Soil Scientist

Aliases: Agriculture Scientist

Industry/Sector(s): Agriculture

JOB DESCRIPTION ¹

The tasks a Soil Scientist is expected to perform include:

Studying soil characteristics
Classifying or determining land capabilities
Applying the findings to problems connected with agriculture, forestry, horticulture and construction of dams, roads, buildings, etc.
Studying genesis and fertility of soil by examining their various layers
Examining particle size and porosity of soil to determine its physical characteristics
Conducting chemical analysis of inorganic and organic constituents of various soil layers
Conducting experiments to determine micro-biological nutrition in soil for optimum plant growth and recommending appropriate fertilizer dose
Developing methods for control of erosion, alkalinity, salinity, acidity, etc. of soil
Conducting soil survey and soil classification to indicate them on map
Investigating problems relating to stabilization of roads, dams, buildings, etc.

WORK ENVIRONMENT ¹

It is a field job
Work from home is not applicable
Part-time work and contractual jobs maybe available
May require supervising a team
Local travelling maybe part of the job

Working hours

Working hours are 9 hours everyday for 6 days a week
Overtime may be involved
Shift system maybe involved

Is the job suitable for a candidate with special needs?

Yes

This may vary from organization to organization

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING ⁴

Minimum – Preferably Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture

KEY COMPETENCIES ¹

Skilled in research and development, especially related to soil sciences
Knowledge of soil biology, soil physics, soil chemistry, etc.
Proficient in handling large amounts of data
Knowledge of computer programmes and data analysis techniques
Aware of similar research work done in the past
Ability to incorporate the research work of other scientists in their own work
Efficient in presenting the results of their work to farmers and colleagues
Proficient in English language
Knowledge of scientific rules and methods to solve problems
Familiar with product engineering, equipment research and designing
Knowledge of different soil types and their properties
Knowledge of soil requirement for different crops
Ability to prepare clear/accurate activity reports and presentations

DESIRABLE COMPETENCIES ⁴

Not applicable

AVAILABLE SKILL TRAINING AND LEARNING INSTITUTES ^{5, 6}

ICAR institutes and universities across India
Agriculture colleges across India

AVAILABLE SKILL TRAINING SCHEMES/SCHOLARSHIPS

For scholarship and schemes, use further links like:

https://scholarships.gov.in/

SAMPLE OF TRAINING AND LEARNING COURSES

CAREER PROGRESSION PATH ⁷

Head of Company/CEO

↑

General Manager

↑

Head of Research Operations

↑

Senior Scientist, Soil → Movement to other occupations like Teaching

↑

Soil Scientist

The progression is indicative

EXPECTED EARNINGS ⁸

For freshers - Rs 8,000 to Rs 24,000 per month
For candidates with experience – Rs 26,00 to Rs 85,000 per month

These figures are indicative and subject to change

REQUIRED WORK EXPERIENCE ⁴

Minimum 0 – 2 years of work experience in related field

PROBABLE EMPLOYERS

Agriculture co-operative organizations
Government research institutes
NGO’s
Farm owners
Private research companies

KEYWORDS

Soil Scientist
Soil Science

OCCUPATIONAL CODES AND STANDARDS

Standard	Code	Description
NCO 2015	2132.0300	Soil Scientist
ISCO 2008	2132	Farming, Forestry and Fisheries
NIC 2008	72100	Research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering
QP Reference	NA	NA
NSQF	NA	NA

REFERENCES

1	1 National Classification of Occupations, Division – 2, Soil Scientist
2	https://www.osha.gov/Publications/laboratory/OSHA3404laboratory-safety-guidance.pdf
3	https://pursuite-production.s3.amazonaws.com/media/career_guides/ITS_Career_Guide.pdf
4	http://jobsearch.naukri.com
5	9 “Vision 2030”, released by Indian Council of Agriculture Research, January 2011
6	www.censusindia.gov.in

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