Ag Careers

A family goes to the grocery store to pick up some groceries. The food exists because of farmers and ranchers who manage natural resources like soil and water carefully in order to grow the raw ingredients to fill the grocery stores. At the beginning of the season, a farmer (also known as a grower or producer) needs to test the soil to check for nutrients and to determine which fertilizers are necessary. The farmer needs the services of a

• Environmental Scientist

• Soil Scientist

• Nematologist

• Plant Geneticist

The fertilizer plant that produces the fertilizer to sell to the farmer wants to reduce its environmental impact. Who could the plant hire to help monitor waste discharge and assess environmental quality of the surroundings?

• Plant Physiologist

• Entomologist

• Plant Geneticist

• Environmental Scientist

The farmer is concerned that when it rains fertilizer from the fields may be getting washed into a nearby river. The farmer goes to the Natural Resources Conservation Service to enlist the help of a

• Nutritionist/Dietitian

• Animal Nutritionist

• Hydrologist

• Food Scientist

The farmer notices that the sheep are skinny despite having healthy appetites, and the alfalfa in the hay field is stunted and has swollen stems. The farmer suspects different kinds of worms have infected the sheep and the alfalfa. Who can help identify and treat these worms?

• Nematologist

• Remote Sensing Specialist

• Food Safety Specialist

• Veterinarian

A new seed hybrid that is better suited for the farmer’s climate or soil has been developed. Who developed that seed?

• Weed Scientist

• Plant Geneticist

• Animal Nutritionist

• Entomologist

A couple of months after planting, the plants are growing, but the farmer notices holes in the leaves. They may be the result of an insect. Who can help identify the problem?

• Soil Scientist

• Environmental Scientist

• Food Scientist

• Entomologist

The insects have been identified and sprayed, but now there are weeds threatening to take over the field. If the weeds are not controlled soon, they will begin to outcompete the crop plants for sunlight, water, and soil nutrients. Who can help the farmer control this problem?

• Weed Scientist

• Remote Sensing Specialist

• Food Scientist

• Veterinarian

The weeds are gone, but the plants aren’t growing well. The farmer calls the University Extension office in the county. The Extension Agent referred the farmer to a

• Food Safety Specialist

• Plant Physiologist

• Nutritionist/Dietitian

• Veterinarian

The Plant Physiologist says that the plants are stressed by either too little water or high soil salinity. Who can help the producer determine where irrigation is not reaching the plants across the hundreds of acres of fields?

• Soil Scientist

• Weed Scientist

• Nematologist

• Remote Sensing Specialist

The crop is ready to harvest, and the farmer delivers it to the processing plant. The processor will

turn the wheat, corn, cherries, etc. into bread, cookies, chips, pies, and so many other products. Who develops these food products?

• Food Scientist

• Food Safety Specialist

• Plant Geneticist

• Environmental Scientist