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Career Details : Agricultural Engineers

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Description

Apply knowledge of engineering technology and biological science to agricultural problems concerned with power and machinery, electrification, structures, soil and water conservation, and processing of agricultural products.

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

  • Designs and directs manufacture of equipment for land tillage and fertilization, plant and animal disease and insect control, and for harvesting or moving commodities.
  • Studies such problems as effect of temperature, humidity, and light on plants and animals and effectiveness of different insecticides.
  • Designs sensing, measuring, and recording devices and instrumentation used to study plant or animal life.
  • Conducts tests on agricultural machinery and equipment.
  • Designs agricultural machinery and equipment.
  • Conducts research to develop agricultural machinery and equipment.
  • Designs and supervises erection of crop storage, animal shelter, and residential structures and heating, lighting, cooling, plumbing, and waste-disposal systems.
  • Designs and supervises installation of equipment and instruments used to evaluate and process farm products and to automate agricultural operations.
  • Develops criteria for design, manufacture, or construction of equipment, structures, and facilities.
  • Plans and directs construction of rural electric-power distribution systems and irrigation, drainage, and flood-control systems for soil and water conservation.

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    Important Abilities

    General Work Activities

    Important Skills

    Frequent Work Context

    • Consequence of Error
    • Job-Required Social Interaction
    • Objective or Subjective Information
    • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
    • Importance of Being Sure All Is Done

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