What does an agricultural scientist do?

The agricultural scientist is supposed to solve agriculture problems. He gives a scientific answer to all phenomena occurring on a farm, and have to be able to anticipate some future principals phenomena in order to manage them in the best way and give to the farm his best productivity. He also have to find the good period to plant crops in order to obtain after harvest the best sell price. In short, he is the brain an the heart of given agricultural projects.

There is also the geneticist or molecular genetic engineer who works with plant selection or inserting new genes on plant’s DNA. In plant selection, geneticists work to detect special genes at a plant which can be passed on to plant’s offspring, giving the plants specific genetic characteristics, among others , stress tolerance , longer roots, resistance to some diseases , size , color and plant yields. Genetic plant engineers also work finding out specific genes in other living organisms which can be inserted at plants’ chromosomes becoming part plant DNA, these specific genes can provide the plant new genetic characteristics, for instance , expressing an enzyme which can kill specific pests and diseases.

Agricultural scientists indeed focus on identifying alternative practices and, crucially, selecting feasible solutions to address challenges in agriculture. These solutions need to be not only scientifically sound but also practical and viable in real-world farming scenarios. The feasibility of a solution considers factors such as economic viability, scalability, adaptability to different agricultural contexts, and environmental sustainability. Agricultural scientists work towards ensuring that their proposed alternatives can be realistically implemented by farmers, contributing to the overall improvement and sustainability of agricultural practices.

Un científico agrónomo se dedica al estudio, investigación y aplicación de conocimientos en el campo de la agronomía, que es la ciencia que se encarga de mejorar y optimizar la producción agrícola. Algunas de las tareas que realiza un científico agrónomo son: Investigación: Realiza estudios científicos para investigar y analizar problemas relacionados con la producción agrícola. Esto implica la recolección de datos, realización de experimentos y análisis estadísticos para obtener conclusiones y obtener nuevas ideas para mejorar la agricultura.

Lots of things, but I'll summarize : Agricultural scientists conduct research to improve crop production, soil quality, and sustainability in agriculture. They study plant genetics, diseases, and pests to develop resilient crop varieties and efficient farming techniques. Agricultural scientists also analyze soil composition, water usage, and environmental factors to optimize agricultural practices. They may work in laboratories, field research stations, or academic institutions, collaborating with farmers and policymakers to address challenges and promote sustainable agriculture for food security and environmental conservation.

Desarrollo de nuevas técnicas: Un científico agrónomo trabaja en el desarrollo de nuevas técnicas y métodos para mejorar la calidad y productividad de los cultivos. Esto puede incluir, por ejemplo, la mejora de técnicas de riego, el desarrollo de fertilizantes más efectivos o la creación de variedades de plantas más resistentes a enfermedades.

Um cientista da área agrícola hoje, pode estudar a expressão genética de microrganismos benéficos, associados ao desenvolvimento das plantas, nas três vertentes importantes como optimização da nutrição (microrganismos que são decisivos na disponibilização de nutrientes bloqueados no solo, na sua solubilização, absorção, assimilação e metabolização), estimulação (processos associados à nutrição, ao desenvolvimento adequado e esperado para enraizamento, desenvolvimento vegetativo, indução e vingamento das flores e frutos, maturação e qualidade final dos produtos) e protecção (contra agentes patogénicos do sistema radicular, vasos condutores e filosfera - folhas, flores e frutos). Já sabemos muito sobre estes processos, mas mais podemos saber.

Supervisión de cultivos: Los científicos agrónomos también supervisan los cultivos, asegurándose de que se apliquen las mejores prácticas agrícolas y se utilizan las técnicas adecuadas para maximizar la cosecha y minimizar los efectos negativos en el medio ambiente.

Control de plagas: Los científicos agrónomos también se encargan de controlar las plagas y enfermedades que afectan a los cultivos. Esto puede incluir el desarrollo de métodos de prevención y control de plagas, así como la investigación de nuevas formas de combatir enfermedades y plagas que afectan los cultivos.

Asesoramiento técnico: Los científicos agrónomos también pueden asesorar a los agricultores sobre prácticas agrícolas, selección de cultivos, técnicas de fertilización, uso adecuado de pesticidas, gestión del suelo y otros aspectos relacionados con la producción agrícola. En resumen, un científico agrónomo se dedica al estudio y desarrollo de técnicas y métodos para mejorar la producción agrícola, así como a la investigación y control de plagas y enfermedades. Trabaja tanto en laboratorios como en campo, y su objetivo principal es maximizar la productividad y calidad de los cultivos, promoviendo prácticas agrícolas sostenibles y respetuosas con el medio ambiente.

Usually agronomic scientists have as background , among others: biology, agronomy , agronomic engineering, genetic engineering molecular engineering, mining engineer (for soil analysis) and mechanical engineer(for Agricultural equipments). Since plant agronomy requires lots of tests and field developments , we have also seen mathematics and statistics as background. With all digital revolution happening in the agricultural segment, all academic background related to digital, satellite and imagery sciences are lately very present in all agricultural segments.

In the Agricultural space , Greenhouse Gas Emissions - GHG, has become a very important segment, understanding how GHG are released by soil and plants and how it gets traped in the atmosphere has become a key theme for climate. GHG stay in the atmosphere trapping heat and causing the earth warm. At present it is estimated that earth temperature has increased 1.1 centigrades, elevating the avg earth temperature to 16.1c vs it’s historical average at 15c. Major GHG are: carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide , Hydrofluorocarbons, Perfluorocarbons, Sulphur hexafluoride, nitrogen trifluoride. Becoming an Agriculture to study on how Agriculture can impact climate and how to minimize it will be a key area in Agriculture over the next years.