ABOUT:

Agricultural Engineer is a professional who applies the science of biology and various engineering principles, mainly Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, to design machinery and equipment that is used in agricultural production and processing. It is a field of agricultural science where engineering principles are applied for the improvement and advancement of agriculture industry

 

Agricultural engineering is a diverse engineering discipline which mainly focus on the creation and development of tools that are used in agriculture to improve farming techniques. Higher demand of agricultural products both in domestic and global market have made modern agriculture highly competitive and technology-driven with a wide variety of specialties and techniques.

 

In agricultural engineering, the knowledge of agricultural principles are combined with the principles of animal biology, plant biology, mechanical engineering, civil engineering and chemical engineering for the practical solutions to agricultural issues.

 

A career in the field of agricultural engineering involves production, processing, transportation and storage of agricultural commodities and reconstruction of rural areas. This career is quite interesting, challenging as well as rewarding. This is a most suitable career for those who have keen farming knowledge along with engineering skills.

 

An Agricultural Engineer has to look after the agricultural functioning to bring about efficient increase in food productivity. With their engineering skills and knowledge, agricultural engineers solve problems related to agricultural equipment, water quality and water management, biological products, livestock facilities, food processing, and many other agricultural areas.

 

During the work, they do the task of improving farming conditions and making the environment safe for all the aspects of farming. Agricultural Engineers perform research and analysis of the daily operations of farmers and they work with new technologies in the effort to improve the existing techniques that are being used in agricultural production and processing. The improvement of these techniques often plays a crucial role in helping farmers make better use of their land and resources.

 

ELIGIBILITY AND PROCEDURE

To be an Agricultural Engineer, one should have core interest for agriculture; a strong foundation in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics; and either of these professional qualifications.

• BE/ B. Tech. in Agricultural Engineering

• M. Tech. in Agricultural Engineering

• Diploma in Agricultural Engineering with a minimum of 3 to 4 years of experience in the fields of landscaping, plantation etc.

 

Qualification Requirements:

• The basic eligibility criteria for BE or B.Tech. in Agricultural Engineering is 10+2 or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and preferably Biology. Besides the required educational qualification, the candidates may have to appear for the entrance examination conducted at the State level, National level or University level.

• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi conducts an All India Examination for admission to Agricultural colleges for B.Tech. courses all over the country.

• All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE), Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) conducted by IIT are the other two entrance which are accepted by various institutes.

• Apart from these, each State/ institute may conduct their own entrance examination, and some among them are State Entrance Examination conducted by Uttar Pradesh Technical University (SEE UPTU), EAMCET by Andhra Pradesh, KCET by Karnataka etc.

• M.E/ M.Tech courses are of 2 years duration and most institutes admit candidates to these programmes through Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). B.E/ B.Tech in Agriculture/ Horticulture or its equivalent is the minimum qualification. Some institutes conducts their own Entrance examination for the post graduate programmes.

• Candidates with master's degree can go for the 3 years Ph.D. course.

• Post graduate degree and diploma courses in agriculture are also offered by various institutes which is usually of 2 years duration.

• Eligibility for diploma courses in agricultural engineering is 10+2 and these courses can be done through polytechnics.

 

Required Skills:

• Familiarity with internal combustion engines and any other agricultural equipment and machinery that is used in farming;

• Ability to work for designing structures, equipment and processes, conceptualize forms or structure, and draw sketches;

• Logical thinking, ability to deal with people diplomatically, patience, ability to keep calm under pressure and in inevitable crises, creativity, flexibility to understand and apply new technologies;

• Practicality, organizing skills, communication skills, precision, understanding power and capacity to toil;

• Good intellect and must have a desire to make a difference to the future of farming;

• Knowledge of resource management, water conservation and storage, climatology, waste management, food engineering, as well as soil management and conservation, land profiling and surveying;

• Interest for extensive research and development;

• Skills to supervise production of machinery; specify functional requirements during development phase; integrate components into the final design.

 

CAREER PROSPECTS

After securing the qualification, an agricultural engineer can built up his/her career in any country around the world and in a variety of sectors, no matter whether it is private, public or self-employed. There are multiple scope of jobs at places like equipment manufacturers, agrochemical companies, government departments, forestry companies, overseas development agencies and educational institutions.

 

Some of the specialisation in the field of Agricultural Engineering include:

• Agricultural equipment designing

• Conservation of soil and water

• Crop production

• Dairy Management

• Bio-renewable products

• Processing of agricultural products etc.

 

Some of the work areas for the Agricultural Engineers include

• Water resource management,

• Forestry, mining and rehabilitation,

• Urban and rural development,

• Machine development and product planning

• Crop storage and processing, etc.

 

With experience candidates could move into project management, specialist technical research and development, technical sales, business development, teaching or consultancy work. They can also have jobs in related areas such as manufacturing and electrical or mechanical engineering. Other options include overseas agricultural development and disaster relief.

 

Some of the lucrative careers prospects available for qualified agricultural engineers are in fields like:

• Government and Public sector organizations

• Agribusiness firms

• Food processing and retail industry

• Research organizations and laboratories.

• Banks and Financial corporations

• Sales and Management

 

Teaching is another option for those who have a good academic record and they can start as assistant/associate professors in agricultural universities and institutes. One can venture into business by setting up farms, production and marketing of food grains and other farming activities. Agricultural engineers can provide consultancy services to agricultural workers and farming and agro industries. They could also work for irrigation and drainage projects, canal irrigation programmes, land reclamation and soil conservation projects. Agricultural engineers can work with NGO's in rural areas as part of their rural development programme.

 

COURSES

• B.E. Agricultural and Irrigation Engineering

• B.E. Agricultural Engineering

• B.Tech. Agricultural Engineering

• B.Tech. (Hons.) Agricultural Engineering

• B.Tech. Water Resource Engineering

• B.Tech. (Agricultural Engineering) + M.B.A. (Agricultural Engineering)

• M.E. Agricultural Engineering

• M.E. Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering

• M.E. Integrated Water Resources Management

• M.E. Irrigation Water Management

• M.E. Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering

• M.E. Water Recourse Engineering

• M.E. Water Resources and Irrigation Engineering

• M.Tech. Agricultural Engineering

• M.Tech. Agricultural Water Management

• M.Tech. Water Resource Engineering

 

INSTITUTIONS