An AgTechnician Certificate of Professional Development indicates a participant has successfully completed the requirements of the program and would have learned or been introduced to the farm management, practical and business skills listed below:
Farm Management Skills
- Agroforestry – Understands planting, fertilizing and pruning basics.
- Farming Models – Understands the various farming models including conventional, organic, and sustainable farming methods and the pros and cons of each model.
- Plant Science and Anatomy – Able to explain the difference between seed crops vs. clonal crops. Abe to explain the difference between annual, biennial and perennial plants. Able to identify different anatomical parts of a plant.
- Pest Management – Understands integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Understands pesticide safety and how to properly read pesticide labels: safety precautions, application rate and interval; REI.
- Crop Plan – Understands how to integrate cover crops, crop rotation, and biodiversity into agroecosystems.
- Recordkeeping and Planning – Understands the purpose of a crop production plan and the importance of field recordkeeping. Create, amend and follow a crop production plan.
- Food Safety – Understands basic food safety requirements for farm operations.
Practical Skills
- Tools – Able to choose the best tools for various jobs and proper tool maintenance and care.
- Equipment – Safely operated basic small engine equipment. Understand basic maintenance and troubleshoot small engine issues (weed eater, trenchers etc.).
- Irrigation – Able to do basic irrigation setup and repairs. Understands irrigation pressures vs. flow rate. Installed drip and micro irrigation. Understands basic plant needs to determine irrigation timing and duration.
- Soil and Crop Nutrients Management – Able to understand soil test analysis, list sources of nutrient inputs, calculate appropriate rates and timings of input applications and incorporate inputs into soil.
- Seeding and Planting – Prepared an appropriate potting mix from raw materials. Able to explain various components in a soil mix recipe and their purpose. Properly choose propagation tray, fill with soil and plant seeds. Understands “stepping-up” plants: how to determine which need it and when to do it. Keep plants growing in propagation trays healthy (nutrient and water needs).
- Field Preparation and Planting – Prepared soil for planting. Direct planting of seeds and transplanting from pot to bed.
- Crop Care – Utilized trellises on a variety of crops. Performed crop maintenance including pruning various vegetable crops, fertilizing plants (foliar sprays, side dressing), managing crop for pests, disease and weeds and understanding how to manage a crop at the end of growing cycle.
- Pest Control – Able to identify most common agricultural pests in Hawaii and understands how to mix and apply pesticides.
- Weeding – Able to identify most common agricultural weeds in Hawaii and basic weed management tools and techniques (flame weeder, weed mat and hoe).
- Harvest – Demonstrated food safety practices in the field and with washing/packing/cooling. Demonstrated knowledge of when best and how to harvest a crop and how to wash and pack a crop.
Agriculture Industry Workplace Skills
- Workplace conduct – Understands and demonstrated positive workplace skills, work ethics, integrity, independent and teamwork skills. Able to explain safety skills and precautions to be taken in ag industry.
- Physical Requirements – Demonstrated the ability to work in outdoor environments for extended periods of time and lift in excess of 50 lbs.