APPSC Horticulture Officer 2026
Exam Pattern & Complete Syllabus
Source: APPSC Brief Notification No. 19/2026, dated 15-09-2026, for Horticulture Officer in A.P. Horticulture Service. Horticulture_192026
📋 EXAM PATTERN
The recruitment has a single-level objective written examination at Degree Standard. No Screening Test is conducted. The examination is in CBRT/online mode. Horticulture_192026
| Exam | Subject | Questions | Time | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying Test | General English + General Telugu | 100 | 100 Minutes | 100 |
| Paper-I | General Studies & Mental Ability | 150 | 150 Minutes | 150 |
| Paper-II | Horticulture-I | 150 | 150 Minutes | 150 |
| Paper-III | Horticulture-II | 150 | 150 Minutes | 150 |
| TOTAL | — | 550 | — | 450 |
Qualifying Test
- General English – 50 marks
- General Telugu – 50 marks
- Must qualify separately in English and Telugu
- Standard: SSC
- The 100 marks of the qualifying test are not included in the 450 marks total. Horticulture_192026
Negative Marking
For every wrong answer, 1/3rd of the marks prescribed for that question will be deducted. Horticulture_192026
📚 SYLLABUS
QUALIFYING TEST
General English & General Telugu — SSC Standard
General English
- Comprehension
- Usage and idiom
- Vocabulary and punctuation
- Logical rearrangement of sentences
General Telugu
- Synonyms & Vocabulary
- Grammar
- Telugu to English meanings
- English to Telugu meanings
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PAPER-I
GENERAL STUDIES & MENTAL ABILITY
Current Affairs
- International current events and issues
- National current events and issues
- Andhra Pradesh current events and issues
General Science & Technology
- General Science
- Applications in day-to-day life
- Contemporary developments in Science & Technology
- Information Technology
History of India
- Social aspects
- Economic aspects
- Cultural aspects
- Political aspects
- Andhra Pradesh focus
- Indian National Movement
Geography
- Geography of India
- Special focus on Andhra Pradesh
Indian Polity & Governance
- Constitutional issues
- Public policy
- Reforms
- e-Governance initiatives
Indian Economy & Planning
Sustainable Development & Environmental Protection
Disaster Management
- Vulnerability profile
- Prevention strategies
- Mitigation strategies
- Remote Sensing
- GIS applications in disaster assessment
Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability
- Logical reasoning
- Analytical ability
- Logical interpretation
Data Analysis
- Tabulation of data
- Visual representation of data
- Mean
- Median
- Mode
- Variance
- Data interpretation
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PAPER-II
HORTICULTURE-I
1. FRUIT CROPS
Study of the following fruit crops:
- Mango
- Banana
- Citrus
- Grape
- Pineapple
- Guava
- Papaya
- Sapota
Topics:
- Area and production
- Importance and uses
- Origin and distribution
- Botany
- Classification of varieties
- Rootstocks
- High-density planting
- Climate and soils
- Planting methods
- Training and pruning
- Nutrition
- Bahar treatment
- Irrigation scheduling
- Intercrops
- Weed control
- Orchard-management problems
- Flowering
- Fruit set
- Seedlessness
- Irregular bearing
- Problems in fruit set
- Harvesting indices
- Harvesting
- Pre-harvest treatments
- Growth regulators
- Yield
- Grading
- Packing for domestic and export markets
- Ripening methods
- Storage
- Physiological disorders
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2. VEGETABLE CROPS
Solanaceous crops
- Tomato
- Brinjal
- Chillies
- Sweet pepper
- Potato
Cucurbitaceous crops
- Cucumber
- Pumpkin
- Ridge gourd
- Snake gourd
- Bitter gourd
- Bottle gourd
- Watermelon
- Muskmelon
Leguminous vegetables
- Cluster bean
- French bean
- Dolichos bean
- Pea
- Broad bean
Cole crops
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Knolkhol
Root crops
- Radish
- Carrot
- Beetroot
- Turnip
Bulb crops
- Onion
- Garlic
Tuber crops
- Sweet potato
- Tapioca
- Amorphophallus
- Colocasia
- Dioscorea
- Yam
Leafy & perennial vegetables
- Amaranthus
- Palak
- Roselle
- Drumstick
- Coccinia
- Murraya
Topics:
- Origin and distribution
- Area and production
- Importance
- Nutritive value
- Botany
- Varieties
- Soil and climate
- Seed treatment
- Nursery raising
- Transplanting
- Nutrition
- Irrigation
- Intercultural operations
- Physiological disorders
- Harvest indices
- Harvesting
- Post-harvest handling
- Curing
- Storage
- Plant growth regulators
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3. COMMERCIAL FLORICULTURE, ORNAMENTAL GARDENING & LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Commercial flower crops
- Rose
- Chrysanthemum
- Jasmine
- Carnation
- Gladiolus
- Anthurium
- Tuberose
- China aster
- Marigold
- Crossandra
- Gerbera
Topics:
- Area and production
- Importance and uses
- Origin and distribution
- Classification
- Propagation
- Environmental factors
- Flowering
- Soil
- Nutrition
- Irrigation
- Weeding
- Production techniques
- Growth regulators
- Harvesting
- Post-harvest handling
- Extension of flower shelf life
Landscape Gardening
- Bio-aesthetic planning
- Towns and cities
- Villages
- Schools
- Temples
- Roadsides
- Parks
- River and canal ghats
- Railway lines
- Public/private buildings
- Institutions
- Places of worship
- Ornamental trees
- Shrubs
- Climbers
- Cacti
- Succulents
- Garden design principles
- Japanese gardens
- English gardens
- Moghul gardens
- Paths
- Walls
- Fencing
- Steps
- Edges
- Hedges
- Arches
- Pergolas
- Shrubbery
- Topiary
- Rockery
- Flower beds
- Lawns
- Fountains
- Statues
- Water gardens
- Conservatory
- Greenhouse
- Indoor plants
Flower Arrangement
- Principles
- Styles
- Containers
- Holding solutions
Bonsai
- Culture
- Art of bonsai making
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4. MEDICINAL, AROMATIC, SPICES, CONDIMENT & PLANTATION CROPS
Medicinal Plants
- Aloe
- Amla
- Stevia
- Ashwagandha
- Dioscorea
- Opium poppy
- Sarpagandha
- Steroid-bearing Solanum
- Phyllanthus amarus
- Chakramani
- Madhunasaini
- Sweet flag
- Catharanthus roseus
- Isabgol
- Foxglove
- Belladonna
- Senna
- Tinospora
- Annatto
- Coleus
- Safed musli
- Asparagus
Aromatic Crops
- Citronella
- Lemon grass
- Palmarosa
- Vetiver
- Geranium
- Davana
- Mints
- Lavender
- Vanilla
Spices & Condiments
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Coriander
- Fenugreek
- Cardamom
- Pepper
- Cinnamon
- Clove
- Nutmeg
- Cumin
Plantation Crops
- Coconut
- Cashew nut
- Oil palm
- Betelvine
- Coffee
- Tea
- Cacao
- Arecanut
- Rubber
Topics include:
- Origin
- Importance
- Export potential
- Varieties
- Climate
- Soil
- Propagation
- Planting
- After-care
- Mulching
- Irrigation
- Training
- Pruning
- Harvesting
- Yield
- Post-harvest handling
- Curing
- Processing
- Storage
- Essential-oil distillation
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5. DRYLAND HORTICULTURE & WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
- Dryland horticulture farming
- Definition and classification of dry climates
- Dryland horticulture in India and Andhra Pradesh
- Importance of horticultural crops in drylands
- Yield potential
- Fruits and vegetables suitable for drylands
- Adaptation to drought and salinity
- Watershed management
- Objectives
- Watershed development planning
- Land-use capability
- Soil conservation
- Rainwater conservation
- Water harvesting
- Problems and prospects
- Alternate water-use systems
- Cultural practices
Important dryland fruits
- Ber
- Pomegranate
- Custard apple
- Phalsa
- Fig
- Aonla
- Jamun
- Tamarind
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6. POST-HARVEST MANAGEMENT OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS
- Importance of post-harvest technology
- Maturity indices
- Harvesting
- Handling
- Grading
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Cut flowers
- Plantation crops
- Medicinal plants
- Aromatic plants
- Pre-harvest factors affecting quality
- Causes of deterioration
- Physiological changes
- Biochemical changes
- Hardening
- Delayed ripening
- Post-harvest treatments
- Quality parameters
- Quality specifications
- Storage
- Packaging
- Types of packages
- Recent packaging advances
- Containers
- Cushioning materials
- Vacuum packaging
- Cold storage
- Poly-shrink packaging
- Grape Guard treatments
- Transportation
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7. PRESERVATION OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES
- Importance and scope
- Principles of preservation
- Heat preservation
- Low-temperature preservation
- Chemical preservation
- Processing-unit site selection
- Processing-unit layout
- Hygiene
- Canning
- Bottling
- Freezing
- Dehydration
- Drying
- Sugar preservation
- Chemical preservation
- Salt preservation
- Vinegar preservation
- UV radiation
- Ionizing radiation
- Microorganisms responsible for spoilage
- Canned-product spoilage
- Hydrogen swell
- Flipper
- Dent
- Leaker
- Biochemical changes
- Permitted and prohibited preservatives
- Permitted and prohibited colours in India
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8. FARM POWER & MACHINERY
- Farm power in Andhra Pradesh and India
- Sources of farm power
- IC engines
- Classification
- Tractors
- Types and uses
- Tractor selection
- Cost of tractor power
- Electric motors
- Tillage implements
- Primary tillage
- Secondary tillage
- Seed-cum-fertilizer drills
- Planters
- Grafting tools
- Pruning tools
- Intercultural-operation equipment
- Plant-protection equipment
- Harvesting equipment
- Soil-conservation equipment
- Processing equipment
Processing
- Jams
- Jellies
- Marmalades
- Candies
- Crystallized fruits
- Glazed fruits
- Preserves
- Chutneys
- Pickles
- Ketchup
- Sauce
- Puree
- Syrups
- Juices
- Squashes
- Cordials
Also:
- Government policy on import/export
- Food laws
- Quality control of processed products
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9. GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS
- Importance and scope
- Greenhouse production
- Status in world and India
- Protected cultivation in India and Andhra Pradesh
- Development
- Constraints
- Research needs
- Future prospects
- Site selection
- Types of greenhouses
- Classification by shape
- Construction materials
- Utility
- Cladding materials
- Greenhouse size and arrangement
- Greenhouse benches
- Light management
- Temperature management
- Heating and cooling
- CO₂ management
- Relative humidity
- Growing media
- Media preparation
- Pasteurization
- Fertigation
Greenhouse production technology
- Tomato
- Cucumber
- Rose
- Carnation
- Gerbera
- Chrysanthemum
- Anthurium
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PAPER-III
HORTICULTURE-II
1. FUNDAMENTALS OF HORTICULTURE
- Definition and importance
- Economic importance
- Production
- Employment generation
- Nutritional value
- Divisions of horticulture
- Horticultural stations in Andhra Pradesh
- Horticultural zones of India
- Horticultural zones of Andhra Pradesh
- Temperature
- Light
- Humidity
- Rainfall
- Soil requirements
- Orchard site selection
- Orchard planning
- Planting systems
- Orchard establishment
- Organic farming
- Soil and climate
- Vegetable gardens
- Nutrition gardens
- Kitchen gardens
- Other garden types
- Nutrient requirements
- Soil analysis
- Tissue analysis
- Field experiments
- Nutrient deficiency symptoms
- Nutrient application
- Irrigation requirements
- Irrigation methods
- Training and pruning
- Pollination
- Fruit set
- Flower and fruit drop
- Fruit thinning
- Unfruitfulness
- Growth regulators
- Cropping systems
- Intercropping
- Multi-tier cropping
- Mulching
- Bearing habits
- Fruitfulness/unfruitfulness
- Rejuvenation of old orchards
- Top working
- Frame working
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2. PLANT PROPAGATION & NURSERY MANAGEMENT
- Principles of plant propagation
- Classification of propagation
- Commercial nursery site selection
- Ecological factors
- Economic factors
- Propagation structures
- Containers
- Growing media
- Sexual propagation
- Seed dormancy
- Seed germination
- Factors affecting germination
- Pre-germination treatments
- Seed viability tests
- Asexual propagation
- Cuttage
- Layerage
- Budding
- Grafting
- Factors affecting propagation success
- Rootstocks
- Mother trees
- Scion bank
- Scion-stock relationship
- Budwood certification
- Specialized propagation structures
- Micropropagation
- Aseptic cultures
- Culture media
- Media preparation
- Explant inoculation
- Establishment
- Subculture
- Rooting
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3. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
- Seed development
- Seed germination
- Seed dormancy
- Seed viability
- Seed vigour
- Photosynthesis
- Factors affecting photosynthesis
- Light reaction
- Dark reaction
- C3 pathway
- C4 pathway
- CAM pathway
- Photorespiration
- Respiration
- Plant growth substances
- Auxins
- Gibberellins
- Cytokinins
- Ethylene
- Inhibitors
- Retardants
- Phenolic substances
- Morphactins
- Plant growth regulators in:
- Plant propagation
- Seed dormancy
- Bud dormancy
- Juvenility
- Maturity
- Senescence
- Flowering
- Pollination
- Fruit set
- Parthenocarpy
- Fruit growth
- Fruit drop
- Fruit ripening
- Fruit colour development
- Tuber and bulb formation
- Sex expression
- Shelf-life extension
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4. ENTOMOLOGY
- Common pests of horticultural crops
- Distribution
- Host range
- Nature of damage
- Symptoms
- Control measures
- Life cycle of insect pests
- Nematodes
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
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5. PATHOLOGY
- Common diseases of horticultural crops
- Host range
- Etiology
- Symptoms
- Control measures
- Life cycles of:
- Bacteria
- Fungal parasites
- Viruses
- Integrated Disease Management (IDM)
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6. SOIL SCIENCE
- Soil texture
- Soil-texture classes
- Soil structure
- Classification of soil structure
- Soil pH
- Effect of pH on nutrient availability
- Soil organic matter
- Sources
- Humus formation
- C:N ratio
- Soil fertility
- Soil productivity
- Essential elements
- Beneficial elements
- Criteria of essentiality
- Primary nutrients
- Secondary nutrients
- Micronutrients
- Nutrient functions
- Deficiency symptoms
- Nutrient occurrence in horticultural crops
- Corrective measures
- Factors affecting nutrient availability
- Manures
- Fertilizers
- Classification of fertilizers
- Simple fertilizers
- Compound fertilizers
- Complex fertilizers
- Fertilizer mixtures
- Biofertilizers
- Integrated Nutrient Management
- Fertilizer Control Order
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7. INTRODUCTORY AGROFORESTRY
- Agroforestry introduction
- Status of Indian forests
- Role in Indian farming systems
- Branches of forestry
- Principles and practices
- Agroforestry systems
- Intercropping
- Home gardens
- Coconut-based cropping systems
- Agroforestry planning
- Constraints
- Diagnosis and design methodology
- Tree-species selection
- Agroforestry projects
- National and overseas projects
- Multipurpose trees
- Management practices
- Economics of cultivation
Important species
- Sissoo
- Acacia catechu
- Acacia nilotica (Babul)
- Ber
- Grewia
- Subabul
- Tamarind
- Eucalyptus
- Teak
- Casuarina
- Red Sanders
- Neem
- Soapnut
- Aonla
- Morus
- Bamboo
- Jatropha
- Pongamia
- Simarouba
Also
- Agroforestry vs Social Forestry
- Objectives and scope of Social Forestry
- Hortipastoral systems
- Pastures suitable for dryland conditions
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8. EXTENSION EDUCATION
- Formal education
- Informal education
- Teaching-learning process
- Principles of learning
- Communication
- Components of communication
- Audio-visual aids
- Transfer of technology programmes:
- KVK
- TAR-IVLP
- ATIC
- NHM
- APMIP
- DWCRA
- ANTWA
- DAATC
- Extension reforms
- ATMA
- SREP
- PRA
- Different PRA tools
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9. ORGANIC FARMING IN HORTICULTURAL CROPS
- Introduction
- Concept
- Relevance
- Organic production requirements
- Organic nutrient management
- Organic manures
- Vermicomposting
- Green manuring
- Compost pits
- Recycling organic residues
- Biofertilizers
- Soil improvement
- Soil amendments
- Integrated disease management
- Integrated pest management
- Biocontrol agents
- Biopesticides
- Pheromones
- Trap crops
- Bird perches
- Weed management
- Quality considerations
- Certification
- Labelling
- Accreditation
- Processing
- Marketing
- Exports
- National policies
- International policies for promotion of organic farming
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💻 COMPUTER PROFICIENCY TEST (CPT)
The notification also contains a separate Computer Proficiency Test scheme. It is a Practical Type test of 60 minutes and 100 marks.
Minimum Qualifying Marks
| Category | Minimum Marks |
|---|---|
| SC/ST | 30 |
| BC | 35 |
| OC | 40 |
The test assesses proficiency in Office Automation with computers and associated software. Horticulture_192026
CPT Syllabus
Part-A
- Introduction to Computers
- Computer Software Types
- Operating Systems
- Windows Operating System
- Linux / Mac OS – basic concepts
- Internet Concepts
- Electronic Mail
- World Wide Web
Part-B
- Office Suite
- Getting Started with Office
- File Operations
- Office Application Tools
- MS Word / equivalent
- MS Excel / equivalent
- MS PowerPoint / equivalent
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CPT Assessment Pattern
- Part-A: MCQ-based assessment – 20%
- Typing speed: 25%
- Organizing/inserting objects: 15%
- Excel sheet, formulas, formatting, graphs: 20%
- PowerPoint presentation: 20%
Total = 100% Horticulture_192026
✅ QUICK SUMMARY
Main Written Examination
Qualifying Test
- English + Telugu
- 100 Questions
- 100 Minutes
- 100 Marks
- SSC Standard
- Qualify English and Telugu separately
Paper-I
- General Studies & Mental Ability
- 150 Questions
- 150 Minutes
- 150 Marks
Paper-II
- Horticulture-I
- 150 Questions
- 150 Minutes
- 150 Marks
Paper-III
- Horticulture-II
- 150 Questions
- 150 Minutes
- 150 Marks
Main Merit Marks
450 Marks
Negative Marking
1/3 mark for every wrong answer.
Additional Test
Computer Proficiency Test – 100 Marks, 60 Minutes. Horticulture_192026
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