GATE 2021, Agriculture Engineering (B.TECH AG) Syllabus, Preparation Tips and Books

GATE 2021, Agriculture Engineering (B.TECH AG) Syllabus, Preparation Tips and Books

Agricultural engineering is the engineering discipline related to the studies of agricultural production and processing. GATE 2021 Agricultural Engineering revised syllabus includes 7 major topics which are further divided into various sub-sections.

• There will be a total of 55 questions from core subject plus engineering mathematics in the exam and the remaining 10 questions will be from the General Aptitude section.
• Applicants will have to attempt all the questions worth 100 marks in the duration of three hours. 
• Also, candidates appearing for GATE AG can also appear for ES as their second paper.
• Candidates applying for GATE Agriculture Engineering (AG) paper can check the complete revised syllabus in the article.
•  Candidates who will qualify  GATE 2021  become eligible to take admission in M.Tech (PG) courses offered at prestigious institutes like IITs, NITs, etc

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GATE 2021 Agriculture Engineering Syllabus

Candidates can check the syllabus for agriculture engineering below:

Engineering Mathematics

Engineering Mathematics is one of the important and tough sections of GATE exam. The section carries 15% weightage of questions in the question paper. Engineering Mathematics is the branch of applied mathematics concerning mathematical methods and techniques that are typically used in engineering and industry.

• Linear Algebra
• Calculus
• Vector Calculus
• Differential Equations
• Partial Differential Equations
• Probability and Statistics
• Numerical Methods

Farm Machinery

Farm machinery is one of the most expensive and critical inputs when growing a rice crop. Machinery should be up to date and easy to use.

• Machine Design: Design and selection of machine elements – gears, pulleys, chains and sprockets and belts; overload safety devices used in farm machinery; measurement of force, stress, torque, speed, displacement and acceleration on machine elements - shafts, couplings, keys, bearings and knuckle joints.
• Farm Machinery: Soil tillage; forces acting on a tillage tool; hitch systems and hitching of tillage implements, functional requirements, principles of working, construction and operation of manual, animal and power operated equipment for tillage, sowing, planting, fertilizer application, inter-cultivation, spraying, mowing, chaff cutting, harvesting and threshing calculation of performance parameters - field capacity, efficiency, application rate and losses; cost analysis of implements and tractors.

Farm Power

Humans, animals, and machines are all used as sources of power in agriculture production. When undertaking different operations on a farm, a certain amount of work is required to complete the task.

• Sources of Power: Sources of power on the farm - human, animal, mechanical, electrical, wind, solar and biomass; bio-fuels.
• Farm Power: Thermodynamic principles of I.C. engines; I.C. engine cycles; engine components; fuels and combustion; lubricants and their properties; I.C. engine systems – fuel, cooling, lubrication, ignition, electrical, intake and exhaust; selection, operation, maintenance and repair of I.C. engines; power efficiencies and measurement; calculation of power, torque, fuel consumption, heat load and power losses; performance index, cost analysis of implements and tractors.
• Tractors and Power tillers: Type, selection, maintenance and repair of tractors and power tillers; tractor clutches and brakes; power transmission systems – gear trains, differential, final drives and power take-off; mechanics of tractor chassis; traction theory; three point hitches - free link and restrained link operations; steering and hydraulic control systems used in tractors; tractor tests and performance; human engineering and safety considerations in design of tractor and agricultural implements.

 Soil and Water Conservation Engineering

Soil is the thin skin covering the land, clean water is becoming more valuable every day. Soil water relations, evapotranspiration, precipitation, runoff, erosion, flow in natural waterways and through reservoirs, wetland and groundwater hydrology, and water quality.

• Fluid Mechanics: Ideal and real fluids, properties of fluids; hydrostatic pressure and its measurement; continuity equation, kinematics and dynamics of flow; Bernoulli’s theorem; laminar and turbulent flow in pipes, Darcy- Weisbach and Hazen-Williams equations, Moody’s diagram; flow through orifices, weirs and notches; flow in open channels, dimensional analysis – concepts of geometric dimensionless numbers.
• Soil Mechanics: Engineering properties of soils; fundamental definitions and relationships; index properties of soils; permeability and seepage analysis; shear strength, Mohr’s circle of stress, active and passive earth pressures; stability of slopes, Terzaghi’s one dimensional soil consolidation theory. AG Agricultural Engineering
• Hydrology: Hydrological cycle and measurement of its components; meteorological parameters and their measurement; analysis of precipitation data; runoff estimation; hydrograph analysis, unit hydrograph theory and application; streamflow measurement; flood routing, hydrological reservoir and channel routing, Infiltration – indices and equations, drought and its classification.
• Surveying and Leveling: Measurement of distance and area; instruments for surveying and leveling; chain surveying, methods of traversing; measurement of angles and bearings, plane table surveying; types of leveling; theodolite traversing; contouring; total station, introduction to GPS survey, computation of areas and volume.
• Soil and Water Erosion: Mechanics of soil erosion - wind and water erosion: soil erosion types, factors affecting erosion; soil loss estimation; biological and engineering measures to control erosion; terraces and bunds; vegetative waterways; gully control structures, drop, drop inlet and chute spillways; earthen dams.
• Watershed Management: Watershed characterization and land use capability classification; water budgeting in watershed, rainwater harvesting, check dams and farm ponds.

Irrigation and Drainage Engineering

Irrigation is the artificial exploitation and distribution of water at the project level aiming at the application of water at field level to agricultural crops in dry areas or in periods of scarce rainfall to assure or improve crop production. 

• Soil-Water-Plant Relationship: Water requirement of crops; consumptive use and evapotranspiration; measurement of infiltration, soil moisture and irrigation water infiltration. Irrigation Water Conveyance and Application Methods: Design of irrigation channels and underground pipelines; irrigation scheduling; surface, sprinkler and micro irrigation methods, design and evaluation of irrigation methods; irrigation efficiencies.
• Agricultural Drainage: Drainage coefficient; planning, design and layout of surface and sub-surface drainage systems; leaching requirement and salinity control; irrigation and drainage water quality and reuse; non- conventional drainage system.
• Groundwater Hydrology: Groundwater occurrence; Darcy’s Law, steady and unsteady flow in confined and unconfined aquifers, groundwater exploration techniques; overview of groundwater recharge estimation and artificial recharge techniques.
• Wells and Pumps: Types of wells, steady flow through wells; design and construction of water wells; classification of pumps; pump characteristics; pump selection and installation.

Agricultural Processing Engineering

Agricultural Engineering deals with the design of farm machinery, the location, and planning of farm structures, farm drainage, soil management, and erosion control, water supply and irrigation, rural electrification, and the processing of farm products. 

• Engineering properties of agriculture produce: Physical, thermal, frictional, rheological and electrical properties.
• Evaporation and Drying: Concentration and drying of liquid foods – evaporators, tray, drum and spray dryers; hydrothermal treatments; drying and milling of cereals, pulses and oilseeds; drying kinetics; psychrometry – properties of air-water vapor mixture.
• Size Reduction and Material Handling: Mechanics and energy requirement in size reduction of agriculture produce; particle size analysis for comminuted solids; size separation by screening; fluidization of granular solids-pneumatic, bucket, screw and belt conveying; cleaning and grading; effectiveness of separation; centrifugal separation of solids, liquids and gases; homogenization; filtration and membrane separation.
• Processing of Agriculture Produce: Processing of seeds, spices, fruits and vegetables; value addition of agriculture produce.
• Storage Systems: Controlled and modified atmosphere storage; perishable food storage, godowns, bins and grain silos, packaging material and machines.  

Dairy and Food Engineering

Food engineering is a multidisciplinary field that combines microbiology, applied physical sciences, chemistry, and engineering for food and related industries. Food engineers provide the technological knowledge transfer essential to the cost-effective production and commercialization of food products and services. 

• Heat and Mass Transfer: Steady state heat transfer in conduction, convection and radiation; transient heat transfer in simple geometry; working principles of heat exchangers; diffusive and convective mass transfer; simultaneous heat and mass transfer in agricultural processing operations; material and energy balances in food processing systems; water activity, sorption and desorption isotherms.
• Preservation of Food: Kinetics of microbial death – pasteurization and sterilization of milk and other liquid foods; preservation of food by cooling and freezing; refrigeration and cold storage basics and applications.

Important Topics from GATE 2021 Agriculture Engineering Syllabus

Important Topics	Number of Questions
General Aptitude	10
Engineering Mathematics	10-12
Farm Machinery	10
Soil and Water Conservation Engineering	15
Dairy and Food Engineering	5-8

GATE 2021 Exam Pattern of Agricultural Engineering

GATE Exam Pattern is defined paper wise depending upon candidates’ branch

• Mode of Examination: Online
• GATE consists of 3 sections namely General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics and Specific subject of the paper
• The total number of questions in the exam is 65.
• The exam includes 3 types of Questions - Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) & Numerical Answer Type (NAT).
• Applicants have to attempt all the questions in a duration of three hours.
• The maximum number of questions in GATE is from the core subject.
• GATE Syllabus is based on graduation level.
• For 1 mark MCQs, 1/3 marks will be deducted for every wrong answer. Likewise, for 2 marks MCQs, 2/3 marks will be deducted.
• There is no negative marking for NAT, MCQs.

       

 

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GATE 2021 Agriculture Engineering Section Wise Books

To know, what are the best books for GATE preparation, you need to know your requirement first. You must choose the book which has all the topics. GIven below section wise books for those candidates who appear for GATE Agriculture Engineering exam:

Books for Engineering Mathematics

• Advanced Engineering Mathematics by Dass H.K. S Chand; Reprint Edn

• A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science by Barbara Oakley Tarcher Perigee

• A Textbook of Engineering Mathematics by N.P. Bali , Laxmi Publications

• Modern Mathematical Methods for Physicists and Engineers  by Cantrell Cambridge University Press

Books for Farm Machinery

• Agricultural Machinery Management by Bello R S, LAP Lambert Academic Publishing

• The Book of Farm Implements and Machines by James Slight

• Farm Machinery And Equipment by Harris Pearson Smith

• Principal Of Agricultural Engg.Vol -I by T P & A M Michael Ojha

Books for Irrigation and Drainage Engineering

• Soil and Water Engineering by Delmar D. Fangmeier, William J. Elliot  

• Hydrology and Soil Conservation Engineering by Ghanshyam Das

• Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) Methodology by S.K. Mishra, Vijay Singh

• Soil and water conservation engineering by  Richard K. Frevert

Books for Irrigation and Drainage Engineering

• Irrigation And Drainage by LENKA D

• Irrigation Water Resources And Water Power Engineering by Modi P.N

• Irrigation Engineering by H.M. Raghunath

• Land Drainage: Principles, Methods and Applications by A.K. Bhattacharya, A.M. Michael

Books for Agricultural Processing Engineering    

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• Question Bank in Agricultural Engineering by Amandeep Godhara

• Agricultural Engineering Soil Mechanics by E. McKyes

• Introduction to Agricultural Engineering Technology by Harry Field and John Solie

• Introduction to Agricultural Engineering by lawrenceo. Roth and Harry Field

Books for Dairy and Food Engineering (Click to Download)

•  Food Science by B Sri lakshmi

• Fundamentals of Food Process Engineering by Romeo T. Toledo

• Objective Type Questions in Food Process Engg. &Technology by Ansari Irfan Ahmed

• Introduction to food engineering by R. Paul Singh

How to Prepare for GATE 2021 Agriculture Engineering Paper? 

1. . Clear your Basic Concepts

• Candidates are advised to start their preparation from the base. With the clarity of basic topics or concepts, candidates can easily understand other related topics.
• Make notes of all the important points for revision.
• Do not panic if you are not able to crack the questions. Give some time to clear your basics.

2. Attend Video Lectures

• To get more information on the topics candidates can watch online video lectures. 
• You can also download e-books for reference.
• Fix a time in your time table to do the same and do not waste your time by watching n number of videos. Only go for the topic related videos.

3. Section Wise Preparation

• Candidates must go for section-wise preparation because one section will have all the similar topics so you can easily understand all the same topics at one time.
• Do not juggle between sections. 
• Cover all the important and high weightage topics and then move on to the one that is difficult.
• Candidates can refer to the section-wise books provided above. 

4. Practice Papers

• Practice papers are very helpful for preparations. Solve as many papers as you can.
• With the help of practice papers, you can judge the level of your preparations.
• Practice papers give an idea of exam pattern, the difficulty level of questions, etc.
• Practice papers help in improving accuracy and speed.

5. Do’s & Don’ts during Preparations

• Do not overburden yourself.
• Take frequent breaks.
• Do not try to match the preparation level of your friends. Stick to your preparation plan only.
• Do not leave any topic for the end. The last 1-2 weeks should be dedicated to revisions only.

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You may check - Agriculture Field Officer (IBPS AFO-2020-21) Exam Information

                               

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