Plant Pathologist - How to become a Plant Pathologist

Plant Pathologist

With the ever increasing population of the earth the demand for the food, medicines and other consumable is increasing at a fast rate whereas on the other hand the recourses of the earth are depleting with every new day. Thus to keep pace with the demand within the limited recourses there is a great need to improve the quality and quantity of the existing recourses so that they could be used up to optimum level to fill the gap between demand and supply of the consumable biological recourses on the earth. For making this a reality a lot of efforts are required to take care of the plant health to get maximum output of the existing recourses throughout the world generally and in India particularly as we are one of the leading agricultural countries in the world and one of the biggest sources of its wealth is its produce from land. And it is the Plant Pathologist who specializes in plant health in the same way as a physician specializes inhuman health. Keeping plants healthy requires an understanding of the organisms and agents that cause disease as well as an understanding of how plants grow and are affected by the diseases. Plant Pathologist are those professionals who are aware of all these aspects through their college courses in botany, microbiology, crop science, ecology, genetics etc. Plant pathologists  in their work cooperate with plant breeders and crop  management, insects and weed specialists in developing integrated, environmentally sound approaches to managing crops and their  pests.  

These professionals play an important role in maintaining and increasing the Nation’s agricultural productivity. Considering the expanding interest in the quality of our global environment and increasing global demand for high-quality food, fiber, tree and ornamental plants provides many opportunities for plant pathologists.

With the ever increasing importance and need of Plant pathologist it has become one of the hottest career options available to today’s Bio-Science graduates. It is an apt career for those who have a passion for improvement in the existing agricultural and allied products.

Although it demands a lot of hard work and effort but at the same time offers enormous scope for the building of one’s career not in the practical field but also as an educationist in various collages and agricultural universities. These professionals are also sought by government and corporations to participate in teams of specialists addressing international agricultural development.

But on the other hand this profession is such a profession which demands hard work and high level of patience along with many years in the study.

To discharge his duties with efficiency a Plant Pathologist  should have good interpretation skills, be confident of accepting challenges and an ability to understand things as they come before him. They have to look into every minute details of the facts to conclude as precisely as possible.

Young people with desire and capacity for hard work can get both money and satisfaction in this profession.

To be a Plant Pathologist  one has to undergo the following Courses

1. Graduate courses
(i) Bachelors degree in Plants Pathology.
(ii) B.Sc with Specialization in Plant Pathology

Eligibility

1. Educational Qualification
Candidates who wish to apply for above given Under Graduate degree courses should have passed 10+2 or equivalent examination, with physics, chemistry and Biology/Biology with a minimum of 50% marks in the aggregate in the subjects concerned.

2.More advanced courses such as  Master’s degree or Ph.D. can also be done in the field.

Eligibility

1. Educational Qualification
Graduates in relative fields with minimum 60% for general category and 55% marks in Other reserve categories are eligible for the postgraduate and Doctorate courses.

Process to become a Plant Pathologist.

Step 1
Interested candidate with at least 60% marks in the 10+2 with science as stream has to apply for the admission in undergraduate courses in Plant Pathology courses offered by nearly all of the 34 state agricultural university and 3 deemed agricultural universities throughout the country. Selection to the graduate courses ( B.Sc ) is based on merit i.e the marks secured in the final exams of 10+2 and through entrance tests in some of the reputed agricultural universities.

Step 2
After completion of the graduation admission to the  Post graduate  and other upper courses is based on the performance of the candidates in the All India Combined Entrance and State level Entrance Examinations conducted separately.

The all India Entrance is being held regularly by the ICAR that also provides JRF scholarship to Students.

Step 3
After completion of his studies the aspiring candidates has to sit in the Combined entrance conducted by various state and centre recruitment agencies from time to time to join as an  Plant Pathologist or even  for the post of  Agricultural Research Scientist in the various concerned departments of the state and Centre Governments .

Besides the aspiring candidates can also take ARS NET exam to work as Lecturer in various agricultural universities and their affiliated collages.

Career options
As there is increasing popularity and explosive growth, there is plenty of opportunities available in Agricultural field. You can not only be a field Plant Pathologist but also can be  an Agricultural Research Scientist or a lecturer or Production in-charge in the processing Food and allied industry.

Area of Scope and remuneration for the persons adopting this career.
Enormous employment opportunities are available for Plant Pathologist in private as well as public sector organisations. Plant Pathologists can find good employment in the International organization working in this field, public sector, government agencies, and many private organization’s R & D agencies. One can also qualify NET examinations conducted  by ASRB(ICAR) and CSIR for direct eligibility as professor in any college or higher education institute having a plant pathology department or allied research labs etc.  

Remunerations and Monetary Gains
The amount of remuneration to these professionals depends largely upon their academic qualification, institute or university from which the degree is attained and the level of work experience they have achieved. To start with the fresh Graduates from  some of the  prestigious  universities can get anything between 1,00,000-1,50,000 as annual income.