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ASRB NET (Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board National Eligibility Test) in Vegetable Science is a competitive exam conducted by the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) of India for selecting eligible candidates for the position of lecturer/assistant professor in the field of Vegetable Science. The exam assesses the knowledge of candidates in the field of Vegetable Science and determines their eligibility for lecturer/assistant professor in the subject.

Clearing the ASRB NET in Vegetable Science is an important step for those seeking a career in the field of vegetable science and agricultural education. It is a great opportunity for individuals who are interested in teaching, research, and extension in the field of vegetable science.

ASRB NET Vegetable Science Syllabus

Unit 1. Production Technology of Cool Season Vegetable Crops

Introduction, botany and taxonomy, climatic and soil requirements, commercial varieties/hybrids, sowing/planting times and methods, seed rate and seed treatment, nutritional and irrigation requirements, intercultural operations, weed control, mulching, physiological disorders, harvesting, post-harvest management, plant protection measures and seed production of Potato, Cole crops: cabbage, cauliflower, knoll kohl, sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprout, Root crops: carrot, radish, turnip, and beetroot, Bulb crops: onion and garlic, Peas and broad bean, green leafy cool season vegetables.

Unit 2. Production Technology of Warm Season Vegetable Crops

Introduction, botany and taxonomy, climatic and soil requirements, commercial varieties/hybrids, sowing/planting times and methods, seed rate and seed treatment, nutritional and irrigation requirements, intercultural operations, weed control, mulching, physiological disorders, harvesting, post-harvest management, plant protection measures, the economics of crop production and seed production of Tomato, eggplant, hot and sweet peppers, Okra, beans, cowpea and cluster bean, Cucurbitaceous crops, Tapioca and sweet potato, Green leafy warm season vegetables.

Unit 3. Breeding of Vegetable Crops

Origin, botany, taxonomy, cytogenetics, genetics, breeding objectives, breeding methods (introduction, selection, hybridization, mutation), varieties and varietal characterization, resistance breeding for biotic and abiotic stress, quality improvement, molecular marker, genomics, marker-assisted breeding and QTLs, biotechnology and their use in breeding in vegetable crops-Issue of patenting, PPVFR act. Potato and tomato, Eggplant, hot pepper, sweet pepper and okra, Peas and beans, amaranth, chenopods and lettuce, Gourds, melons, pumpkins and squashes, Cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, beetroot, radish, sweet potato, and tapioca.

Unit 4. Growth and Development 

Cellular structures and their functions; definition of growth and development, growth analysis and its importance in vegetable production; Physiology of dormancy and germination of vegetable seeds, tubers, and bulbs; Role of auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins and abscisic acid; Application of synthetic hormones, plant growth retardants and inhibitors for various purposes in vegetable crops; Role and mode of action of morph actins, antitranspirants, anti-auxin, ripening retardants and plant stimulants in vegetable crop production; Role of light, temperature, and photoperiod on growth, development of underground parts, flowering, and sex expression in vegetable crops; apical dominance; Physiology of fruit set, fruit development, fruit growth, flower and fruit drop; parthenocarpy in vegetable crops; phototropism, ethylene inhibitors, senescence, and abscission; fruit ripening and physiological changes associated with ripening; Plant growth regulators about vegetable production; morphogenesis and tissue culture techniques in vegetable crops. sex expression in cucurbits and checking flower and fruit drops and improving fruit set in Solanaceous vegetables; growth analysis techniques in vegetable crops.

Unit 5. Seed Production

Introduction; modes of propagation in vegetables; Seed morphology and development in vegetable seeds; Floral biology of these plant species; classification of vegetable crops based on pollination and reproduction behavior; steps in quality seed production; identification of suitable areas/locations for seed production of these crops; Classification based on growth cycle and pollination behavior; methods of seed production; comparison between different methods e.g. seed-to-seed vs. root-to-seed method in radish; seed multiplication ratios in vegetables; pollination mechanisms; sex types, ratios and expression and modification of flowering pattern in cucurbits; nursery raising and transplanting stage; Seed production technology of vegetables viz. solanaceous, cucurbitaceous, leguminous, malvaceous, Cole crops, leafy vegetables, root, tuber, and bulb crops and spices; harvesting/picking stage and seed extraction in fruit vegetables; clonal propagation and multiplication in tuber crops e.g. Potato, sweet potato, colocasia, tapioca; seed-plot technique in potato tuber seed production; hybrid seed production technology of vegetable crops, TPS (true potato seed), and its production technique; hybrids in vegetables; maintenance of parental lines; use of male sterility and self-incompatibility in hybrid seed production, environmental factors related to flowering/bolting in vegetable crops; Share of vegetable seeds in seed industry; importance and present status of vegetable industry; intellectual property rights and its implications, the impact of PVP on the growth of seed industry

Unit 6. Systematics of Vegetable Crops

Principles of classification; different methods of classification; salient features of international code of nomenclature of vegetable crops; Origin, history, evolution, and distribution of vegetable crops, botanical description of families, genera, and species covering various tropical, subtropical, and temperate vegetables; Cytological level of various vegetable crops; descriptive keys for important vegetables; Importance of molecular markers in the evolution of vegetable crops; molecular markers as an aid in characterization and taxonomy of vegetable crops.

Unit 7. Production Technology of Underexploited Vegetable Crops

Introduction, botany and taxonomy, climatic and soil requirements, commercial varieties/hybrids, owing/planting times and methods, seed rate and seed treatment, nutritional and irrigation requirements, intercultural operations, weed control, mulching, physiological disorders, harvesting, post-harvest management, plant protection measures, and seed production of Asparagus, artichoke, and leek; Brussels sprout, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, kale, and artichoke; Amaranth, celery, parsley, parsnip, lettuce, rhubarb, spinach, Basella, bathu (chenopods) and chekurmanis; Elephant foot yam, lima bean, winged bean, vegetable pigeon pea, jack bean, and sword bean; Sweet gourd, spine gourd, pointed gourd, Oriental pickling melon and little gourd (kundru).

Unit 8. Post Harvest Technology of Vegetable Crops

Importance and scope of post-harvest management of vegetables; Maturity indices and standards for different vegetables; methods of maturity determinations; biochemistry of maturity and ripening, enzymatic and textural changes, ethylene evolution and ethylene management, respiration, transpiration, regulation methods; Harvesting tools, harvesting practices for specific market requirements; post-harvest physiological and biochemical changes, disorders-chilling injury in vegetables, the influence of pre-harvest practices and other factors affecting post-harvest losses, packaging house operations, commodity pretreatments- chemicals, wax coating, prepackaging, and irradiation; packaging of vegetables, post-harvest, diseases and prevention from infestation, principles of transport; Methods and practices of storage ventilated, refrigerated, MA, CA storage, hypobaric storage, pre-cooling and cold storage, zero energy cool chamber; storage disorders.