Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Agronomy Top Colleges, Syllabus, Scope and Salary

PhD Agronomy is a 3-year full-time Doctorate course in Agriculture. Eligibility of which is  M.Sc. degree in Agronomy or Master’s degree or an equivalent degree with 55% of marks or 6 GPA point scale from a recognized university.

Many colleges offer PhD Agronomy course in India. Every college has their own eligibility criteria, admission process, and fees structure.

Some of the top colleges/universities offer this course includes:

• Agriculture College, Guntur
• Bihar Agricultural University, Bhagalpur
• Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur
• University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad
•  College of Postgraduate Studies, Shillong

The average fee for this course ranges between INR 5,000 to INR 2 lakhs based on the candidate’s marks obtained in their master’s degree or entrance exams.

This course helps to learn how to produce and use plants for fuel, food, fibre, feed, and reclamation. This course encompasses work in the areas of plant physiology, plant genetics, soil science, and meteorology. In this course, students study nutrients management, soil and water, crop management, and pest management.

Admission for PhD Agronomy is based on merit-list or entrance-exam. Most of the colleges select students based on the marks obtained in their master’s degree or an equivalent degree. Some reputed colleges conduct entrance exams for this course admission. Students who are selected for entrance exam should attend the personal interview conducted by the college. Based on their performances, they will be selected for admissions.

After completion of this course, graduates may work in fields like Agriculture Sectors, Food Processing Plants, Organic Farming, FMCG Companies, Fertilizer Companies, Manure Industries, Educational Institutes, etc. These professionals may work in positions like Agronomy Officer, Subject Matter Specialist, Corporate Agronomist, Rice Breeder, Soil Scientist, Area Sales Manager, Agronomist, etc. The average salary for these professionals ranges between INR 1 to 10 Lacs as per their experience and expertise in this field.

PhD Agronomy: Course Highlights Table

Written below are some of the major highlights of the course.

PhD Agronomy: What is it about?

PhD Agronomy course helps to study fundamentals of agronomy, introductory crops, and soils designed for the agronomists to build their skills and knowledge in agronomy. In this course, students study major topics such as resource conservation, soil physical and biological characteristics, irrigation, water quality, drainage, fertilizers and other nutrient sources, soil and tissue analysis and interpretation, pest identification, cropping systems, soil PH and liming, cropping systems, managing production risk, storage, harvest, and planting practices.

This course is taught using educational technology by giving a variety of examples and case studies that give students ability to understand content delivery and its applications in this field. In this course, students majorly concentrate on major sections like soil and water management, crop management, nutrient management, and pest management.

PhD Agronomy: Top Institutes 

Given below are the college names, location and the average structure of the fees which will be taken by the college for this course.

PhD Agronomy: Eligibility 

Candidates who have completed Master’s degree in Agronomy or an equivalent Master’s degree from a recognized university are eligible for PhD Agronomy course. Candidates should obtain 55% of marks in their Master’s degree for this course eligibility (50% of marks for SC.ST/OBC candidates). The percentage may vary from one college to another. Eligible candidates may apply for this course through online or offline.

PhD Agronomy: Admission Process

Admission for PhD Agronomy course is based on Merit list or an Entrance-exam. Most of the colleges conduct counselling and select students based on the merit list prepared by the state-wise universities. Some of the reputed colleges conduct entrance exams to select students for this course admission.

Some of the major entrance exam conducted by the reputed colleges and universities are:

• GMAT
• GPAT
• LPU NEST
• AJEE

Entrance exams may vary from state to state. Few colleges conduct the personal interview followed by the entrance exam. Those colleges select students based on their performances in an entrance exam and the personal interview.

PhD Agronomy: Syllabus and Course Description

A year-wise syllabus for PhD (Agronomy) is given below. The syllabus may vary from one college to other.

PhD Agronomy: Who should opt?

• Candidates who have interest in Agronomy and its related areas are suitable for this course.
• Candidates who have the ability to use the scientific methods and rules to solve issues are suitable for this course.
• Candidates who have studied biology like interactions with an environment, knowledge of plants and animals, and functions are also suitable.  

PhD Agronomy: Career Prospects

Agronomy is one of the top career choices made by students in India. It has a lot of scope in terms of career opportunities. After completing PhD Agronomy course, candidates may get paid jobs in government as well as in private organizations.

They may also work as researcher, distributors, supervisors, and engineer or they can also start their own business. With the commercialization of horticulture and agriculture, there are wide-ranging opportunities for paid jobs as well as private enterprise. Some professionals start their own farm and recruit, train, instruct and supervise farm workers. They also work for Livestock on farms tends to be cows or sheep, pigs, while crops can cover cereals, oilseed rape, vegetables, and salad.

Given below are the major job positions, their descriptions, and the Average annual salary for each position: