SCIENCES, RESEARCH, ENVIRONMENT AND AGRICULTURE

Plant Breeder / Geneticist

Develops better crop varieties that give higher yield or resist disease and drought.

Biology needed for most routes After a degree Private sector

Facts checked 29/10/2026

Is this for me?

People in this work enjoy

Seeing a new variety you helped build reach farmers' fields
A mix of outdoor field work and lab work
Solving problems slowly, with careful experiments and records

It may not suit you if you dislike

Long study: a PhD route can take 6 to 9 years after Class 12
Field work in heat, rain and dust, and busy times around sowing and harvest
Results take many seasons, and most experimental lines do not become a released variety

Class 11–12 subjects: Class 12 with Biology (PCB) is the usual route for B.Sc Agriculture. Some universities also accept PCM or Agriculture as a Class 12 subject (reported). Most colleges ask for at least 50% in aggregate for General and OBC, and 40% for SC and ST (reported). Strong marks in Chemistry and Maths help too.
First degree: B.Sc (Hons) Agriculture, 4 years, from an ICAR-accredited university. Then an M.Sc in Genetics and Plant Breeding, about 2 years. For research jobs, a PhD, usually 3 to 4 years.
Entrance exams: For B.Sc Agriculture, CUET (UG) with ICAR chosen as a university option (reported). For M.Sc, the ICAR AIEEA (PG) entrance exam run by NTA. For a PhD at IARI or other ICAR institutes, an entrance exam plus interview, and ICAR's JRF/SRF fellowship test (reported).
Licence or registration: None needed to start working.

Subjects that keep this door openClass 11–12: Physics + Chemistry + Mathematics or Biology.Biology needed for most routes.Way back: You can add the missing subject later as an extra subject (for example through NIOS) and still apply, but check the exam's and college's rules. A longer road, but open.Check your subjects against every career

What the work is like

Crossing and selecting plants to build new varieties with higher yield, disease resistance or drought tolerance. Running field trials on research farms, lab work on DNA markers, keeping careful records, and working with agronomists, seed companies and farmers.

A day in the work
A morning on a research farm might mean walking trial plots of wheat or rice, noting plant height, grain weight and signs of rust or drought stress. Late morning could be in the lab, extracting DNA from leaf samples or scoring markers. In the afternoon you might hand-cross two selected parent plants, label every flower, and enter the data into a sheet. The day often ends with a discussion about which lines go into the next trial.

The path, step by step

Step 1 · Class 11–12Take Biology, Chemistry and Maths or Physics. Keep your science marks steady. Most agriculture degrees want Biology in Class 12.
Step 2 · Class 12Appear for CUET (UG) and choose agriculture universities under the ICAR option. Check each university's own rules and cut-offs, since they differ. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 3 · 4 yearsB.Sc (Hons) Agriculture at an ICAR-accredited university. Many students pick genetics or plant breeding electives and join a crop research project in the final years. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 4 · After B.ScTake the ICAR AIEEA (PG) exam for an M.Sc in Genetics and Plant Breeding. The M.Sc is a two-year programme at ICAR institutes.
Step 5 · 3–4 yearsDo a PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding, through ICAR's JRF/SRF exam or the university's own test. PhD scholars usually get a fellowship. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 6 · After PhDApply for research posts at ICAR institutes, agricultural universities or seed companies. Government scientist posts are filled through ICAR's own recruitment (ASRB NET), so check each notice. (reported — check with the official body)

Time and money

Stage	Time	Government college or body	Private college	Help available
Class 11–12 (science subjects, Biology needed)	2 years	Your school's fees	Your school's fees	—
B.Sc (Hons) Agriculture via CUET (UG) and ICAR option (reported)	4 years	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page
M.Sc Genetics and Plant Breeding via ICAR AIEEA (PG) exam	2 years	Check the college's fee page. One listing: ~₹26,400 first-year M.Sc at IARI (reported)	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page
PhD Genetics and Plant Breeding (entrance exam, interview, ICAR JRF/SRF test)	3–4 years	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	PhD scholars clearing ICAR JRF/SRF get a fellowship, ~₹31,000–35,000 a month (reported)
Research job via ICAR recruitment (ASRB NET) or other employers	Check the notice	Pay not stated on page; check the notice	Pay differs by employer; check the job offer	—

Total timeAbout 9–10 years after Class 12 for a PhD route; about 6 years to an M.Sc job route

Total costDepends mostly on the college you choose — compare fee pages.

Good to knowExam fees are not on the page; check the notice. PhD fellowship figures are reported from a single source, so verify them.

Fees from: IARI admission page (ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute) · Agridots: BSc Agriculture careers and fellowship pay (reported). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

What people earn

Earnings start modest in research assistant or junior roles and grow with a master's or PhD, a government scientist post, or a senior role at a seed company. City, employer and crop specialisation make a big difference.

Myth and fact

Myth: ~~Plant breeders only work in villages, with a tractor and a field.~~

Fact: Many work in labs using DNA markers, in seed companies, universities or government research institutes. Most mix lab and field work.

For girls and students with disabilities

ICAR's PG brochure shows seat-wise reservation for UR, SC, ST, OBC, EWS and persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD), so the same category rules apply to these seats. I did not find a separate seat scheme for girls in this career.

Try it now

Class 7–9Sow two pots of the same bean or moong variety. Water one less. Measure both every week and note the differences in a notebook.
Class 10–12Start a free NPTEL course on genetics or plant breeding and finish the first week's lessons.Open link ↗
College or afterVisit a Krishi Vigyan Kendra or an agriculture university field day, and ask a scientist to show you a breeding trial.Open link ↗

Good to know

Most PG seats in agriculture are filled through ICAR's AIEEA (PG) exam. ICAR's own counselling brochure describes it as the route for PG degree seats in agriculture and allied sciences.
Field work means early starts, heat, dust and long days around sowing and harvest. Lab work can be indoors and steady.
Breeding a new variety can take many seasons. Many lines are dropped along the way, so patience matters.
Private seed companies also hire plant breeders with an M.Sc. Pay and roles differ a lot from one employer to another.

Sources: ICAR AIEEA (31st) PG Counselling Brochure 2026 (ICAR) · IARI admission page (ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute) · PGR education, NBPGR (ICAR institute) · PG Syllabi Vol 1, Genetics and Plant Breeding (ICAR)