Importance of Agronomy
Agronomy, The term is derived from the Greek words “agros” meaning “Field” and “nomos” meaning “to manage.”
So, Agronomy is a branch of agricultural science which deals with principles and practices of soil, water and crop management.
In recent times, agronomy has assumed newer dimensions and can be defined as a branch of agricultural science that deals with methods which provide a favorable environment to the crop for higher productivity.
Norman (980) defined “Agronomy as the science of manipulating the crop environment complex with dual aims of improving agricultural productivity and gaining a degree of understanding of the process involved.”
Scope of Agronomy
Yield maximization with introduction of new cultivars/ HYVs
Reduced cost of production due to proper crop management
Better water use efficiency due to agronomic knowledge
Special tillage and intercultural operations for better crop growth and maximizing harvesting index
Appropriate soil fertility management can increase crop yields with lesser use of fertilizer for increased profit
Reduced post-harvest loss due to agronomic knowledge and practices
Intensive cropping patterns and integrated farming systems for sustainable agricultural growth and increased food production per unit area to feed teeming millions every year
Basic Principles of Agronomy
Agronomic principles are the ways and means for the better management of soil, plant and environment for economically maximum returns per unit area for years.
The Basic Principles of agronomy may be listed below:
- Planning programming and executing measures for maximum utilization of resources ( land, sunshine, rain water, temperature, humidity , winds) and inputs( labor, seeds, capital , irrigation water, fertilizer/ manures, farm equipment, marketing facilities etc) for increased yield and maximum profits
- Choice of proper crop varieties adaptable to the particular agro-climate, land situation , soil fertility , season and befitting to the cropping systems
- Proper field management by tillage, preparing field channels and bunds for irrigation and drainage, checking soil erosion, leveling and adopting other suitable land improvement practices
- Adoption of multiple cropping and also mixed or intercropping to ensure harvest even under adverse environmental conditions.
- Choice of quality seeds or seed materials and maintenance of requisite plant density per unit area with healthy and uniform seedlings
- Proper water management /better water use efficiency
- Adoption of adequate plant protection measures/IPM
- Adoption of suitable management practices/intercultural operations
- Adoption of suitable method of harvesting of crops as well as suitable post-harvest technologies
ROLE OF AGRONOMIST
An Agronomist aims at obtaining maximum production at minimum costs. He makes best use of knowledge developed by basic and allied applied sciences for increased crop production. In a broad perspective, an agronomist is concerned with the production of food and fiber to meet the needs of the growing population. An agronomist undertakes research on scientific cultivation of crops taking into account the effects of factors like soil, climate and variety of crops and adjusts production techniques suitably depending on the situation. He is the key person with working knowledge of all disciplines and coordinator of different subject matter specialists
Department wise list of courses
| Sr. No. | Semester | Course No. | Credits | Course Title |
| 1 | I | AGRO 111 | 2(1+1) | Fundamentals of Agronomy-I |
| 2 | I | AGRO 112 | 2(1+1) | Introductory Agro-meteorology and Climate change |
| 3 | II | AGRO 123 | 2(1+1) | Fundamentals of Agronomy-II |
| 4 | III | AGRO 234 | 2(1+1) | Crop Production Technology-I (Kharif crops) |
| 5 | III | AGRO 235 | 2(1+1) | Rainfed Agriculture and Watershed Management |
| 6 | IV | AGRO 246 | 2(1+1) | Crop Production Technology-II (Rabi crops) |
| 7 | IV | AGRO 247 | 1(1+0) | Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture |
| 8 | IV | AGRO 248 | 2(1+1) | Principles of Organic Farming |
| 9 | V | AGRO 359 | 1(0+1) | Practical Crop Production-I (Kharif crops) |
| 10 | V | ELE AGRO 3510 | 3(2+1) | Weed Management |
| 11 | VI | AGRO 3611 | 1(0+1) | Practical Crop Production-II (Rabi crops) |
| 12 | VI | AGRO 3612 | 2(1+1) | Geo-informatics and Nano-technology and Precision Farming |
| 13 | VIII | ELM AGRO 4813 | 10(0+10) | Organic Farming Production Technology |
| 14 | VIII | ELM AGRO 4814 | 10(0+10) | Commercial production of organic inputs |
List of books available Agronomy
| Sr.No. | Author | Title | Qty. |
| 1 | Reddy T.Y. | Principles of Agronomy
|
56 |
| 2 | Mavi H.S. | Introduction to Agro Meteorology
|
10 |
| 3 | Rao V.S. | Principles of Weed Science
|
15 |
| 4 | Vaidya V.G. | Crop production field experiments
|
20 |
| 5 | Vaidya V.G. | An Introduction to Agronomy & Water Management
|
10 |
| 6 | Singh C. | Modern technique in rasing field crops
|
25 |
| 7 | O.P.Gupta | Modern Weed Management
|
10 |
| 8 | R.Chole | Transfer of Agricultural Technology
|
20 |
| 9 | S.R.Ghadekar | Meteorology
|
35 |
| 10 | O.P.Gupta | Weed Management Principles & Practices
|
22 |
| 11 | Mendhe | Introductory Agriculture
|
20 |
| 12 | Mendhe | Kharif Crop Production
|
10 |
| 13 | Pawar | Water Management & Micro Irrigation
|
10 |
| 14 | Mendhe | Introduction to Farming system & sustainable Agriculture
|
10 |
| 15 | Mendhe | Rabbi Crop Production Agro
|
10 |
| 16 | S.R.Ghadekar | Dryland Agriculture Weather climate
|
10 |
| 17 | Mendhe | Organic & rainfed farming | 10 |
| 18 | Jadhav A.S. | Irrigation Water Management
|
10 |
| 19 | H.B.Patil | Field Crop – II
|
10 |
| 20 | A.M.Michael | Irrigation Theory & Practical
|
25 |
| 21 | Reddy S.R. | Agrometeorology
|
10 |
| 22 | Reddy S.R. | Irrigation Agronomy
|
10 |
| 23 | Dahama A.K | Organic Farming for sustainable Agriculture
|
10 |
| 24 | Samanta R.K. | Women in Agriculture
|
10 |
| 25 | Sahay K.M. | Unit operation of Agriculture processing.
|
15 |
| 26 | Chakraverty | Post Harvest Technology of Cereals pulses & Oilseeds
|
10 |
| 27 | A.C.Panda | Agronomy
|
10 |
| 28 | Singh S.S. | Crop Management
|
5 |
| 29 | Singh | Sustainable Development of Dryland Agriculture
|
2 |
| 30 | Thomas C.G. | Forage crop production in the tropics
|
4 |
| 31 | Sing N.P. | Question Bank on Agriculture for competitive Exams
|
1 |
| 32 | Pawar H. D. | Competitive success in Agriculture
|
1 |
| 33 | Sawant D. | Competitive Agriculture
|
5 |
| 34 | Kumar N. | Introduction to spices platation crops Medicinal & Agromatic plants | 5 |
| 35 | Heady E.O. | Agriculture production function
|
5 |
| Total- | 441 |
List of Tools , Implements & Instruments
| Sr. No. | Item | Qty. | Remark |
| 1 | Tractor | 1 | |
| 2 | Trailor | 1 | |
| 3 | Bullock cart | 1 | |
| 4 | Cultivator | 1 | |
| 5 | Double bowled seed drill | 1 | |
| 6 | Harrow (Tractor) | 1 | |
| 7 | Hoe set | 5 | |
| 8 | Iron ridger | 1 | |
| 9 | Rotavator | 1 | |
| 10 | Spade | 2 | |
| 11 | Kudali | 2 | |
| 12 | Pick axe | 2 | |
| 13 | Ghameli | 7 | |
| 14 | Hand hoe | 1 | |
| 15 | Sprinkler set | 1 | |
| 16 | Drip set | 1 | |
| 17 | Tensiometer | 1 | |
| 18 | Weeding hooks | 5 | |
| 19 | Sickle | 3 | |
| 20 | Reversible plough | 1 | |
| 21 | Iron plough | 1 | |
| 22 | Tractor leveling blade | 1 | |
| 23 | Decan Single Curved Yoke | 1 | |
| 24 | Bullock Harrow | 1 | |
| 25 | Deccan Double Stright Yoke | 1 | |
| 26 | Two Bowl Seeddrill | 1 | |
| 27 | Wooden Plank | 1 | |
| 28 | Sugarcane Heavy Hoe | 1 |
List of wooden Model
| Sr. No. | Item | Qty. | Remark |
| 1 | Single Seed Drill | 1 | |
| 2 | Seed Cum ferti seed drill | 1 | |
| 3 | Disc plough | 1 | |
| 4 | Chisel Plough | 1 | |
| 5 | Disc Harrow | 1 | |
| 6 | Entire blade hoe | 1 | |
| 7 | Split blade hoe | 1 | |
| 8 | Japanis hoe | 1 | |
| 9 | Karjat hoe | 1 | |
| 10 | Star hand hoe | 1 | |
| 11 | Groundnut swastik harvester | 1 | |
| 12 | Kokan plank | 1 | |
| 13 | Sara yantra | 1 | |
| 14 | Rice puddler | 1 | |
| 15 | Seed dressing drum | 1 | |
| 16 | Groundnut shelling harvester | 1 | |
| 17 | Sprinkler irrigation set | 1 | |
| 18 | Green House set | 1 | |
| 19 | Drip irrigation set | 1 | |
| 20 | Watershed project model | 1 | |
| 21 | Vermi compost plant | 1 | |
| 22 | Nadeep plant | 1 | |
| 23 | Boiler of turmeric | 1 | |
| 24 | Rotavator | 1 | |
| 25 | Akola Hoe | 1 | |
| 26 | Groundnut Harvester | 1 | |
| 27 | Norvegian Hoe | 1 | |
| 28 | Kokan Petari | 1 | |
| 29 | American Petari | 1 | |
| 30 | American Hoe | 1 |
List Meteorological & Irrigation Instrument
| Sr. No. | Item | Qty. | Remark |
| 1 | Automatic Rainguage | 1 | |
| 2 | Ordinary Rainguage | 1 | |
| 3 | Long curve cards (Summer season) | 50 | |
| 4 | Short curve cards (Winter season) | 50 | |
| 5 | Straight cards (Equinoxial Period) | 50 | |
| 6 | Sunshine recorder | 1 | |
| 7 | Open Pan evoparimeter | 1 | |
| 8 | Wind vane | 1 | |
| 9 | Cup Anemometer | 1 | |
| 10 | Single Stevenson Screen | 1 | |
| 11 | Self recording Rain gauge | 1 | |
| 12 | Dry bulb Thermometer | 1 | |
| 13 | Wet bulb Thermometer | 1 | |
| 14 | Maximum Thermometer | 1 | |
| 15 | Minimum Thermometer | 1 | |
| 16 | Campbell stokes sunshine recorder | 1 | |
| 17 | Non recording rain guage | 1 | |
| 18 | Automatic hygrometer | 1 | |
| 19 | Soil Thermometer | 3 | |
| 20 | Automatic Thermograph | 1 | |
| 21 | Fourtein Barometer | 1 | |
| 22 | Airod barometer | 1 | |
| 23 | Parshal Flumes | 1 | |
| 24 | Double Ringing Infiltometer | 1 |