Subject: Plant Science (First paper) 65 Marks

Introduction

This course consist of basic knowledge and skills related to plant sciences focusing on various agricultural techniques in Soil Science, Horticulture, Agronomy, Industrial Entomology, Aquaculture, Farm management, and Extension.

Objectives

Part : One 40 Marks

• Acquire basic knowledge and skills related to plant science.
• Identify different technological problems in production with their solutions.
• Introduce basic knowledge about the management practices of crops, and marketing system of the products as well as agricultural extension in Nepal.

1. Agronomy

• Introduction to Agronomy.
• Climate of Nepal.
• Cropping system in Nepal
• Field Preparation and tillage .
• Farm mechanization and farm power.
• Irrigation and drainage system.
• Seed technology of agronomical crop.
• Common pests and diseases of Agronomical cropscrops
• Post-harvest management of agronomical crop.
• Production Technology of agronomical crop (Cereal, Legumes, oil seed and Industrial crops).

2. Soil Science

• Introduction to soil types
• Geology and soil formation.
• Soil properties in relation to crop production
• Plant Nutrition and soil fertility. 2.5 Soil and plant analysis.
• Organic matter, manures and chemical fertilizers
• Soil fertility and productivity and their sustainable management
• Soil erosion,conservation and watershed management

3. Aquaculture and Fisheries

• Introduction of Aquaculture
• Management of fish pond
• Farming of common exotic and indigenous fish species.
• Fish breeding Techniques
• Fish disease and parasite management

4. Horticulture

• Introduction to horticulture.
• Nursery and orchard management.
• Plant growth and regulator.
• Training & Pruning.
• Plant propagation in fruit crops
• Kitchen garden, off season vegetable farming and organic farming.
• Scope and importance of vegetables seed and seed technology
• Cultivation practices of common horticultural crop ( Fruits, Vegetables, and Flowers)
• Major insect pest and disease of horticultural crop ( Fruits, Vegetables, And Flowers)
• Post-Harvest Technology of horticultural crops

5. Extension

• Introduction to Agriculture Extension in Nepal.
• Common practices in agriculture extension in Nepal.
• Group formation and group dynamics in farming communities
• Leadership development in extension
• Adoption and diffusion process in extension: F to F and FFS, LF approaches.
• Program planning, monitoring and evaluation in extension
• Gender and social mobilization in farming communities.

6. Farm Management

• Introduction to farm management, its scope and importance
• Basic economic concept in farm planning
• Cost & benefit analysis
• Planning of farm system 6.5. Budgeting and record keeping
• Role of Agricultural Marketing and its opportunities and limitations in Nepal.
• Type of market and marketing systems
• Concept of cooperative
• International trade and role of WTO in Nepalese economy

7. Industrial Entomology and Mushroom

• Introduction to the course
• Cultivation practices of common edible mushroom.
• Insect pest and disease of cultivated mushroom.
• Introduction to bee keeping.
• Introduction to sericulture.

Part: Two 25 Marks

8. Curriculum Related Knowledge

• Space of plant science in secondary school curriculum.
• Breadth/Depth of the content
• Knowledge of competences and learning outcomes
• Resource materials of plant science in secondary level.

9. Classroom Teaching Skills

• Class room management skills
• Effective Presentation Skills/Exposition
• Problem Based Learning Strategies
• Small Group/Whole Class Discussion
• ‘Observation’ as an instructional strategy

10. Use of ‘Projects’ and ‘Field Works’ in Instruction

• Project Planning
• Implementing and Communicating
• Learning by doing practices
• Reporting/Presentation
• Exhibition

11. Assessment in Teaching

• Knowledge of assessment plan and specification grid in school curriculum
• Developing test and appropriate tools for student assessment.
• Authentic assessment to measure performance. (Use of rubrics)

12. Use of ICT

• ICT as content enhancement (Use of various ICT tools to explore different topics of plant science and terminologies)
• ICT as delivery tool (Mobile, Multimedia software, online materials, games in classroom for specific contents)

Marks distribution and Grid