Agronomy is one of the main disciplines of Agriculture and consists of several other disciplines such as crop physiology, plant ecology, agricultural chemistry, biochemistry, soil science, and economics.
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Crop physiology is the study of basic life processes and different parts of the plants in order to understand their nutrient and other input requirements.
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Plant ecology is the study of the environment surrounding the crops and helps us in studying the effects of different weather condition, such as temperature and rainfall, on the crops.
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With the help of agricultural chemistry, the agronomists study the chemical compositions and the related changes occurring during the process of production, protection, and utilization of crops and farm animals.
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Different biochemical processes takes place in a plant’s body, and biochemistry proves to be an important tool to study the way in which they take place and the crucial needs to facilitate these processes.
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Soil Science equips the agronomist with tools to study the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil thoroughly in order to facilitate the amendment of the soil environment.
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The economics helps in managing the profit and loss analysis in crop production and livestock management.
Responsibility of Agronomist
An Agronomist deals with investigating the problems related to crop production and thereby suggesting/implementing suitable practices for better production of crops and efficient management of soil, in order to maximize both the income and the yield.
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Agronomists work towards maximizing production by utilizing the basic knowledge of science, with minimum expenditure.
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If we talk in a broader sense then agronomists are people who aim towards producing food and fiber, in order to meet the demands of the ever-growing population.
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Agronomists come up with efficient and feasible methods of field preparation for different seasons and the respective crop grown, for example, flatbeds, ridges, and furrows.
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He also selects a suitable variety of crops which would go well with the ongoing season at that particular time and for a particular kind of soil.
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The most efficient method of cultivation (broadcasting, transplantation, or dibbling etc.) which would help in better crop establishment is also selected by the agronomists.
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The nutrient requirement of the crops, including the time at which they are required and the method of application which is to be used, is studied by the agronomist itself.
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Agronomists must choose the best weed management method. Either using mechanical means or using physical labour or by chemical methods such as herbicides or weedicides, or by cultural means. Nowadays, integrated weed management method plays an important role in weed management.
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Choosing the suitable irrigation method, irrigation timing, and quantity according to the crops to be irrigated, whether to irrigate in one go or take breaks in between and the quantity of water to be applied are calculated by agronomy science so as to use water efficiently.
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Appropriate crop sequence (crop planning) is also decided by agronomists. They decide the type of crop, the pattern of cropping, the sequence of cropping, etc.
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Agronomists are also responsible for deciding the harvesting time, harvesting method, etc., so as to minimize the loss of yield.
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At last, agronomists are accountable for every decision related to the farm and management of the farm.
