In any Institution where Agronomy is taught as part of a curriculum, a fair share of the under-graduate or post-graduate academic program is devoted to lab and workshop activity. Like all physical sciences, agronomy is bound by certain principles and practices, which satisfy its philosophical underpinnings. The domain of physical science is a concomitant and cyclical relationship between theory and practice, that is to say between the rational and the empirical. A theory which is often a product of logical analysis and deduction/induction is assumed to be hypothetical without the aid of empirical evidence. Observation and experimentation thus constitute the empirical process which lend credence to a theoretical proposition. Lab and Workshop practice is thus an integral part of physical science.
Agronomy is a synthesis of several disciplines and a multitude of labs and associated equipments are essential to meet the curricular requirements. A sample list of labs and equipments are mentioned below.
- Micro-nutrient laboratory
- Weed-control lab
- Irrigation lab
- Crop-physiology lab
- Cropping systems lab
- Seed-physiology lab
- Dryland-field lab
- Soil-analysis lab
Equipments:
- Nitrogen-analyser
- Spectrophotometer
- Leaf-area meter
- Seed-germinator
- Moisture-analyser
- Digital-Photo meter
- Oven/Dryer
- Plant-canopy analyser
In addition certain mechanical equipments, traditionally associated with a workshop are included in the practical training.
- Tractor(35 horse power)
- Power tiller
- Combine harvester
- Rotavator
- Paddy transplanter
- Automatic weather forecasting system
References and Acknowledgements:
1. www.annamalaiuniversity.ac.in
4. www.henry.pha.jhu.edu
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