Career Option in Agricultural Engineering

Agricultural engineering is the engineering discipline that applies engineering science and protects the environment, and they design machineries and structures and alternative energy systems to meet the needs of agricultural operations. Agricultural processing engineering includes: Flow behavior of powder and granular food products; aseptic processing of food products; food biosensors; on-line computer control of food processing operations; modeling heat transfer mechanisms during thermal processing of foods; smart food.

The candidate should have science as a subject in Higher Secondary Level. Graduates of B.Sc (Science) are eligible for B.E or equivalent with PCM and English for doing an undergraduate degree. Undergraduate programs in Biological Engineering, Technology and a minor. Additional Graduate level study programs are available including a certificate program.

Agricultural Engineering course is offered as a B.Tech (4 year course) and M.Tech (2 year course) Course in  institutions  across the globe. The bachelor course is also offered as a 3 year program (B.Sc). The minimum requirement for agricultural engineers is a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering. Colleges offer four- and five-year programs. Research and college-level teaching positions generally require a master's or doctoral degree.

The Total expense for doing B.E/ B.Techand M.Tech in Bio Informatics are as follows

• B.Sc - Rs.20,000/ per year - (approx) - (3 Years)
• B.Tech - Rs.50,000/ per year - (approx) - (4 Years)
• M.Tech - Rs.50,000/ per year - (approx) -(2 Years)
• M.Sc - Rs.40,000/ per year - (approx) - (2 Years)

Most Institutions from Australia, U.K and America provide courses in Agricultural Engineering. Some of the Australian and American universities that offer these courses are,

• Lowa university
• Penn state University
• Purdue University
• Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)
• University of Southern Queensland

Many engineering in India offer Agricultural Engineering in various levels from undergraduate to Doctorate.

Agricultural engineers are expected to have employment growth of 9 percent over the projections decade, about as fast as the average for all occupations. More engineers will be needed to meet the increasing demand for using biosensors to determine the optimal treatment of crops. Employment growth should also result from the need to increase crop yields to feed an expanding population and produce crops used as renewable energy sources
Working conditions for agricultural engineers depend on the kind of work they do. Some of their work may be done in laboratories, in offices, or at the designing table. Sometimes their work requires observation in the field. They may need to investigate farm operations, survey land use and conditions, or test new equipment. Engineers normally work thirty-five to forty hours a week. However, they may work more hours when a project is near completion or to meet a deadline.
Employment Outlook: Researchers may advance to chief of a research division. Those who work in the industry may become top managers for their company. Some open their own consulting firms.The employment outlook for agricultural engineers is good. Although the growth rate in many agricultural fields is expected to be small, agricultural engineers will make gains by diversifying from their original domain and extending into the conservation industry, where the reuse of agricultural waste materials is an important development. The increasing world population will also prove a boon to the agriculture industry as a whole, as the demand for farm products increases.
For Freshers job roles include

• Field Officer,
• In  research labs.

For Experienced Agricultural Engineers job roles include

• Researchers,
• Scientists,
• Database specialists,
• Business analysts

The salary for agricultural engineers ranges from Rs.3000 to 30,000 for freshers and varies according to the experiences and specializations. Salaries vary with education and experience. Agricultural engineers holding a bachelor's degree can start at $42,987 per year. Those with a master's degree may earn $54,000 per year. Those with doctoral degrees can earn annual salaries of $70,000 or more. The median annual salary is $56,520, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Engineers receive paid vacations and holidays, health and life insurance, and pension plans.

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers,

2950 Niles Rd.,

St. Joseph,

MI 49085.

Website: http://www.asabe.org

National Association of Environmental Professionals

P.O. Box 2086,

Bowie, MD 20718,

(888) 251-9902.

http://www.naep.org