Qualification in Crop Sciences

Purpose:

The purpose of this qualification is to broaden and deepen the scope of knowledge and skills in terms of Fruit and Vegetable Production, Agronomy, Crop Protection, Agribusiness, Soil and Irrigation Science, and Post-Harvest Technology. It is therefore suitable for continuing specialisation by reiterating the deep and systematic understanding of current thinking, practice, theory and methodology in the field of Crop Sciences.

Qualified learners will be able to demonstrate their ability to formulate, undertake and solve more complex theoretical and practice-related problems and tasks through the selection and use of appropriate methods and techniques in the chosen field of specialisation. The qualification design comprises theory and technology applications, with a focus on improving current crop production systems for increased productivity and quality within South African and International arena.

All learning materials to be developed will be in alignment with the exit level outcomes, as framed against the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) requirements, to ensure that the learners have acquired the relevant knowledge and skills for the future careers.

Rationale:

Society increasingly demands specialisation and life-long learning. In the University of Technology sector this trend is exemplified by the growing numbers in people who seek to raise their level of educational achievement beyond the basic qualification. The Advanced Diploma in Crop Sciences responds to this trend. It builds on the platform of disciplinary specialisation at the level of the Diploma by advancing knowledge and skills in the selected discipline, and also prepares for the next qualification level (Postgraduate Diploma in Crop Sciences), for which learning is mainly done through research, by providing specialised research skills (methods of data collection and analysis) commonly employed in the selected discipline.

Two important employment trends in the South African agricultural sector are for the number of people employed by the sector to decrease (one-third contraction since 1994) and for the formal educational level of people employed in the sector to rise. These trends reflect the ongoing modernisation of South African agriculture in response to globalisation, liberalisation of markets, and other global and local changes. Increasing complexity and sophistication in the sector drives the demand for specialised and highly skilled human resources. This demand is also evident in the public sector, where employment is being linked to rising qualification requirements and registration with professional bodies, i.e. South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP).

The Advisory Committee was consulted in developing this qualification. This qualification is a vocational learning programme on Level 7 of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), characterised by a high Degree of specialisation, responds to the above trends in the South African agricultural sector and its evolving human resource needs. It combines the acquisition of specialised knowledge in selected disciplines in agriculture with the attainment of discipline-specific research skills, both theoretically and in practice, including information technology.