Sector
Life Science
Keyword

Plant Pathologist

Minimum M.Sc. in Agriculture

Minimum experience of up to 2 years in relevant field

The tasks a Plant Pathologist is expected to perform include:

Conducting research to identify nature and cause of plant diseases and decay of plant products

Evolving methods for the control and prevention of diseases in plants

Examining and comparing healthy and diseased plants to determine symptoms of diseased condition

Inoculating healthy plants with culture of suspected organism from diseased plants to determine organism responsible for disease

Studying growth, habit and life cycle of disease causing organisms

Devising methods for destroying or controlling diseases

Testing possible control measures in laboratory and field conditions for effectiveness, economy, etc.

Observing growth of plants under different conditions of soil, climate, temperature, etc.

Relating findings of prevention of diseases for use of disease resisting seeds, fumigation, etc.

Spraying fungicides over stem and leaves for killing fungus

Propagating plant protection methods

Knowledge of all pathogen groups

Familiar with principles of disease management

Skilled in identifying pathogens within major pathogen groups

In-depth knowledge of disease etiology and epidemiology

Knowledge of disease development and pathogen evolution

Familiar with experimental design and applied statistics

Basic knowledge of isolating culture of major pathogen groups

In-depth knowledge of botanical diseases, plant biology, plant ecology, plant genetics and plant nematology

Familiar with pollutant effects on plants

Knowledge of disease control methods

Ph.D. in Agricultural Plant Pathology

Ability to take informed decisions

Excellent communication skills

Good interpersonal skills

Confident

Self-motivated

Excellent analytical skills

Attention to detail

It is not a desk job

Need not handle a team

Local travelling maybe a part of this job role

Part-time work and contractual jobs maybe available

Work from home option is not available

Working hours

Companies usually work for 5/6 days a week and 9/10 hours everyday. This may vary from company to company Shift system maybe available

Is the job suitable for a candidate with special needs?This job is suitable for candidates with One Arm (OA), One Leg (OL) and those who have Both Eyes Low Vision (B.LV) and their Hearing Impaired (HH)

This job is not considered hazardous or dangerous under The Factories Act, 1948 (section 87)

Occupational hazards include mental stress, pain in joints, injury to body from equipment used in the laboratory, etc. if not taken care of

For freshers -INR16,000 toINR25,000 per month

(These figures are indicative and subject to change)

Growth of Life Sciences in India

Science in India is on the move in a big way. The government has initiated multibillion dollar investments to kick start research, education, and innovation over the next five years. In early 2013, Indian government announced an ambitious science, technology, and innovation funding protocol: in the next five years, double its investment in science and technology and, by 2020, drive India's output of scientific publications to be among the top five nations globally. "The government is going to inject $5 billion into science and technology over the next five years," says C.N.R. Rao, the founder of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR)

The Government initiatives will ensure lot of opportunities for people involved in scientific research and development. Hence the prospects of Plant Pathologists will also be very bright.

Colleges and universities (research, teaching, and extension)Agricultural consulting companies

Agrichemical companies

Seed and plant production companies

Research laboratories

Botanical gardens and arboreta

Biotechnology firms

Biological control companies

Nurseries and garden centres

State government

Lawn and landscape maintenance firms

Cities and towns across India