Agricultural Engineering as a Career
The Agricultural Engineering is one of the most challenging careers. Nature works in a certain way, and to get more of it you need knowledge and skills to mend the nature in your own ways. The Agricultural Scientists and Engineers are subjected to expose to nature and make it work for mankind. Be it matter of getting more yields from crops, making farming easy and enjoyable, developing new plant varieties or taking care for the environment, the services of Agricultural Engineers and Scientists are sought after.
Agricultural Engineers transfer and generate new technologies for producing agricultural products at mass level so as to give affordable living to people. They are involved in identifying and solving the various problems in the agricultural world, including equipment design and production problems. Agricultural engineers work in research and development, production, sales, or management.
The agricultural engineering programme is a multidisciplinary study which includes animal biology, plant biology, and mechanical, civil, electrical and chemical engineering principles with knowledge of agricultural principles. If you are someone who like plants and animals and have a vision to do something special for human society then choosing a career in agricultural engineering is the right choice for you.
Study programmes in Agricultural Sciences discipline are available right after 10 year of education. Various diplomas and degrees are offered from Universities and Colleges across world. You can chose to study one such programme at a nearest Agricultural School or may go overseas. There is no shortage of study options. Population of world is growing, climate is changing, and land is limiting up to some extent. So as to help human race in getting required food and nutrition the services of Agricultural Engineers and Scientists are sought after. The demand for eligible human resources in this discipline is increasing worldwide.
Role of an Agricultural Engineer
- Agricultural Engineer applies technological knowledge to improve agricultural yields. Take a quick look at some of the key roles of agricultural engineers:
- Design of agricultural machinery, equipment, and agricultural structures.
- Internal combustion engines as applied to agricultural machinery.
- Agricultural resource management (including land use and water use).
- Water management, conservation, and storage for crop irrigation and livestock production.
- Surveying and land profiling.
- Climatology and atmospheric science.
- Soil management and conservation, including erosion and erosion control.
- Seeding, tillage, harvesting, and processing of crops.
- Livestock production, including poultry, fish and dairy animals.
- Physical and chemical properties of materials used in, or produced by, agricultural production.
- Bioresource engineering, which uses machines on the molecular level to help the environment.
- Waste management, including animal waste, agricultural residues, and fertilizer runoff.
- Food engineering and the processing of agricultural products.
- Basic principles of electricity, applied to applied to electric motors.
Skills Required for an Agricultural Engineer
Listening skills- Being an agricultural engineer one needs to be a good listener. An agricultural engineer requires gathering information from customers and fellow workers while working on a project.
Mathematical Abilities- Agricultural Engineers require using advance mathematics for problem solving while working on agricultural products and agricultural machinery.
Problem Solving Skills- Agricultural projects comes with many challenge like agricultural production, machinery design and safety measures, products processing techniques, water erosion and other environmental and geological challenges. An agricultural engineer needs to be a good problem solver so that one can tackle the issues faced during a project.
Team worker- An agricultural needs to be a good team worker. Communication skills should be efficient enough so others in the team could follow the instructions provided by you related to a product, project or machinery.