Build your career as a Plant Pathologist

Kaustov Kashyap

(pragatigroup08@gmail.com)

Plant Pathologist is a professional apt in taking care of the health of plants. With the ever-increasing population on the earth, the demand for food, medicines and other consumable items is increasing at a fast rate, whereas resources of the earth are depleting every day. Thus to keep pace with the demand within the limited resources there is a great need to improve the quality and quantity of the existing resources so that they could be used up to the optimum level to fill the gap between demand and supply of the consumable biological resources of the earth.

A lot of efforts are required to take care of plants' health to get maximum output of the existing resources throughout the world in general and in India in particularly, as we are one of the leading agricultural countries of the world and one of the biggest sources of its wealth is its produce from land.

Plant Pathologists specialize in plant health in the same way as a physician specializes in human 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 Pathologists 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, fibre, tree and ornamental plants provides many opportunities for plant pathologists.

With the ever-increasing importance and need of Plant Pathologists, it has become one of the hottest career options available for 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, at the same time it offers enormous scope for the building one's career not in the practical field but also as an educationist in various colleges 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 of study.

To discharge his/her duties with efficiency, a Plant Pathologist should have good interpretation skills, be confident of accepting challenges and have an ability to understand things as they come before him/her. They have to look into every minute detail to conclude as precisely as possible. Young people with a desire and capacity for hard work can get both money and satisfaction in this profession.

Plant Pathologist Eligibility

The aspiring candidates have to under undergo some or more of the following courses:

Graduate Courses

Bachelor's degree in Plant Pathology.

B Sc with Specialization in Plant Pathology.

Candidates who wish to apply for these 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.

PG/Master's or PhD Courses

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.

Plant Pathologist: Required Skills

Plant Pathologists must be aware of the latest technological advancement and techniques as they have to work in laboratories with technologically advanced equipment and scientific devices such as microscopes. Thus, knowledge of latest technology will definitely help one to become a successful Plant Pathologist. They must be able to work for long hours and in trying conditions as they have to work with plants afflicted with pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, plants contract diseases that plant pathologists work to uncover and, ultimately, cure. The capacity to work for long hours, that too in difficult conditions, will help them immensely. Plant Pathologists must have good communication and organizing skills to work in a team environment as they have to work with plant breeders, farmers, entomologists, and botanists in the farms and gardens where plants grow. Above all, they should have the flair to work for the environment as Plant Pathologists engage with biological scientists and engineers to create safer living arrangements to allow plants to reach their maximum growth and yield potential.

How to become a Plant Pathologist?

Interested candidate with at least 60% marks in the 10+2 with science as the stream has to apply for the admission in undergraduate courses in Plant Pathology courses offered by nearly all of the 34 state agricultural universities 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. After completion of graduation, admission to the postgraduate courses is based on the performance of the candidates in the All India Combined Entrance and State level Entrance Examinations conducted separately. All India Entrance is being held regularly by the ICAR that also provides JRF scholarship to students.

After completion of his/her studies, the aspiring candidates have to sit in the combined entrance conducted by various state and centre recruitment agencies from time to time to join as a Plant Pathologist or even for the post of Agricultural Research Scientist in the various concerned departments of the state and Central Governments.

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

Plant Pathologist Career Prospects

Enormous employment opportunities are available for Plant Pathologists in private as well as public sector organizations. Plant Pathologist posts are available in government agencies and private organizations' R&D agencies. One can also qualify the NET examinations conducted by ASRB (ICAR) and CSIR for direct eligibility as a professor in any college or higher education institute having a plant pathology department or allied research labs etc.

Plant Pathologist Salary

Plant Pathologists' salary depends largely upon their academic qualification, institute or university from which the degree is attained and the level of work experience they have achieved. A fresh graduate from a well-recognized agricultural university can earn an initial package of Rs 30, 000 to Rs 40,000 per month. An experienced person could be offered between Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000. Senior pathologists having experience up to ten years in the field, earn higher salaries.