Career Details :: Plant Scientists
Description
Conduct research in breeding, production, and yield of plants or crops, and control of pests.
Experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Education
A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required for these occupations. However, many also require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Training
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Tasks
- Conducts research to determine best methods of planting, spraying, cultivating, and harvesting horticultural products.
- Improves bee strains, utilizing selective breeding by artificial insemination.
- Identifies and classifies species of insects and allied forms, such as mites and spiders.
- Develops methods for control of noxious weeds, crop diseases, and insect pests.
- Conducts experiments and investigations to determine methods of storing, processing, and transporting horticultural products.
- Studies insect distribution and habitat and recommends methods to prevent importation and spread of injurious species.
- Conducts experiments regarding causes of bee diseases and factors affecting yields of nectar pollen on various plants visited by bees.
- Aids in control and elimination of agricultural, structural, and forest pests by developing new and improved pesticides.
- Studies crop production to discover effects of various climatic and soil conditions on crops.
- Experiments to develop new or improved varieties of products having specific features, such as higher yield, resistance to disease, size, or maturity.
Related Careers
- Agricultural Inspectors
- Animal Scientists
- Farmers and Ranchers
- First-Line Supervisors and Manager/Supervisors of Agricultural Crop Workers
- First-Line Supervisors and Manager/Supervisors of Fishery Workers
- Purchasing Agents and Buyers, Farm Products
- Soil Conservationists
- Soil Scientists
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Processing Information
- Analyzing Data or Information
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Getting Information Needed to Do the Job
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Important Skills
Frequent Work Context
- Consequence of Error
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Importance of Being Sure All Is Done
- Sitting
- Indoors
Related Majors
| Major | Add to XapPack |
|---|---|
| Agricultural Biology |  [ add ] |
| Agricultural Science | [ add ] |
| Agricultural Sciences | [ add ] |
| Agriculture | [ add ] |
| Agriculture General Sciences | [ add ] |
| Agriculture/Environment | [ add ] |
| Agriculture/Natural Resources | [ add ] |
| Agronomy | [ add ] |
| Agronomy/Environmental Science | [ add ] |
| Air Traffic Control | [ add ] |
| Animal Behavior | [ add ] |
| Animal Bioscience | [ add ] |
| Animal Breeding | [ add ] |
| Animal Science | [ add ] |
| Animal Sciences | [ add ] |
| Animal/Veterinary Sciences | [ add ] |
| Cooperative Agriculture | [ add ] |
| Crop Science | [ add ] |
| Dairy/Animal Science | [ add ] |
| Entomology | [ add ] |
| Environmental Horticulture | [ add ] |
| Environmental/Ornamental Horticulture | [ add ] |
| Floriculture/Ornamental Horticulture | [ add ] |
| Fruit Science | [ add ] |
| General Agriculture | [ add ] |
| General Plant Sciences | [ add ] |
| Horticulture | [ add ] |
| Landscape Horticulture | [ add ] |
| Ornamental Horticulture | [ add ] |
| Ornamental Horticulture/Environmental Design | [ add ] |
| Plant Biology | [ add ] |
| Plant Breeding | [ add ] |
| Plant Genetics/Breeding | [ add ] |
| Plant Protection | [ add ] |
| Plant Protection Science | [ add ] |
| Plant Science | [ add ] |
| Pre-architecture | [ add ] |
| Pre-ministry | [ add ] |
| Weed Science | [ add ] |
| Zoology | [ add ] |
Institutions Offering Related Majors
No institutions found.