An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.), is a professional in the
science
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...
, practice, and management of
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
and
agribusiness
Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy,
in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise.
The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit w ...
. It is a regulated profession in Canada, India, the Philippines, the United States, and the European Union. Other names used to designate the profession include agricultural scientist, agricultural manager, agricultural planner, agriculture researcher, or agriculture policy maker.
The primary role of agriculturists are in leading agricultural projects and programs, usually in
agribusiness plan
A business plan is a formal written document containing the goals of a business, the methods for attaining those goals, and the time-frame for the achievement of the goals. It also describes the nature of the business, background information on t ...
ning or research for the benefit of
farm
A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...
s, food, and
agribusiness
Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy,
in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise.
The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit w ...
related organizations.
Agriculturists usually are designated in the government as public agriculturists serving as agriculture policy makers or technical advisors for policy making. Agriculturists can also provide technical advice for
farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mig ...
s and
farm workers
A farmworker, farmhand or agricultural worker is someone employed for labor in agriculture. In labor law, the term "farmworker" is sometimes used more narrowly, applying only to a hired worker involved in agricultural production, including harv ...
such as in making
crop calendars and
work flows to optimize farm production, tracing
agricultural market channels, prescribing
fertilizer
A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
s and
pesticide
Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampri ...
s to
avoid misuse, and in aligning for
organic accreditation or the national
agricultural quality standards.
Preparation of
technical engineering designs and construction for agriculture meanwhile are reserved for
agricultural engineers
Agricultural engineering, also known as agricultural and biosystems engineering, is the field of study and application of engineering science and designs principles for agriculture purposes, combining the various disciplines of mechanical, civil ...
. Agriculturists may pursue
environmental planning
Environmental planning is the process of facilitating decision making to carry out land development with the consideration given to the natural environment, social, political, economic and governance factors and provides a holistic framework to ...
and focus on agricultural and rural planning.
Responsibilities
Agriculturists are science based
consultants
A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization.
Consulting servic ...
with major fields of specialization including
agribusiness management,
crop science
Agricultural science (or agriscience for short) is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. Profession ...
,
agricultural extension
Agricultural extension is the application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education. The field of 'extension' now encompasses a wider range of communication and learning activities organized for r ...
,
agriculture economics
Agricultural economics is an applied field of economics concerned with the application of economic theory in optimizing the production and distribution of food and fiber products.
Agricultural economics began as a branch of economics that specif ...
,
development communication
Development communication refers to the use of communication to facilitate social development. Development communication engages stakeholders and policy makers, establishes conducive environments, assesses risks and opportunities and promotes in ...
,
animal science
Animal science is described as "studying the biology of animals that are under the control of humankind". It can also be described as the production and management of farm animals. Historically, the degree was called animal husbandry and the ...
,
soil science
Soil science is the study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the Earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils; and these properties in relation to th ...
,
food technology
Food technology is a branch of food science that deals with the production, preservation, quality control and research and development of the food products.
Early scientific research into food technology concentrated on food preservation. Nic ...
,
crop protection
Crop protection is the science and practice of managing plant diseases, weeds, and other pests (both vertebrate and invertebrate) that damage crops and forestry. Crops include field crops (maize, wheat, rice, etc.), vegetable crops (potatoes, cabb ...
,
agricultural biotechnology
Agricultural biotechnology, also known as agritech, is an area of agricultural science involving the use of scientific tools and techniques, including genetic engineering, molecular markers, molecular diagnostics, vaccines, and tissue culture, to ...
,
agricultural policy
Agricultural policy describes a set of laws relating to domestic agriculture and imports of foreign agricultural products. Governments usually implement agricultural policies with the goal of achieving a specific outcome in the domestic agricultu ...
, and
environmental science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physics, biology, and geography (including ecology, chemistry, plant science, zoology, mineralogy, oceanography, limnology, soil science, geology and physical geograp ...
.
In modern practice, agriculturists are expected to be proficient in
digital agriculture such as the use of
geographic information system
A geographic information system (GIS) is a type of database containing Geographic data and information, geographic data (that is, descriptions of phenomena for which location is relevant), combined with Geographic information system software, sof ...
s,
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
, and
remote sensing
Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation. The term is applied especially to acquiring information about Earth ...
for better agricultural planning.
Agriculturists of today are involved with many issues, including producing food, creating healthier food, managing the
environmental impact of agriculture
The environmental impact of agriculture is the effect that different farming practices have on the ecosystems around them, and how those effects can be traced back to those practices. The environmental impact of agriculture varies widely based on p ...
, distribution of agriculture, recreation surfaces (sports fields, golf courses, and parks), and extracting
energy
In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat a ...
from plants.
Agriculturists often specialize in food and agriculture research areas such as
crop rotation
Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area across a sequence of growing seasons. It reduces reliance on one set of nutrients, pest and weed pressure, and the probability of developing resistant ...
,
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...
and
drainage
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess of water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils is good enough to prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic conditio ...
,
plant breeding
Plant breeding is the science of changing the traits of plants in order to produce desired characteristics. It has been used to improve the quality of nutrition in products for humans and animals. The goals of plant breeding are to produce cro ...
,
plant physiology
Plant physiology is a subdiscipline of botany concerned with the functioning, or physiology, of plants. Closely related fields include plant morphology (structure of plants), plant ecology (interactions with the environment), phytochemistry (bi ...
,
soil classification
Soil classification deals with the systematic categorization of soils based on distinguishing characteristics as well as criteria that dictate choices in use.
Overview
Soil classification is a dynamic subject, from the structure of the system, ...
,
soil fertility
Soil fertility refers to the ability of soil to sustain agricultural plant growth, i.e. to provide plant habitat and result in sustained and consistent yields of high quality. ,
weed control
Weed control is a type of pest control, which attempts to stop or reduce growth of weeds, especially noxious weeds, with the aim of reducing their competition with desired flora and fauna including domesticated plants and livestock, and in natur ...
,
turfgrass
A lawn is an area of soil-covered land planted with grasses and other durable plants such as clover which are maintained at a short height with a lawnmower (or sometimes grazing animals) and used for aesthetic and recreational purposes. ...
and insect and
pest control
Pest control is the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest; any animal, plant or fungus that impacts adversely on human activities or environment. The human response depends on the importance of the damage done and will range ...
.
Professional agriculturists may provide advice directly to farmers, vineyards, agricultural corporations, municipal and provincial governments, the fertilizer and seeds sector, consult on food processing, advise on
range management,
turf management
Turf management or pitchcare describes the work needed to keep a sporting pitch ready for use. This article looks at the various types of sporting pitches and the type of challenges which they present.
The skills needed vary considerably depende ...
and golf course operations, assess and provide remedial recommendations for
brownlands (contaminated sites), watersheds, among many different areas of practice.
Asia
India
In India, the professional designation is Agricultural Scientist (abbreviated as ARS). To qualify for entry level posts, the
Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board conducts competitive examinations pursuant to the Gajendragadkar Report of 1972. The post of entry level ARS is same with Jr. Class I cadre of Central government. The initial pay is fixed after granting advance increments for higher qualification, with PhDs getting the highest salary.
They are kept on 'tenure track' or 'probation' for 2 years and upon satisfactory completion of this period they are given tenure and confirmed in the ARS. On completing service for designated years and meeting set performance criteria, they are promoted to the next higher grades in a Flexible Complementation system known as Career Advancement Scheme (CAS).
Incumbents without a PhD degree are given paid study leave to acquire
PhD qualification, which is necessary for career progression. Through CAS, scientists can rise up to Principal Scientist grade, which is equivalent to the scale of Joint Secretary to the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
. The ARS encourages fresh infusion of talent at all senior levels through
lateral entry A career ladder or corporate ladder is a metaphor for job promotion. In business and human resources management, the career ladder typically describes the progression from entry level positions to higher levels of pay, skill, responsibility, or aut ...
in which incumbent scientists can participate in the open competition and move their career ahead in much shorter time than CAS. All the Research Management Positions are filled through open competition. The Director General of ICAR is the highest-ranked member of the ARS, who is ''
ex officio
An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...
''
Secretary
A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...
to the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE),
Ministry of Agriculture
An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...
.
Philippines
In the Philippines, the official professional designation is Licensed and Registered Agriculturist but is more commonly shortened as "Licensed Agriculturist" or more simply as "Agriculturist". They are licensed and accredited after successfully passing the Agriculturist Licensure Examination, regulated by the
Professional Regulation Commission
The Professional Regulation Commission, ( fil, Komisyon sa Regulasyon ng mga Propesyon) otherwise known as the PRC, is a three-man commission attached to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Its mandate is to regulate and supervise the pr ...
and the
Board of Agriculture. A Licensed Agriculturist can affix the title “L.Agr.” (as name suffix) or "Agr." (as name prefix) to indicate the profession.
The primary role of agriculturists are to prepare technical plans, specifications, and estimates of agriculture projects such as in the construction and management of
farm
A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...
s and
agribusiness enterprises.
The practice of agriculture also includes the following:
* Consultation, evaluation, investigation, and management of agriculture projects
* Research and studies in soil analysis and conservation, crop production, breeding of livestock and poultry, tree planting, and other biotechniques
* Conduct training and extension services on soil analysis and conservation, crop production, breeding of livestock and poultry, tree planting
* Teaching of agriculture subjects in schools, colleges, and university
* Management of organizations related to agriculture, both in private and government (eg. Office of the Provincial Agriculturist)
A prospective professional agriculturist is typically required to have a four-year
Bachelor of Science degree
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
in Agriculture, although other degree programs directly-related to agriculture are also allowed to take the licensure examination if they earn at least eighteen (18) units of agriculture credits from a recognized higher education institution.
About 5,500 registered agriculturists pass the licensure examination annually. It is one of the hardest licensure examinations in the country with 29.84% passing rate in November 2021.
The agriculturist profession and its board of agriculturists were created in 2002 by the
Professional Regulation Commission
The Professional Regulation Commission, ( fil, Komisyon sa Regulasyon ng mga Propesyon) otherwise known as the PRC, is a three-man commission attached to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Its mandate is to regulate and supervise the pr ...
,
in order to "upgrade the agriculture and fisheries profession" by the virtue of the
Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997. The practice of the agriculture profession is a professional service admission. Similar to other professions in the Philippines, malpractice and illegal practice of agriculture are grounds for suspension or revocation of certificates of registration and professional licenses. Licensed agriculturists in the Philippines are integrated into one accredited integrated professional organization, which is the Philippine Association of Agriculturists.
Europe
European Union
In the European Union, the generic name of the profession is Agronomist/Agricultural Engineer. The profession is exercised for the public interest in defense of the principles of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and Directive 2005/36/EC.
Italy
In Italy, the professional designation is "Dottori Agronomi" (translated as Agronomy Doctor). The profession is exercised for the public interest in defense of the principles of Articles 9 and 32 of the Italian Constitution and of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Professionals enrolled in the Register of Dottori Agronomi while exercising the profession base their actions on the following principles:
* Contribute to the integrated and sustainable development through the planning and design compatible with the conservation of biodiversity;
* Ensure and promote the quality of food for animal feed and animal welfare;
* Ensure the safety and promote the quality of food products for the protection of the business system and the health and well-being of the consumer;
* Promote and enhance the landscapes and cultures of rural communities;
* Qualify and enhance urban ecosystems and the development of plant and animal heritage and biodiversity.
North America
Canada
In Canada, the professional designation is "agrologist", also called "''agronome''" in
Québec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
. There are more than 10,000 professional agrologists and ''agronomes'' in Canada.
Professional agrologists are accredited through provincial regulatory bodies, e.g. Saskatchewan Institute of Agrology, Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists. The requirements to attain professional designation (PAg) are similar in each province. A prospective agrologist is typically required to have a four year undergraduate
science degree directly related to agrology. If accepted by their provincial institute, the applicant is known as an articling agrologist (AAg) or agrologist-in-training (AIT) and must complete a two year educational and mentorship program before being considered for a professional designation.
An alternative certification called "registered technical agrologist" (RTag), or (PTag) is also available, requiring a two-year college or university education in the agricultural sciences instead of a four-year degree. These technologists designations require a two-year mentorship and education program, and participate in the same mentorship processes as a professional agrologist.
United States
![Research-_alternative_crops](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Research-_alternative_crops.jpg)
In the United States, the professional designation is Certified Professional Agronomist (abbreviated C.PAg), the
American Society of Agronomy
The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) is a scientific and professional society of agronomists and scientists of related disciplines, principally in the United States but with many non-U.S. members as well.
About
It was founded December 13, 190 ...
is the regulatory organization responsible for certification.
The American Society of Agronomy uses a sliding scale of education and experience to determine certification - it is required to have either a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in science and 5 years work experience, a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. related to agrology and 3 years work experience, or a
Doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
related to agrology and a single year of work experience.
CPAgs are required to complete at least 50 hours of
continuing education
Continuing education (similar to further education in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, Ireland) is an all-encompassing term within a broad list of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United ...
through the American Society of Agronomy every two years in order to retain their certification.
The American Society of Agronomy also provides certifications for Certified Crop Advisors (CCA).
To become a Certified Crop Adviser an applicant must pass two exams that may both be written on the same day at the same location. The International exam is written by CCAs in North America. The Prairie region exam is written by individuals wishing to work as advisers in the three Prairie provinces of Canada or in the heartland states of the US.
See also
*
Agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
*
Agronomy
Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants by agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, chemicals, recreation, or land conservation. Agronomy has come to include research of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and ...
*
Agricultural Science
Agricultural science (or agriscience for short) is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. Profession ...
*
Agricultural engineering
Agricultural engineering, also known as agricultural and biosystems engineering, is the field of study and application of engineering science and designs principles for agriculture purposes, combining the various disciplines of mechanical, civil, ...
*
Horticulture
Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...
*
Animal Science
Animal science is described as "studying the biology of animals that are under the control of humankind". It can also be described as the production and management of farm animals. Historically, the degree was called animal husbandry and the ...
*
Botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
*
Forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
*
Aquaculture
Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
References
{{Authority control
Professional titles and certifications
Agricultural occupations
Agriculture