The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) has notified 37 Horticulture Officer posts in the A.P. Horticulture Service under Notification No. 19/2026, dated 6 October 2026. It is open to graduates with a four-year B.Sc. (Horticulture), and the pay scale is Rs 54,060 – 1,40,540. The posts are zonal, so most of them go to local candidates of each zone. Applications are online only, from 6 to 27 October 2026.
Apply 6 – 27 Oct 2026, 11:59 PM · 37 posts in 6 zones · 4-year B.Sc. (Horticulture) · Age 18–44 · Fee Rs 370 (Rs 250 for exempt groups) · No interview · Apply at psc.ap.gov.in
Written from APPSC Notification No. 19/2026 dated 6 October 2026 on 8 October 2026.
On this page: Dates · Zone-wise vacancies · Local or open? · Can you apply? · Age · Fee · Exam pattern · Syllabus · Computer test · Selection · How to apply · Rejection traps · Sources
Important dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification | 6 October 2026 |
| Online application | 6 October to 27 October 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Corrections (Rs 100 each) | For 7 days after 27 October 2026 |
| Qualification must be held by | 6 October 2026 |
| Age counted on | 1 July 2026 |
| Computer-based exam | Date to be announced on psc.ap.gov.in |
A general mock test is available on the APPSC homepage, and hall tickets will be put on the same website.
Zone-wise vacancies
| Zone | Districts | Open | Local | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| II | Alluri Sitharama Raju, East Godavari, Kakinada, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| III | West Godavari, Eluru, NTR, Krishna | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| IV | Guntur, Palnadu, Bapatla, Prakasam, Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| V | Tirupati, Chittoor, Annamayya, YSR Kadapa | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| VI | Nandyal, Ananthapuramu, Kurnool, Sri Sathya Sai | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Total | 6 | 31 | 37 |
By category (all zones together):
| OC | SC-I | SC-II | SC-III | ST | BC-A | BC-B | BC-C | BC-D | BC-E | EWS | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 3 | 37 |
BC-D and BC-E have no posts this time. The five open posts in Zones I, II, IV, V and VI are OC, and the open post in Zone III is SC-III.
Women (horizontal, OC only): 6 posts. Zone I 1, Zone II 1, Zone III 2, Zone IV 1, Zone V 1.
Meritorious sportspersons: 2 posts, one each in Zone III and Zone VI.
Women and sportspersons from every category can apply against these. A person selected under them is counted in their own social category.
Local or open: which posts can you get?
- Local posts (31) go only to local candidates of that zone.
- Open posts (6) are open to everyone, including candidates from other zones.
- You are a local candidate of a zone if you studied there for at least 4 consecutive years up to and including Class 7. If you did not study in any school in those years, it is where you lived during that period.
- If neither applies cleanly, the notice uses a 7-year rule: you are local to the area where you studied, or lived, the longest in the seven years up to Class 7.
- Proof: the study certificates from Class 1 to Class 7. A residence certificate from the Mandal Revenue Officer is accepted only if you never studied in a school up to Class 7, for example open-university graduates.
- Candidates who moved from Telangana to Andhra Pradesh between 2 June 2014 and 1 June 2024 need a Local Status Certificate from the competent authority.
You give zone preferences in the application, and posts are allotted by merit and those preferences.
Can you apply?
Qualification: a four-year B.Sc. degree or B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Horticulture, from:
- a recognised university in Andhra Pradesh, or
- any other university accredited by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Important points:
- The date of the notification, 6 October 2026, is the crucial date. You must already have the degree on that day. Students waiting for final results are not eligible.
- Only a Horticulture degree is listed. B.Sc. Agriculture, M.Sc. alone or a diploma is not mentioned, so check with APPSC before applying with any other qualification.
- Open-university or distance degrees must be recognised by the Distance Education Council.
- You must be an Indian citizen, in sound health and of good character. Government employees must inform their head of office in writing that they have applied.
Age: 18 to 44 on 1 July 2026
By our arithmetic, this means a date of birth between 2 July 1981 and 1 July 2008, before any relaxation.
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC, ST, BC, EWS | 5 years (up to 49) |
| Persons with benchmark disabilities | 10 years (up to 54) |
| Ex-servicemen, NCC instructors | Service in the armed forces or NCC plus 3 years is deducted from your age, but the result must stay within 44 |
| Regular A.P. State Government employees | Regular service is deducted from your age, up to 5 years (corporation and municipal staff are not covered) |
| Retrenched temporary staff of the State Census Department (at least 6 months’ service) | 3 years |
The “up to” ages in brackets are our arithmetic.
Application fee
| Candidate | Processing fee | Exam fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| OC and others | Rs 250 | Rs 120 | Rs 370 |
| SC, ST, BC, PBD, ex-servicemen | Rs 250 | Exempt | Rs 250 |
| AP families with a white ration card (household supply card) | Rs 250 | Exempt | Rs 250 |
| Unemployed youth (declaration needed later) | Rs 250 | Exempt | Rs 250 |
| Candidates from other states (except PBD and ex-servicemen) | Rs 250 | Rs 120 | Rs 370 |
Pay online by net banking, credit card or debit card only. The fee is never refunded. BC, SC, ST and EWS candidates from other states get no reservation and no fee exemption.
Exam pattern
The exam is an online Computer Based Recruitment Test (CBRT) at degree standard, in four centres: Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati and Ananthapuramu. You choose three centre preferences.
| Paper | Subject | Questions | Minutes | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying test | General English (50) and General Telugu (50), SSC standard | 100 | 100 | 100 (pass only) |
| Paper I | General Studies & Mental Ability | 150 | 150 | 150 |
| Paper II | Horticulture-I | 150 | 150 | 150 |
| Paper III | Horticulture-II | 150 | 150 | 150 |
| Total for merit | 450 |
- The qualifying test must be passed in English and in Telugu separately. Its marks do not count towards the 450.
- Negative marking: each wrong answer loses 1/3 of that question’s marks.
- Paper I is in English and Telugu, with the English version final. The Horticulture papers are in English only.
- You must appear in all papers. Missing any one disqualifies you.
- If the exam runs in more than one session, scores are normalised.
- The initial answer key is published after the exam. You have 3 days to object, at Rs 100 per objection, which is refunded if the objection is upheld.
Minimum qualifying marks (aggregate):
| Category | Minimum |
|---|---|
| OC, sportspersons, ex-servicemen, EWS | 40% |
| BC | 35% |
| SC, ST, PBD | 30% |
Syllabus in brief
Qualifying test (SSC standard)
- English: comprehension, usage and idiom, vocabulary and punctuation, sentence rearrangement
- Telugu: synonyms and vocabulary, grammar, Telugu-to-English and English-to-Telugu meanings
Paper I: General Studies & Mental Ability
- Current affairs and general science, including IT
- History, geography and polity of India with an AP focus
- Indian economy, sustainable development and disaster management
- Logical reasoning and data analysis
Paper II: Horticulture-I (9 units)
- Fruit crops: mango, banana, citrus, grape, pineapple, guava, papaya, sapota
- Vegetable crops: from tomato and chillies to cole crops, tubers and leafy vegetables
- Commercial floriculture and landscape gardening: rose, jasmine and gerbera, garden types, bonsai
- Medicinal, aromatic, spice and plantation crops
- Dryland horticulture and watershed management: ber, pomegranate, custard apple and others
- Post-harvest management and packaging
- Preservation of fruits and vegetables: canning, drying, spoilage, permitted preservatives
- Farm power and machinery, processing equipment, food laws
- Greenhouse and polyhouse management, fertigation
Paper III: Horticulture-II (9 units)
- Fundamentals of horticulture: orchard planning, nutrition, irrigation, pruning, growth regulators
- Plant propagation and nursery management, including micropropagation and the Nursery Registration Act
- Plant physiology: photosynthesis (C3, C4, CAM) and plant hormones
- Entomology: pests and integrated pest management
- Pathology: diseases and integrated disease management
- Soil science: pH, organic matter, nutrients, fertilisers, biofertilisers
- Agroforestry and social forestry
- Extension education: KVK, ATMA, NHM, PRA tools
- Organic farming: certification and export
Computer Proficiency Test (CPT)
After the written exam, the candidates shortlisted by APPSC must pass a 60-minute practical computer test. It is qualifying only.
| Duration | Marks | Pass mark: SC/ST/PBD | BC | OC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 minutes | 100 | 30 | 35 | 40 |
It covers computer basics (MCQs), typing speed, a formatted Word document, an Excel sheet with formulas and charts, and a PowerPoint presentation. The same test is used in the APPSC Assistant Environmental Engineer recruitment, where we list the weightage of each part.
How selection works
- Written exam: pass the English and Telugu qualifying test, then merit on Papers I to III (450 marks).
- Computer Proficiency Test for shortlisted candidates, qualifying only.
- Certificate verification, including your local-status study certificates.
- Medical fitness.
There is no interview and no waiting list.
Tie rule: when marks are equal, the older candidate ranks higher. If the age is also equal, the one who got the degree earlier ranks higher.
How to apply
- Go to psc.ap.gov.in. If you have never applied to APPSC, create your One Time Profile Registration (OTPR) first.
- Check your OTPR carefully. Local/non-local status, community and white-card details decide your fee, age relaxation and zone eligibility, and cannot be changed after you pay.
- Log in with your OTPR ID, click Online Application Submission, then Fill Application against Notification No. 19/2026.
- Fill in your qualification, zone preferences and three exam-centre preferences. Upload your own photo and signature in JPG.
- Click Save & Submit, not just “Save”. Only Save & Submit opens the payment page.
- Pay the fee and download the filled application PDF.
Corrections: for 7 days after 27 October you can fix entries at Rs 100 per correction. Name, fee, age-relaxation and community fields cannot be corrected.
Rejection traps
- Degree not complete by 6 October 2026.
- Wrong degree. Only a four-year B.Sc. or B.Sc. (Hons) in Horticulture is listed.
- Wrong local status. Claiming local status for a zone without Class 1–7 study certificates from that zone. A residence certificate is not accepted if you studied in a school.
- Not preparing for Telugu. You must pass the Telugu half of the qualifying test separately, even though it is not counted for merit.
- BC Non-Creamy Layer certificate dated before 1 April 2026. It must be issued by the Tahsildar between 1 April 2026 and 27 October 2026.
- EWS certificate not for FY 2025-26, not in digital format, or issued before 1 April 2026.
- Clicking only “Save”. The application is not submitted until you click Save & Submit and pay.
- Skipping a paper. Absence in any paper disqualifies you.
- Phones or smartwatches at the centre, even switched off.
- False information, which can lead to a debarment of up to five years.
Official sources
The notification says the Commission’s website is final for all purposes, so check it regularly. APPSC has opened other posts in the same window: see APPSC Group-I 2026 and APPSC Assistant Environmental Engineer 2026. For more state jobs, browse our Andhra Pradesh Jobs category.
Easy Applications is an independent information site and is not affiliated with APPSC or the Department of Horticulture, Andhra Pradesh. Confirm every detail on psc.ap.gov.in before you apply.
