Agriculture

Introduction

Aeronautics is derived from the Greek word aero and nautics where the former means air and the later sailor thus literally meaning sailing the air. Originally the study was more on the science of operating the aircraft, but it soon got expanded to include technology, business and other aspects related to aircraft. Aerodynamics is one of significant parts in aeronautics, which deals with the motion of air and the way that it interacts with objects in motion, such as an aircraft.

Agriculture Engineering is one of the most technologically advanced branches of engineering with a wide scope for growth. This discipline deals with the design, manufacture, functioning and maintenance of airborne vehicles like aircrafts, spacecrafts, helicopters and missiles for both commercial and military purpose. It requires the study of physical science and mathematics to perform research, development, testing, launching and for the manufacture of various air vehicles. The area of study mainly revolves around aerodynamics, thermodynamics, celestial mechanics, control systems, propulsion and electronics. These different fields of study is put together to form the basis of Agriculture Engineering.



AGRICULTURE CAREERS AGRICULTURE JOBS AGRICULTURE PORTAL AGRICULTURE

The production of goods by growing of plants and the raising of domesticated animals is referred as Agriculture and the study of agriculture is known as agricultural science. The history of agriculture has played a major role in human history, as agricultural progress has been a crucial factor in worldwide socio-economic change. The climatic types and natural conditions offer a conducive environment for the cultivation of a large variety of agricultural produce. Agriculture is no longer practiced by rule of thumb, instead it has become highly scientific, sophisticated and mechanized and consequently, very profitable too. Work in agricultural sectors ranges from the totally academic pursuits of research and teaching to inspection and other supervisory work to commercial activities of establishing farms, plantations, orchards and carrying on exports of produce from them.

Horticulture, dairying, aquaculture, tree farming and poultry farming are allied agricultural activities that have become economically viable opportunities today. Modern agronomy, plant breeding, pesticides and fertilizers, and technological improvements have sharply increased yields from cultivation. The impact of agriculture is not only on the production of food grains, vegetables and fruits, but on so many agriculture dependent industries which get its raw material from agriculture sector. The other agriculture products involve drugs like tobacco, marijuana, opium, cocaine, digitalis, curare, eugenol, reserpine, pyrethrins, taxol) and other useful materials such as resins. Biofuels like methane from biomass, ethanol, and biodiesel comes under agriculture by products.

CAREER

Upon graduating or post-graduating in a discipline of Agriculture and allied sciences, the options and opportunities of a career in teaching, research and transfer-of-technology streams state Department of Agriculture, Non Government Organization or Industry are many. Even banks advancing credit and loans for agri-based projects employ agricultural specialists in house. The avenues are really multifaceted depending entirely on competence. Agriculture offers an array of career possibilities from animal and plant researchers, food scientists, commodity brokers, nutritionists, agricultural journalists, bankers, market analysts, sales professionals, food processors, forest managers, wildlife specialists.

Among the professions expected to be in greatest demand are food scientists and engineers, landscape horticulturists, plant geneticists, and outdoor recreation specialists. Florists and nurseries are doing lucrative business especially in the metropolitan cities. Research openings are also increasing as research institutions gear up to accept the challenge of the export market with the combined support of the government and the corporate sector. Agro-industry provides jobs to scientists, engineers, technologists, sales and marketing people, besides the production people.

Following are major career areas in the field of agriculture:

• Agricultural Research

• Agri-Business

• Agro Industry

• Agricultural Education

• Agricultural Journalism

• Services in Agriculture

• Banking

• Farming

• Conservation

• Agricultural Engineering

• Management

• Sericulture

The major job title where the agriculture program can give is,

Agriculturists

Agriculturists are scientists who have each specialized in a specific field in agriculture. Their main objective is to produce food and fibre. Some of the specialization fields are Entomology, Agricultural Economics, Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Animal Science, Food Science and Wildlife Management.

Agricultural engineers

Agricultural engineers use their knowledge of engineering to solve problems in agriculture. Agricultural engineers usually specialize in a specific field such as agricultural mechanization, soil conservation and the processing of food.

Agricultural technicians

Agricultural technicians concentrate on the practical aspects of agriculture. Specialization fields for agricultural technicians are, for example, mechanical agricultural technology, agricultural extension services and research.

Farmer and farm foreman

Farmers and farm foremen supervise, plan and organize all activities on the farm. Some farmers and farm foremen have no formal training, while others have certificates, diplomas and university degrees.

Farm workers

The duties of farm workers differ according to the type of farming.

Consultants

One can act as consultant for farmers and agricultural co-operations.

FAMOUS PERSONALITIES

Cyrus McCormick

CYRUS MCCORMICK
The "Father of Modern Agriculture," made one of the most significant contributions to the United States' prosperity, when he invented the horse-drawn reaper in 1831.McCormick's father, Robert, was working from time to time in the farm's smithy on an invention of his own, a horse-drawn reaping machine. When Robert McCormick finally gave up on producing a working model, in the early fall of 1831, his son took over the challenge. Using his father's incomplete model as a starting point, McCormick sketched out plans for a machine that would automatically cut, thresh and bundle grain while being pulled through a field by horses. Within six weeks before the 1831 harvest was over he had built, field-tested, remodelled, and successfully demonstrated to the public the world's first mechanical reaper. McCormick had single-handedly increased farms' potential yield at least tenfold, with a minimum of effort by farmers. Astonishingly, they remained uninterested or at least unconvinced: for nine years, sales were virtually zero.

McCormick spent ten years making improvements, earning his first patent along the way (1834). He also utilized novel business practices, including lenient credit for purchases, written performance guarantees ("15 acres a day"), readily available replacement parts, and advertising that educated farming communities about the benefits of technology. In 1851, McCormick's machine became an international sensation. He won the Gold Medal at the London Crystal Palace Exposition of that year, and then went on to stun audiences in Hamburg, Vienna, and Paris. McCormick was elected to the French Academy of Sciences, "as having done more for agriculture than any other living man." Because his reaper enabled much fewer farmers to produce much more grain, Cyrus McCormick not only transformed agriculture, but also diversified American industry. In 1831, 90% of the US population was involved in farming; today, only 2% of the population produces more food than the country can consume. The machines manufactured by McCormick's company and its successor, International Harvester Co., which now harvest hundreds of acres a day, have enabled the vast majority of Americans to apply their talent and energy to fields like engineering, medicine, and the arts.

George Washington Carver

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER
George Washington Carver was a world-famous chemist who made important agricultural discoveries and inventions. His research on peanuts, sweet potatoes, and other products helped poor southern farmers vary their crops and improve their diets. A monument showing Carver as a boy was the first national memorial erected in honor of an African American. In 1896, George Washington Carver left Iowa to take a job with Booker T. Washington at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. There he conducted agricultural research and taught students until his death. Carver's research and instruction helped poor southern farmers, both white and black, change their farming practices and improve their diets. He stressed the importance of planting peanuts to upgrade the quality of the soil, which had been depleted from years of planting cotton. Carver found many practical uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, and other agricultural products. He also created and tested many recipes in his laboratory. Carver's ideas and discoveries helped farmers improve their lives. His work also helped revitalize the depressed southern economy.

Carver drew more public attention during the mid-1930s when the polio virus struck in America. Carver offered a treatment of peanut-oil massages that he believed helped many people, especially children, gain relief from the painful and paralyzing effects of polio. As word of Carver's treatment spread, people flocked to the Tuskegee campus for Carver's "cure." George Washington Carver's reputation also grew larger during the 1930s because of the Great Depression. This was a period of great economic decline caused partly from generations of poor farming practices and years of drought. People from all over the world asked Carver for agricultural advice because he was able to show farmers how to maximize plant production and improve the soil at very little cost. Carver lived a simple and industrious life. A skilled artist and musician who never married, Carver lived out his life in a dormitory at Tuskegee Institute. He became friends with many people, some of whom were quite rich and famous. One of his closest friends was the automobile manufacturer Henry Ford. Ford made sure that an elevator was installed in Carver's dormitory so that Carver could get to his laboratory more easily in his later years. George Washington Carver changed the agricultural and economic life of many poor farmers. From ordinary peanuts he made hundreds of useful products, including milk, cheese, soap, and grease. He also made over a hundred products from sweet potatoes. Though he was offered positions at many other laboratories, Carver always declined, preferring to continue his work among his own race at Tuskegee.

HOROSCOPE - CAREER FOR ZODIAC SIGNS

So if you are interested in a career in agriculture just checks out these sun signs which are in most of this field.

Taurus

Capricorn

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Institutes : Some of the prominent institutions offering courses in agriculture can be had from the following links.. Click here for more information