Tips to Prepare properly for Agronomy ICAR exam AIEEA PG JRF
Any preparation first starts with the mindset. Aspirants need to take enough time to think which subject specialization he/she wants to continue as a stepping stone of career. The four years of B.Sc.(Ag.) gives ample opportunity to think of it. Unlike Physical science or plant science group, ICAR exam for agronomy AIEEA PG JRF exam only offers admission in this particular subject (except few seats in Tea Husbandry). But being the “mother subject” it opens a spacious gate to numerous opportunities in the future.
The aspirants have to go through a vast syllabus to prepare for agronomy AIEEA PG JRF. Presently the syllabus is divided into nine units which includes general agriculture (from all disciplines of agriculture) along with agricultural meteorology, crop husbandry, weed, water management, Soil fertility and fertilizer use, dryland agronomy, management of problem soils. This requires preparation in well advance. Strictly speaking a last moment thinking of writing JRF on agronomy will be a poor choice considering its huge syllabus. The preparation for ICAR exam AIEEA PG JRF not only helps in this particular examination but also to cross many successive hurdles related to agriculture as a subject/career.
It is widely said that grow your concepts first. To develop a robust concept on different aspects of a subject, widely referenced textbooks from renowned authors are best. After developing a satisfactory strength in the subject area one should follow question-answer type (e.g. MCQ) books. I found this practice gives high return in long run. However, it is very important to go through the UG class notes of relevant topics and also follow ANGRAU and ICAR eCourses notes.
For the preparation of ICAR exam 2020, the following books according to the units in the ICAR exam AIEEA PG JRF exam syllabus will be helpful.
Unit-1
Books for General Agriculture
- Fundamentals of Agriculture Vol. I & II by Arun Katyayan
- Competitive Book Of Agriculture by Nem Raj Sunda
- Objective Agriculture by S. R. Kantwa
- General Agriculture by Muniraj Singh Rathore
Unit-2
Principles of Agronomy- The following two books may require several rounds of reading for proper grasping of things i.e. the extract of agronomy.
- Principles of Agronomy by S.R. Reddy
- Principles of Agronomy by Reddy and Reddi
Unit-3
Field crops- Try to understand the logic behind specific seed, soil, nutrient, water requirement of each crop, their special characteristics, and use.
Suggested book- Textbook of Field crops production (Vol. I, II) by ICAR
Although Questions come from any crops, staple food crops and commercial crops are very frequent in question paper. However, I found oilseeds, fodder crops are ‘dark horses’.
Unit-4
Suggested book- Weed management by O.P. Gupta
Sometimes Crucial questions come from problematic, aquatic weeds and their management in matching columns.
Unit-5
Water management-Read specified chapter from ‘Principles of Agronomy’. Give emphasis on those chapters.
Unit-6
Soil fertility and fertilizer use– Read specified chapter from ‘Principles of Agronomy’
Unit-7
Dryland Agronomy– Read specified chapter from ‘Principles of Agronomy’
Very large number of questions comes from Nutrient and water management and dryland agronomy.
Unit-8
Problem soils– Read specified chapter from ‘Introductory Soil science’. Understand the reason, chemistry, characteristics and reclamation process, different materials.
Unit-9
Sustainable land use systems and Sustainable agriculture– Read specified chapter from ‘Principles of Agronomy’ book.
Unit 8 and 9 holds huge importance in present day agricultural scenario and that is why make them important to understand.
AFTER GOING THROUGH THE BOOKS YOU CAN PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN OUR COURSES
There is no short-cut in this process… “Read, understand and remember”; that will make you learn and excel in the ICAR AIEEA PG JRF exam and all the upcoming exams. So get ready and start studying.
LIST OF BOOK YOU NEED TO BUY
| SERIAL NO | BOOK LIST | BUY HERE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Principles of Agronomy by S.R. Reddy |  |
| 2 | Principles of Agronomy by Reddy and Reddi | |
| 3 | Textbook of Field crops production (Vol. I, II) by ICAR | |
| 4 | Weed management by O.P. Gupta | |
| 5 | Introductory Soil science by D. K. Das | |
| 6 | Agronomic Terminology by Indian Society of Agronomy | |
| 7 | A textbook of agricultural statistics by R. Rangaswamy | |
| 8 | Fundamentals of Agriculture Vol. I & II by Arun Katyayan | |
| 9 | General Agriculture by Muniraj Singh Rathore | |
| 10 | Objective Agriculture by S. R. Kantwa | |
| 11 | Competitive Book of Agriculture by Nem Raj Sunda | |
Do we need to Study both Principles of Agronomy by Reddy & Reddy and S.R.Reddy or to read either one of it it for JRF agronomy preparation?
We would suggest to go through both of the books for better preparation in your JRF preparation. Also visit MOCK TEST ON AGRONOMY & DAILY PRACTICE TEST ON AGRONOMY in Krishipathshala for doing the best in JRF!!