Theory
Unit I: Introduction
Need for on-farm and off-farm (external) organic inputs, types of organic inputs allowed under organic farming, regulatory scenarios and standards. Status of organic and biological input industry in the country.
Unit II: On-farm inputs soil fertility and nutrient management
Types of on-farm inputs for soil fertility and nutrient management, their need assessment under specific cropping systems vis-à-vis soil test reports, methodologies for recycling of on-farm biomass and crop residue, innovative traditional inputs such as jivamrit, beejamrit, panchgavya etc. their microbial profiling and nutrient mobilization potential and standardized production methods, Oil cakes and their applications.
Unit III: On-farm inputs, plant health management and pest control
Types of plant protection inputs and intervention approaches, use of biological and ecological approaches, preventive practices, Types of plants used in plant protection and their biological characterization for pest control, basic methodologies for active ingredient extraction and on-farm formulations.
Unit IV: Composts and their value added products
Types of composts, their characters, nutrient potential, composting methodologies (aerobic, anaerobic, NADEP, etc), value added composts, quality control parameters, commercial production methodologies for city waste compost, Phosphate Rich Organic manure (PROM), bio-organic manure, technologies for product formulations such as enrichment and granulations, etc.
Unit V: Biofertilizers
Types of biofertilizers, standards for commercial products, testing methodologies, characterization and efficiency parameters, management of microorganisms in laboratory, production methodologies such as mother culture development, mass production through fermentation and fermentation parameters, mass scale culture techniques, product formulations, carrier-based inoculants, liquid inoculants and lyophilized inoculants.
Unit VI: Microbial Biopesticides
Types of biopesticides, standards for commercial products, testing methodologies, characterization and efficiency parameters, management of microorganisms in laboratory, production methodologies such as mother culture development, mass production through fermentation and fermentation parameters, mass scale culture techniques, product formulations, carrier based inoculants, liquid inoculants and lyophilized inoculants. Types of polyhedrosis and granulosis viruses and their production methodologies.
Unit VII: Mass rearing of beneficial insects
Introduction to beneficial insects such as pest predators and parasites, classification and identification, mass rearing technologies including rearing of host insects, Production of egg cards of beneficial insects and their release in the field.
Unit VIII: Botanical pesticides and other non-chemical pest protectants
Type of non-chemical plant protection options, importance of soaps and oils, important plants having pesticidal properties, plant parts having pesticidal active ingredient and their extraction methodologies, product formulation and stabilization for increased shelf life, field assessment of efficacy. Regulatory scenario and quality parameters.