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An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.) is a professional in the science, practice, and management of Farming and agribusiness. It is a regulated profession in Canada, India, Japan, the Philippines, the United States, and the European Union. Other names used to designate the profession include agricultural scientist, agricultural manager, agricultural planner, agriculture researcher, or agriculture policy maker.
The primary role of agriculturists are in leading agricultural projects and programs, usually in Agribusiness or research for the benefit of , food, and agribusiness-related organizations. Agriculturists usually are designated in the government as public agriculturists serving as agriculture policymakers or technical advisors for policy making. Agriculturists can also provide technical advice for and Farmworker such as in making Crop rotation and to optimize farm production, tracing agricultural market channels, prescribing and to Fertilizer burn, and in aligning for Organic food or the national Quality control.
Preparation of technical engineering designs and construction for agriculture meanwhile are reserved for agricultural engineers. Agriculturists may pursue environmental planning and focus on agricultural and rural planning.
In modern practice, agriculturists are expected to be proficient in digital agriculture such as the use of geographic information systems, artificial intelligence, and remote sensing for better agricultural planning.
Agriculturists of today are involved with many issues, including producing food, creating healthier food, managing the environmental impact of agriculture, distribution of agriculture, recreation surfaces (sports fields, golf courses, and parks), and extracting energy from plants.
Agriculturists often specialize in food and agriculture research areas such as crop rotation, irrigation and drainage, plant breeding, plant physiology, soil classification, soil fertility, weed control, turfgrass and insect and pest control.
Professional agriculturists may provide advice directly to farmers, vineyards, agricultural corporations, municipal and provincial governments, the fertilizer and seeds sector, consult on food processing, advise on range management, turf management and golf course operations, assess and provide remedial recommendations for Brownfield land (contaminated sites), watersheds, among many different areas of practice.
Due to the competitive nature of public service employment, individuals who aspire to hold permanent positions within the civil service must pass the National Civil Service Exam (公务员考试). In addition to passing this exam, candidates are required to have completed a degree in agriculture or a closely related field and highly-intricate training programs to be eligible for appointment as public agricultural officers.
They are kept on 'tenure track' or 'probation' for two years and upon satisfactory completion of this period they are given tenure and confirmed in the ARS. On completing service for designated years and meeting set performance criteria, they are promoted to the next higher grades in a flexible complementation system known as Career Advancement Scheme (CAS).
Incumbents without a PhD degree are given paid study leave to acquire PhD qualification, which is necessary for career progression. Through CAS, scientists can rise up to principal scientist grade, which is equivalent to the scale of joint secretary to the Government of India. The ARS encourages fresh infusion of talent at all senior levels through lateral entry in which incumbent scientists can participate in the open competition and move their career ahead in much shorter time than CAS. All the research management positions are filled through open competition. The director general of ICAR is the highest-ranked member of the ARS, who is ex officio secretary to the Government of India, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture.
Meanwhile Certified Farm Manager (農業経営士, Nōgyō Keieishi), a designation formally awarded through a combination of academic credentials, government-administered training, certification programs, and skills assessments from the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives and that are aligned with the Japanese Agricultural Standards of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).
Section 75. Agriculture and Fisheries Board. - There shall be created an Agriculture and Fisheries Board in the Professional Regulation Commission to upgrade the Agriculture and Fisheries profession. Those who have not passed the Civil Service Examination for Fisheries and Agriculture but have served the industry in either private or public capacity for not less than five (5) years shall be automatically granted eligibility by the Board of Examiners. The first board of examination for B.S. Fisheries and/or Agriculture Graduates shall be conducted within one (1) year from the approval of this Act.A Registered Agriculturist can affix the title "R.Agr." (as name suffix) or "Agr." (as name prefix) to indicate the profession. The Professional Board of Agriculture was created and established in 2000 by virtue of PRC Resolution No. 2000-663 and the first Agriculturist Licensure Examination (ALE) was held in 2003 and has annually been held annually.
A separate registry system for farmers, fisherfolk, and agri-youth was established by the Department of Agriculture through the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA).
Professionals and educators with at least five (5) years of experience in agriculture are allowed to be registered as an Agriculturist without taking the licensure examination.
Professional agrologists are accredited through provincial regulatory bodies, e.g. Saskatchewan Institute of Agrology, Nova Scotia Institute of Agrologists. The requirements to attain professional designation (PAg) are similar in each province. A prospective agrologist is typically required to have a four-year undergraduate science degree directly related to agrology. If accepted by their provincial institute, the applicant is known as an articling agrologist (AAg) or agrologist-in-training (AIT) and must complete a two-year educational and mentorship program before being considered for a professional designation.
An alternative certification called "registered technical agrologist" (RTag), or (PTag) is also available, requiring a two-year college or university education in the agricultural sciences instead of a four-year degree. These technologists designations require a two-year mentorship and education program, and participate in the same mentorship processes as a professional agrologist.
The American Society of Agronomy also provides certifications for Certified Crop Advisors (CCA). To become a Certified Crop Adviser an applicant must pass two exams that may both be written on the same day at the same location. The International exam is written by CCAs in North America. The Prairie region exam is written by individuals wishing to work as advisers in the three Prairie provinces of Canada or in the heartland states of the US.
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