Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources

Agricultural Scientist

Conducts research to improve crop yields, livestock breeding, and agricultural practices. Develops new farming techniques and pest control methods.

Science

Career role details and responsibilities

Conducts research to improve crop yields, livestock breeding, and agricultural practices. Develops new farming techniques and pest control methods. Agricultural Scientist sits within the Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources career cluster and focuses on applying domain knowledge to practical problems.

Role details

Conducts research to improve crop yields, livestock breeding, and agricultural practices. Develops new farming techniques and pest control methods. Agricultural Scientist sits within the Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources career cluster and focuses on applying domain knowledge to practical problems.

Responsibilities

Designs and conducts experiments, analyzes data, publishes research findings, develops new plant varieties or animal breeds, advises farmers on best practices. Typical responsibilities include understanding user or business needs, applying relevant tools and methods, and coordinating with stakeholders. The role also requires continuous learning, quality improvement, and adapting to changes in technology, industry practices, and market demand.

Next Gen career options

Precision Agriculture Specialist, AI in Agriculture Researcher, Climate-Resilient Crop Developer, Agri-Biotech Innovator, Sustainable Farming Systems Designer.

Pointer: Next Gen career options related to this role

Precision Agriculture Specialist, AI in Agriculture Researcher, Climate-Resilient Crop Developer, Agri-Biotech Innovator, Sustainable Farming Systems Designer.

Educational institutes

Top 5 educational institutes in India

Name of Institute Location Website
Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) New Delhi, Delhi https://www.iari.res.in/
Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Punjab https://www.pau.edu/
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu https://www.tnau.ac.in/
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru, Karnataka https://www.iisc.ac.in/
National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) Karnal, Haryana https://www.ndri.res.in/

Top 5 educational institutes globally

Name of Institute Location Website
University of California, Davis Davis, USA https://www.ucdavis.edu/
Wageningen University & Research Wageningen, Netherlands https://www.wur.nl/
Cornell University Ithaca, USA https://www.cornell.edu/
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Urbana, USA https://illinois.edu/
University of Guelph Guelph, Canada https://www.uoguelph.ca/
Refer our tool Unifinder to explore university matching your requirements https://counselnavi.com/uni-finder
Career role Name
Agricultural Scientist
Career Cluster
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
Industry alignment
Agri-tech, Research Institutions, Government Agricultural Departments, Food Processing Companies.
Work environment
Primarily indoor lab/office settings, with significant fieldwork. Standard working hours, but may involve seasonal variations and fieldwork demands.
Opportunity Type
High growth potential in research and development, moderate work stress, good salary growth with experience, requires continuous learning, stable career.
Key skills needed
Research Methodology (Advanced), Data Analysis (Advanced), Scientific Writing (Proficient), Botany/Zoology (Advanced), Genetics (Proficient).
Interest type alignment
Investigative (Strong), Realistic (Moderate), Conventional (Moderate). Aptitude for analytical thinking and problem-solving.
Career growth Path
Junior Scientist (2-4 yrs) -> Scientist (5-8 yrs) -> Senior Scientist (9-12 yrs) -> Principal Scientist/Research Head (12+ yrs).
Suggested education Pathways 10th standard onwards
10th Grade -> 12th Grade (Science stream) -> B.Sc. Agriculture/Horticulture/Botany/Zoology -> M.Sc. Agriculture/Genetics/Plant Science -> Ph.D. in relevant specialization.
Education Stream recommendations
Science
Demand in India
High demand for skilled agricultural scientists to boost productivity and sustainability.
Demand globally
High demand, particularly in regions focused on food security and sustainable agriculture.
Career & Job Prospects
Research and Development, Academia, Government, Biotechnology, Crop Science Companies. Related roles: Agronomist, Plant Breeder, Soil Scientist.