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OPSC Assistant Horticulture Officer Syllabus, Exam Pattern 2024

The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) has announced the recruitment notification for 33 Assistant Horticulture Officer (AHO) positions. This notification pertains to the post of Assistant Horticulture Officer in Class II of Group B Services under the Department of Agriculture and Farmer’s Empowerment. Aspiring candidates should thoroughly review the OPSC Assistant Horticulture Officer Syllabus and familiarize themselves with the latest exam pattern to effectively prepare for the selection process.

OPSC Assistant Horticulture Officer Exam Pattern 2024

The OPSC Assistant Horticulture Officer Exam comprises two phases described in detail below.

  • Phase I: Examination consisting of one paper of 200 marks
  • Phase II: Interview

All questions in each phase of the OPSC Assistant Horticulture Officer (AHO) exam will be Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). The question paper will consist of 200 questions, each carrying one mark, for a total of 200 marks. The written exam will be conducted over 3 hours. Importantly, there is no negative marking for incorrect answers. The question papers will be available in both Hindi and English. The detailed OPSC Assistant Horticulture Officer syllabus and exam pattern are outlined below for a comprehensive understanding.

OPSC AHO Exam Pattern
Subject Marks  Duration
Plant propagation and nursery management 20 3 Hours

 

Fruit crops 20
Plantation crops 20
Vegetable Crops 20
Spices, Condiments, Medicinal plants 20
Ornamental Horticulture 20
Related subjects 30
Agro-Meteorology 05
Soil and Nutrition 05
Water Management 05
Weed Management 05
Dry-land Farming 05
Integrated Farming System 05
Seed Technology 05
Economics 05
Statistics 05
Plant Protection 05
Total 200 Marks

OPSC AHO Interview Syllabus

The Commission will shortlist candidates based on their marks in the written test to invite them for the interview round. The interview will be conducted for a total of 25 marks. Candidates will be selected based on their combined performance in both the written test and the interview, with the final selection being made according to the number of vacancies available in each category.

OPSC Assistant Horticulture Officer Syllabus 2024

Having familiarized yourself with the OPSC AHO Exam Pattern, you can now review the detailed OPSC Assistant Horticulture Officer Syllabus 2024. This syllabus covers all subjects and includes the specific topics that will be tested in the exam. Candidates should carefully examine the subject-wise topics outlined below to ensure comprehensive preparation for the OPSC Assistant Horticulture Officer exam.

OPSC Assistant Horticulture Officer Syllabus
Subjects Topics
Plant propagation and nursery management
  • Importance of plant propagation
  • Sexual & asexual method of plant propagation, advantages, disadvantages
  • Detail about grafting, layering, budding, cutting, tissue culture, propagation through specialized plant part
  • Incompatibility
  • Polyembryony
  • Apomixes
  • Parthenocarpy
  • Rootstocks
  • Anatomical studies on rooting, scion, graft union
  • Use of PGR,
  • Propagation method of horticultural crop
  • Plant propagating structure
  • Media preparation
  • Nursery act, registration
  • Insect pest & disease control of nursery plants
  • Hi-tech nurseries.
Fruit Crops
  • Importance of fruits classification of fruits, area, production, export, marketing, storage, fruit growing zones of fruit crops
  • Agro-climatic zones & suitable fruits for tropical,
  • Subtropical & wasteland areas, soil, climate, varieties planting
  • Cultural practices, irrigation, nutrition, weed management plant protection, harvesting, yield, storage, processing
  • Physiological disorders, insect, pest, diseases management
  • Post-harvest technology, training, pruning
  • Unfruitfulness of fruits of important fruit crops such as mango, Banana, citrus fruits, Pineapple, Guava, Citrus, Papaya, Sapota, Bael, Ber, Jackfruit, Pomegranate, Litchi, Jamun, Custard apple, etc.
Plantation Crops
  • Importance, scope, area, production, marketing, processing & cultivation practices of important plantation crops like coconut, areca nut, Oil palm, Palmyrah palm, Cocoa, coffee, tea, rubber, and date palm about soil, climate, varieties, plant protection, soil & water management, processing packaging, grading, value addition.
Vegetable Crops
  • Area, production, importance, productivity, export, value addition
  • Off-season cultivation, greenhouse cultivation
  • Organic fanning, seed production, certification, value addition
  • Storage of vegetables & cultivation of important Tropical, subtropical, temperate, under-exploited, perennial vegetable crops about soil, climate, varieties, hybrid, seed rate, spacing, fertilizer dose
  • Physiological disorders, plant protection
  • Harvesting storage, processing, important varieties, vegetable garden, etc.
Spices, Condiments & Medicinal Plants
  • History scope, area, production, marketing, export, value addition, processing, storage of important spices, condiments & medicinal plants
  • Cultivation practices of important spices, condiments, and medicinal plants concerning soil, climate, variety, spacing, fertilizers, plant protection, harvesting & marketing, processing, etc.
  • Uses of important spices, condiments & medicinal plants.
Ornamental Horticulture
  • History, definition, scope, importance, marketing, export, aesthetic value
  • Horticulture industry, industrial importance
  • Open cultivation, protected cultivation
  • Packaging, marketing, and storage of important commercial flowers, Ornamental trees, climbers, shrubs, herbs, loose flowers, foliage plants, house plants, orchids, cut flowers, different types of gardens, parks, gardens features, Bonsai, terrace gardens, flower arrangement, bio aesthetic planting
  • Landscape architecture
  • Commercial cultivation of important cut flower crops, lawn & maintenance
  • Protected cultivation of important flowers & foliage plants.
Related Subjects
  • Precision farming, protected cultivation, drip and sprinkler irrigation, Fertigation,
  • Post-harvesting technology of horticultural crops, nutrient management
  • INM, important insect, pest, and diseases of horticultural crops
  • Water management, soil management
  • Use of PGR, organic fanning, and certification, leaf analysis
  • Genetic Engineering, bio-control, different cropping patterns, crop rotation, farming system research, weed management, water management, soil management, seed production, organic fanning, protected cultivation, respiration, transpiration, photosynthesis, biotic & abiotic stress management, dormancy, growth and development, horticulture entrepreneurship.
Agro Meteorology
  • Agro climate zones of India & Odisha
  • Agro-ecology for horticultural crops
  • Weather & Climate, Weather parameters, and crop environment, Weather forecasting
  • Climate change, vulnerability and risks, Climate resilience, and climate-smart practices.
Soil & Nutrition
  • Soil of Odisha, problematic soils, and their management
  • Essential plant nutrients, crop growth, manures and fertilizers
  • Integrated nutrient management for horticultural crop, nutrient use efficiency.
Water Management
  • Water resources of Odisha, Irrigation development
  • Soil plant water relation
  • Water requirement and irrigation efficiencies, Irrigation scheduling, methods & irrigation, micro irrigation & water use efficiencies, Irrigation water quality, stress management.
Weed Management
  • Weeds competition & allelopathy
  • Crop weed association
  • Weed prevention eradication and control
  • Integrated weed management, herbicides and their uses selectivity and environmental impacts.
Dry Land Farming
  • Rained and dry land horticulture, drought management
  • Contingent planning, soil moisture conservation, water harvesting & recycling
  • Watershed management, conservation farming/ horticulture.
Integrated Farming System
  • Farming system and horticulture,
  • Integrated farming system models (horticultural-based)
  • Farm machinery & equipment for horticulture
  • Tillage & tillage implements.
Seed Technology
  • Seed quality
  • Seed dormancy
  • Seed production certification storage etc.
Economics
  • Cost of cultivation of horticultural crops
  • Entrepreneurship in horticulture
  • Agribusiness management
  • Marketing.
Statistics
  • Basic statistical principles
  • Data collection compilation & presentation.
Plant Protection
  • IPM
  • Biological control
  • Important insect pests, diseases, and nematodes of horticultural crops.

 

 

OPSC Assistant Horticulture Officer Syllabus, Exam Pattern 2024_3.1

FAQs

Where can I get the OPSC AHO syllabus?

In this article Page, we have provided the required syllabus for the OPSC AHO exam.

What are the benefits of OPSC AHO Exam Pattern?

Being familiar with OPSC AHO Exam Pattern will help you understand the types of questions asked, difficulty level of the exam and important topics that require your keen attention. It will also acquaint you with the marking scheme and time allotted to each Topics.

How to prepare for the OPSC AHO exam?

The candidates must be well versed and acquainted with the syllabus and the exam pattern. Select the areas where improvement is required and schedule your preparation accordingly.