Agronomist

Agronomists study farm animals, soils, pastures and crops to improve their yield, health and quality, and to prevent pests and disease.

What you would do:

• find ways to improve the quality and value of animal or crop production
• develop farming methods to protect animal welfare and the environment
• develop vaccines and other products to improve animal health and productivity
• conduct experiments to find ways to control pests and diseases
• analyse the results of experiments
• supervise technical and research staff
• advise farmers, vets, and horticultural and agricultural companies
• read research papers by other scientists
• write about their work for scientific and farming magazines
• present reports at conferences
• maintain contact with other scientists nationally and internationally
• write applications for funding grants for agricultural/horticultural research
• manage research budgets

You need to be:

• knowledgeable of crops, pastures and soil types
• knowledgeable of farm animals
• understanding of physiology and biology
• knowledgeable of agricultural and horticultural chemicals, pests and diseases
• research skills
• skilled in analysing and interpreting research results and other information
• a person with practical skills for performing experiments and operating scientific equipment
• good at problem solving
• good at planning and organising
• a good communicator
• a person with good writing skills, for writing reports and for publications
• a person with good maths and computer skills
• a person with good public speaking skills and the ability to give presentations

Agronomists should be accurate, objective, enquiring and observant, especially when recording results. As many projects are long-term, they should be patient, persistent and motivated. They also need to be able to work well in a team

You will require:

To become an agronomist you need to have a postgraduate degree in science, technology, horticulture or agriculture.

Improve you chances by:

Useful experience for Agronomists includes farming, horticultural work, environmental work, and work as a technician.

What you will earn:

Salaries vary, but Agronomists usually earn between $40,000 and $100,000 per year, depending on experience and responsibility. Agronomists with a PhD and some post-doctoral experience usually start at around $50,000.

Long term possibilities:

The outlook for agronomists is average. It is expected agricultural/horticultural scientists will continue to play an important role in improving agriculture and horticulture by investigating ways to produce better quality and new varieties of products. Demand for their services in private companies, crown research institutes and universities is therefore expected to remain stable over the next two to three years.