A Comprehensive Guide to B.Tech Agriculture Course 

Though B.Tech Agriculture is a less-traveled path, it can be a great career choice if you are passionate about it. In this article, you can find out more about the B.Tech agriculture course.

Preview:

• What is the B.Tech agriculture course?
• Who is eligible to study the B.Tech agriculture course?
• What are the steps in the admission process of this course?
• What are the qualifying exams for the B.Tech agriculture course?
• What type of questions/ Paper pattern should you expect in the entrance exams of this course?
• Which are the Top 10 Colleges in India that offer the B. Tech Agriculture Engineering courses?
• What is the tentative fee structure?
• What is the syllabus and what are the different projects you can opt for while pursuing the B. Tech Agriculture Engineering?
• What are the career prospects and Job scope for a B. Tech Agricultural Engineer?
• List of different job prospects and titles/ designations for a B. Tech Agricultural Engineer?
• Government Jobs list after B.Tech Agriculture Engineering
• List of Government companies who hire the B. Tech Agricultural engineers
• List of Private companies who hire the B. Tech Agricultural engineers
• List of countries overseas who hire the B. Tech Agricultural engineers
• Conclusion

What is the B.Tech agriculture course?

Often as a science student is asked about his ambition, he would state, being an aspiring engineer or a doctor. However, if we look at the statistics, India alone produces around 1 million engineering graduates every year. There are so many streams in engineering and diverse options to choose from.

This also opens up a huge stream of opportunities for students pursuing a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) or Bachelor of Engineering (B.E) and helps make an excellent career to establish themselves in life.

There is a huge scope of personal growth as well. A student needs to clear the required qualifying exams held, as well as secure 60% marks in 12th standard board exams to be eligible for B. Tech or B.E. However, depending on the course and state, the eligibility criteria may change.

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In India, the different streams of engineering currently in demand are:

• Computer Science and Engineering
• Electronics and Communication Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Biochemical / Biomedical Engineering
• Aerospace / Aeronautical Engineering

In-demand streams provide for more pay packages, however, this list keeps changing. We need to focus on an aspect: the growing need of the hour, food, to provide for the ever-increasing population.

More population leads to higher food demand, and hence, it is of utmost importance to navigate our interest towards agriculture and farming. Innovative methods and upgraded technology is needed to be implemented, to raise productivity and develop effective, faster, and long-term solutions to the current agricultural sector.

Therefore, the trend is changing. Instead of the mainstream courses and a career with high salary packages, many students are opting for slightly other streams of engineering. As per a recent survey, some of the top-most important streams of engineering includes,

• Agricultural Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Electrical and Electronics Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Petroleum Engineering

It should be noted that all the above streams are core subjects contributing towards sustainable development and can majorly impact the growth of the nation making it self-sufficient in terms of able manpower, skills, and talent.

As we see, B. Tech Agriculture is one of the most emerging streams of technology that has immense opportunities in the future. One of the reasons is that it is still an unexplored area for the millennials, and secondly, it is a need for the future generation to venture into. Both government and private sectors have job opportunities in this field. Let us check how B. Tech Agriculture can be touted as one of the topmost suitable options, soon.

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Who is eligible to study B. Tech agriculture course?

As it is observed, each state has its own set of parameters as the minimum eligibility criteria for the course, however, the basic eligibility requirements that are followed by maximum colleges and institutes, offering the course is relatively similar. So, if you are wondering, what qualifications or certifications you need, let us check that out.

• The first criteria for any aspirant are that you must pass your 12th standard or an equivalent degree from a recognized institute/college /board/ University.
• You need to have passed with Mathematics and Physics in class 12th as the major subjects and one of the optional subjects must be either Chemistry or Biology or Biotechnology.
• You need to secure a minimum aggregate of 60% (55% for the reserved category aspirants) in the qualifying examination.
• You need to give specific entrance examinations and if you get a qualifying percentile, you are all set.
• And the good news: If you are appearing for the final exam or waiting for the final result, you still can apply for the admission to B. Tech Agricultural Engineering course. However, if the results declared do not match the qualifying criteria, you would not be eligible to go further with the process.

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What are the steps in the admission process of this Course?

The admission process is based on two criteria as mentioned below:

• Students are accepted through merit quota based on their scores in national and state-wise entrance exams, however, the cut-off for these would vary depending on the college they select.
• The admission also depends on which category the student belongs in, keeping in mind the reservation system.

Once, the 12th standard results are as expected, and you have given your JEE exam as well as qualified it, once the results are declared, universities and colleges announce their cut-off which is the onset of the admission process.

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How to apply for this course, is it online or offline? 

• You may apply for the course either online or offline.
• You need to start the application process by filling in their details like their name, phone number, email address, the course you are interested in (here in your case, it would be B. Tech Agriculture).
• For offline registration, you have to visit the respective colleges, fill their forms, attach your required documents and wait for their results to be declared.

What are the qualifying exams for the B.Tech agriculture course?

Below are some of the exams you may opt for:

• ICAR AIEEA: Indian Council of Agricultural Research which conducts the All India Entrance Examination in Agriculture and Allied sciences.
• GCET: Goa Common Entrance Test (Goa-CET)
• OUAT: Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology
• BCECE: Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination
• KCET: Karnataka Common Entrance Test (Karnataka CET)

What type of questions/ Paper pattern should you expect in the B.Tech agriculture course entrance exams?

• The paper pattern includes logical, reasoning, and knowledge-based questions.
• There is an objective type of questions from major subjects: Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
• The test duration is around 2-3 hours.
• The exam can be either offline, OMR sheet-based paper, or online.
• The syllabus, mode of examination, and question pattern are subject to vary as per the College/ university/ conduction body.

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Which are the Top 10 colleges in India that offer B.Tech agriculture courses?

Ranking College

1 Kalasalingam University

2 Aditya Engineering College Surampalem

3 Rungta College of Engineering and Technology

4 Vignan University

5 Avanthi Institute of Engineering and Technology

6 Sarontj Institute of Technology and Management

7 Centurion Uni. of Tech. and Management Bhubaneswar

8 Vision Institute of Technology Aligarh

9 Narendra Deva Uni. of Agriculture and Technology

10 ABR College of Engineering and Technology

What is the tentative fee structure?

Indeed, a valid question, isn’t it? All of us aspire to be what we want, but finance is an important aspect of it. Approximately, the entire course amounts to around 2-5 lacs, depending on the college/ University opted for.

What is the syllabus and what are the subjects you need to study throughout the Course?

• The syllabus includes core subjects / Major subjects, practicals, and in total eight semesters, they conclude the course. Eight semesters in four years which amounts to 2 exams/ semesters per year.
• All these semesters include Classroom/ online lectures, Practical sessions in laboratories, Assignments, projects, and field trips/ excursions.
• The marking scheme for each semester is decided by the respective college/ Institute.
• The entire course is designed in such a way as to make the aspirants competent and competitive to face the current trends and excel in their job interviews.

Still confused about what to expect in each exam and which subjects are present in which semester?

Duration of the course: 4 years, total semesters= 8.

Syllabus of B.Tech Agricultural Engineering; 1st Year includes:

Semester I:

• Engineering Mathematics
• Engineering Physics
• Engineering Chemistry
• Basic Electronics and Electrical Engineering
• Technical English Communication
• Physics and Chemistry Lab
• Basic Electrical and Electronics Lab
• English Language Lab
• Basic Electrical and Electronics Lab

Semester II:

• Engineering Mathematics II
• Engineering Mechanics
• Environmental Studies
• Introduction of Computer Programming
• Elements of Mechanical and Civil Engineering
• Engineering Drawing
• Computer Programming Lab
• Informational Technology

Syllabus Of B.Tech Agricultural Engineering; 2nd Year includes:

Semester III:

• Study of Engineering Properties of the organic materials & Food Quality
• Soil And Fluid Mechanics
• Engineering Mathematics III
• Farm Power And Renewable Energy Sources
• Mechanics Lab
• Farm Power And Renewable Energy Sources Lab

Semester IV:

• Refrigeration, Air conditioning with heat, and mass transfer
• Soil And Water Conservation Structure
• Crop Processing And Drying And Structure
• Theory of Machines

Syllabus Of B.Tech Agricultural Engineering; 3rd Year includes:

Semester V:

• Machines Drawing And Machines Design
• Electrical Machines And Power Utilisation
• Farm Machinery And Equipment
• Ground Water Wells And Pumps
• Watershed Hydrology
• Machines Drawing And Machines Design Lab
• Farm Machinery & Equipment Lab

Semester VI:

• Irrigation And Drainage Engineering
• Tractor Systems And Control
• Dairy And Food Engineering
• Maintenance Of Tractor And Farm Machinery Lab with field operation
• Irrigation And Drainage Engineering Lab
• Dairy And Food Engineering Lab

Syllabus Of B.Tech Agricultural Engineering; 4th Year includes:

Semester VII:

• Agricultural Structures And Environment Control
• Agribusiness Management And Entrepreneurship Development
• Food Packaging Technology
• Food Processing Plant Design And Layout

Semester VIII:

• Environmental Engineering
• Design And Maintenance Of Greenhouse
• Micro Irrigation System Design
• Farm Power And Renewable Energy Sources

What are the different projects you can opt for while pursuing the course?

While it is important to have theoretical knowledge and attend the classroom or online lectures religiously, what is even more important is the implementation of the knowledge. And so, different projects are given to students so that they research about it and frame the information in every aspect of their project, this improves the analytical application of the student, enhances his skills and boosts the confidence, the more you go for hands-on training projects, the more efficient you are.

Here are some of the popular B. Tech Agricultural Engineering Projects:

• Automatic bottle washing machine
• Moisture, Humidity, and light controlling system management for garden
• Automatic Packing control Machine
• Automatic Vegetable (or) Lemon Cutting machine
• Automatic Water level Sensing Crane
• Automatic Water Tape Controlling System
• Chisel Plough
• Coconut tree Sprayer
• Electricity & Water Pumping System with the help of Wind energy
• Application of solar power to check motor pump run and functioning
• Fabrication of Hydraulic 3 axis Modern Trailer
• Fabrication of Maize de-Husker
• Fabrication of rotary Kaller
• Fabrication of Seeds Sprayer
• Fabrication of Solar Agro Sprayer
• Fabrication of solar irrigation System
• Fabrication of tea leaf cutting machine using the solar energy
• Fabrication of Solar Seed Dryer
• Auto Tracking of the solar seed dryer with its fabrication
• Fabrication of Seeds Sprayer using solar energy
• Fabrication of Tomato grader
• Fabrication of vegetable slicing Machine
• Groundnut Harvester
• Groundnut Thruster
• Paddy Harvester
• Agricultural Water Pumping System and its Auto Tracking using the solar energy
• Water Pumping System using Wind Power

What are the career prospects and Job scope for a B. Tech Agricultural Engineer?

What is the scope of B Tech Agriculture? Are there decent job prospects? Well, we educate ourselves, so that, the job prospect looks promising and we can have a fruitful career. But, as we know, this field is not so popular because of less exposure to the masses, the question arises, which companies would hire us or what are the chances to get hired by the cream companies where the working culture would be good and pay package would be decent. Here, some of the aspects are shared:

• For the right candidate, there is no dearth of job opportunities. If the student has the required relevant skills, knowledge, and analytical mind as to where and how to apply his knowledge analyzing the situation along with some experience of handling a few assignments, then there are many such career options.
• In a country like India, which raises a good revenue by farming, this course can open up a sea of opportunities for them.
• There are several B. Tech Agricultural Engineering jobs that you can opt for.

You may explore the following career opportunities:

• Agricultural Sales Engineer
• Manufacturing Manager
• Agriculture Program Manager
• Researcher/Fundamental Analyst
• Primary Production Manager
• Farming Consultant & Agronomist
• Sales Manager
• Agriculture Portfolio Manager
• Agriculture Research Scientist
• Food Safety Applications Engineer
• Soil and Plant Scientist
• Conservation Scientist and Forester
• Agriculture and Irrigation Engineer
• Lecturer/Professor
• Agricultural Inspector
• Agricultural Specialist
• Farm Shop Manager
• Food and Beverage Supervisor
• Survey Research Agricultural Engineer
• Agronomist

Some of the opportunities provided by the Government after completion of the B.Tech agriculture course:

Government jobs are often one of the most sought-after jobs, so the B.Tech agriculture course graduates are no exception, they too, opt for these lucrative jobs. Some of the options for these graduates are as follows:

IBPS Agriculture Field Officer (AFO):

• IBPS conducts Specialist Officer entrance examinations, IBPS SO for various posts, annually.

The Agriculture Field Officer comes under this category which is a scale I Specialist Officer job through which the candidates can work in banks.

• Agriculture Field Officers work in banks. Their main job is to lend and disburse agriculture loans, as per the requirement and eligibility of the seeker. For this role, the qualification required is as follows: 4 years bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, with a minimum age of the candidate as 20 years and the maximum age be 30 years.

Indian Forest Service- IFS Officer:

• It is a reputed job role that most graduates in the agriculture stream desire to opt for.
• Qualification required: Candidates with a B.Tech in agriculture degree can prepare for the UPSC IFS examination.

Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) jobs:

• Scientists or Subject Matter Experts (SME) at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) is also a good option.
• This prestigious institute, (IARI) is currently located in Delhi and is financed and managed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

You may also opt for higher studies, as follows:

Higher Education after B.Tech agriculture course:

A candidate can seek higher studies and pursue M Tech from reputed universities by qualifying for the GATE exam and may seek admission.

Some of the top government hiring companies are listed below:

1. Union Public Service Commission: The job designation is of Assistant Agricultural Marketing Adviser with an average salary of 2LPA.
2. Punjab Agricultural University: Here, the job title offered is directed towards a Teaching/management/clerical vacancy with an annual package of 3.8 LPA.
3. Ministry of Agriculture: They provide the vacancy for Store Officer by offering an annual salary of 4.6 LPA.
4. Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture: they appoint SRF or the Senior Research Fellow and offer around 4.1 LPA.

Some of the private companies in India that hire B.Tech Agricultural Engineering students are as follows:

• AMUL Dairy
• Nestle India
• Frigorifico Allana
• ITC
• Farming Industry Consultants
• Agricultural Commodities Processors
• Escorts
• Pro-agro Seed
• PRADAN
• Mother Dairy
• NABARD
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research
• Food Corporation of India
• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
• National Seeds Corporation
• National Dairy Development Board

Some of the countries offering the best job opportunities to B.Tech Agricultural Engineers are as follows:

While we know, the job prospects in India concerning this course, many countries abroad also provide good job opportunities to a B tech Agriculture engineer.

Below is a list:

• Canada
• South Africa
• USA
• Australia
• Indonesia
• Brazil
• United States
• United Kingdom
• Japan
• China

Closing paragraph:

Apart from pursuing BTech Agriculture course, one may choose to go in a similar stream from other courses, you can pursue agricultural courses by selecting BSc Agriculture course followed by MSc Agriculture course or by opting for Diploma courses, the syllabus, changes a bit, the duration changes to 3 years and it is recommended that the student pursues MSc to get good career prospects. You may find more about the BSc Agriculture course, and how it differs from the B.Tech agriculture course.

It can be exhilarating to choose a path less traveled, it would be all the more thrilling, and challenging. But, let us focus on the brighter side, if you choose this career, it might land you on an adventurous journey, where every step would be satisfying. Think of the times you felt the pieces of the puzzle scary, but when you could make the entire picture, it was labeled as a successful attempt by you. Quite similarly, this journey might also be rewarding. This generation needs to take up challenges and rule the change. That might be the way to achieving success in its true sense.

While we know, it is a tough survival out there in the job sector, it should be noted that a deserving candidate should always be optimistic because if you are skilled, there is no one stopping you. You would do better, with time, patience and experience. So, dare to travel the path, less explored. You can make the most of opportunities, you should think of all the positive impact it would serve on the nation, and most importantly, you can stand tall in the crowd, by doing something unique! All the best!

I hope, you liked this article.