KEA Assistant Horticulture Officer Syllabus 2026 - review Examination format

KEA Assistant Horticulture Officer Syllabus 2026 - Overview

KEA Assistant Horticulture Officer Eligibility 2026

In line with the government syllabus document, aspirants must hold a Graduation in Horticulture from a University established by law in India, accredited by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), to be meeting criteria for the post of Assistant Horticulture Officer. Other requirements details such as age limit, relaxation, along with nationality requirements are not mentioned in this document along with should be checked in the government recruitment notification.

additionally Read: KEA KSHD Recruitment 2026 - submit Online for 85 Assistant Horticulture Officer in addition to Assistant Directors Posts

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KEA Assistant Horticulture Officer Syllabus 2026 - Subject Wise Topics

The Assistant Horticulture Officer syllabus is divided into 10 subjects. Each subject is further divided into specific topics as detailed below, exactly as published in the departmental syllabus document.

1. Fruit Science

Fundamentals of Horticulture: Scope, importance as well as economic significance of horticulture; classification, distribution, nutritional importance, area, production, productivity, export as well as import of fruit crops; horticultural regions of India along with Karnataka; principles of orchard establishment, planning, layout in addition to management; nursery techniques in addition to quality planting material production; soil in addition to climatic requirements; planting systems, planting densities, high-density along with ultra-high-density planting; canopy architecture in addition to orchard floor management; irrigation, fertigation, nutrient management, integrated nutrient management, weed management, mulching as well as soil health management; principles as well as methods of training in addition to pruning; bearing habits of fruit crops, flowering, fruit set as well as factors influencing fruitfulness along with unfruitfulness; crop regulation, rejuvenation of senile orchards, top working, frame working, use of plant growth regulators, precision horticulture, protected cultivation, mechanization, climate-resilient fruit production along with sustainable orchard management.

Plant Propagation as well as Nursery Management: Principles of sexual in addition to asexual propagation; seed biology, dormancy, germination along with seed treatments; apomixis, polyembryony, monoembryony, chimeras in addition to bud sports; propagation through cuttings, layering, grafting, budding, division, runners, suckers, offsets, stolons, corms as well as specialized vegetative structures; physiological, anatomical along with biochemical basis of rooting as well as graft union formation; stock-scion relationships along with graft incompatibility; propagation structures including mist chambers, greenhouses, polyhouses, glasshouses, hot beds, cold frames in addition to phytotrons; nursery establishment, management, certification along with accreditation; mother block establishment, budwood certification in addition to maintenance; micrografting, micropropagation as well as tissue culture applications; nursery tools, implements in addition to mechanization; role of plant growth regulators in propagation; production as well as maintenance of quality planting materials.

Production Technology of Tropical along with Subtropical Fruit Crops: Origin, distribution, taxonomy, classification, varieties in addition to rootstocks; climatic along with soil requirements; propagation, planting systems as well as orchard management; canopy management, flowering as well as fruiting behaviour; crop regulation, irrigation, fertigation, nutrient along with weed management; use of plant growth regulators; physiological disorders as well as their management; integrated production technologies; harvesting, maturity indices, post-harvest handling, grading, packaging, storage, transportation, value addition along with export requirements of mango, banana, citrus, grape, guava, papaya, sapota, pineapple, pomegranate, jackfruit, avocado, litchi, mangosteen, passion fruit, rambutan, durian, carambola, bilimbi, loquat, breadfruit, rose apple as well as other essential tropical in addition to subtropical fruits. Special production problems including alternate along with irregular bearing in mango in addition to citrus, citrus decline, bud forecasting in grapes, seediness as well as Konkan disease of banana, sex expression as well as seed production in papaya, latex extraction along with papain production, along with economics of commercial fruit production.

Production Technology of Temperate in addition to Dryland Fruit Crops: Origin, distribution, classification, varieties, rootstocks, climatic adaptation, chilling requirements, propagation, planting systems, training along with pruning, pollination, pollinizers as well as self-incompatibility, canopy management, irrigation, nutrient management, physiological disorders, harvesting in addition to post-harvest management of apple, pear, peach, plum, apricot, cherry, strawberry, kiwi, persimmon, almond, walnut, pecan, hazelnut, chestnut along with macadamia. Principles as well as practices of dryland horticulture including agro-climatic characterization of arid in addition to semi-arid regions, watershed management, rainwater harvesting, soil in addition to water conservation, moisture conservation, runoff management, micro-irrigation, antitranspirants, mulching, shelterbelts, drought management, climate-resilient production technologies, canopy management as well as special production techniques for ber, aonla, bael, custard apple, jamun, wood apple, pomegranate, carissa, date palm, tamarind, fig, phalsa, West Indian cherry in addition to other arid fruit crops; management of replant problems, premature leaf fall, alternate bearing along with other physiological constraints.

Protected Cultivation as well as Precision Horticulture: Precision technologies for protected cultivation, fertigation management, environmental control systems as well as smart greenhouses; IoT devices; environmental, soil as well as plant sensors; weather stations; automation in irrigation in addition to fertigation; robotics; autonomous farm machinery; decision support systems; Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), drone technologies, field mapping along with spatial data analysis.

Fruit Crop Improvement along with Biotechnology: Scope along with objectives of fruit breeding; origin, evolution, centres of diversity as well as domestication of fruit crops; germplasm exploration, characterization, evaluation, conservation along with utilization; breeding behaviour, floral biology, pollination mechanisms, incompatibility systems along with reproductive biology; introduction, selection, hybridization, mutation breeding, polyploidy, clonal selection, rootstock breeding in addition to exploitation of naturally occurring variants including bud sports as well as chimeras; breeding strategies for yield, quality, shelf life along with resistance to biotic along with abiotic stresses; molecular breeding, marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, genome editing, transgenic approaches, tissue culture, embryo rescue as well as somatic hybridization; DUS testing, varietal protection, intellectual property rights as well as recent advances in fruit crop improvement.

2. Vegetable Science

Fundamentals of Vegetable Science: Scope, importance as well as economic significance of vegetable crops; classification, origin, centres of diversity, distribution, nutritional importance, area, production, productivity, export potential in addition to value chain of vegetable crops; agro-climatic requirements; principles of vegetable production; cropping systems, crop rotation as well as intensive vegetable production; nursery management, protected nursery production as well as quality seedling production; field preparation, planting methods, spacing in addition to crop establishment; irrigation, fertigation, integrated nutrient management, weed management, mulching, canopy management in addition to use of plant growth regulators; physiological disorders in addition to their management; precision vegetable cultivation, protected cultivation, organic along with natural farming, climate-resilient vegetable production, mechanization along with digital technologies in vegetable cultivation.

Production Technology of Tropical along with Subtropical Vegetables: Origin, distribution, taxonomy, varieties along with hybrids; climatic in addition to soil requirements; nursery management, propagation, planting systems, crop establishment, irrigation, fertigation, nutrient management, weed management, crop regulation, use of plant growth regulators, physiological disorders, integrated production technologies, harvesting, maturity indices, post-harvest handling, grading, packaging, storage, transportation, value addition, processing, quality standards, export requirements in addition to economics of cultivation of tomato, brinjal, chilli, sweet pepper, okra, cluster bean, cowpea, dolichos bean, French bean, cucumber, muskmelon, watermelon, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, sponge gourd, bitter gourd, snake gourd, ash gourd, pumpkin, squash, drumstick, sweet corn, curry leaf, amaranthus, basella, spinach beet, methi, dill, portulaca as well as other tropical in addition to subtropical vegetable crops.

Production Technology of Temperate, Bulb, Root, Tuber in addition to Perennial Vegetables: Origin, distribution, varieties in addition to hybrids, climatic adaptation, nursery management, crop establishment, production technologies, irrigation, fertigation, nutrient management, crop regulation, physiological disorders, harvesting, post-harvest management in addition to economics of cultivation of cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, knol-khol, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, spinach, onion, garlic, leek, radish, carrot, beetroot, turnip, peas, broad bean, celery, asparagus, globe artichoke, rhubarb, potato, sweet potato, cassava (tapioca), elephant foot yam, colocasia, dioscorea, arrowroot, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, xanthosoma as well as other significant root, tuber, bulb along with temperate vegetable crops.

Vegetable Crop Improvement in addition to Seed Production: Scope along with objectives of vegetable breeding; origin as well as evolution of vegetable crops; germplasm exploration, characterization, evaluation, conservation in addition to utilization; reproductive biology, pollination mechanisms in addition to breeding systems; genetics of qualitative as well as quantitative traits; breeding methods for self- in addition to cross-pollinated vegetables; heterosis breeding, hybrid seed production, mutation breeding, polyploidy breeding in addition to breeding for quality, yield in addition to resistance to biotic along with abiotic stresses; molecular breeding, marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, genome editing in addition to transgenic approaches; maintenance breeding; breeder, foundation in addition to certified seed production; seed certification standards, isolation distance, roguing, field along with seed standards, seed processing, storage, testing as well as quality assurance for major vegetable crops including tomato, chilli, sweet pepper, brinjal, okra, peas, dolichos bean, French bean, cowpea, cucumber, muskmelon, watermelon, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, pumpkin, squash, cabbage, cauliflower, onion, radish, carrot, amaranthus in addition to other commercially crucial vegetables.

Protected Cultivation as well as Precision Horticulture: Precision technologies for protected cultivation, hydroponics, aeroponics, vertical farming, fertigation management, environmental control systems as well as smart greenhouses; IoT devices; environmental, soil in addition to plant sensors; weather stations; automation in irrigation as well as fertigation; robotics; autonomous farm machinery; decision support systems; GPS, GIS, Remote Sensing, satellite imagery, drone technologies, digital elevation models, field mapping in addition to spatial data analysis.

Protected Cultivation, Post-Harvest Management as well as Sustainable Vegetable Production: Principles as well as technologies of protected cultivation including polyhouses, net houses, shade-net structures, low tunnels along with hydroponics; nursery raising under protected conditions; precision irrigation as well as fertigation; integrated crop management; post-harvest physiology, maturity indices, harvesting techniques, grading, packaging, storage, cold chain management, processing, value addition, quality standards, food safety, traceability as well as export requirements; integrated management of physiological disorders, pests, diseases as well as nematodes; organic in addition to natural vegetable production; Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), climate-smart vegetable production systems, resource-use efficiency in addition to sustainable vegetable production technologies.

3. Floriculture and Landscape Architecture

Fundamentals of Floriculture: Scope, importance along with economic significance of floriculture in addition to ornamental horticulture; history as well as development of floriculture in India along with the world; classification, origin, distribution, nutritional, aesthetic in addition to commercial importance of ornamental plants; garden styles including English, Japanese, Mughal, Italian, French as well as contemporary gardens; principles along with elements of garden design; ornamental plant groups including annuals, biennials, perennials, bulbs, shrubs, trees, climbers, creepers, palms, cycads, ferns, orchids, cacti, succulents, indoor plants, foliage plants as well as aquatic ornamentals; lawn establishment as well as management; bonsai, topiary, floral art, flower arrangement including Ikebana, dry flowers along with floral decorations; emerging trends in ornamental horticulture, urban greening, environmental landscaping as well as sustainable floriculture.

Production Technology of Commercial Flower Crops: Origin, distribution, varieties as well as hybrids, climatic in addition to soil requirements, propagation, nursery management, planting systems, crop establishment, irrigation, fertigation, nutrient management, canopy management, use of plant growth regulators, physiological disorders, integrated crop management, protected cultivation, harvesting, post-harvest handling, grading, packaging, storage, value addition, quality standards, export requirements in addition to economics of cultivation of rose, chrysanthemum, carnation, gerbera, gladiolus, tuberose, orchids, anthurium, lilies, jasmine, crossandra, marigold, China aster, dahlia, gaillardia, heliconia, bird of paradise along with other commercially crucial cut flowers, loose flowers in addition to ornamental crops; extraction of essential oils from aromatic flower crops including rose, jasmine in addition to tuberose.

Protected Floriculture in addition to Precision Production Technologies: Principles as well as practices of greenhouse, polyhouse, shade-net house as well as other protected cultivation systems for ornamental crops; environmental control, microclimate management, irrigation, fertigation, automation, hydroponics in addition to precision nutrient management; integrated management of pests, diseases, nematodes along with physiological disorders; climate-smart floriculture; production scheduling for domestic along with export markets; post-harvest quality management, cold chain, packaging, transportation in addition to marketing of cut flowers; economic feasibility, project formulation in addition to enterprise management of protected floriculture; precision technologies for protected cultivation, hydroponics, aeroponics, vertical farming, fertigation management, environmental control systems as well as smart greenhouses; IoT devices; environmental, soil along with plant sensors; weather stations; automation in irrigation in addition to fertigation; robotics; autonomous farm machinery; decision support systems.

Landscape Architecture as well as Environmental Planning: Scope, principles in addition to elements of landscape architecture; functional, aesthetic as well as ecological uses of landscape plants; preparation of landscape plans in addition to garden designs; computer-aided landscape design using AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, GIS along with other digital tools; bio-aesthetic planning; urban landscaping along with green infrastructure; landscape development for residential areas, institutional campuses, public parks, hospitals, industries, highways, avenues, airports, railway stations, tourism centres, historical monuments, religious places, waterfronts, cemeteries as well as recreational parks; special gardens including rock, water, bog, marsh, sunken, terrace, roof, vertical, xeriscape, butterfly, fragrance, herbal, sensory, Japanese, Mughal, indoor as well as theme gardens; environmental landscaping for pollution mitigation, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation as well as climate resilience.

Ornamental Plant Improvement along with Seed Technology: Scope along with objectives of ornamental plant breeding; origin, evolution in addition to genetic resources of ornamental crops; germplasm collection, characterization, evaluation, conservation in addition to utilization; reproductive biology, floral biology, pollination mechanisms in addition to breeding systems; selection, hybridization, mutation breeding, polyploidy breeding, heterosis breeding along with exploitation of male sterility; breeding for novel flower colour, form, fragrance, flowering behaviour, vase life as well as resistance to biotic as well as abiotic stresses; molecular breeding, marker-assisted selection, tissue culture, micropropagation, doubled haploids, genome editing along with transgenic approaches in ornamentals; breeder, foundation along with certified seed production; seed certification standards, harvesting, processing, storage, testing as well as quality assurance for major flower crops including rose, carnation, gerbera, orchids, chrysanthemum, tuberose, gladiolus, petunia, zinnia, dahlia, hibiscus, bougainvillea in addition to other ornamental species.

4. Plantation, Spices, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops

Plantation Crops: Principles in addition to practices of production, propagation, nursery management, varietal improvement, planting systems, canopy management, nutrition, irrigation, weed management, cropping systems, intercropping, soil in addition to moisture conservation, harvesting, post-harvest management, processing, quality standards, value addition, economics in addition to marketing of plantation crops including coconut, arecanut, cashew, coffee, tea, cocoa, rubber, palmyrah as well as betel vine. Major physiological disorders, climate resilience, mechanization, precision production technologies along with sustainable plantation management.

Spice Crops: Origin, distribution, economic importance, varieties along with hybrids, propagation, nursery management, production technologies, integrated nutrient, water as well as canopy management, protected cultivation where applicable, physiological disorders, harvesting, curing, processing, grading, quality standards, value addition, storage, export requirements along with economics of cultivation of black pepper, small along with large cardamom, turmeric, chilli, ginger, garlic, coriander, fenugreek, cumin, fennel, ajwain, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, allspice, tamarind in addition to garcinia. Production constraints, organic cultivation, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), geographical indications (GI), traceability along with spice export quality standards.

Medicinal Crops: Scope, importance, biodiversity conservation, cultivation, collection as well as sustainable utilization of medicinal plants. Production technologies, propagation, nursery management, crop improvement, agronomic practices, harvesting, post-harvest handling, drying, processing, quality standards, active principles, value addition, marketing along with regulatory aspects (AYUSH, Good Agricultural along with Collection Practices) of senna, periwinkle, medicinal coleus, ashwagandha, glory lily, sarpagandha, Aloe vera, amla, kalmegh, isabgol, opium poppy, safed musli, stevia, Mucuna, long pepper, Shatavari, guggul, cinchona, Dioscorea, steroid-bearing Solanum, chakramuni, madhunashini, sweet flag, foxglove, belladonna, Tinospora, annatto, noni as well as other significant medicinal crops of Karnataka.

Aromatic Crops: Importance, classification, propagation, cultivation practices, harvesting, post-harvest management, extraction of essential oils, quality evaluation, storage, value addition, industrial applications along with economics of cultivation of palmarosa, lemongrass, citronella, vetiver, Mentha species, patchouli, geranium, Artemisia (davana), lavender, Ocimum species, sandalwood, rosemary, jasmine, rose, tuberose as well as chamomile. Essential oil chemistry, distillation techniques, quality parameters, utilization in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, perfumery along with food industries.

Breeding as well as Genetic Improvement: Germplasm conservation, centres of origin, floral biology, pollination mechanisms, breeding objectives, conventional along with molecular breeding approaches, hybridization, mutation breeding, polyploidy, biotechnology-assisted improvement, selection of superior cultivars, development of varieties resistant to biotic along with abiotic stresses, quality improvement as well as breeding for export-oriented traits in plantation, spice, medicinal in addition to aromatic crops.

Propagation in addition to Nursery Management: Sexual along with vegetative propagation methods, nursery establishment along with management, grafting, budding, layering, cutting, tissue culture in addition to micropropagation, production of quality planting materials, certification standards, nursery accreditation in addition to entrepreneurship in nursery production.

Post-Harvest Management as well as Value Addition: Harvest maturity indices, harvesting methods, curing, drying, grading, packaging, storage, transportation, processing technologies, extraction of oils along with phytochemicals, quality assurance, value addition, branding, geographical indications, export standards, traceability, cold-chain management in addition to marketing systems.

Protected Cultivation in addition to Precision Production: Application of protected cultivation, fertigation, precision irrigation, automation, sensors, digital agriculture, climate-smart technologies, mechanization along with resource-use efficiency in high-value medicinal, aromatic in addition to spice crops.

Production Economics as well as Agribusiness: Cost of cultivation, project preparation, entrepreneurship, contract farming, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), processing enterprises, domestic in addition to export marketing, commodity value chains, quality certification, organic production systems in addition to sustainability in plantation, spice, medicinal along with aromatic crop production.

5. Post-Harvest Technology

Fundamentals of Post-Harvest Technology: Importance, scope as well as economic significance of post-harvest management in horticultural crops; post-harvest losses, causes along with strategies for loss reduction; quality concepts along with quality attributes of fresh horticultural produce; pre-harvest factors influencing post-harvest quality; maturity indices, harvesting standards along with harvesting methods; physiological in addition to biochemical changes during ripening in addition to senescence; ethylene biosynthesis along with action; climacteric as well as non-climacteric fruits; ripening regulation, delay as well as acceleration techniques.

Post-Harvest Handling, Packaging along with Storage: Harvesting, field handling, cleaning, washing, curing, trimming, grading, sorting in addition to standardization; pre-cooling methods; packaging materials, package design, cushioning materials, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), controlled atmosphere packaging (CAP), active in addition to intelligent packaging, edible coatings in addition to biodegradable packaging; cold chain management; transportation systems; storage principles as well as methods including ambient, evaporative, refrigerated, controlled atmosphere (CA), modified atmosphere (MA), hypobaric along with zero-energy cool chambers; physiological disorders along with storage diseases; quarantine treatments in addition to export protocols.

Processing of Fruits, Vegetables, Plantation as well as Spice Crops: Principles as well as objectives of food preservation; unit operations in food processing; thermal processing, pasteurization, sterilization, blanching along with aseptic processing; preservation by sugar, salt, acids, fermentation, freezing, dehydration, irradiation along with chemical preservatives; drying along with dehydration technologies; minimal processing in addition to fresh-cut produce; value addition in addition to processing of fruits, vegetables, spices, plantation crops along with medicinal plants; beverage technology; processing of jams, jellies, marmalades, squashes, juices, RTS beverages, pickles, chutneys, sauces, ketchup, dehydrated products, frozen products in addition to spice products; curing in addition to processing of spices, tea, coffee, cocoa along with plantation products.

Food Chemistry, Quality Assurance as well as Food Safety: Composition as well as nutritional quality of horticultural produce; food additives along with preservatives; food spoilage, microorganisms associated with processed products in addition to methods of spoilage prevention; quality evaluation of fresh along with processed products; sensory evaluation; food standards, grading in addition to certification; HACCP, GMP, GHP, ISO systems; FSSAI regulations, AGMARK, BIS standards, Codex Alimentarius along with export quality standards; residue limits, traceability as well as food safety management systems.

Post-Harvest Engineering along with Value Chain Management: Post-harvest equipment in addition to machinery for cleaning, grading, sorting, packaging, drying, pulping in addition to processing; refrigeration along with cold storage engineering; pack houses as well as ripening chambers; supply chain in addition to cold chain logistics; marketing, export as well as international trade of fresh in addition to processed horticultural produce; entrepreneurship, project formulation, techno-economic feasibility, establishment in addition to management of post-harvest along with processing industries; government policies, schemes as well as support systems for post-harvest infrastructure along with value addition; biofortification in addition to nutraceuticals.

6. Crop Improvement

Plant Breeding in addition to Crop Improvement: History along with development of plant breeding in India; principles, objectives, scope in addition to limitations of plant breeding; modes of reproduction in crop plants including self-pollination, cross-pollination, vegetative reproduction along with apomixis; pollination mechanisms, self-incompatibility along with male sterility systems; centres of origin as well as diversity of crop plants; plant genetic resources, germplasm conservation as well as utilization; breeding methods for self-, cross- in addition to clonally propagated crops; selection methods, hybridization, pedigree, bulk along with backcross breeding; heterosis, inbreeding depression, combining ability, development in addition to evaluation of inbred lines as well as hybrids; quantitative genetics along with biometrical approaches; mutation breeding, polyploidy breeding in addition to special breeding techniques; breeding for resistance to biotic along with abiotic stresses; participatory plant breeding; plant variety protection, intellectual property rights (IPR), plant breeders' rights, farmers' rights as well as community rights.

Plant Physiology, Biochemistry as well as Genetics: Structure in addition to function of plant cells; biomolecules including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids as well as enzymes; plant pigments as well as secondary metabolites; metabolism along with bioenergetics; water relations, mineral nutrition as well as biological nitrogen fixation; photosynthesis, respiration, photorespiration along with C3, C4 as well as CAM pathways; plant growth along with development; plant growth regulators along with their applications; flowering, photoperiodism, vernalization, pruning in addition to training physiology; physiology of seed development, dormancy in addition to germination; fruit growth, development, ripening along with post-harvest physiology; cell division, gametogenesis as well as fertilization; principles of inheritance, Mendelian along with non-Mendelian genetics; mutation, chromosome behaviour, gene interaction, linkage as well as recombination; molecular basis of heredity, DNA replication, transcription, translation, central dogma in addition to regulation of gene expression.

Seed Science as well as Technology: Seed development, maturation as well as physiology; seed structure, composition along with quality; seed versus grain; history in addition to development of the seed industry in India; seed systems, seed policies along with national seed programmes; classes in addition to generation system of seed multiplication; principles along with methods of seed production in self-pollinated, cross-pollinated in addition to hybrid horticultural crops; isolation requirements, roguing in addition to maintenance of genetic purity; harvesting, drying, processing, grading, treatment as well as packaging of seeds; seed storage, seed deterioration as well as storage management; seed quality testing, germination, vigour as well as viability assessment; seed certification procedures, field inspection, field in addition to seed standards, seed legislation, Seed Act, Seed Rules, Seed Control Order along with seed certification agencies; seed enhancement technologies including priming, coating, pelleting along with polymer treatment; seed marketing, quality assurance, duties along with responsibilities of seed inspectors in addition to seed analysts.

7. Crop Protection

Diseases of Fruit, Plantation, Medicinal as well as Aromatic Crops: Etiology, symptoms, disease cycle, epidemiology, diagnosis along with integrated management of diseases affecting mango, banana, citrus, grape, guava, sapota, papaya, pineapple, jackfruit, pomegranate, ber, aonla, fig, custard apple, apple, pear, peach, plum, strawberry in addition to other fruit crops; diseases of plantation crops including coconut, arecanut, cocoa, coffee, tea, cashew, rubber, oil palm along with betel vine; diseases of medicinal in addition to aromatic crops including senna, neem, hemp, costus, datura, dioscorea, mint, opium poppy, patchouli, citronella, davana, Ocimum, sandalwood, Solanum viarum as well as other economically crucial medicinal along with aromatic plants; post-harvest diseases of fruits, plantation, medicinal along with aromatic crops in addition to their integrated management.

Diseases of Vegetable, Spice along with Ornamental Crops: Etiology, symptoms, disease cycle, epidemiology, diagnosis as well as integrated management of diseases of tomato, brinjal, chilli, okra, cabbage, cauliflower, knol-khol, radish, carrot, beetroot, onion, garlic, potato, sweet potato, peas, beans, cucurbits, fenugreek in addition to other vegetable crops; diseases of spice crops including black pepper, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, cardamom, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, vanilla as well as other spice crops; diseases of ornamental crops including rose, jasmine, chrysanthemum, marigold, crossandra, tuberose, gerbera, anthurium, carnation, gladiolus, geranium in addition to protected floriculture crops; post-harvest diseases of vegetables, spices as well as ornamental crops as well as their integrated management.

Insect Pest Management as well as Insecticides: Economic classification of insects; definition as well as types of pests; nature as well as extent of crop losses caused by insect pests; pest population dynamics as well as outbreak factors; economic threshold level (ETL) in addition to economic injury level (EIL); pest surveillance, monitoring as well as forecasting; principles as well as components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM); cultural, mechanical, physical, biological, behavioural, legislative as well as chemical methods of pest management; biological control using predators, parasitoids, entomopathogens in addition to weed biocontrol agents; mass production in addition to field utilization of biological control agents; classification, formulation, mode of action, application, compatibility, resistance management as well as safe handling of insecticides; pesticide residues, maximum residue limits (MRLs), pre-harvest interval (PHI) along with environmental safety.

Entomology of Vegetable, Spice as well as Protected Crops: Identification, distribution, host range, biology, seasonal incidence, nature of damage as well as integrated management of insect along with mite pests of vegetable as well as spice crops including solanaceous, cucurbitaceous, cruciferous, leguminous, root as well as tuber vegetables, leafy vegetables in addition to major spice crops; pest surveillance in addition to forecasting; insect pests of protected cultivation in addition to nursery crops; storage pests in addition to processed-product pests of vegetables along with spices; residue management, MRLs as well as export quality standards.

Entomology of Fruit, Plantation, Medicinal as well as Aromatic Crops: Identification, distribution, host range, biology, seasonal incidence, nature of damage in addition to integrated management of insect as well as mite pests of tropical, subtropical in addition to temperate fruit crops including mango, banana, citrus, grape, guava, papaya, pomegranate, sapota, apple as well as other fruit crops; insect pests of plantation crops including coconut, arecanut, cocoa, coffee, tea, cashew, rubber as well as oil palm; insect pests of medicinal in addition to aromatic crops; pest surveillance as well as forecasting; storage pests of fruits, plantation, medicinal along with aromatic produce in addition to processed products; insecticide residue management, MRLs, PHI in addition to safe pest management practices for domestic as well as export markets.

8. Soil Science

Soil Physics, Chemistry as well as Soil Fertility: Physical properties of soils including texture, structure, bulk density, porosity, aggregation, consistency along with soil-water relationships; soil colloids, cation as well as anion exchange, soil reaction (pH), electrical conductivity (EC), salinity, sodicity in addition to calcareousness; soil organic matter, humus formation along with C:N ratio; essential plant nutrients, their functions, deficiency symptoms, transformations along with availability in soils; nutrient dynamics of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, calcium, magnesium as well as micronutrients; soil fertility along with productivity; integrated nutrient management (INM); soil health as well as soil quality concepts.

Problem Soils along with Soil Resource Management: Characteristics, classification along with management of acid soils, saline soils, sodic soils, saline-sodic soils, calcareous soils, waterlogged soils in addition to degraded soils; irrigation water quality including pH, EC, SAR as well as RSC; management of poor-quality irrigation water; soil amendments including lime, gypsum in addition to organic amendments; sustainable soil management for horticultural crops under diverse agro-climatic conditions.

Soil, Plant as well as Water Analysis: Principles along with methods of soil, plant as well as irrigation water sampling; laboratory analytical techniques for estimation of soil pH, EC, organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur as well as micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn along with B); plant tissue analysis; irrigation water quality analysis; working principles, operation along with applications of pH meter, conductivity meter, spectrophotometer, flame photometer, atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS), ICP along with other analytical instruments; interpretation of analytical results for nutrient recommendations.

Fertilizers, Organic Manures in addition to Agricultural Chemistry: Classification, properties, manufacture in addition to quality standards of fertilizers including straight, complex, mixed, secondary in addition to micronutrient fertilizers; characteristics as well as use of major fertilizers such as urea, DAP, SSP, MOP, SOP in addition to water-soluble fertilizers; methods in addition to timing of fertilizer application; fertilizer-use efficiency; Fertilizer Control Order (FCO); organic manures including FYM, compost, vermicompost, green manures in addition to enriched organics; biofertilizers including Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms along with mycorrhizae; integrated nutrient management, site-specific nutrient management as well as precision nutrient management.

Microbial Transformations along with Nutrient Cycling: Role of microorganisms in carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus as well as sulphur cycles; decomposition of organic matter along with humus formation; biological nitrogen fixation including symbiotic, associative as well as free-living systems; ammonification, nitrification as well as denitrification; phosphorus mineralization as well as solubilization; mechanisms of phosphate solubilization; mycorrhizae including ectomycorrhizae in addition to endomycorrhizae, their biology, ecology along with role in nutrient mobilization in addition to plant growth promotion; microbial transformations of essential nutrients along with their significance in soil fertility.

Agricultural Microbiology along with Bio-inputs: Biofertilizers including Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms, potassium-solubilizing microorganisms, cyanobacteria in addition to mycorrhizae; production technology, quality standards as well as field application of biofertilizers; biopesticides based on bacteria, fungi, viruses in addition to beneficial microorganisms; plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR); microbial consortia; microbial inoculants for sustainable horticulture; role of microorganisms in composting, vermicomposting, waste recycling, biodegradation in addition to bioremediation; microbial management of agricultural in addition to horticultural wastes.

9. Agricultural Engineering

Farm Power in addition to Agricultural Machinery: Forms in addition to sources of energy in agriculture; units along with dimensions of force, work, energy in addition to power; energy calculations along with efficiency; internal combustion (IC) engines — principles of operation of spark ignition along with compression ignition engines; two-stroke in addition to four-stroke engines; engine components, terminology, performance in addition to maintenance; tractors — classification, selection, power transmission systems, operation, maintenance in addition to applications in horticulture; farm machinery management in addition to economics.

Tillage, Planting along with Intercultural Equipment: Objectives in addition to principles of tillage; primary as well as secondary tillage operations; construction, working principles, adjustment, calibration, field capacity along with maintenance of tillage implements including indigenous ploughs, improved ploughs, mouldboard ploughs, disc ploughs, rotary tillers, cultivators, harrows, levellers, ridgers along with bund formers; sowing, planting in addition to transplanting equipment including seed drills, precision planters, potato planters as well as vegetable transplanters; intercultural implements including hoes, weeders, sweep cultivators as well as power weeders; mechanization of horticultural crop production systems.

Soil along with Water Engineering: Soil-water-plant relationships; irrigation methods including surface, sprinkler, drip as well as micro-irrigation systems; irrigation scheduling, water-use efficiency as well as fertigation; pumps, pipelines along with irrigation accessories; rainwater harvesting, watershed management as well as groundwater recharge; soil as well as water conservation measures; land development in addition to drainage systems; precision irrigation technologies for horticultural crops.

10. Social and Allied Sciences

Agricultural Extension Education: Extension education systems in India; extension approaches in addition to methodologies; technology assessment, refinement as well as transfer; ICAR extension programmes; extension programme planning, implementation, monitoring in addition to evaluation; communication process, models, barriers as well as feedback; extension teaching methods as well as audio-visual aids; information as well as communication technologies (ICT), digital agriculture, e-extension along with mobile-based advisory services; diffusion as well as adoption of innovations; innovation-decision process; leadership development; group dynamics; human resource development; capacity building; management principles along with functions; monitoring in addition to evaluation; entrepreneurship development, agripreneurship, startup ecosystem, government policies, schemes in addition to incentives for entrepreneurship promotion; extension reforms as well as public-private partnerships.

Computer Science along with Information Technology: Fundamentals of computers; hardware as well as software; operating systems; input, output as well as storage devices; computer networks; internet, web technologies along with cloud computing; MS Office applications; database management; cybersecurity basics; digital communication tools; applications of information technology in horticulture, agriculture, research, extension, precision farming, GIS, remote sensing along with decision support systems; emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), drones along with big data in agriculture.

Agricultural Economics in addition to Agribusiness Management: Principles of micro in addition to macroeconomics; consumer behaviour; demand, supply as well as price determination; elasticity of demand as well as supply; production economics along with production functions; laws of returns; cost concepts, cost analysis in addition to break-even analysis; farm management, farm planning as well as budgeting; agricultural finance, credit along with financial institutions; project formulation in addition to appraisal; investment analysis using BCR, NPV, IRR in addition to payback period; agricultural marketing systems, market structure, marketing functions, channels along with price spread; value chain along with supply chain management; grading, standardization as well as quality assurance; SWOT analysis; agribusiness management; contract farming; Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs); agricultural insurance along with risk management; NABARD along with other institutional support systems; WTO, international trade, export-import policies as well as agricultural marketing reforms.

How to Prepare for the KEA Assistant Horticulture Officer Exam 2026

As per the official update, Start with the government syllabus along with mark out the ten subjects; horticulture-heavy subjects like Fruit Science, Vegetable Science in addition to Floriculture carry the largest number of topics, hence allot more study time to them.

Build subject-wise short notes for each crop group (fruit, vegetable, plantation, spice, medicinal, aromatic) instead of trying to memorise all crops together — this syllabus repeats production technology, breeding in addition to protected cultivation themes across every crop group.

Revise your ICAR-recognised graduation coursework (Horticulture, Agriculture, or allied degree) textbooks for Soil Science, Plant Physiology, Genetics, as well as Crop Protection, since these core science subjects overlap heavily with university curricula.

Pay separate attention to cross-cutting themes that appear under almost every subject: protected cultivation, precision horticulture (GPS/GIS/IoT/drones), post-harvest management, as well as breeding/biotechnology — these are tested across Fruit Science, Vegetable Science, Floriculture, along with Plantation/Spice crops alike.

Since the assessment pattern, marks distribution as well as recruitment process are not yet made available, avoid guessing question counts — instead, focus on entire topic coverage thus you are prepared regardless of the final examination format.

Keep checking the departmental Directorate of Horticulture, Karnataka notification for updates on examination format, assessment date, along with recruitment process, as well as revise this syllabus page once those details are officially issued.

KEA Assistant Horticulture Officer Syllabus 2026 - Important Links

Assistant Horticulture Officer Syllabus PDF: Refer to the link

confirm Government portal