Agriculture Optional Mains Test Series 2026
SCHEDULE (31st MAY)
PART OF
TEST NO. DATE SYLLABUS TOPIC Reference Material
PAPER
• Unit- 5 Soil science For Students Following Sunya
Syllabus:- Agriculture Foundation Course
5.1 Soil physical, chemical and biological properties. • SUNYA AGRICULTURE
5.2 Process and factors of soil formation LECTURES
5.3 Soils of India Mineral and organic constituents of soils and their role • SUNYA IAS SOCIOLOGY
in maintaining soil productivity. NOTES (PAPER I)
5.4 Essential plant nutrients and other beneficial elements in soils and For OTHERS
plants
• Introductory Soil science by
5.5 Principles of soil fertility, soil testing and fertilizer recommendations,
Dilip Kumar Das.
Integrated Nutrient Management.
5.6 Biofertilizers. • Fundamentals of soil science by
5.7 Losses of nitrogen in the soil, nitrogen-use efficiency in submerged V. D. Patil and Mali.
1 31/05/2025 PAPER I rice soils, nitrogen fixation in soils. • Principles of Agronomy by
5.8 Efficient phosphorus and potassium use. Reddy and Reddy.
5.9 Problem soils and their reclamation. Soil factors affecting greenhouse • State Agriculture University
gas emission. Courses (MPKV, TNAU)
• Unit- 6 Soil and water conservation
Syllabus:-
6.1 Soil conservation
6.2 Integrated watershed management.
6.3 Soil erosion and its management.
6.4 Dry land agriculture and its problems.
6.5 Technology for stabilizing agriculture production in rain fed areas.
6.6 Water-use efficiency in relation to crop production,
6.7 Criteria for scheduling irrigations,
Agriculture Optional Mains Test Series 2026
PART OF
TEST NO. DATE SYLLABUS TOPIC Reference Material
PAPER
6.8 Ways and means of reducing runoff losses of irrigation water.
6.9 Rainwater harvesting.
6.10 Drip and sprinkler irrigation.
6.11 Drainage of waterlogged soils,
6.12 Quality of irrigation water
6.13 Effect of industrial effluents on soil and water pollution.
6.14 Irrigation projects in India.
Unit- 2 Agronomy For Students Following SUNYA
1. Cropping patterns in different agro-climatic zones of the country. Agriculture FOUNDATION
2. Impact of high yielding and short-duration varieties on shifts in cropping Course
patterns. • SUNYA AGRICULTURE
3. Concepts of various cropping and farming systems. LECTURES
4. Organic and Precision farming. • SUNYA IAS AGRICULTURE
5. Package of practices for production of important cereals, pulses,oil NOTES (PAPER I)
seeds, fibres, sugar, commercial and fodder crops.
2 14/06/2025 PAPER I • SUNYA IAS AGRICULTURE
• Unit 4 – Weed Science.
PYQ
1. Weeds and their characteristics
For OTHERS
2. Dissemination and association with various crops; their multiplication.
1. PRINCIPLES OF AGRONOMY
3. Cultural, biological and chemical control of weeds.
(REDDY AND REDDY).
2. VOL. by Arun Katyan.
3. State Agriculture University
Course Notes (TNAU, MPKV)
• Unit-7 Agricultural Economics For Students Following SUNYA
1. Farm management, scope, importance and characteristics of farm Agriculture FOUNDATION
3 28/06/2025 PAPER I planning. Course
2. Optimum resourse use and budgeting • SUNYA AGRICULTURE
3. Economics of different types of farming system. LECTURES
Agriculture Optional Mains Test Series 2026
PART OF
TEST NO. DATE SYLLABUS TOPIC Reference Material
PAPER
4. Marketing management, price fluctuation and their cost. • SUNYA IAS AGRICULTURE
5. Role of cooperative agricultural economy; types system of farming. NOTES (PAPER I)
6. Agricultural price policy, crop insurance. • SUNYA IAS AGRICULTURE
• Unit-8 Agricultural Extension PYQ
8.1 Agricultural extension, its importance and role,
8.2 Methods of evaluation of extension programmes, For OTHERS
8.3 Socio-economic survey and status of big, small and marginal farmers Economics Books
and landless agricultural labourers, • Fundamentals of Agriculture
8.4 Training programmes for extension workers Vol.2 by Arun Katyayan
8.5 Role of Krishi Vigyan Kendra's (KVK) in dissemination of Agricultural • Economics of Farm
technologies. production and management
8.6 Non-Government Organization (NGO) and self-help group approach by V.T. Raju.
for rural development. Extension Books
• Extension and
communication by G.L. Ray
• Fundamentals of Agriculture
Vol.2 by Arun Katyayan
• Unit- 3 Forestry For Students Following SUNYA
1. Important features and scope of various types of forestry plantations such Agriculture FOUNDATION
as social forestry, agro-forestry, and natural forests. Course
2. Propagation of forest plants. • SUNYA AGRICULTURE
4 12/07/2025 PAPER I 3. Forest products. Agro forestry and value addition LECTURES
4. Conservation of flora and fauna. • SUNYA IAS AGRICULTURE
• Unit 1- Ecology and Environment NOTES (PAPER I)
1.1 Ecology and its relevance to man. • SUNYA IAS AGRICULTURE
1.2 Natural resources, their sustainable management and conservation. PYQ
Agriculture Optional Mains Test Series 2026
PART OF
TEST NO. DATE SYLLABUS TOPIC Reference Material
PAPER
1.3 Physical and social environment as factors of crop distribution and For OTHERS
production. • Fundamentals of Agriculture
1.4 Agro ecology; cropping pattern as indicators of environments. Vol.2 by Arun Katyayan
1.5 Environmental pollution and associated hazards to crops, animals, and • Environment by Shankar IAS.
humans. • IARI Division of Environment
1.6 Climate change - International conventions and global initiatives. science Courses notes.
1.7 Greenhouse effect and global warming.
1.8 Advance tools for ecosystem analysis - Remote sensing (RS) and
Geographic Information System.
Unit -1 Cell Biology and Genetics ,
1.1 Cell structure, function and cell cycle.
9.2 Synthesis, structure and function of genetic material.
9.3 Laws of heredity.
9.4 Chromosomestructure, chromosomal aberrations
5 26/07/2025 PAPER II 9.5 Linkage and cross-over, and their significance in recombination
breeding. 9.6 Polyploidy, euploids and aneuploids.
9.7 Mutations - and their role in crop improvement.
9.8 Heritability, sterility and incompatibility, classification and their
application in crop improvement.
9.9 Colasmic inheritance sex-linked sex-influenced and sex-limited
characters
Unit -2 Plant Breeding : For Students Following SUNYA
1 History of plant breeding. Agriculture FOUNDATION
2 Modes of reproduction, selling and crossing techniques. Course
6 09/08/2025 PAPER II 3 Origin, evolution and domestication of crop plants, centre of origin, law • SUNYA AGRICULTURE
of homologous series, crop Genetic resources conservation and LECTURES
utilization. • SUNYA IAS AGRICULTURE
4 Application of principles of plant breeding, improvement of crop plants. NOTES (PAPER II)
Agriculture Optional Mains Test Series 2026
PART OF
TEST NO. DATE SYLLABUS TOPIC Reference Material
PAPER
5 Molecular markers and their application in plant improvement. • SUNYA IAS AGRICULTURE
6 Pure-line selection, pedigree, mass and recurrent selections, combining PYQ
ability, its significance in Plant breeding. • Fundamentals of B.D. Singh.
7 Heterosis and its exploitation. • State Agriculture courses notes
8 Somatic hybridization. (MPKV, TNAU).
9 Breeding for disease and pest resistance.
10 Role of interspecific and intergeneric hybridization.
11 Genetically modified crop plants.
• Unit- 3 Seed Production and Technology.
3.1 Seed production and processing technologies.
3.2 Seed certification, seed testing and storage.
3.3 DNA fingerprinting and seed registration.
3.4 Role of public and private sectors in seed production and marketing.
3.5 Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues, WTO issues and its impact on
Agriculture.
• Unit – 4 Plant physiology For Students Following SUNYA
4.1 Principles of Plant Physiology with reference to plant nutrition, absorption, Agriculture FOUNDATION
translocation, and metabolism of nutrients. Course
4.2 Soil – water- plant relationship. • SUNYA AGRICULTURE
4.3. Enzymes and plant pigments LECTURES
4.4. Photosynthesis- modern concepts and factors affecting the process. • SUNYA IAS AGRICULTURE
7 30/08/2025 PAPER II NOTES (PAPER II)
4.5 C3, C4 and CAM mechanism.
4.6 Aerobic and anaerobic respiration; factors affecting. • SUNYA IAS AGRICULTURE
4.7 Carbohydrates, protein, and fat metabolism. PYQ
4.8 Growth and development; Photoperiodism and vernalization. • Essentials Of Plant Breeding by
4.9 Plant growth substances and their role in crop production. PHUNDAN SINGH.
4.10 Physiology of seed development and germination; dormancy. • State Agriculture Notes (MPKV,
Agriculture Optional Mains Test Series 2026
PART OF
TEST NO. DATE SYLLABUS TOPIC Reference Material
PAPER
4.11 Stress physiology – draught, salt, and water stress TNAU).
• Unit- 5 Horticulture and landscaping.
1. Major fruits, plantation crops, vegetables, spices and flower crops
2. Package practices of major horticultural crops.
3. Protected cultivation and high-tech horticulture.
4. Post harvest technology and value addition of fruits and vegetables.
5. Landscaping and commercial floriculture.
6. Medicinal and aromatic plants.
7. Role of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition.
• Unit-6 Agriculture Entomology and plant pathology For Students Following SUNYA
1. Diagnosis of pests and diseases of field crops, vegetables, orchard and Agriculture FOUNDATION
plantation crops and their economic importance. Course
2. Classification of pests and diseases and their management. • SUNYA AGRICULTURE
3. Integrated pest and disease management. LECTURES
4. Storage pests and their management. • SUNYA IAS AGRICULTURE
5. Biological control of pests and diseases. NOTES (PAPER II)
6. Epidemiology and forecasting of major crop pests and diseases. • SUNYA IAS AGRICULTURE
8 20/09/2025 PAPER II PYQ
7. Plant quarantine measures.
8. Pesticides their formulation and modes of action.
Plant Physiology
• Unit- 7 Food production.
• Plant physiology by S. N.
15.1 Food production and consumption trends in India
Pandey and B.K. Singh
• Food Security and growing population – Vision 2020, Reasons for
• State Agriculture Notes
grain surplus.
(MPKV, TNAU
15.2 Food security and growing population – vision 2020, Reason for grain
.
surplus.
Agriculture Optional Mains Test Series 2026
PART OF
TEST NO. DATE SYLLABUS TOPIC Reference Material
PAPER
15.3 National and International food policies, policy implementation in
context to globalization
15.3 National and international food policies, policy implementation in
context to globalization
15.4 Production, Procurement, Distribution Constraints.
15.4 Production, procurement, distribution constraints
15.5 Food grains availability per capita
15.6 Public Distribution System in India
15.7 Processing constraints.
15.8 Relation of food production to national dietary guidelines and food
consumption pattern
15.9 Food based dietary approaches to eliminate hunger. Nutrient deficiency
and micro nutrient deficiency, Protein energy and malnutrition or
protein calorie malnutrition (PEM or PCM
9 11/10/2025 PAPER I FLT 1 COMPLETE SYLLABUS – PAPER I
10 01/11/2025 PAPER II FLT 2 COMPLETE SYLLABUS – PAPER II
11 15/11/2025 PAPER I FLT 3 COMPLETE SYLLABUS – PAPER I
12 29/11/2025 PAPER II FLT 4 COMPLETE SYLLABUS – PAPER II
13 13/12/2025 PAPER I FLT 5 COMPLETE SYLLABUS – PAPER I
14 27/12/2025 PAPER II FLT 6 COMPLETE SYLLABUS – PAPER II
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