KEA Assistant Horticulture Officer Syllabus 2026

KEA AHO Syllabus 2026: Exam Pattern & Subject-Wise Syllabus PDF

Recruitment Overview

Exam Pattern

The detailed exam pattern, including marks distribution, total duration, question format, and negative marking, is not specified in the syllabus notice published by the department. Candidates are advised to refer to the official recruitment notification released by KEA for complete exam pattern details.

Subject-wise Syllabus

The KEA Assistant Horticulture Officer syllabus comprises ten core subject areas approved by the Competitive Examination Syllabus Committee. Below is the complete topic-wise breakdown for each subject based on the official notification.

1. Fruit Science

• Fundamentals of Horticulture: Scope, economic significance, classification, distribution, and nutritional importance of fruit crops; horticultural regions of India and Karnataka; orchard planning, layout, and management; nursery techniques; planting systems, high-density, and ultra-high-density planting; canopy architecture; irrigation, fertigation, integrated nutrient management, weed management, and mulching; training and pruning; bearing habits, fruit set, and unfruitfulness; crop regulation, rejuvenation of senile orchards, plant growth regulators, precision horticulture, protected cultivation, and climate-resilient fruit production.
• Plant Propagation and Nursery Management: Sexual and asexual propagation; seed biology, dormancy, and germination; apomixis, polyembryony, and vegetative propagation (cuttings, layering, grafting, budding, runners, suckers); stock-scion relationships; propagation structures (mist chambers, polyhouses, glasshouses, phytotrons); nursery establishment, certification, and accreditation; mother block establishment; micropropagation and tissue culture applications.
• Production Technology of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Crops: Taxonomy, varieties, rootstocks, climatic and soil needs, propagation, orchard management, canopy architecture, crop regulation, fertigation, physiological disorders, maturity indices, and post-harvest handling for mango, banana, citrus, grape, guava, papaya, sapota, pineapple, pomegranate, jackfruit, avocado, litchi, mangosteen, passion fruit, rambutan, durian, and other tropical fruits. Special problems including alternate bearing in mango and citrus, citrus decline, bud forecasting in grapes, and sex expression in papaya.
• Production Technology of Temperate and Dryland Fruit Crops: Cultivation practices, chilling requirements, training, pruning, pollination, pollinizers, and post-harvest management of apple, pear, peach, plum, apricot, cherry, strawberry, kiwi, and nut crops. Dryland horticulture principles, watershed management, rainwater harvesting, soil and moisture conservation, micro-irrigation, drought management, and production of ber, aonla, custard apple, jamun, wood apple, pomegranate, tamarind, fig, and other arid fruit crops.
• Protected Cultivation and Precision Horticulture: Precision technologies for protected cultivation, fertigation management, environmental control systems, smart greenhouses, IoT devices, sensors, weather stations, automation, robotics, autonomous machinery, decision support systems, GPS, GIS, Remote Sensing, and drone technologies.
• Fruit Crop Improvement and Biotechnology: Breeding objectives, germplasm exploration and conservation, floral biology, pollination mechanisms, incompatibility systems; selection, hybridization, mutation breeding, polyploidy, clonal selection, and rootstock breeding; molecular breeding, marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, genome editing, transgenic approaches, tissue culture, embryo rescue, somatic hybridization, DUS testing, and IPR.

2. Vegetable Science

• Fundamentals of Vegetable Science: Scope, economic significance, classification, origin, distribution, nutritional importance, and value chain; agro-climatic requirements; cropping systems, crop rotation, and intensive vegetable production; nursery management, protected nursery production, and seedling quality; field preparation, planting methods, irrigation, fertigation, integrated nutrient management, weed management, and use of plant growth regulators; organic farming, precision cultivation, and digital technologies.
• Production Technology of Tropical and Subtropical Vegetables: Production technology, taxonomy, varieties, hybrids, fertigation, physiological disorders, maturity indices, post-harvest handling, processing, and export criteria for tomato, brinjal, chilli, sweet pepper, okra, cluster bean, cowpea, dolichos bean, French bean, cucurbits, drumstick, sweet corn, curry leaf, amaranthus, spinach beet, methi, and other tropical vegetables.
• Production Technology of Temperate, Bulb, Root, Tuber and Perennial Vegetables: Cultivation practices, crop regulation, physiological disorders, harvesting, post-harvest management, and economics for cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, knol-khol, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, spinach, onion, garlic, leek, radish, carrot, beetroot, turnip, peas, broad bean, potato, sweet potato, cassava, elephant foot yam, colocasia, and dioscorea.
• Vegetable Crop Improvement and Seed Production: Breeding methods for self- and cross-pollinated vegetables, heterosis breeding, hybrid seed production, mutation and polyploidy breeding; molecular breeding, marker-assisted selection, genome editing, and transgenic approaches; seed certification standards, isolation distance, roguing, field and seed standards, seed processing, storage, testing, and quality assurance.
• Protected Cultivation and Precision Horticulture: Polyhouses, net houses, shade-net structures, low tunnels, hydroponics, aeroponics, vertical farming, fertigation management, environmental control systems, smart greenhouses, IoT sensors, robotics, GIS, Remote Sensing, and drone applications.
• Post-Harvest Management and Sustainable Vegetable Production: Post-harvest physiology, maturity indices, grading, packaging, cold chain management, processing, food safety, traceability, organic/natural vegetable production, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and climate-smart vegetable systems.

3. Floriculture and Landscape Architecture

• Fundamentals of Floriculture: History and scope of floriculture; classification and aesthetic importance of ornamental plants; garden styles (English, Japanese, Mughal, Italian, French); principles and elements of garden design; annuals, biennials, perennials, bulbs, shrubs, trees, climbers, orchids, cacti, succulents, indoor plants, and foliage plants; lawn establishment and management; bonsai, topiary, floral art, Ikebana, and dry flower arrangements.
• Production Technology of Commercial Flower Crops: Production technology, protected cultivation, canopy management, fertigation, growth regulators, disorders, harvesting, post-harvest handling, grading, packaging, and export standards for rose, chrysanthemum, carnation, gerbera, gladiolus, tuberose, orchids, anthurium, lilies, jasmine, crossandra, marigold, China aster, dahlia, and heliconia; essential oil extraction from rose, jasmine, and tuberose.
• Protected Floriculture and Precision Production Technologies: Greenhouse/polyhouse systems, environmental control, microclimate management, automation, hydroponics, precision nutrient management, pest/disease management under cover, production scheduling, cold chain, and economics of protected floriculture.
• Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning: Principles of landscape architecture, landscape planning and design, computer-aided landscape design (AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, GIS), bio-aesthetic planning, urban landscaping, green infrastructure, development of parks, avenues, institutional campuses, and special gardens (rock, water, terrace, roof, vertical, xeriscape, theme gardens).
• Ornamental Plant Improvement and Seed Technology: Breeding strategies for flower colour, form, fragrance, vase life, and stress resistance; molecular breeding, marker-assisted selection, tissue culture, micropropagation, genome editing; seed production, seed certification standards, processing, and testing for major flower crops.

4. Plantation, Spices, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops

• Plantation Crops: Production technology, propagation, nursery management, varietal improvement, planting systems, canopy control, nutrition, irrigation, weed management, intercropping, harvesting, processing, quality standards, and marketing of coconut, arecanut, cashew, coffee, tea, cocoa, rubber, palmyrah, and betel vine.
• Spice Crops: Production technologies, propagation, integrated nutrient and water management, protected cultivation, physiological disorders, curing, processing, grading, quality standards, value addition, export requirements, GAP, GMP, GI, and traceability for black pepper, cardamom, turmeric, chilli, ginger, garlic, coriander, fenugreek, cumin, fennel, vanilla, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and tamarind.
• Medicinal Crops: Cultivation, biodiversity conservation, propagation, harvest maturity, active principles, post-harvest handling, processing, AYUSH regulations, and Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) for senna, periwinkle, coleus, ashwagandha, glory lily, sarpagandha, Aloe vera, amla, kalmegh, isabgol, safed musli, stevia, Shatavari, and guggul.
• Aromatic Crops: Cultivation practices, harvesting, distillation, essential oil extraction, quality evaluation, storage, and industrial uses of palmarosa, lemongrass, citronella, vetiver, Mentha, patchouli, geranium, davana, lavender, Ocimum, sandalwood, rosemary, and chamomile.
• Breeding, Post-Harvest & Agribusiness: Crop improvement strategies, tissue culture, quality standards, protected cultivation, fertigation, contract farming, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), processing enterprises, and export supply chain management for plantation, spice, medicinal, and aromatic crops.

5. Post-Harvest Technology

• Fundamentals of Post-Harvest Technology: Importance and scope; post-harvest losses and reduction strategies; pre-harvest factors affecting post-harvest quality; maturity indices and harvesting standards; ripening and senescence physiology; climacteric and non-climacteric fruit behavior; ethylene biosynthesis and ripening regulation.
• Post-Harvest Handling, Packaging and Storage: Cleaning, washing, curing, trimming, grading, sorting, pre-cooling, packaging materials, Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), Controlled Atmosphere Packaging (CAP), active/intelligent packaging, edible coatings; cold chain logistics; storage techniques (ambient, refrigerated, CA, MA, hypobaric, zero-energy cool chambers); quarantine treatments.
• Processing of Fruits, Vegetables, Plantation and Spice Crops: Preservation principles (sugar, salt, acid, fermentation, freezing, dehydration, thermal processing, irradiation, chemicals); processing technologies for jams, jellies, marmalades, squashes, juices, RTS beverages, pickles, chutneys, sauces, dehydrated products, and spice processing.
• Food Chemistry, Quality Assurance and Food Safety: Nutritional quality, food additives, microbial spoilage prevention, sensory evaluation, FSSAI regulations, AGMARK, BIS standards, HACCP, GMP, GHP, ISO systems, Codex Alimentarius, MRLs, and food safety management.
• Post-Harvest Engineering and Value Chain Management: Processing equipment for cleaning, grading, sorting, drying, and pulping; refrigeration and cold storage design; ripening chambers; supply chain management; entrepreneurship, project formulation, and government schemes for post-harvest infrastructure.

6. Crop Improvement

• Plant Breeding and Crop Improvement: Principles, scope, and limitations of plant breeding; modes of reproduction, pollination mechanisms, self-incompatibility, and male sterility; germplasm collection and conservation; breeding methods for self-, cross-, and clonally propagated crops (selection, hybridization, pedigree, bulk, backcross); heterosis breeding, quantitative genetics, mutation breeding, polyploidy, stress breeding, IPR, Plant Variety Protection, and Farmers' Rights.
• Plant Physiology, Biochemistry and Genetics: Cell structure, biomolecules, plant growth regulators, photosynthesis (C3, C4, CAM pathways), respiration, water relations, mineral nutrition, biological nitrogen fixation; photoperiodism, vernalization; genetics principles, Mendelian laws, linkage, recombination, DNA replication, transcription, translation, and gene expression regulation.
• Seed Science and Technology: Seed physiology, development, and maturation; seed production protocols for self-, cross-pollinated, and hybrid crops; generation systems of seed multiplication, isolation distances, roguing, processing, treatment, packaging, and storage; seed testing (germination, viability, vigour); Seed Act, Seed Rules, certification procedures, and seed enhancement technologies (priming, coating, pelleting).

7. Crop Protection

• Diseases of Fruit, Plantation, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops: Etiology, symptoms, disease cycles, epidemiology, diagnosis, and integrated management of diseases affecting major tropical, subtropical, temperate fruits, plantation crops, and medicinal/aromatic plants; post-harvest disease management.
• Diseases of Vegetable, Spice and Ornamental Crops: Identification and management of fungal, bacterial, viral, and phytoplasmal diseases of solanaceous, cucurbitaceous, cruciferous, root, tuber, spice, and floriculture crops under field and protected structures.
• Insect Pest Management and Insecticides: Types of pests, crop losses, ETL and EIL concepts, pest monitoring, IPM components (cultural, mechanical, biological, chemical, legislative); biological control agents and mass production; insecticide classification, formulation, mode of action, resistance management, safety, pesticide residues, MRLs, and PHI.
• Entomology of Vegetables, Spices, Fruits, Plantation, Medicinal & Aromatic Crops: Biology, nature of damage, seasonal incidence, and integrated management of insect and mite pests affecting all horticultural crops; protected cultivation pests; stored product pests and residue management.

8. Soil Science

• Soil Physics, Chemistry and Soil Fertility: Physical properties (texture, structure, bulk density, porosity, water relations); soil colloids, ion exchange, soil pH, EC, organic matter, C:N ratio; essential plant nutrients, functions, deficiency symptoms, transformations, and dynamics of N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, and micronutrients; Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) and soil health concepts.
• Problem Soils and Soil Resource Management: Characteristics and management of acid, saline, sodic, saline-sodic, calcareous, and waterlogged soils; irrigation water quality parameters (pH, EC, SAR, RSC); soil amendments (lime, gypsum, organic manures).
• Soil, Plant and Water Analysis: Sampling techniques; laboratory estimations of pH, EC, organic carbon, available macro/micronutrients; plant tissue testing; working principles of pH meter, conductivity meter, spectrophotometer, flame photometer, and AAS; interpretation for fertilizer recommendations.
• Fertilizers, Organic Manures and Agricultural Chemistry: Straight, complex, water-soluble fertilizers; Fertilizer Control Order (FCO); FYM, compost, vermicompost, green manure; biofertilizers (Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, PSB, AMF); site-specific nutrient management.
• Microbial Transformations and Bio-inputs: Nutrient cycling (C, N, P, S), organic matter decomposition, biological nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, mycorrhizae, PGPR, biopesticides, waste recycling, composting, and bioremediation.

9. Agricultural Engineering

• Farm Power and Agricultural Machinery: Sources of farm power, internal combustion (IC) engines (2-stroke and 4-stroke principles), engine components, tractor systems, transmission, power take-off (PTO), equipment selection, and operation maintenance.
• Tillage, Planting and Intercultural Equipment: Construction, calibration, and working of primary/secondary tillage tools (mouldboard, disc, rotary tillers, cultivators, harrows); sowing equipment, planters, transplanters, intercultural tools, and weeders.
• Soil and Water Engineering: Soil-water-plant relationships, surface/sprinkler/drip/micro-irrigation systems, fertigation scheduling, pumps, rainwater harvesting, watershed management, soil conservation structures, and land drainage.

10. Social and Allied Sciences

• Agricultural Extension Education: Extension methodologies, technology transfer, ICAR extension programmes, communication models, ICT tools, e-extension, digital advisory services, leadership development, agripreneurship, FPOs, and public-private partnerships.
• Computer Science and Information Technology: Hardware, software, operating systems, networks, database management, digital communication, applications of GIS, Remote Sensing, AI/ML, IoT, and drones in precision horticulture.
• Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management: Micro/macroeconomics principles, production functions, cost analysis, break-even analysis, farm planning/budgeting, agricultural finance, project appraisal (BCR, NPV, IRR), supply chain management, marketing channels, WTO guidelines, and trade policies.

How to Download Syllabus

1. Visit the official portal of the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) or Directorate of Horticulture, Karnataka.
2. Go to the recruitment or latest notifications section on the homepage.
3. Search for the "KEA Assistant Horticulture Officer Syllabus 2026" link.
4. Click on the syllabus PDF link to open the official document.
5. Save or download the PDF file to your device for exam preparation and offline reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the KEA AHO Syllabus 2026?

The KEA AHO Syllabus 2026 includes 10 major subjects: Fruit Science, Vegetable Science, Floriculture & Landscape Architecture, Plantation/Spices/Medicinal & Aromatic Crops, Post-Harvest Technology, Crop Improvement, Crop Protection, Soil Science, Agricultural Engineering, and Social & Allied Sciences.

Q2. What is the educational qualification required for Assistant Horticulture Officer recruitment?

Candidates must hold a Graduation degree in Horticulture from an ICAR-accredited University established by law in India.

Q3. Is there negative marking in the KEA AHO exam?

Specific details regarding