Agriculture Optional Syllabus

Here is the official UPSC Agriculture Optional syllabus for Paper I and Paper II, arranged paper by paper and unit by unit. Under each unit we give the official text first, then break it into numbered topics, so you can track your preparation and match every previous year question to its topic.

Source. UPSC Civil Services Examination 2026 notification (Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE, dated 04.02.2026, revised file of 06.02.2026, pp. 37–38), upsc.gov.in. The Agriculture syllabus has been unchanged in recent years.

Scheme. Two papers of 250 marks each (total 500), 3 hours each. Each paper has two sections (A and B) of four questions each; Questions 1 and 5 are compulsory, and three more are attempted with at least one from each section. The syllabus itself is not divided into sections: questions on any part of it may appear in either section.

Syllabus at a glance

Paper	Unit	Topics
Paper I	1. Ecology and Environment	6
Paper I	2. Cropping Patterns and Crop Production	8
Paper I	3. Forestry and Agroforestry	4
Paper I	4. Weeds	2
Paper I	5. Soils and Soil Fertility	10
Paper I	6. Soil and Water Conservation and Dryland Agriculture	3
Paper I	7. Water Management and Irrigation	6
Paper I	8. Farm Management and Agricultural Economics	7
Paper I	9. Agricultural Extension	6
Paper II	1. Cell Biology and Genetics	8
Paper II	2. Plant Breeding	11
Paper II	3. Seed Technology	5
Paper II	4. Plant Physiology	10
Paper II	5. Horticulture	7
Paper II	6. Plant Protection	8
Paper II	7. Food Production, Food Security and Nutrition	9

Paper I

1. Ecology and Environment

1.1 Ecology and its relevance to man

• Natural resources
• Their sustainable management and conservation

1.2 Physical and social environment as factors of crop distribution and production

1.3 Agro-ecology; cropping pattern as indicators of environments

1.4 Environmental pollution and associated hazards to crops, animals and humans

1.5 Climate change

• International conventions and global initiatives
• Greenhouse effect and global warming

1.6 Advance tools for ecosystem analysis

• Remote Sensing (RS)
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

2. Cropping Patterns and Crop Production

2.1 Cropping patterns in different agro-climatic zones

2.2 Impact of high-yielding and short-duration varieties on cropping patterns

2.3 Cropping and farming systems

2.4 Organic and precision farming

• Organic farming
• Precision farming

2.5 Package of practices: cereals

2.6 Package of practices: pulses

2.7 Package of practices: oilseeds

2.8 Package of practices: fibre, sugar, commercial and fodder crops

• Fibre crops
• Sugar crops
• Commercial crops
• Fodder crops

3. Forestry and Agroforestry

3.1 Types of forestry plantations

• Social forestry
• Agro-forestry
• Natural forests

3.2 Propagation of forest plants and forest products

• Propagation of forest plants
• Forest products

3.3 Agro-forestry and value addition

3.4 Conservation of forest flora and fauna

4. Weeds

4.1 Weeds: characteristics, dissemination and association with crops

• Characteristics
• Dissemination
• Association with crops
• Multiplication

4.2 Weed control

• Cultural
• Biological
• Chemical

5. Soils and Soil Fertility

5.1 Soil properties

• Physical
• Chemical
• Biological

5.2 Soil formation and soils of India

• Processes and factors of soil formation
• Soils of India

5.3 Mineral and organic constituents of soils and soil productivity

5.4 Essential plant nutrients and beneficial elements

5.5 Soil fertility, soil testing and fertiliser recommendations

5.6 Integrated nutrient management and biofertilisers

• Integrated nutrient management
• Biofertilisers

5.7 Nitrogen in soils

• Losses of nitrogen
• Nitrogen-use efficiency in submerged rice soils
• Nitrogen fixation

5.8 Efficient phosphorus and potassium use

5.9 Problem soils and their reclamation

5.10 Soil factors affecting greenhouse gas emission

6. Soil and Water Conservation and Dryland Agriculture

6.1 Soil conservation and integrated watershed management

• Soil conservation
• Integrated watershed management

6.2 Soil erosion and its management

6.3 Dryland agriculture and rainfed areas

• Problems of dryland agriculture
• Technology for stabilising production in rainfed areas

7. Water Management and Irrigation

7.1 Water-use efficiency and scheduling of irrigation

• Water-use efficiency
• Criteria for scheduling irrigations

7.2 Reducing run-off losses; rainwater harvesting

• Run-off losses of irrigation water
• Rainwater harvesting

7.3 Drip and sprinkler irrigation

7.4 Drainage of water-logged soils

7.5 Quality of irrigation water and industrial effluents

• Quality of irrigation water
• Effect of industrial effluents on soil and water pollution

7.6 Irrigation projects in India

8. Farm Management and Agricultural Economics

8.1 Farm management and farm planning

• Scope, importance and characteristics
• Farm planning

8.2 Optimum resource use and budgeting

8.3 Types and systems of farming and their economics

• Economics of farming systems
• Types and systems of farming
• Factors affecting them

8.4 Agricultural marketing

• Marketing management strategies
• Market intelligence
• Price fluctuations and their cost

8.5 Co-operatives in the agricultural economy

8.6 Agricultural price policy

8.7 Crop insurance

9. Agricultural Extension

9.1 Agricultural extension: importance and role

9.2 Evaluation of extension programmes

9.3 Socio-economic survey and status of farmers

• Big, small and marginal farmers
• Landless agricultural labourers

9.4 Training programmes for extension workers

9.5 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)

9.6 NGOs and self-help groups in rural development

Paper II

1. Cell Biology and Genetics

1.1 Cell structure, function and cell cycle

1.2 Genetic material

• Synthesis
• Structure
• Function

1.3 Laws of heredity

1.4 Chromosome structure, aberrations, linkage and crossing-over

• Chromosome structure
• Chromosomal aberrations
• Linkage and crossing-over in recombination breeding

1.5 Polyploidy, euploids and aneuploids

1.6 Mutation and crop improvement

1.7 Heritability, sterility and incompatibility

• Heritability
• Sterility
• Incompatibility

1.8 Cytoplasmic inheritance; sex-linked, sex-influenced and sex-limited characters

2. Plant Breeding

2.1 History of plant breeding

2.2 Modes of reproduction; selfing and crossing techniques

2.3 Origin, evolution and domestication of crop plants

• Centre of origin
• Law of homologous series

2.4 Crop genetic resources: conservation and utilization

2.5 Principles of plant breeding and improvement of crop plants

2.6 Molecular markers in plant improvement

2.7 Selection methods

• Pure-line selection
• Pedigree
• Mass selection
• Recurrent selection

2.8 Combining ability and heterosis

• Combining ability
• Heterosis and its exploitation

2.9 Somatic, interspecific and intergeneric hybridization

• Somatic hybridization
• Interspecific and intergeneric hybridization

2.10 Breeding for disease and pest resistance

2.11 Genetic engineering, biotechnology and GM crops

• Genetic engineering and biotechnology
• Genetically modified crop plants

3. Seed Technology

3.1 Seed production and processing technologies

3.2 Seed certification, testing and storage

• Seed certification
• Seed testing
• Storage

3.3 DNA fingerprinting and seed registration

3.4 Public and private sectors in seed production and marketing

3.5 IPR and WTO issues and their impact on agriculture

• Intellectual Property Rights
• WTO issues

4. Plant Physiology

4.1 Plant nutrition: absorption, translocation and metabolism of nutrients

4.2 Soil-water-plant relationship

4.3 Enzymes and plant pigments

4.4 Photosynthesis

• Modern concepts and factors affecting the process
• C₃, C₄ and CAM mechanisms

4.5 Respiration

• Aerobic
• Anaerobic

4.6 Carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism

4.7 Growth and development; photoperiodism and vernalization

4.8 Plant growth substances and their role in crop production

4.9 Seed development, germination and dormancy

4.10 Stress physiology

• Drought
• Salt
• Water stress

5. Horticulture

5.1 Major fruits and plantation crops

• Package of practices

5.2 Vegetables, spices and flower crops

• Package of practices

5.3 Protected cultivation and high-tech horticulture

5.4 Post-harvest technology and value addition of fruits and vegetables

5.5 Landscaping and commercial floriculture

5.6 Medicinal and aromatic plants

5.7 Fruits and vegetables in human nutrition

6. Plant Protection

6.1 Diagnosis and economic importance of pests and diseases

• Field crops
• Vegetables
• Orchard and plantation crops

6.2 Classification of pests and diseases and their management

6.3 Integrated pest and disease management

6.4 Storage pests and their management

6.5 Biological control of pests and diseases

6.6 Epidemiology and forecasting of pests and diseases

6.7 Plant quarantine measures

6.8 Pesticides: formulations and modes of action

7. Food Production, Food Security and Nutrition

7.1 Food production and consumption trends in India

7.2 Food security and growing population

• Vision 2020
• Reasons for grain surplus

7.3 National and international food policies

7.4 Production, procurement, distribution and processing constraints

7.5 Availability of foodgrains and per capita expenditure on food

7.6 Poverty and the Public Distribution System

• Trends in poverty
• Below Poverty Line population
• Public Distribution System and Targeted PDS
• Policy implementation in the context of globalization

7.7 Dietary guidelines and food-based approaches to eliminate hunger

• Food production, National Dietary Guidelines and consumption pattern
• Food-based dietary approaches

7.8 Nutrient deficiencies

• Protein Energy (Calorie) Malnutrition
• Micronutrient deficiency
• HRD and work capacity of women and children

7.9 Food grain productivity and food security

Total: 110 numbered topics across 16 units.

Last updated: 30 October 2026