Careers in agronomy open door to extra opportunities – Farmers Guardian

“This is really where the interest in agronomy started to develop. This same interest spurred me into considering a career in agronomy more recently too. I am also very aware of how tough farming can be; the industry is extremely volatile with changes in legislation, markets and the weather. I really wanted to do my bit to help out and make a difference. Agronomy seemed like the perfect role to achieve this.”

After A levels, Oliver was not set on a career path, but had a rough idea that he wanted it to be within agriculture and combine his interest in science.

“This could potentially have been agronomy, but l also wanted to explore the idea of working in research and development of fertilisers and agrochemicals.

“Chemistry was always a favourite of mine at school, so l ended up applying for a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at the University of Reading. I did one year of chemistry, before having a change of heart and switched my degree to a bachelor’s degree in agriculture.

“Fortunately, Reading has a brilliant agricultural department, so the switch was fairly easy.”

After graduating, Oliver spent two years working at ADAS Rosemaund within the pathology team looking after field trails, which combined practical field work with science, reigniting his interest in agronomy.

“Our main areas of work were fungicide trials on cereals and oilseeds, but I tried to glean as much experience as l could with other crops. After two years, I had worked with sweetcorn, parsley, coriander, dill, sage, thyme, courgettes, potatoes, spinach, chives, apples, blackcurrants and spring onions, as well as wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape.”

In August 2020, Oliver applied and was accepted on to the Hutchinsons Foundation, a comprehensive agronomy training programme run by the agronomy company, which on top of BASIS and FACTS, provides in-depth training on areas including soil, environmental and agroecology services.

Now working as an arable agronomist for the company across Herefordshire, Oliver says the training programme not only provided a platform to attain external agronomy qualifications, but allows its scholars to choose the field they wish to specialise in.

This can range from precision or digital farming, to cross-compliance or agri-environmental schemes, or more of a traditional technical role.

Oliver says: “There is definitely no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, which I think is great. I am currently working with a range of arable and vegetable crops in the West Midlands, but have a keen interest in crop health and nutrition, as well as regenerating our soils.

“There are so many aspects of this job which are enjoyable; from working and engaging directly with farmers, to walking the amazing British countryside, to helping out with research and development and utilising problem-solving skills.

“There is so much to enjoy about being an agronomist.”

For anyone considering the agronomy career route, Oliver advises getting in touch with local agronomists or service companies to try to get half a day or a full day out with an agronomist to see what the job entails.

Oliver says: “This will provide a fantastic opportunity for questions and answers and also to see what agronomists do on a day-to-day basis. Experience is vital in this industry and it is so important we as agronomists support the development of others entering the industry with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.

“Also try to glean as much experience as possible working on other farms with different farming systems, as this will really help to broaden your knowledge.”