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Plant Production Qualification

NQF Level 1 | AgriSETA

Plant Production

Basic qualification in crop production, covering seedling care, planting, and harvesting practices. Develop essential skills for entry-level positions in plant agriculture and crop farming.

120
Credits
12
Months
NQF 1
Level
Plant Production and Agriculture

Qualification Overview

The National Certificate: Plant Production (NQF Level 1) provides foundational knowledge and skills in crop production and plant agriculture. This qualification is designed for individuals entering the agricultural sector with a focus on sustainable plant production.

Students will gain practical skills in crop cultivation, plant nutrition, pest management, and sustainable farming practices while developing essential communication and mathematical literacy skills.

Key Objectives

Key objectives of this qualification include:

  • Enabling learners to participate in agricultural processes and gain competence in specialised plant production sub-fields including organic production, hydroponics, permaculture, agronomy, and horticulture
  • Developing skills to make responsible decisions within a limited range based on understanding of agri-business principles
  • Building foundational knowledge in mathematical literacy, communication, and agricultural data collection
  • Learning agricultural business principles including enterprise selection, capital management, human resource management, and marketing
  • Understanding and applying general agricultural practices including food safety, water quality management, and equipment operation
  • Acquiring practical plant production skills including plant structure and function, crop planting, harvesting, pest/disease/weed recognition, plant propagation, and fertilisation
  • Learning natural resource management and sustainable farming systems

This qualification prepares learners for progression towards higher agricultural management and technical practices. It also provides opportunities for horizontal progression to other agricultural qualifications and allows recognition of prior learning. Entry requirements assume basic literacy and numeracy equivalent to ABET 3.

Learning Modules

Module 1: Mathematical Literacy

  • •Working with numbers in various contexts
  • •Officially analyse how mathematics is used in social, political, and economic relations
  • •Collect, analyse, use and communicate numerical data
  • •Demonstrate an understanding and use of the numbering system
  • •Describe and represent objects and the environment in terms of shape, space, and time
  • •Analyse cultural products as representations of shape, space, and time

Module 2: Communication

  • •Use maps to access and communicate information concerning routes, locations and directions
  • •Engage in a range of speaking and listening interactions for a variety of purposes
  • •Read and respond to a range of text types
  • •Write for a variety of different purposes
  • •Explore and use a variety of strategies to learn (revised)

Module 3: Agricultural Business

  • •Apply basic agricultural enterprise selection principles
  • •Identify the need for capital and understand the need for the recording of income and different costs in an agri-business
  • •Apply basic human resource management principles and practices applicable in an agricultural environment
  • •Handle inputs and stock in agri-business
  • •Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of marketing
  • •Define production and understand the basic activities of production and conversion in the agri-business environment

Module 4: General Agricultural Practices

  • •Collect agricultural data
  • •Apply basic food safety practices
  • •Maintain basic water quality
  • •Select, use and care for hand tools, basic equipment and infrastructure
  • •Operate and maintain irrigation systems

Module 5: Plant Production

  • •Demonstrate a basic understanding of the structure and function of a plant in relation to its environment
  • •Plant the crop under supervision
  • •Harvest crops
  • •Recognise pests, diseases, and weeds on crops
  • •Propagate plants
  • •Fertilise the soil and attend to basic plant nutrition

Module 6: Animal Production

  • •Natural Resource Management

Module 7: Agricultural Business

  • •Demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts of sustainable farming systems
  • •Understand how sustainable farming systems conserve natural resources
  • •Apply elementary farm layout and infrastructure
  • •Demonstrate an understanding of agricultural / ecotourism as a system at the micro-level
  • •Identify and explain permaculture principles

Qualification Details

SETA AgriSETA
NQF Level 1
Credits 120
Duration 12 Months
SAQA ID 48972

Career Opportunities

Upon successful completion of this qualification, learners can pursue the following career paths:

  • • Junior Labourer in plant production farming operations
  • • Entry-level Farmer in plant production
  • • Agricultural Worker in various plant production specialisations:
    • - Organic production
    • - Hydroponics
    • - Permaculture
    • - Agronomy (field crops)
    • - Horticulture (fruits, vegetables, ornamentals)
  • • Farm Assistant in plant production operations

Additional Opportunities

This qualification also provides opportunities for:

  • • Progression to higher agricultural qualifications at NQF Level 2
  • • Advancement towards agricultural management and technical production practices
  • • Horizontal movement to other agricultural fields (animal production, mixed farming)
  • • Career paths in agricultural pharmaceutical operations
  • • Roles as laboratory assistant in agricultural settings
  • • Positions in marketing and selling agricultural products
  • • Participation in local, national, and international agricultural markets
  • • Development of own farming enterprises

Related Qualifications

Explore other AgriSETA qualifications

NQF Level 2

Plant Production

Intermediate plant production qualification.
NQF Level 3

Plant Production

Advanced supervisory plant production.
NQF Level 1

Farming

General farming foundation qualification.

Ready to Start Your Plant Production Career?

Join our Plant Production qualification and develop the foundational skills needed for a successful career in crop production.

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