ASRB NET Fruit Science Syllabus 2026, Topic Wise Details

ASRB NET Fruit Science Syllabus 2026 is the essential roadmap for agriculture graduates aiming to become Assistant Professors or Junior Research Fellows. A clear grasp of the topics directs your study efforts and ensures full coverage of important units. By mastering the complete syllabus, candidates can prioritize key subjects and manage their time effectively for the upcoming Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board National Eligibility Test.

The ASRB NET is a national-level exam. The Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board conducts it. This test certifies candidates for Assistant Professor or Junior Research Fellow positions. The ASRB NET Fruit Science subject assesses knowledge in fruit cultivation, management, and improvement. Knowing the complete ASRB NET Fruit Science Syllabus is very important. It forms the foundation for targeted and effective preparation. Candidates who understand the syllabus well improve their chances of clearing the exam.

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ASRB NET Fruit Science Syllabus Overview

ASRB NET Fruit Science Syllabus 2026 covers a wide range of topics. These topics are crucial for fruit crop science. A complete understanding of these subjects is necessary for candidates. The syllabus is divided into ten main units.

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ASRB NET Fruit Science Exam Details

ASRB NET Fruit Science Exam 2026 will be conducted online. It contains 150 multiple-choice questions. Each question carries one mark. The total time for the test is 2 hours. There is a negative marking of one-third (1/3rd) for every wrong answer. To pass, unreserved candidates need 50%. OBC candidates need 45%. SC/ST/PwBD candidates need 40%. The questions check basic and applied knowledge in Fruit Science.

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ASRB NET Fruit Science Topic-Wise Syllabus

This section covers detailed information for each unit of the ASRB NET Fruit Science Syllabus. It outlines specific topics within each major subject area. This in-depth view helps candidates prepare thoroughly.

Unit 1: Tropical Fruit Production Syllabus

• Commercial Varieties: Regional, national, international importance.

• Eco-Physiological Needs: Requirements for growth.

• Propagation: Recent trends.

• Rootstock Influence: Impact on plant growth.

• Management: Planting systems, cropping systems, root zone, canopy.

• Nutrient Management: Water management, fertigation.

• Bioregulators: Role in fruit production.

• Abiotic Factors: Environmental limits to fruit production.

• Physiology: Flowering, pollination, fruit set, development.

• Honeybees: Role in cross-pollination.

• Physiological Disorders: Causes and remedies.

• Quality Improvement: Through management practices.

• Post-Harvest: Maturity indices, harvesting, grading, packing, storage, ripening.

• Potential: Industrial and export potential, Agri Export Zones (AEZ), industrial support.

• Crops: Mango, Banana, Citrus, Papaya, Guava, Sapota, Jackfruit, Pineapple, Annonas, Avocado, Aonla, Pomegranate, Ber.

Unit 2: Subtropical and Temperate Fruit Production Syllabus

• Commercial Varieties: Regional, national, international importance.

• Eco-Physiological Needs: Requirements for growth.

• Propagation: Recent trends, rootstocks, stionic influences.

• Management: Planting systems, cropping systems, root zone, canopy.

• Nutrient Management: Water management, fertigation, bioregulation.

• Abiotic Factors: Environmental limits to fruit production.

• Physiology: Flowering, pollinizers, pollinators, fruit set, development.

• Physiological Disorders: Causes and remedies.

• Quality Improvement: Through management practices.

• Post-Harvest: Maturity indices, harvesting, grading, packing, precooling, storage, transport, ripening.

• Value Addition: Processing, industrial and export potential, AEZs, industrial support.

• Canopy Management: Plant growth inhibitors, training, pruning.

• Management Practices: Growth, flowering, fruiting, fruit quality.

• Pest/Disease Management: Insect and disease control.

• Shelf Life: Pre-harvest and post-harvest factors.

• Crops: Apple, Pear, Quince, Grapes, Plums, Peach, Apricot, Cherries, Litchi, Loquat, Persimmon, Kiwifruit, Strawberry, Nuts (Walnut, Almond, Pecan).

Unit 3: Breeding of Fruit Crops Syllabus

• Genetics: Origin, distribution, taxonomy, cytogenetics.

• Genetic Resources: Collection and conservation.

• Blossom Biology: Flower structure and function.

• Breeding Systems: Spontaneous mutations, polyploidy, incompatibility, sterility, parthenocarpy, apomixis.

• Breeding Goals: Objectives, ideotypes.

• Improvement Methods: Introduction, selection, hybridization, mutation breeding, polyploid breeding, rootstock breeding.

• Quality Traits: Improvement for quality.

• Stress Breeding: Biotic and abiotic stress resistance.

• Biotechnology: Interventions and achievements.

• Legal Aspects: Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Plant Breeders Rights (PBR).

• Crops: Mango, Banana, Pineapple, Citrus, Grapes, Guava, Sapota, Jackfruit, Papaya, Custard Apple, Aonla, Avocado, Ber, Mangosteen, Litchi, Jamun, Phalsa, Mulberry, Raspberry, Kokam, Apple, Pear, Plums, Peach, Apricot, Cherries, Strawberry, Nuts, Pomegranate, Kiwifruit.

Unit 4: Growth and Development of Fruit Crops Syllabus

• Concepts: Definition, parameters, dynamics, morphogenesis.

• Crop Types: Annual, semi-perennial, perennial.

• Environmental Impact: Light, photosynthesis, photoperiodism, vernalization.

• Temperature Effects: Heat units, thermoperiodism.

• Physiology: Assimilate partitioning, water, mineral nutrition.

• Hormones: Biosynthesis of auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid, ethylene, brassinosteroids, morphactins.

• Role of Regulators: Plant growth promoters and inhibitors.

• Developmental Stages: Dormancy, bud break, juvenility, flowering, pollination, fruit set, fruit drop, fruit growth, ripening, seed development.

• Stress Response: Growth during stress.

• Manipulation: Pruning, training, chemical manipulations.

• Modern Approaches: Molecular and genetic methods.

• Climate Change: Global warming, temperature/rainfall patterns, greenhouse gas effects.

• Mitigation: Tolerant rootstocks, varieties, mulching, plastics, windbreak.

• Greenhouse Management: Heating, CO2 injection, screens, artificial light.

• Impacts: Climate change effects on pests, diseases, weeds, yield, quality, sustainability.

Unit 5: Biotechnology of Fruit Crops Syllabus

• Biotechnology Basics: Introduction, significance, history, principles.

• Culture Factors: Plant materials, physical/chemical factors, growth regulators.

• Tissue Culture: Callus culture (types, division, differentiation, organogenesis, embryogenesis).

• In-vitro Methods: Bioreactors, secondary metabolites, suspension culture, nutrition, regeneration, acclimatization.

• Hardening: Physiology, field transfer.

• Organ Culture: Meristem, embryo, anther, ovule, embryo rescue.

• Variations: Somaclonal variation.

• Protoplast Culture: Protoplast culture and fusion.

• Hybridization: Somatic cell hybridization, wide hybridization.

• Advanced Techniques: In-vitro pollination, fertilization, haploids, in-vitro mutation, artificial seeds, cryopreservation.

• Genetic Engineering: Principles, methods, transformation.

• Molecular Tools: Molecular markers, genomics, gene silencing, gene tagging, gene editing.

• Stress Selection: In-vitro selection for biotic and abiotic stress.

• Achievements: Successes of biotechnology in horticulture.

Unit 6: Propagation and Nursery Management in Fruit Crops Syllabus

• Propagation Concepts: Cellular basis, sexual and asexual methods, apomixis, polyembryony, chimeras.

• Seed Propagation: Factors influencing germination, dormancy, hormonal regulation.

• Seed Quality: Treatment, packing, storage, certification, testing.

• Asexual Propagation (Conventional):

• Cuttings: Methods (soft, semi-hard, hardwood), PGRs, physiological/anatomical aspects.

• Layering: Principle and methods.

• Budding and Grafting: Principles, methods, graft union, scion/bud wood bank.

• Relationships: Stock, scion, interstock, graft incompatibility, rootstock physiology, top working.

• Micro-propagation: Principles, concepts, commercial use.

• Techniques: In-vitro clonal propagation, direct organogenesis, embryogenesis, micro-grafting, meristem culture, genetic fidelity.

• Post-Culture: Hardening, packaging, transport.

• Nursery Management: Types, structures, components, planning, layout.

• Practices & Regulation: Healthy propagule production, Nursery Act, accreditation, import/export, quarantine (PEQ, CPP).

Unit 7: Systematics of Fruit Crops Syllabus

• Nomenclature: Biosystematics, history, classification systems, International Code.

• Identification: Methods for cultivated fruit/nut species and wild relatives.

• Plant Keys: Development for systematic identification.

• Descriptors: Fruit crop descriptors (Biodiversity International, UPOV/DUS).

• Descriptions: Botanical and pomological descriptions of major cultivars and rootstocks.

• Registration: GI and Farmers Variety Registration.

• Modern Systematics: Chemotaxonomy, biochemical, and molecular markers.

Unit 8: Export Oriented Fruit Production Syllabus

• Trade Statistics: National and international export/import trends.

• India's Position: Potentiality in world trade, export promotion zones.

• Policies & Standards: Government norms, produce specifications, quality/safety standards.

• Export Fruits: Mango, Banana, Grape, Litchi, Pomegranate, Walnut, Apple.

• Processed Products: Value-added products.

• Post-Harvest for Export: Packaging, cool chain.

• Certifications: HACCP, Codex Alimentarius, ISO certification, FPO license.

• Regulatory Bodies: APEDA, FSSAI, BIS, WTO implications.

• Measures: Sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, MRLs.

• Infrastructure: Quality fruit production under protected environments.

• Structures: Automated greenhouses, glasshouse, shade net, poly tunnels.

• Plant Material: Meeting export standards, plant variety protection, patent regimes.

Unit 9: Minor Fruit Production Syllabus

• General Account: Importance, occurrence, distribution.

• Adaptation: Climate adaptation in fragile ecosystems, wastelands.

• Practices: Traditional cultural practices, agro-techniques.

• Botany: Propagation, floral biology, growth patterns, pollination, fruit set, ripening, quality.

• Post-Harvest: Management and marketing.

• Nutritional Value: Minor fruit crops for nutrition and pharmaceuticals.

• Uses: Edible purposes, processing industry.

• Crops: Bael, Chironji, Fig, Passion Fruit, Jamun, Phalsa, Karonda, Wood Apple, Cactus Pear, Khejri, Kair, Pilu, Lasoda, Loquat, Tamarind, Dragon Fruit, Monkey Jack, Mahua, Khirni, Amra, Kokam, Cape Gooseberry, Kaphal, Persimmon, Pistachio, Sea Buckthorn, Hazel Nut.

Unit 10: Post-Harvest Management of Fruit Crops Syllabus

• Global Scenario: Post-harvest management in India and worldwide.

• Maturity & Harvesting: Fruit maturity indices, harvesting practices (tropical, subtropical, temperate).

• Pre-Harvest Influence: Impact on post-harvest quality.

• Fruit Types: Climacteric and non-climacteric fruits.

• Ripening Processes: Enzymatic, textural changes, respiration, transpiration.

• Ethylene Management: Ethylene evolution and control.

• Loss Factors: Causes of post-harvest losses.

• Pre-Shipment Treatments: Pre-cooling, chlorination, waxing, chemicals, biocontrol agents, natural plant products.

• Storage Methods: Ventilated, refrigerated, MAS, CA storage.

• Disorders: Physical injuries, post-harvest and storage disorders.

• Ripening Chambers: Fruit ripening technologies.

• Packaging & Transport: Methods and principles.

• Preservation: Principles and methods.

• Food Processing: Canning, juices, beverages, pickles, jam, jellies, candies.

• Products: Dried, dehydrated, nutritionally enriched, fermented fruit beverages.

• Technology: Packaging technology for value-added products.

• Waste Management: Processing waste.

• Safety Standards: Food safety regulations.

How to Prepare ASRB NET Fruit Science Syllabus?

Effective preparation for the ASRB NET Fruit Science exam needs a structured approach. Following these tips can help candidates improve their study process.

• Understand Syllabus: Review the entire ASRB NET Fruit Science Syllabus thoroughly. Identify key units and topics.

• Study Exam Pattern: Become familiar with the ASRB NET Fruit Science Exam Pattern 2026. Know the marking scheme and time limits.

• Practice Papers: Solve previous year papers and sample tests regularly. This improves speed and accuracy.

• Time Management: Allocate study time wisely for each unit. Focus more on challenging areas.

• Review Answers: Always recheck answers, especially for numerical or fact-based questions.

• Stay Calm: Maintain composure during the exam. Practice relaxation techniques to manage stress.

• Final Check: Use the last few minutes of the exam for a complete review of all responses.

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