Plan you career: Agricultural Engineering

Introduction:

Agriculture is the very basis of civilization. It is the science of cultivating the soil and producing crops. Agriculture sector plays a vital role in the GDP (almost 30 %) of our country. Agricultural Engineering is the branch of engineering which incorporates different engineering branches and technologies for the enhanced and efficient production and processing of food, fiber and fuels. This branch includes many branches of engineering (mechanical, chemical electrical) and all types of science (Physics, Chemistry and Biology). Main focus areas in Agricultural Engineering are:

• Design of agricultural machinery, equipment, and structures
• Environmental control systems
• Energy Conservation
• Crop production, seeding, irrigation practices
• Soil & water conservation
• Animal care and production
• Biofuel production
• Processing, handling and storage of crops after harvesting
• Precision farming technologies, machine vision, gps
• Farm operations and management
• Farm safety, security and ergonomics

Courses Available:
Undergraduate:
To pursue an undergraduate course in agricultural engineering, the candidate must pass 10+2 with physics, chemistry and mathematics from a recognized Board.

• Bachelor of Engineering in Agricultural Engineering (B.E.)
• Bachelor of Technology in Agricultural Engineering (B.Tech.)

Post Graduate:
To pursue a postgraduate course in agricultural engineering, the candidate must have Bachelor’s (B.E. or B.Tech.) degree in agricultural engineering from recognized University.

• Master of Engineering in Agricultural Engineering (M.E.)
• Master of Technology in Agricultural Engineering (M.Tech.)

Others:

• Diploma in Agricultural Engineering
• Doctor of Philosophy in Agri-Informatics    
• Doctor of Philosophy in Rural Technology

Specializations:

1. Crop Production
2. Dairy Management
3. Agricultural Economics
4. Post-Harvest Technology
5. Soil and Water Engineering
6. Poultry and Fish Processing
7. Agricultural Waste Management
8. Agricultural Machinery Design
9. Food Engineering / Process Control
10. Irrigation and Drainage Systems Engineering

Job Opportunities:
Agricultural Engineers are generally appointed as:

• Scientist
• Extension Specialists
• Waste Specialists
• Land Development Engineer
• Structure Designers
• Machinery Designers
• Electrification and Power Systems Designer
• Precision Agriculture Applications Engineer
• Environment Control Engineer

In India companies like AMUL Dairy, ITC, Escorts, Nestle India etc. hire agriculture engineers. There are several research opportunities for agriculture engineers in the organisations like Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR). Various central government and state government departments recruit agriculture engineers as agricultural officers. The initial income of agriculture engineers is between INR 20, 000 to Rs. 30,000 per month.

Colleges offering courses in Agricultural Engineering:

• Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University
• Allahabad University (Allahabad Agriculture Institute)
• Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishwavidyalaya
• Chandra Shekhar Azad Agricultural University
• Chaudhari Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University
• Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vishwavidyalaya
• G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology