8-10 students.

Course No. : Agron. 302

Course Title: Practical Crop Production-II (Rabi Crops)

Credit Hours: 2(0+2)

Semester: II

Practical

Crop planning. Raising field crops in multiple cropping system-field preparation, seed treatment, nursery raising, sowing, nutrient, water, weed, insect-pest and disease management of crops, harvesting, threshing, drying, winnowing, storage and marketing of produce with emphasis on seed production, mechanization, resource conservation and integrated nutrient, weed, insect-pest and disease management technologies. Preparation of balance sheet including cost of cultivation and net returns per student and as well as per team of 8-10 students.

Course No. : Agron. 303

Course Title: Rainfed Agriculture and Watershed Management

Credit Hours: 2(1+1)

Semester: I

Theory

Rainfed agriculture-introduction and types. History of rainfed agriculture and watershed concept in India. Problems and prospects of rainfed agriculture in India. Soil and climatic conditions in rainfed areas. Drought - types, effect of water deficit on physio-morphological characteristics of the plants. Crop adaptation to drought and mitigation of its effects. Soil and water conservation techniques. Water harvesting– importance and its techniques. Efficient utilization of water through soil and crop management practices. Management of crops in rainfed areas. Contingent crop planning for aberrant weather conditions. Concept, objectives, principles and components of watershed management. Factors affecting watershed management.

Practical

Climate classification. Rainfall pattern in rainfed areas of the country. Pattern of onset and withdrawal of monsoons. Calculations of effective rainfall. Cropping pattern of different rainfed areas in the country and their mapping. Interpretation of meteorological data. Scheduling of supplemental irrigation on the basis of evapo-transpiration demand of crops. Cultural practices for mitigation of moisture stress. Characterization and delineation of model watershed. Field demonstration on soil and moisture conservation measures. Field demonstration of water harvesting structures. Visit to rainfed research station/ watershed.

Course No. : Agron. 304

Course Title: Principles of Organic Farming

Credit Hours: 2(1+1)

Semester: II

Theory

(In collaboration with Department of Soil Science, Entomology and Plant Pathology)

Organic farming - principles and its scope in India. Initiatives taken by Government (central/state), NGOs and other organizations for promotion of organic agriculture. Organic ecosystem and their concepts. Organic nutrient resources and its fortification. Restrictions to nutrient use in organic farming. Choice of crops and varieties in organic farming. Fundamentals of insect, pest, disease and weed management under organic mode of production. Operational structure of NPOP. Certification process and standards of organic farming. Processing, labelling, economic considerations and viability, marketing and export potential of organic products.

Practical

Visit to organic farms for studying various components and their utilization. Preparation and analysis of enriched compost, vermicompost and bio-fertilizers/bio-inoculants. Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) for nutrient, insect, pest, disease and weed management. Cost calculation of organic production systems. Post harvest management- quality aspect, grading, packaging and handling.

Course No. : Agron. 305

Course Title: Weed Management (Optional course)

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: II

Theory

Weeds - introduction, characteristics and their harmful effects. Classification, reproduction and dissemination of weeds. Herbicide classification. Concept of adjuvant, surfactant, herbicide formulation and their use. Introduction to mode of action of herbicide and selectivity. Allelopathy and its application for weed management. Bio-herbicides and their application in agriculture. Concept of herbicide mixture and utility in agriculture. Herbicide compatibility with agro-chemicals and their application. Integration of herbicides with non-chemical methods of weed management. Herbicide resistance and its management.

Practical

Weed identification and techniques of weed preservation. Losses caused by weeds. Biology of important weeds. Study of herbicides– their formulations and mixtures. Shift of weed flora study in long term experiments. Methods of herbicide application. Spraying equipments and their calibration. Calculation of herbicide doses, weed control efficiency and weed index.

Course No. : Agron. 491

Course Title: Agro-industrial Attachment: Seed Industries/Herbicide Formulations

Credit Hours: 4(0+4)

Semester: I

Course No. : Agron. 492

Course Title: Experiential Learning in Organic Production Technology

Credit Hours: 20(0+20)

Semester: II

POST-GRADUATE COURSES

COURSE OFFERING SCHEDULE, SEMESTER I

COURSE OFFERING SCHEDULE, SEMESTER II

Course No. : Agron.-501

Course Title: Modern Concepts in Crop Production

Credit Hours: 3(3+0)

Semester: I

Theory

UNIT-I

Crop growth analysis in relation to environment; Agro- ecological zones of India.

UNIT-II

Quantitative agro-biological principles and inverse yield nitrogen law; Mitscherlich yield equation, its interpretation and applicability; Baule unit.

UNIT-III

Lodging in cereals; physiology of grain yield in cereals; optimization of plant population and planting geometry in relation to different resources, concept of ideal plant type and crop modeling for desired crop yield.

UNIT-IV

Scientific principles of crop production; crop response production functions; concept of soil-plant relations; yield and environmental stress, use of growth hormones and regulators for better adaptation in stressed condition.

UNIT-V

Integrated farming systems, organic farming, and resource conservation technology including modern concept of tillage; dry farming; determining the nutrient needs for yield potentiality of crop plants, concept of balance nutrition and integrated nutrient management; precision agriculture. Modern crop production concepts: soil less cultivation, Aeroponics, Hydroponics, Robotics and terrace farming. Use of GIS, GPS and remote sensing in modern agriculture, precision farming and protected agriculture. Agronomic bio-fortification of food crops.

Course No. : Agron.-502

Course Title: Principles and Practices of Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: II

Theory

UNIT I

Soil fertility and productivity - factors affecting; features of good soil management; problems of supply and availability of nutrients; relation between nutrient supply and crop growth; organic farming - basic concepts and definitions.

UNIT II

Criteria of essentiality of nutrients; Essential plant nutrients – their functions, nutrient deficiency symptoms; transformation and dynamics of major plant nutrients.

UNIT III

Preparation and use of farmyard manure, compost, green manures, vermicompost, biofertilizers and other organic concentrates their composition, availability and crop responses; recycling of organic wastes and residue management. Soil less cultivation.

UNIT IV

Commercial fertilizers; composition, relative fertilizer value and cost; crop response to different nutrients, residual effects and fertilizer use efficiency; agronomic, chemical and physiological, fertilizer mixtures and grades; methods of increasing fertilizer use efficiency; nutrient interactions.

UNIT V

Time and methods of manures and fertilizers application; foliar application and its concept; relative performance of organic and inorganic nutrients; economics of fertilizer use; integrated nutrient management; use of vermincompost and residue wastes in crops.

Practical

Determination of soil pH, soil EC, and soil organic C. Determination of available and total N, P, K and S of soil. Determination of total N, P, K, S in plant. Computation of optimum and economic yield.

Course No. : Agron.-503 *

Course Title: Principles and Practices of Weed Management

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: I

Theory

UNIT I

Weed biology, and ecology and classification, crop-weed competition including allelopathy; principles and methods of weed control and classification management; weed indices, weed shift in different eco-systems

UNIT II

Herbicides introduction and history of their development; classification based on chemical, physiological application and selectivity; mode and mechanism of action of herbicides.

UNIT III

Herbicide structure - activity relationship; factors affecting the efficiency of herbicides; herbicide formulations, herbicide mixtures, sequential application of herbicides, rotation; weed control through use of nano-herbicides and bio-herbicides, myco-herbicides bioagents, and allelochemicals; movement of herbicides in soil and plant, Degradation of herbicides in soil and plants; herbicide resistance, residue, persistence and management; development of herbicide resistance in weeds and crops and their management, herbicide combination and rotation.

UNIT IV

Weed management in major crops and cropping systems; alien, invasive and parasitic weeds and their management; weed shifts in cropping systems; aquatic and perennial weed control; weed control in non-crop area.

UNIT V

Integrated weed management; recent development in weed management- robotics, use of drones and aeroplanes, organic etc., cost: benefit analysis of weed management.

Practical

Identification of important weeds of different crops, Preparation of a weed herbarium, Weed survey in crops and cropping systems, Crop-weed competition studies, Weed indices calculation and interpretation with data, Preparation of spray solutions of herbicides for high and low-volume sprayers, Use of various types of spray pumps and nozzles and calculation of swath width, Economics of weed control, Herbicide resistance analysis in plant and soil, Bioassay of herbicide resistance residues, Calculation of herbicide requirement

Course No. : Agron.-504

Course Title: Principles and Practices of Water Management Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: I

Theory

Water and its role in plants; Irrigation: Definition and objectives, water resources and irrigation development in India and concerned state, major irrigation projects, extent of area and crops irrigated in India and in different states.

UNIT II

Field water cycle, water movement in soil and plants; transpiration; soil-water-plant relationships; water absorption by plants; plant response to water stress, crop plant adaptation to moisture stress condition. Determination of hydraulic conductivity of saturated soil below the water table by auger hole method. Estimation of upward flux of water using tensiometer and from depth ground water table. Water availability and its relationship with nutrient availability and loses.

UNIT III

Soil, plant and meteorological factors determining water needs of crops, scheduling, depth and methods of irrigation; micro irrigation systems; deficit irrigation; fertigation; management of water in controlled environments and polyhouses. Irrigation efficiency and water use efficiency.

UNIT IV

Water management of crop and cropping system, Crop water requirement estimation of ET and effective rainfall; Automated irrigation system and use of Internet of things (IoT) in water management.

UNIT V

Excess of soil water and plant growth; water management in problem soils, drainage requirement of crops and methods of field drainage, their layout and spacing; rain water management and its utilization for crop production.

UNIT VI

Quality of irrigation water and management of saline water for irrigation, water management in problem soils

UNIT VII

Soil moisture conservation, water harvesting, rain water management and its utilization for crop production.

UNIT VIII

Hydroponics and aeroponics

UNIT IX

Water management of crops under climate change scenario

Practical

Determination of field capacity by field method and permanent wilting point by sunflower pot culture technique. Determination of field capacity and permanent wilting point by Pressure Plate Apparatus. Determination of hygroscopic coefficient, maximum water holding capacity of soil and soil-moisture characteristics curves. Measurement of matric potential using gauge and mercury type tensiometer. Determination of saturated hydraulic conductivity by constant and falling head method. Measurement of soil water diffusivity. Estimation of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. Determination of irrigation requirement of crops (calculations) and effective rainfall (calculations). Determination of ET of crops by soil moisture depletion method. Determination of water requirements of crops. Measurement of irrigation water by volume and velocity-area method. Measurement of irrigation water by measuring devices and calculation of irrigation efficiency. Determination of infiltration rate by double ring infiltrometer

Course No. : Agron.-505

Course Title: Conservation Agriculture

Credit Hours: 2(1+1)

Semester: II

Theory

UNIT I

Conventional and conservation agriculture systems, sustainability concerns, conservation agriculture: Historical background and present concept, global experiences, present status in India

UNIT II

Nutrient management in CA, water management, weed management, energy use, insect-pest and disease management, farm machinery, crop residue management, cover crop management

UNIT III

Climate change mitigation and CA, C-sequestration, soil health management, soil microbes and CA

UNIT IV

CA in agroforestry systems, rainfed / dryland regions

UNIT V

Economic considerations in CA, adoption and constraints, CA: The future of agriculture

Practical

Study of long-term experiments on CA, evaluation of soil health parameters, estimation of C-sequestration, machinery calibration for sowing different crops, weed seed bank, estimation under CA, energy requirements, economic analysis of CA.

Course No. : Agron.-506

Course Title: Agronomy of Major Cereals and Pulses

Credit Hours: 2(1+1)

Semester: II

Theory

Origin and history, area and production, classification, improved varieties, adaptability, climate, soil, water and cultural requirements, nutrition, quality components, handling and processing of the produce for maximum production of

UNIT-I

Rabi cereals – Wheat, Barley, Oats

UNIT-II

Kharif cereals – Rice, Maize, Sorghum

UNIT-III

Rabi pulses – Gram, Lentil

UNIT-IV

Kharif pulses - Pigeonpea, Mungbean, Urdbean

Practical

Phenological studies at different growth stages of crop. Estimation of crop yield on the basis of yield attributes. Formulation of cropping schemes for various farm sizes and calculation of cropping and rotational intensities. Working out growth indices (CGR, RGR, NAR, LAI, LAD, LAR, LWR, SLA, SLW etc). Assessment of land use and yield advantage (Rotational intensity, Cropping intensity, Diversity Index, Sustainable Yield Index Crop Equivalent Yield, Land Equivalent ratio, Aggressiveness, Relative Crowding Coefficient, Competition Ratio and ATER etc). Estimation of protein content in pulses. Planning and layout of field experiments. Judging of physiological maturity in different crops. Intercultural operations in different crops. Determination of cost of cultivation of different crops. Working out harvest index of various crops. Study of seed production techniques in selected crops. Visit of field experiments on cultural, fertilizer, weed control and water management aspects. Visit to nearby villages for identification of constraints in crop production.

Course No. : Agron.-507

Course Title: Agronomy of Oilseed, Fibre and Sugar crops Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: I

Theory

Origin and history, area and production, classification, improved varieties, adaptability, climate, soil, water and cultural requirements, nutrition, quality component, handling and processing of the produce for maximum production of

UNIT I

Rabi oilseeds – Rapeseed and mustard, Linseed and Safflower

UNIT II

Kharif oilseeds - Groundnut, Sesame, Castor, Sunflower, Soybean and Niger

UNIT III

Fiber crops - Cotton, Jute, Ramie and Mesta.

UNIT IV

Sugar crops – Sugar-beet and Sugarcane.

Practical

Planning and layout of field experiments. Cutting of sugarcane setts, its treatment and methods of sowing, tying and propping of sugarcane. Determination of cane maturity and calculation on purity percentage, recovery percentage and sucrose content in cane juice phenological studies at different growth stages of crop. Intercultural operations in different crops. Cotton seed treatment. Working out growth indices (CGR, RGR, NAR, LAI, LAD, LAR, LWR, SLA, SLW etc). Assessment of land use and yield advantage (Rotational intensity, Cropping intensity, Diversity Index, Sustainable Yield Index Crop Equivalent Yield, Land Equivalent ration, Aggressiveness, Relative Crowding Coefficient, Competition Ratio and ATER etc). Judging of physiological maturity in different crops and working out harvest index. Working out cost of cultivation of different crops. Estimation of crop yield on the basis of yield attributes. Formulation of cropping schemes for various farm sizes and calculation of cropping and rotational intensities. Determination of oil content in oilseeds and computation of oil yield. Estimation of quality of fibre of different fibre crops. Study of seed production techniques in various crops. Visit of field experiments on cultural, fertilizer, weed control and water management. Visit to nearby villages for identification of constraints in crop production.

Course No. : Agron.-508

Course Title: Agronomy of Medicinal, Aromatic & Underutilized Crops

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: I

Theory:

UNIT-I

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.

UNIT-II

Climate and soil requirements; cultural practices; yield and important constituents of medicinal plants (Mulhati, Isabgol, Rauwolfia, Poppy, Aloe vera, Satavar, Stevia, Safed Musli, Kalmegh, Asaphoetida, Nuxvomica, etc).

UNIT-III

Climate and soil requirements; cultural practices; yield and important constituents of aromatic plants (Citronella, Palmarosa, Mentha, Basil, Lemon grass, Rose, Patchouli, Geranium).

UNIT-IV

Climate and soil requirements; cultural practices; yield of under-utilized crops

(Rice bean, Lathyrus, Sesbania, Clusterbean, French bean, Fenugreek, Grain, Amaranth, Celery.

UNIT-V

Post harvest handling –drawing, processing, grading, packing and storage, value addition and quality standards in herbal products.

Practical

Identification of crops based on morphological and seed characteristics. Raising of herbarium of medicinal, aromatic and under-utilized plants. Quality characters in medicinal and aromatic plants. Methods of analysis of essential oil and other chemicals of importance in medicinal and aromatic plants.

Course No. : Agron.-509

Course Title: Agronomy of Fodder and Forage Crops

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: II

Theory

UNIT-I

Adaptation, distribution, varietal improvement, agro-techniques and quality aspects including anti-quality factors of important fodder crops like sorghum, maize, bajra, guar, cowpea, oats, barley, berseem, senji, lucerne etc.

UNIT-II

Adaptation, distribution, varietal improvement, agro-techniques and quality aspects including anti-quality factors of important forage crops/grasses lime, Napier grass, Panicum, Lasiuras, Cenchrus etc.

UNIT-III

Year-round fodder production and management, preservation and utilization of forage and pasture crops.

UNIT-IV

Principles and methods of hay and silage making; chemical and biochemical changes, nutrient losses and factors affecting quality of hay and silage; use of physical and chemical enrichments and biological methods for improving nutrition; value

addition of poor quality fodder. Fodder production through hydroponics. Azolla cultivation.

UNIT-V

Economics of forage cultivation uses and seed production techniques of important fodder crops.

Practical

Practical training of farm operations in raising fodder crops. Canopy measurement, yield, Leaf: Stem ratio and quality estimation, viz. crude protein, NDF, ADF, lignin, silica, cellulose and IVDMD etc. of various fodder and forage crops. Anti-quality components like HCN in sorghum and such factors in other crops. Hay and silage making and economics of their preparation

Course No. : Agron.-510

Course Title: Agrostology and Agro-Forestry

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: I

Theory

UNIT-I

Agrostology: definition and importance; principles of grassland ecology: grassland ecology – community, climax, dominant species, succession, biotype, ecological status of grasslands in India, grass cover of India; problems and management of grasslands.

UNIT-II

Importance, classification (various criteria), scope, status and research needs of pastures; pasture establishment, their improvement and renovation-natural pastures, cultivated pastures; common pasture grasses.

UNIT-III

Agroforestry: definition and importance; agroforestory systems, agrisilviculture, silvipasture, agrisilvipasture, agrihorticulture, aqua silviculture, alley cropping and energy plantation.

UNIT-IV

Crop production technology in agro-forestory and agrostology system; silvipastoral system: meaning and importance for wasteland development; selection of species, planting methods and problems of seed germination in agro-forestry systems; irrigation and manuring in agro-forestry systems, associative influence in relation to above ground and underground interferences; lopping and coppicing in agro-forestry systems; social acceptability and economic viability, nutritive value of trees; tender operation; desirable tree characteristics.

Practical

Preparation of charts and maps of India showing different types of pastures and agro-forestry systems. Identification of seeds and plants of common grasses, legumes and trees of economic importance with reference to agro-forestry. Seed treatment for better germination of farm vegetation. Methods of propagation/planting of grasses and trees in silvipastoral system. Fertilizer application in strip and silvipastroal systems. After-care of plantation. Estimation of protein content in loppings of important fodder trees. Estimation of calorie value of wood of important fuel trees. Estimation of total biomass and fuel wood. Economics of agro-forestry. Visit to important agro-forestry and farm forestry sites.

Course No. : Agron.-511

Course Title: Cropping Systems and Sustainable Agriculture

Credit Hours: 2(2+0)

Semester: II

UNIT-I

Cropping systems: definition, indices and its importance; physical resources, soil and water management in cropping systems; assessment of land use.

UNIT-II

Concept of sustainability in cropping systems and farming systems, scope and objectives; production potential under monoculture cropping, multiple cropping, alley cropping, sequential cropping and intercropping, mechanism of yield advantage in intercropping systems.

UNIT-III

Above and below ground interactions and allelopathic effects; competition relations; multi-storied cropping and yield stability in intercropping, role of non-monetary inputs and low cost technologies; research need on sustainable agriculture.

UNIT-IV

Crop diversification for sustainability; role of organic matter in maintenance of soil fertility; crop residue management; fertilizer use efficiency and concept of fertilizer use in intensive cropping system. Advanced nutritional tools for big data analysis and interpretation.

UNIT-V

Plant ideotypes for drylands; plant growth regulators and their role in sustainability.

Unit VI

Artificial Intelligence- Concept and application.

Course No. : Agron.-512

Course Title: Dryland Farming and Watershed Management

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: II

Theory

UNIT-I

Definition, concept and characteristics of dry land farming; dry land versus rainfed farming; significance and dimensions of dry land farming in Indian agriculture.

UNIT-II

Soil and climatic parameters with special emphasis on rainfall characteristics; constraints limiting crop production in dry land areas; types of drought, characterization of environment for water availability; crop planning for erratic and aberrant weather conditions.

UNIT-III

Stress physiology and resistance to drought, adaptation of crop plants to drought, drought management strategies; preparation of appropriate crop plans for dry land areas; mid contingent plan for aberrant weather conditions.

UNIT-IV

Tillage, tilth, frequency and depth of cultivation, compaction in soil tillage; concept of conservation tillage; tillage in relation to weed control and moisture conservation; techniques and practices of soil moisture conservation (use of mulches, kinds, effectiveness and economics); antitranspirants; soil and crop management techniques, seeding and efficient fertilizer use.

UNIT-V: Concept of watershed resource management, problems, approach and components.

Practical

Method of Seed Priming. Determination of moisture content of germination of important dryland crops. Determination of Relative Water Content and Saturation Deficit of Leaf. Moisture stress effects and recovery behaviour of important crops. Estimation of Potential ET by Thornthwaite method. Estimation of Reference ET by Penman Monteith Method. Classification of climate by Thornthwaite method (based on moisture index, humidity index and aridity index). Classification of climate by Koppen Method. Estimation of water balance by Thornthwaite method. Estimation of water balance by FAO method. Assessment of drought. Estimation of length of growing period. Estimation of probability of rain and crop planning for different drought condition. Spray of anti-transpirants and their effect on crops. Water use efficiency. Visit to dryland research stations and watershed projects.

Course No. : Agron.-513

Course Title: Principles and Practices of Organic Farming

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: II

UNIT I

Organic farming - concept and definition, its relevance to India and global agriculture and future prospects; principles of organic agriculture; standards of organic farming, organic farming v/s natural farming and sustainable agriculture; selection and conversion of land, soil and water management - land use, conservation tillage; shelter zones, hedges, pasture management, agro-forestry.

UNIT II

Organic farming and water use efficiency; soil fertility, nutrient recycling, organic residues, organic manures, composting, soil biota and decomposition of organic residues, earthworms and vermicompost, green manures, bio-fertilizers and biogas technology,

UNIT III

Farming systems, selection of crops and crop rotations, multiple and relay cropping systems, intercropping in relation to maintenance of soil productivity. Integrated organic farming systems and organic IFS models.

UNIT IV

Control of weeds, diseases and insect pest management, biological agents and pheromones, bio-pesticides.

UNIT V

Socio-economic impacts; marketing and export potential: inspection, certification, labeling and accreditation procedures; organic farming and national economy.

Practical

Method of making compost by aerobic and anaerobic method. Method of making vermicompost. Identification and nursery raising of important agro-forestry tress and tress for shelter Belts. Efficient use of biofertilizers, technique of treating legume seeds with Rhizobium cultures, use of Azotobacter, Azospirillum, and PSB cultures in field. Visit to a biogas plant. Visit to an organic farm. Quality standards, inspection, certification and labeling and accreditation procedures for farm produce from organic farms.

Course No. : Agron.-514

Course Title: Field Plot Techniques

Credit Hours: 2(1+1)

Semester: II

Theory

Unit I

Field plot experimentation: Principles. Planning field experiments-objectives, selection of field and treatments. Efficient conduct of the experiments. Recording biometrical observations. Sources of error in the field experiments and methods of reducing it.

Unit II

Selection of experimental designs.

Commonly used designs in field experiments; CRD, RCBD, LSD, Split-plot, Strip-plot Factorial experiments and interaction effects.

Experiments to study the effect of years and locations.

Unit III

Compilation, presentation and interpretation of the data. Different tests of significance. Correlation and response functions.Transformation of data.

Practical:

Actual layout of field experiments. Data analysis of different experiment designs; CRD, RCBD, LSD, Split-plot, Strip-plot. Critical examination of experiments scientific journals. Compilation and interpretation of the given data. Missing plots and analysis of variance results. Use of computers for analysis of data.

Course No. : Agron.-601

Course Title: Current Trends in Agronomy

Credit Hours: 3(3+0)

Semester: II

UNIT-I

Agro-physiological basis of variation in yield, recent advances in soil plant-water relationship.

UNIT-II

Globalization of agriculture and WTO, precision agriculture, contract farming, organic farming, marketing and export potential of organic products, certification, labeling and accreditation procedures and ITK in organic farming.

UNIT-III

Crop residue management in multiple cropping systems; latest developments in plant management. Mechanization in crop production: modern agricultural precision tools and technologies, weed management, cropping systems, grassland management, agro-forestry, allelopathy.

UNIT-IV

GIS, GPS and remote sensing for crop management, global warming, GM crops, seed production technology; seed certification, seed multiplication, hybrid seed

production etc.

UNIT-V

Concepts of system agriculture; holistic approach of farming systems, dryland farming, sustainable agriculture and research methodology in Agronomy. Conservation agriculture, principles, prospects and importance, potential benefits of CA under climate change scenario, policy issues.

Course No. : Agron.-602

Course Title: Recent Trends in Crop Growth and Productivity Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: I

Theory

UNIT-I

Plant density and crop productivity; plant and environmental factors, yield, plant distribution, strategies for maximizing solar energy utilization; leaf area; interception of solar radiation and crop growth; photosynthesis: the photosynthetic apparatus, factors essential for photosynthesis; difference in photosynthetic rates among and within species; physiological limitations to crop yield; solar radiation concept and agro-techniques for harvesting solar radiation.

UNIT-II

Growth analysis: concept, CGR, RGR, NAR, LAI, LAD, LAR; validity and Limitations in interpreting crop growth and development; growth curves: sigmoid, polynomial and asymptotic; root systems; root-shoot relationship; principles involved in inter and mixed cropping systems under rainfed and irrigated conditions; concept and differentiation of inter and mixed cropping; criteria in assessing the yield advantages.

UNIT-III

Competitive relationship and competition functions; biological and agronomic basis of yield advantage under intercropping; physiological principles of dry land crop production, constraints and remedial measures; heat unit concept of crop maturity: concept and types of heat units.

UNIT-IV

Concept of plant ideotypes: crop physiological and new ideotypes; characteristics of ideotype for wheat, rice, maize, etc.; concept and types of growth hormones; their role in field crop production; efficient use of resources.

Practical

Field measurement of root-shoot relationship in crops at different growth stages. Estimation of growth evaluating parameters like CGR, RGR, NAR, LAI etc., at different stages of crop growth. Computation of harvest index of various crops. Assessment of crop yield on the basis of yield attributing characters. Construction of crop growth curves based on growth analysis data. Computation of competition functions, viz. LER, IER aggressivity competition index etc in intercropping. Senescence and abscission indices. Analysis of productivity trend in un-irrigated areas. Analysis of productivity trend in irrigated areas

Course No. : Agron.-603

Course Title: Irrigation Management

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: II

UNIT-I

Global water resources; Water resources of India, irrigation projects during pre and post independence period and their significance in crop production

UNIT II

Movement of water in soil-water movement under saturated and unsaturated conditions, Poiseulle’s and Darcy’s law, general equation of saturated and unsaturated flow of water in soil. physiological processes and crop productivity.

UNIT III

Water requirement, irrigation needs, factors affecting irrigation need; water use efficiency, Infiltration; management practices for improving water use efficiency of crops.

UNIT IV

Soil and plant water potential, SPAC, transpiration and evapotranspiration, significance of transpiration, energy utilization in transpiration, factors affecting ET, control of ET by mulching and use of anti-transpirants; fertilizer use in relation to irrigation.

UNIT V

Crop water stress – water deficits and crop growth, adoptability to the crops. Water availability with relation to nutrient availability

UNIT VI

Application of irrigation water, conveyance and distribution system, irrigation efficiency; agronomic considerations in the design and operation of irrigation projects; characteristics of irrigation and farming systems affecting irrigation management.

UNIT VII

Strategies of using limited water supply; optimizing the use of given irrigation supplies.

UNIT VIII

Land suitability for irrigation, land irrigability classification; integrated water management in command areas, institution of water management in commands, farmer’s participation in command areas; irrigation legislation.

UNIT IX

Economic analysis of irrigation and cop planning for optimum use of irrigation water

UNIT X

Crop water production function

Practical

Determination of water infiltration characteristics and water holding capacity of soil profiles. Determination Moisture extraction pattern of crops. Determination of water balance component of transplanted rice by drum culture technique. Determination of consumptive use and water requirement of a given cropping pattern. Determination of crop coefficient of one important crop. Planning, designing and installation of drip and sprinkler irrigation system. Designing of drainage channel. Measurement of irrigation efficiencies. Determination of irrigation timing under different methods of irrigation. Visit to irrigation command area.

Course No. : Agron.-604

Course Title: Recent Trends in Weed Management

Credit Hours: 2(2+0)

Semester: II

Theory

UNIT I

Crop-weed competition in different cropping situations; changes in weed flora, various causes and effects; different methods of weed management. Migration, introduction, adaptation of weeds, Invasive weeds – biology and management. Different mechanisms of invasion – present status and factors influencing weed invasion.

UNIT II

Physiological and biological aspects of herbicides, their absorption, translocation, metabolism and mode of action; selectivity of herbicides and factors affecting them.

UNIT III

Climatic factors and phytotoxicity of herbicides; fate of herbicides in soil and factors affecting them, Degradation of herbicides in soil and plants- factors affecting it, primary and secondary metabolites, residue management of herbicides, adjuvants.

UNIT IV

Advances in herbicide products and application techniques and methods; herbicide resistance; antidotes and crop protection compatibility of herbicides of different groups; compatibility of herbicides with other pesticides; herbicide rotation and herbicide mixtures.

UNIT V

Development of transgenic herbicide resistant crops; herbicide development, registration procedures.

UNIT VI

Relationship of herbicides with tillage, fertilizer, and irrigation, cropping system; bioherbicides, allelochemical and alleloherbicides, herbicide bioassays. Recent advances in nonchemical weed management including deleterious rhizobacteria, robotics, biodegradable film etc.

Course No. : Agron.-605

Course Title: Integrated Farming Systems for Sustainable Agriculture

Credit Hours: 2(2+0)

Semester: I

Theory

UNIT I

Integrated Farming systems (IFS): definition, scope and importance; classification of IFS based on enterprises as well as under rainfed/irrigated condition in different land situation. farming systems according to type of rotation, intensity of rotation, degree of commercialization, water supply, enterprises. Bankable IFS models, farming system typology analysis, value chain analysis, farming system study using farm design software.

UNIT II

Concept of sustainability in of Integrated farming systems; efficient Integrated farming systems based on economic viability and natural resources - identification and management.

UNIT III

Production potential of different components of Integrated farming systems; interaction and mechanism of different production factors; stability of Integrated Farming system based on research/long term information. in different systems through research; eco-physiological approaches to intercropping. Integration of components and adaptability of different farming system based on land situations and climatic condition of a region; evaluation of IFS.

UNIT IV

Simulation models for intercropping; soil nutrient in intercropping; preparation of different farming system models; evaluation of different farming systems. Formation of different Integrated Farming system Models; evaluation of different Integrated Farming system models. Recycling of organic waste in farming system, in IFS.

UNIT V

New concepts and approaches of farming system and organic farming; value addition, waste recycling, quantification and mitigation of Green House gases; case studies/success stories of different Integrated Farming systems. cropping systems and organic farming; case studies on different farming systems. Possible use of ITK in Integrated farming system.

Course No. : Agron.-606

Course Title: Soil Conservation and Watershed Management

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: I

Theory

UNIT-I

Soil erosion: definition, nature and extent of erosion; types of erosion, factors affecting erosion.

UNIT-II

Soil conservation: definition, methods of soil conservation; agronomic measures - contour cultivation, strip cropping, cover crops; mulching, tillage, cropping system vegetative barriers; improved dry farming practices; mechanical measures - bunding, gully control, bench terracing; role of grasses and pastures in soil conservation; wind breaks and shelter belts.

UNIT-III

Watershed management: definition, objectives, concepts, approach, components, steps in implementation of watershed; development of cropping systems for watershed areas.

UNIT-IV

Land use capability classification, alternate land use systems; agroforestry; ley farming; jhum management - basic concepts, socio-ethnic aspects, its layout.

UNIT-V

Drainage, methods of drainage, Drainage considerations and agronomic management; rehabilitation of abandoned jhum lands and measures to prevent soil erosion.

Practical

Study of different types of erosion. Determination of dispersion ratio. Estimation of soil loss by Universal Soil Loss Equation and by wind erosion. Measurement of runoff and soil loss. Field studies of different soil conservation measures. Laying out run-off plot and deciding treatments. Identification of different grasses and trees for soil conservation. Visit to watershed areas, soil conservation research centre, demonstration and training centre.

Course No. : Agron.-607

Course Title: Stress Crop Production

Credit Hours: 3(2+1)

Semester: II

(In collaboration with Department of Plant Physiology/Botany)

Theory

UNIT-I

Stress and strain terminology; nature and stress injury and resistance; causes of stress.

UNIT-II

Low temperature stress: freezing injury and resistance in plants, measurement of freezing tolerance, chilling injury and resistance in plants, practical to overcome the effect of low temperature tress through, soil and crop manipulations.

UNIT-III

High temperature or heat stress: meaning of heat stress, heat injury and resistance in plants, practical ways to overcome the effect of heat stress through soil and crop manipulations.

UNIT-IV

Water deficit stress: meaning of plant water deficient stress and its effect on growth and development, water deficit injury and resistance, practical ways to overcome effect of water deficit stress through soil and crop, manipulations.

UNIT-V

Excess water or flooding stress: meaning of excess water stress, its kinds and effects on crop plants, excess water stress injury and resistance, practical ways to overcome excess water stress through soil and crop manipulations.

UNIT-VI

Salt stress: meaning of salt stress and its effect on crop growth, salt stress and resistance in plants, practical ways to overcome the effect of salt stress through soil and crop manipulations.

UNIT-VII

Mechanical impedance of soil and its impact on plant growth; measures to overcome soil mechanical impedance.

UNIT-VIII

Environmental pollution: air, soil and water pollution, and their effect on crop growth and quality of produce; ways and means to prevent environmental pollution.

Practical

Determination of electrical conductivity of plant cell sap. Determination of osmotic potential and tissue water potential. Measurement of transpiration rate and stomatal frequency. Measurement of Relative water content of leaf. Measurement of electrolytic leakage. Growing of plants in sand culture under salt stress for biochemical and physiological Studies. Studies on effect of osmotic and ionic stress on seed germination and seedling growth. Measurement of low temperature injury under field conditions. Studies on plant responses to excess water.