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ICAR AIEEA (PG) JRF - Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry Syllabus & Exam Pattern

Prepare for your exam with the latest official syllabus, detailed topic-wise breakdown, and mark distribution.

Comprehensive syllabus for the ICAR JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) entrance exam for the Major Subject Group \'Physical Science\' (Code 03) - specifically \'Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry\'. This is a highly technical and conceptual subject involving Physics, Chemistry, Microbiology, and Pedology of soils.

Exam Overview

Conducting Body National Testing Agency (NTA)
Exam Frequency Annual
Major Subject Group Physical Science (Code 03)
Subjects Covered Soil Science, Ag. Chemicals, Environmental Science
Total Marks 480 (120 Questions x 4 Marks)

Exam Pattern

Exam Structure
Section Content Questions Marks
Part A General Knowledge / General Agriculture 20 MCQs 80
Part B Core Subject (Soil Science & Ag Chem) 100 MCQs 400
Total 120 MCQs 480

Note: High emphasis on conceptual understanding of Soil Chemistry and Fertility.

Subject-wise Syllabus

Pedology & Genesis
Soil Physics
Soil Chemistry
Soil Fertility
Biology & Pollution
Core Unit: Soil Genesis, Classification & Survey +
  • • Rocks & Minerals High
    Petrology: Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic rocks; Mineralogy: Primary (Quartz, Feldspars, Micas) vs Secondary minerals (Clay minerals); Weathering sequences (Goldich/Bowen); Weathering indices.
  • • Soil Formation (Genesis) High
    Weathering mechanisms (Physical, Chemical, Biological); Soil forming factors (Jenny's equation: Cl, O, R, P, T); Pedogenic processes (Podzolization, Laterization, Gleization, Salinization, Calcification).
  • • Soil Classification (Taxonomy) Very High
    USDA Soil Taxonomy (7th Approximation); Hierarchy (Order to Series); Diagnostic horizons (Epipedons and Endopedons); The 12 Soil Orders (Entisols to Histosols); Soils of India (ICAR/Sehgal classification).
  • • Soil Survey & Land Capability Medium
    Types of Soil Survey (Reconnaissance, Detailed); Remote Sensing and GIS applications; Land Capability Classification (LCC - Classes I to VIII); Soil suitability evaluation.
Core Unit: Soil Physics +
  • • Physical Properties High
    Soil Texture (Separates, Stokes Law analysis); Soil Structure (Types, Genesis, Management); Bulk Density and Particle Density; Porosity; Soil Colour (Munsell Chart: Hue, Value, Chroma); Soil Consistency (Atterberg limits).
  • • Soil Water Very High
    Structure of water; Energy concepts (Water Potential: Matric, Osmotic, Gravitational); Soil Moisture Characteristic Curve (Hysteresis); Measurement (Tensiometer, Neutron Probe, TDR); pF scale; Infiltration, Percolation, Permeability; Darcy's Law (Saturated flow); Unsaturated flow.
  • • Soil Air & Temperature Medium
    Composition of soil air; Gas exchange mechanisms (Mass flow vs Diffusion); Fick's Law; ODR (Oxygen Diffusion Rate); Soil Temperature (Fourier's Law); Thermal conductivity and diffusivity; Albedo.
Core Unit: Soil Chemistry +
  • • Soil Colloids Very High
    General properties; Silicate Clays: 1:1 (Kaolinite), 2:1 (Montmorillonite, Vermiculite, Illite), 2:1:1 (Chlorite); Amorphous clays (Allophane); Iron and Aluminum oxides; Isomorphous substitution; Source of negative charge.
  • • Ion Exchange Very High
    Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC); Anion Exchange Capacity (AEC); Base Saturation; Lyotropic series; Exchange equations (Gapon, Kerr, Vanselow); Double layer theories (Helmholtz, Gouy-Chapman, Stern).
  • • Soil Reaction (pH) High
    Concept of pH; Active vs Potential acidity; Sources of soil acidity; Buffer capacity of soils; Liming materials and Lime Requirement methods (Shoemaker et al.); Soil Alkalinity.
  • • Problem Soils Very High
    Saline soils, Sodic (Alkali) soils, Saline-Sodic soils; Formation, Characterization (EC, ESP, SAR), and Reclamation (Gypsum requirement, Leaching, Drainage); Acid Sulphate soils (Cat clays).
Core Unit: Soil Fertility & Plant Nutrition +
  • • Essential Nutrients High
    Criteria of Essentiality (Arnon & Stout); Classification (Macro, Micro, Beneficial); Mechanisms of nutrient transport to roots (Mass flow, Diffusion, Root interception).
  • • Nutrient Cycles & Chemistry Very High
    Nitrogen (Mineralization, Immobilization, Nitrification, Denitrification, Volatilization); Phosphorus (Fixation mechanisms, P-fractions); Potassium (Forms, Q/I relationship, Fixation); Sulphur; Micronutrients (Forms, chelates, critical limits).
  • • Fertilizers & Manures High
    Classification; Manufacturing (Haber-Bosch process); Properties of Urea, DAP, SSP, MOP; Unit value calculation; Slow release fertilizers; Biofertilizers (Rhizobium, Azotobacter, PSB, VAM); Integrated Nutrient Management (INM).
  • • Soil Testing Medium
    Soil sampling; Extraction methods (Bray, Olsen, Alkaline Permanganate, Ammonium Acetate, DTPA); Critical limits; Fertilizer recommendation approaches (STCR).
Core Unit: Soil Biology & Pollution +
  • • Soil Microbiology Medium-High
    Diversity (Bacteria, Fungi, Actinomycetes, Algae, Protozoa); Rhizosphere effect (R:S ratio); Phyllosphere; Soil Organic Matter (Decomposition, Humus formation, C:N ratio significance); Biological Nitrogen Fixation (Symbiotic, Associative, Free-living).
  • • Soil Pollution Medium
    Point vs Non-point sources; Heavy metal pollution; Pesticide residues (Adsorption, Degradation, Half-life); Water quality standards for irrigation (RSC, SAR, Boron).

Recommended Books

Book NameAuthor/PublisherImportance
Introductory Soil Science D.K. Das Essential (The Bible for JRF)
The Nature and Properties of Soils Brady and Weil Very High (For concepts)
Soil Fertility and Fertilizers Tisdale, Nelson, and Beaton High (For Fertility)
Textbook of Soil Science Biswas and Mukherjee Medium (Good for Pedology)
Objective Soil Science E. Somasundaram or Thiyagarajan Practice (For MCQs)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mathematics required for Soil Science JRF? +

Yes. You must be comfortable with calculations for: Fertilizer requirement, Unit conversion (ppm to kg/ha), Bulk Density/Porosity derivation, Stokes Law, and pH logarithms.

Does this syllabus cover Agricultural Chemicals? +

Yes, basic knowledge of Agricultural Chemicals (Pesticide chemistry/formulations) is part of the Major Subject Group 03. You may get 5-10 questions on it.

Which are the top institutes for Soil Science? +

IARI New Delhi, PAU Ludhiana, GBPUAT Pantnagar, BHU Varanasi, and CCS HAU Hisar.

How important is the 'Soils of India' topic? +

Crucial. You must know which soil order dominates which state, and the specific problems associated with them (e.g., Acid soils in Kerala/NE, Saline soils in Gujarat/Haryana).