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.

Top Colleges for Ph.D. (Agronomy)

PhD Agronomy: Course Highlights Table

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

Course Level	Doctorate
Duration	3 years
Examination Type	Semester type
Eligibility	Master’s degree
Admission Process	Merit-based or Entrance-based
Top recruiting organizations	MITRA agro Equipment, EPC Industries, Fortune Trading House, Gardencity Realty Private Limited, Param Greenhouses
Top recruiting areas	Agriculture Sectors, Food Processing Plants, Organic Farming, FMCG Companies, Fertilizer Companies, Manure Industries, Educational Institutes
Top job profiles	Agronomy Officer, Subject Matter Specialist, Corporate Agronomist, Rice Breeder, Soil Scientist, Area Sales Manager, Agronomist
Course Fee	INR 5,000 to 2 Lacs
Average Starting Salary	INR 1 to 10 Lacs

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.

COLLEGE NAME	CITY	AVERAGE ANNUAL FEE IN INR
Agriculture College	Guntur	INR 10,920
Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswa Vidyalaya	West Bengal	INR 8,000
Bihar Agricultural University	Bhagalpur	INR 7,488
College of Postgraduate Studies	Shillong	INR 25,000
Directorate of Rapeseed-Mustard Research	Rajasthan	INR 20,000
Rajasthan College of Agriculture	Udaipur	INR 25,000
SV Agricultural College	Tirupati	INR 14,400
Tirhut College of Agriculture	Bihar	INR 12,085
University of Agricultural Sciences	Dharwad	INR 13,250
Visva Bharati University	Birbhum	INR 61,000
GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology	Pantnagar	INR 89,000
College of Agriculture	Bhubaneswar	INR 45,000
Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University	Bapatla	INR 32,750
Punjab Agricultural University	Ludhiana	INR 1,51,000
Assam Agricultural University	Jorhat	INR 76,600
College of Agriculture	Thiruvananthapuram	INR 45,300
Rajendra Agricultural University	Pusa	INR 25,000
Lovely Professional University	Jalandhar	INR 39,500

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.

Latest Ph.D. (Agronomy) Admission Alert

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.

YEAR I	YEAR II	YEAR III
Agricultural Chemistry	Genetics	Medicinal Plants and Aromatics
Biochemistry	Agronomy	Plantation Technology
Plant Physiology	Soil Science	Processing and Food Technology
Molecular Biology	Entomology	Food and Nutrition
Agricultural Meteorology	Nematology	Public Health
Agricultural Physics	Agricultural extension	Animal Breeding

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

Agronomyis 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:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Agronomy annual salary

JOB POSITION	JOB DESCRIPTION	AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY IN INR
Farm manager	Farm managers are responsible for budgeting and maintaining accurate financial records. They organize sales and purchases of livestock, crops and agricultural products. Handling paperwork and keeping administrative records. They may also plan strategies for maximum yield, working machinery, organizing farm administration, organizing associated businesses and managing staff.	INR 1 to 2 Lacs
Agronomist	Agronomists are responsible for specializing in producing and improving food crops through conducting experiments and developing methods of production. They divide their time on the field and on the laboratory. They collect samples while on in the field, talk to farmers and others involved in the industry or introduce different techniques and products that could improve soil quality.	INR 5 to 6 Lacs
Research associate	Research associates are responsible for monitoring the progress of research projects and coordinate information between departmental sections. They will perform a wide and complex variety of assays, test, and studies. They also perform highly specialized and advanced experiments. They may also collect, prepare, analyze, and evaluate specimens and tissue cultures.	INR 3 to 4 Lacs
Lecturer	Lecturers are responsible for teaching academic and vocational subjects to undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18 upwards. They work in universities and in some further education colleges. Lecturers also pursue their own research to contribute to the wider research activities of their department or institution. Their aim is to have this published in books or scholarly articles.	INR 3 to 4 Lacs