ICAR Technical Assistant Agriculture 2026 notification is out. The Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) has released the Centralized Combined Examination 2026 notification (11 November 2026) for 1393 posts of Technical Assistant (T-3) in ICAR institutes and Senior Technical Assistant (T-4) in Krishi Vigyan Kendras. This page is the complete guide for the Field Farm Technician & Laboratory Technician (Agriculture) functional group: vacancies, eligibility, exam pattern and the full Mains syllabus exactly as notified by ICAR.
With 772 posts (699 Technical Assistant T-3 in ICAR institutes and 73 Senior Technical Assistant T-4 in KVKs), the Agriculture functional group is by far the biggest slice of the ASRB Centralized Combined Examination 2026, accounting for more than half of all 1393 vacancies. B.Sc. Agriculture, Horticulture, Agri Engineering, Forestry, Food Science, Biotech, Environmental Science, Home/Community Science and Natural Farming graduates are all eligible.
Quick answer: ICAR Technical Assistant Agriculture 2026
- Total posts: 772 (699 T-3 + 73 T-4)
- Qualification: Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture / Horticulture / Agriculture Engineering / Agro-forestry / Food Science / Biotechnology / Environmental Science / Home Science / Community Science / Natural Farming.
- Age: 21 to 30 years as on 17.12.2026 (relaxation for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/ESM)
- Apply: 18.11.2026 to 17.12.2026 at asrb.gov.in
- Selection: Prelims (qualifying) + Mains (300 marks); no interview
- Pay: T-3 Level 5 (₹29,200 to ₹92,300); T-4 Level 6 (₹35,400 to ₹1,12,400)
Overview
| Recruiting Body | Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB), DARE, New Delhi |
| Employer | Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR): institutes (T-3) and KVKs (T-4) |
| Exam Name | Centralized Combined Examination 2026 for TA (T-3) and STA (T-4) |
| Functional Group | Field Farm Technician & Laboratory Technician (Agriculture) |
| Vacancies in this group | 772 (699 T-3 + 73 T-4) |
| Total vacancies (all groups) | 1393 (1254 T-3 + 139 T-4) |
| Notification No. | F. No. 2(2)/2025-Exam, dated 11.11.2026 |
| Exam Mode | Computer Based Test (Prelims and Mains) |
| Official Website | asrb.gov.in |
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification date | 11 November 2026 |
| Online application starts | 18 November 2026 |
| Last date to apply online | 17 December 2026 (11:59 PM) |
| Last date for fee payment (Bharatkosh) | 17 December 2026 (11:59 PM) |
| Application correction window | 18 to 20 December 2026 |
| Preliminary Exam (CBT) | February 2027 (exact date to be announced) |
| Mains Exam (CBT) | To be announced |
All dates are as per the ASRB notification and are subject to change. Admission certificates are released about one week before the exam on asrb.gov.in only.
ICAR Technical Assistant Agriculture 2026 Vacancies
Technical Assistant (T-3), ICAR Institutes
| Post | UR | OBC | SC | ST | EWS | Total | PwBD | ESM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Farm Technician (Agriculture) | 195 | 108 | 69 | 29 | 75 | 476 | 11 | 36 |
| Laboratory Technician (Agriculture) | 108 | 41 | 32 | 18 | 24 | 223 | 4 | 11 |
| Total T-3 Agriculture | 303 | 149 | 101 | 47 | 99 | 699 | 15 | 47 |
Senior Technical Assistant (T-4), KVKs
| Post | UR | OBC | SC | ST | EWS | Total | PwBD | ESM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Farm Technician (Agriculture) | 33 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 47 | 0 | 0 |
| Laboratory Technician (Agriculture) | 16 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Total T-4 Agriculture | 49 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 73 | 0 | 0 |
PwBD and Ex-Servicemen (ESM) vacancies are horizontal and included within the category totals. Vacancies are tentative.
ICAR Technical Assistant Agriculture 2026 Eligibility
Educational Qualification
Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture / Horticulture / Agriculture Engineering / Agro-forestry / Food Science / Biotechnology / Environmental Science / Home Science / Community Science / Natural Farming.
The degree must be completed on or before 17.12.2026 from a recognised Indian university/institution (or an equivalent foreign qualification recognised by the Government of India). Candidates must be citizens of India (or Nepal/Bhutan/eligible categories with a certificate of eligibility).
Age Limit and Relaxation
Minimum 21 years and maximum 30 years as on the closing date, 17.12.2026 (indicatively, date of birth between 18.12.1995 and 17.12.2005).
| Category | Upper Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 3 years |
| PwBD | 10 years (cumulative with SC/ST/OBC relaxation) |
| Ex-Servicemen | 3 years after deducting military service from actual age |
| ICAR in-service technical employees (UR) | Upper limit 40 years, plus category relaxation |
| RAs / SRFs in ICAR projects | Period actually engaged, up to 16 years 3 months |
| Disabled Defence Services Personnel | As per Government of India instructions |
Application Fee
| Category | T-3 only | T-4 only | T-3 + T-4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unreserved (UR) | ₹300 | ₹300 | ₹600 |
| EWS / OBC | ₹150 | ₹150 | ₹300 |
| SC / ST / PwBD / Women / Transgender / Ex-Servicemen | Nil | Nil | Nil |
The fee is paid only through Bharatkosh (bharatkosh.gov.in): Quick Payment, Ministry: Agriculture, Purpose: Examination/Certificate fee for ARS/NET/SMS/STO/FAO/AO, PAO 000001, DDO 216968 (Add. ASRB, Chayan Bhavan). Upload the payment receipt in the application form. Paying on Bharatkosh without submitting the form does not count, and the fee is non-refundable.
Exam Pattern
Selection is through two Computer Based Tests. There is no interview: final merit is based on Mains marks only.
Stage 1: Preliminary Exam (Qualifying)
| Section | Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Knowledge | 25 | 25 |
| 2 | General English | 25 | 25 |
| 3 | Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 25 |
| 4 | General Agriculture | 25 | 25 |
| Total (1 hour) | 100 | 100 |
- Negative marking: 0.25 mark per wrong answer.
- Minimum qualifying marks: UR 30%, EWS/OBC 25%, SC/ST/PwBD 20%.
- Candidates are shortlisted for Mains in the ratio 1:15 of the vacancies, functional group-wise (category-wise).
- Questions are bilingual (Hindi and English), except the General English section.
Stage 2: Mains Exam (Merit)
| Questions | 100 objective MCQs on the functional group’s domain subjects |
| Marks | 300 (3 marks per question) |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Negative marking | 1 mark per wrong answer (one-third) |
| Minimum qualifying marks | UR 30%, EWS/OBC 25%, SC/ST/PwBD 20% |
| Normalisation | Applied wherever the CBT runs in multiple sessions |
Tie-breaking order: (a) higher Prelims marks, then (b) higher marks in Section 3, Quantitative Aptitude of Prelims, then (c) older candidate ranked higher.
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Preliminary Exam Syllabus (Common for All Groups)
1. General Knowledge (25 marks)
General awareness of the environment and its application to society, current events, everyday science, and questions on India and its neighbouring countries, especially History, Culture, Geography, Economic Science, General Policy and Scientific Research.
2. General English (25 marks)
Ability to understand correct English, basic comprehension and writing ability (grammar, vocabulary, error spotting, sentence improvement, reading comprehension).
3. Quantitative Aptitude (25 marks)
Computation of whole numbers, decimals, fractions and relationships between numbers; Percentage; Ratio and Proportion; Square roots; Averages; Interest; Profit and Loss; Discount; Partnership Business; Mixture and Alligation; Time and Distance; Time and Work; basic algebraic identities of school algebra and elementary surds; graphs of linear equations; triangle and its centres; congruence and similarity of triangles; circle, chords, tangents, angles subtended by chords, common tangents; quadrilaterals, regular polygons; right prism, right circular cone and cylinder, sphere, hemisphere, rectangular parallelepiped, regular right pyramid; trigonometric ratios, degree and radian measure, standard identities, complementary angles, heights and distances; histogram, frequency polygon, bar diagram and pie chart.
4. General Agriculture (25 marks)
Agro-ecosystems and crops; Animal and fisheries basics; Farm machinery, post-harvest and agri-economics; Institutions and extension; Regulations in agriculture; International organisations. The topic-wise General Agriculture list is in our master guide.
ICAR Technical Assistant Agriculture 2026 Mains Syllabus (Paper-II)
The Mains paper (300 marks) tests domain knowledge of the Agriculture group. ICAR has not notified unit-wise weightage, so cover every unit below.
1. Ecology and Natural Resources
Ecology and its relevance to man, natural resources, their sustainable management and conservation. Physical and social environment as factors of crop distribution and production. Agro-ecology; cropping pattern as indicators of environments. Environmental pollution and associated hazards to crops, animals and humans. Climate change: international conventions and global initiatives. Greenhouse effect and global warming. Advanced tools for ecosystem analysis: Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), drones in agriculture.
2. Cropping Patterns and Farming Systems
Cropping patterns in different agro-climatic zones of the country. Impact of high-yielding and short-duration varieties/hybrids on shifts in cropping patterns. Concepts of various cropping and farming systems. Organic and precision farming. Package of practices for important cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fibres, sugar, commercial and fodder crops.
3. Agroforestry and Forestry
Agroforestry involving sustainable land use by integrating trees with crops/livestock: silviculture, forest ecology, agroforestry systems, wildlife management, forest mensuration, soil science, climatology, extension. Features and scope of social forestry, agroforestry and natural forests. Propagation of forest plants. Forest products. Agroforestry and value addition. Conservation of forest flora and fauna.
4. Weed Science
Weeds, their characteristics, dissemination and association with various crops; their multiplication; cultural, biological and chemical control of weeds.
5. Soil Science and Soil Fertility
Soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Processes and factors of soil formation. Soils of India. Mineral and organic constituents of soils and their role in soil productivity. Essential plant nutrients and beneficial elements. Principles of soil fertility, soil testing and fertilizer recommendations, integrated nutrient management, biofertilizers. Losses of nitrogen in soil, nitrogen-use efficiency in submerged rice soils, nitrogen fixation. Efficient phosphorus and potassium use. Problem soils and their reclamation. Soil factors affecting greenhouse gas emission. Soil conservation, integrated watershed management, soil erosion and its management. Dryland agriculture and its problems. Technology for stabilising production in rainfed areas.
6. Water Management and Irrigation
Water-use efficiency in relation to crop production, criteria for scheduling irrigations, ways of reducing run-off losses of irrigation water. Rainwater harvesting. Drip and sprinkler irrigation. Drainage of water-logged soils, quality of irrigation water, effect of industrial effluents on soil and water pollution. Irrigation projects in India.
7. Farm Management and Agricultural Economics
Farm management: scope, importance and characteristics, farm planning. Optimum resource use and budgeting. Economics of different farming systems. Marketing management strategies, market intelligence, price fluctuations and their cost; role of co-operatives in the agricultural economy; types and systems of farming and factors affecting them. Agricultural price policy. Crop insurance.
8. Agricultural Extension
Agricultural extension, its importance and role, methods of evaluation of extension programmes, socio-economic survey and status of big, small and marginal farmers and landless labourers; training programmes for extension workers. Role of KVKs in dissemination of agricultural technologies. NGO and self-help group approach for rural development.
9. Agricultural Engineering
Farm power, machinery and equipment design, soil and water conservation, irrigation and drainage, agricultural structures, food processing, renewable energy, crop production techniques and agricultural automation.
10. Cell Biology and Genetics
Cell structure, function and cell cycle. Synthesis, structure and function of genetic material. Laws of heredity. Chromosome structure, chromosomal aberrations, linkage and crossing-over and their significance in recombination breeding. Polyploidy, euploids and aneuploids. Mutation and its role in crop improvement. Heritability, sterility and incompatibility, classification and application in crop improvement. Cytoplasmic inheritance, sex-linked, sex-influenced and sex-limited characters.
11. Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
History of plant breeding. Modes of reproduction, selfing and crossing techniques. Origin, evolution and domestication of crop plants, centres of origin, law of homologous series, crop genetic resources: conservation and utilisation. Recombinant DNA technology, molecular markers and their application. Pure-line, pedigree, mass and recurrent selection, combining ability. Heterosis and its exploitation. Somatic hybridisation. Breeding for disease and pest resistance. Interspecific and intergeneric hybridisation. Genetic engineering, GM crops, CRISPR-Cas9 and genome editing, doubled haploids, apomixis, genomic selection, predictive breeding, speed breeding, tissue culture, genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics in agriculture.
12. Seed Science and IPR
Seed production and processing technologies. Seed certification, seed testing and storage. DNA fingerprinting and seed registration. Role of public and private sectors in seed production and marketing. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues, WTO issues and their impact on agriculture.
13. Plant Physiology
Principles of plant physiology with reference to plant nutrition, absorption, translocation and metabolism of nutrients. Soil-water-plant relationship. Enzymes and plant pigments; photosynthesis (modern concepts and factors affecting it); aerobic and anaerobic respiration; C3, C4 and CAM mechanisms. Water, pH, carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. Growth and development; photoperiodism and vernalisation. Plant growth substances and their role in crop production. Physiology of seed development and germination; dormancy. Stress physiology: drought, salt and waterlogging.
14. Horticulture
Major fruits, plantation crops, vegetables, spices and flower crops. Package of practices of major horticultural crops. Protected cultivation and hi-tech horticulture. Post-harvest technology and value addition of fruits and vegetables. Landscaping and commercial floriculture. Medicinal and aromatic plants. Role of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition.
15. Plant Protection
Diagnosis of pests and diseases of field crops, vegetables, orchard and plantation crops and their economic importance. Classification of pests and diseases and their management. Integrated pest and disease management. Storage pests and their management. Biological control. Epidemiology and forecasting of major crop pests and diseases. Plant quarantine measures. Pesticides, their formulation and modes of action.
16. Food Science and Technology
Physical, chemical and biological make-up of food; food processing, preservation and packaging; quality control; nutrition and specific product technologies (cereals, fruits, functional foods); sustainability and AI in food systems. Food microbiology, food chemistry, food processing techniques, food safety, principles of food science, fundamentals of food technology, epidemiology, engineering in the food business.
17. Food Security and Nutrition
Food production and consumption trends in India. Food security and growing population (Vision 2020). Reasons for grain surplus. National and international food policies. Production, procurement and distribution constraints. Availability of foodgrains, per capita expenditure on food. Trends in poverty, PDS, BPL population, Targeted PDS, policy implementation in the context of globalisation. Processing constraints. Relation of food production to National Dietary Guidelines and consumption patterns. Food-based dietary approaches to eliminate hunger. Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM/PCM), micronutrient deficiency and HRD in context of work capacity of women and children. Foodgrain productivity and food security.
18. Biotechnology
Application of biological principles for technological innovation: cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, bioinformatics and genetic engineering.
ICAR Technical Assistant Agriculture 2026 Preparation Strategy
- Agronomy + Soil Science + Plant Breeding together cover the largest chunk of the Mains syllabus. Build these three first; they also feed the 25-mark General Agriculture section of Prelims.
- Revise the package of practices of major crops (rice, wheat, maize, pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton) in a single comparison table: seed rate, spacing, sowing time, fertilizer dose, duration, yield.
- New-age topics are explicitly listed: CRISPR-Cas9, speed breeding, genomic selection, drones, RS and GIS, AI in food systems. Expect 5 to 10 direct factual questions from these.
- Plant Protection questions are usually pathogen and pest identification: maintain a crop-wise list of causal organisms, vectors and key symptoms.
- With 1 mark lost per wrong answer (out of 3 per question), attempt a question only when you can eliminate at least two options.
Posts Suitable for PwBD
Suitable categories of benchmark disability for this group: a) LV; b) D, HH; c) OA, OL, OAL, CP, LC, Dw, AAV; d) ASD (M, MoD), SLD, MI; e) MD involving (a) to (d). Functional requirements: Sitting, Standing, Walking, Manipulation with Fingers, Seeing, Communication, Reading & Writing.
How to Apply
- Visit asrb.gov.in between 18.11.2026 and 17.12.2026 and complete the One Time Registration (OTR).
- Choose your single functional group and opt for T-3, T-4 or both, with a preference order (final, cannot be changed).
- Select Prelims and Mains exam centres carefully; centre changes are not allowed.
- Upload photo (white background, .jpg, max 200 KB, without spectacles), signature (.jpg, max 100 KB), photo ID and certificates (.jpg, max 100 KB each).
- Pay the fee on Bharatkosh, upload the receipt and submit. Keep a copy of the completed form.
- Use the correction window (18 to 20 December 2026) if needed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can a B.Sc. Horticulture or B.Tech Agricultural Engineering graduate apply in the Agriculture group?
Yes. The Agriculture functional group accepts a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, Agriculture Engineering, Agro-forestry, Food Science, Biotechnology, Environmental Science, Home Science, Community Science or Natural Farming.
How many vacancies are there for ICAR Technical Assistant Agriculture 2026?
772 in total: 699 Technical Assistant (T-3) posts (476 Field Farm Technician + 223 Laboratory Technician) in ICAR institutes and 73 Senior Technical Assistant (T-4) posts (47 Field Farm + 26 Laboratory) in KVKs.
What is the exam pattern for ICAR Technical Assistant Agriculture 2026?
A 1-hour qualifying Prelims of 100 marks (GK, English, Quantitative Aptitude and General Agriculture, 25 each, minus 0.25 per wrong answer), followed by a 2-hour Mains of 100 questions for 300 marks on the functional group syllabus, with 1 mark deducted per wrong answer. There is no interview.
What is the last date to apply for ASRB T-3/T-4 2026?
17 December 2026 (11:59 PM) for both the online application and fee payment. Applications open on 18 November 2026 at asrb.gov.in.
Can I apply for more than one functional group?
No. A candidate may apply for only one functional group/subgroup, even if eligible for more. Within it you can opt for T-3 only, T-4 only, or both, with a preference order that cannot be changed later.
What is the salary of ICAR Technical Assistant T-3 and Senior Technical Assistant T-4?
T-3 is at Pay Level 5 (₹29,200 to ₹92,300) of the 7th CPC Pay Matrix and T-4 is at Pay Level 6 (₹35,400 to ₹1,12,400), plus applicable allowances.
Other ICAR T-3 / T-4 2026 Functional Group Guides
- ASRB ICAR T-3/T-4 2026 Notification: Master Guide (all 10 groups)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Animal Science 2026 (124 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Fisheries 2026 (97 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Home Science 2026 (7 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Civil Engineering 2026 (51 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Agricultural Engineering 2026 (42 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Electrical Engineering 2026 (35 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Electronics and Instrumentation 2026 (25 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant Library Science 2026 (59 posts)
- ICAR Technical Assistant IT 2026 (181 posts)
Source: ASRB Notification F. No. 2(2)/2025-Exam dated 11.11.2026 and ICAR OM No. TS-19(6)/2024-Estt.IV (E-332924) dated 28.09.2026 (Scheme and Syllabus). Vacancies are tentative. Always read the official notification on asrb.gov.in before applying; in case of any discrepancy the English version on the ASRB website prevails.
Recent Post
ASRB ICAR Technical Assistant (T-3) and Senior Technical Assistant (T-4) 2026: 1393 vacancies across 10 functional groups, dates, eligibility, age limit, fee, Prelims and Mains pattern, syllabus and links to detailed group-wise guides.
The Animal Science functional group offers 124 posts for veterinary graduates: 115 Technical Assistant (T-3) posts in ICAR institutes and 9 Senior Technical Assistant (T-4) posts in KVKs. Only B.V.Sc. & A.H. holders are eligible.
The Fisheries Science functional group has 97 posts: 90 Technical Assistant (T-3) posts in ICAR fisheries institutes and 7 Senior Technical Assistant (T-4) Laboratory Technician posts in KVKs. Only B.F.Sc. graduates are eligible.
The Home Science / Community Science functional group is the smallest in ASRB T-3/T-4 2026 with just 7 posts (5 T-3 + 2 T-4). Home Science graduates are also eligible for the Agriculture group (772 posts), so compare both before applying.
ICAR has 59 Technical Assistant (T-3) Library / Information Science / Documentation Staff posts in its institutes, one of the largest central government library recruitments of the year. A bachelor's degree in Library Science (B.Lib.I.Sc.) is the qualification, and there is no interview.
There are 42 Technical Assistant (T-3) Workshop Staff (Agricultural Engineering) posts in ICAR institutes. Mechanical Engineering, Textile Technology and Fibre Processing Engineering degree or diploma holders can also apply, alongside Agricultural Engineering graduates.
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[…] Field Farm Technician & Laboratory Technician (Agriculture) […]
[…] an important strategic point: Home Science / Community Science graduates are also eligible for the Agriculture functional group, which has 772 posts. Since you can apply to only one functional group, compare both […]