Plant Biotechnology

Complete ICAR AIEEA PG Plant Biotechnology syllabus covering Plant Biochemistry, Plant Biotechnology, Molecular Biology and Plant/Crop Physiology.

ICAR AIEEA PG Plant Biotechnology Syllabus

Sub-Subjects: Plant Biochemistry/Biochemistry, Plant Biotechnology & Molecular Biology/Biotechnology, Plant/Crop Physiology.

UNIT-I

Importance of agriculture in national economy; basic principles of crop production; cultivation of rice, wheat, chickpea, pigeon-pea, sugarcane, groundnut, tomato and mango. Major soils of India; role of NPK and deficiency symptoms. Structure and function of cell organelles; mitosis and meiosis; Mendelian genetics; growth, development, photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration; economic botany; carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, enzymes and vitamins; major pests and diseases and their management; organic farming, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, recombinant DNA technology, transgenic crops, rural development programmes, agricultural research, education, extension and statistics.

UNIT-II

Importance of biochemistry in agriculture. Acid-base concept and buffers; pH; classification, structure and metabolic functions of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins; nucleic acids; enzymes; vitamins and minerals; glycolysis, TCA cycle, fatty acid oxidation, triglyceride biosynthesis, electron transport chain and ATP formation; C3, C4 and CAM pathways; nitrate assimilation; biological nitrogen fixation; colorimetric and chromatographic techniques.

UNIT-III

Characteristics of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms; fungi, bacteria, mycoplasma and viruses; chromosome structure; DNA replication, transcription and translation; genetic code and operon concept; genetic engineering, restriction enzymes, vectors, gene cloning and gene transfer; plant cell and tissue culture, micro-propagation, somaclonal variation, transformation, recombination and heterosis; biotechnology applications, molecular and immunological techniques; bioinformatics, genomics and proteomics.

UNIT-IV

Plant/Crop Physiology: importance in agriculture; seed germination, viability and vigour; photosynthesis and C3, C4 and CAM pathways; photorespiration; translocation of assimilates; dry matter partitioning; harvest index; growth and development; growth analysis; crop-water relationship; plant nutrients; phytohormones; photoperiodism; vernalisation; pollination and fertilization; post-harvest physiology.