Elements and Performance Criteria

The Range of Variables explains the contexts within which the performance and knowledge requirements of this standard may be assessed. The scope of variables chosen in particular training and assessment requirements may depend on the work situations available.

How is the maturity of a crop determined?
Maturity parameters may include size, weight, length, shape, colour, ripeness, texture, skin condition, ease of removal and moisture content. These characteristics may be measured by observation and maturity testing tools and equipment such as knives, sizing rings, colour charts, refractometers, and penetrometers and produce firmness testers. The results are interpreted and analysed by comparison with specification charts and enterprise and industry maturity standards.

What enterprise work procedures may apply to this standard?
Work procedures will be based on sound horticultural principles and practices and may include supervisors oral or written instructions, harvest program or production schedule, enterprise standard operating procedures (SOPs), specifications, routine maintenance schedules, work notes; manufacturers service specifications and operators manuals; waste disposal, recycling and re-use guidelines; and OHS procedures.

What types of crop may be harvested?
Fruit, vegetable, flower, foliage and bulb crops may be included.

What enterprise market requirements may influence the crop being harvested?
Enterprise market requirements may include variety, size, weight, length, shape, colour, health and quality depending on seasonal and market forces.

What tools, equipment and machinery may be used to carry out crop harvesting procedures?
Tools, equipment and machinery may include secateurs, knives, machetes, rubber bands, string, callipers or sizing rings, specification charts or aids, gloves, bags, ladders, tractors, trailers, forklifts, powered ladders, containers, buckets, dip tins and bins.

What OHS hazards may be associated with harvesting a crop?
Hazards may include solar radiation, noise, dust, pollen, pests, sharp hand tools and equipment, manual handling, ladders, slippery or uneven surfaces, potholes and moving machinery and vehicles.

What personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required to support crop harvesting?
Personal protective equipment may include boots, overalls, gloves, goggles, face mask, hearing protection, and sun hat and sunscreen lotion.

What harvesting practices may be employed to harvest a crop?
Harvesting practices may include correct use of equipment, select picking, reporting or recording tallies, removing out-of-type plants and removing rotten or immature fruit. Plant and crop damage may be minimised by wearing gloves, cutting fingernails, maintaining sharp tools, placing rather than dropping the crop into containers, observing fill heights or packing instructions for containers, and correctly stacking containers on transport.

What OHS requirements may be relevant to this standard?
OHS requirements may include identifying hazards, assessing and reporting risks, cleaning, maintaining and storing tools, equipment and machinery; appropriate use of personal protective equipment including sun protection, drinking to avoid dehydration, safe operation of tools, equipment and machinery, correct manual handling, basic first aid, personal hygiene and reporting problems to supervisors.

What does sorting and grading of the crop involve?
Sorting and grading may include removing out-of-type plants, or physically damaged, unhealthy, rotten or immature fruit and vegetables. The crop may be graded according to variety, size, length, colour, maturity, blemishes, bud count and quality, which are subject to seasonal and market forces. Crop in doubt is checked with the supervisor. Any out-of-standard produce should be disposed of according to enterprise policy.

What problems may arise when harvesting a crop?
Problems may include hazards, pests, tools, equipment and machinery, crop quality, other team members, climate or plant health.

What types of containers may be used in crop harvesting?
Containers may include boxes, trays, crates, bulk bins or net bags.

How is the temperature of a crop maintained in the field and upon delivery at the processing or storage area?
Crops may need to be stored in the shade, in water-filled or covered containers in the field. In the shed storage may occur in a temperature-controlled environment such as a cool room. These may include forced air cool rooms for table grapes, hydro cool rooms for stone fruit and vacuum cool rooms for mushrooms.

How is the crop transported from the field to the processing area?
Produce is picked into containers and transported by tractor, trailer, truck or forklift. Team members involved in the operation of vehicles should comply with operators manuals, and enterprise work and OHS procedures.

How is the maturity of a crop determined?
Maturity parameters may include size, weight, length, shape, colour, ripeness, texture, skin condition, ease of removal and moisture content. These characteristics may be measured by observation and maturity testing tools and equipment such as knives, sizing rings, colour charts, refractometers, and penetrometers and produce firmness testers. The results are interpreted and analysed by comparison with specification charts and enterprise and industry maturity standards.

What enterprise work procedures may apply to this standard?
Work procedures will be based on sound horticultural principles and practices and may include supervisors oral or written instructions, harvest program or production schedule, enterprise standard operating procedures (SOPs), specifications, routine maintenance schedules, work notes; manufacturers service specifications and operators manuals; waste disposal, recycling and re-use guidelines; and OHS procedures.

What types of crop may be harvested?
Fruit, vegetable, flower, foliage and bulb crops may be included.

What enterprise market requirements may influence the crop being harvested?
Enterprise market requirements may include variety, size, weight, length, shape, colour, health and quality depending on seasonal and market forces.

What tools, equipment and machinery may be used to carry out crop harvesting procedures?
Tools, equipment and machinery may include secateurs, knives, machetes, rubber bands, string, callipers or sizing rings, specification charts or aids, gloves, bags, ladders, tractors, trailers, forklifts, powered ladders, containers, buckets, dip tins and bins.

What OHS hazards may be associated with harvesting a crop?
Hazards may include solar radiation, noise, dust, pollen, pests, sharp hand tools and equipment, manual handling, ladders, slippery or uneven surfaces, potholes and moving machinery and vehicles.

What personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required to support crop harvesting?
Personal protective equipment may include boots, overalls, gloves, goggles, face mask, hearing protection, and sun hat and sunscreen lotion.

What harvesting practices may be employed to harvest a crop?
Harvesting practices may include correct use of equipment, select picking, reporting or recording tallies, removing out-of-type plants and removing rotten or immature fruit. Plant and crop damage may be minimised by wearing gloves, cutting fingernails, maintaining sharp tools, placing rather than dropping the crop into containers, observing fill heights or packing instructions for containers, and correctly stacking containers on transport.

What OHS requirements may be relevant to this standard?
OHS requirements may include identifying hazards, assessing and reporting risks, cleaning, maintaining and storing tools, equipment and machinery; appropriate use of personal protective equipment including sun protection, drinking to avoid dehydration, safe operation of tools, equipment and machinery, correct manual handling, basic first aid, personal hygiene and reporting problems to supervisors.

What does sorting and grading of the crop involve?
Sorting and grading may include removing out-of-type plants, or physically damaged, unhealthy, rotten or immature fruit and vegetables. The crop may be graded according to variety, size, length, colour, maturity, blemishes, bud count and quality, which are subject to seasonal and market forces. Crop in doubt is checked with the supervisor. Any out-of-standard produce should be disposed of according to enterprise policy.

What problems may arise when harvesting a crop?
Problems may include hazards, pests, tools, equipment and machinery, crop quality, other team members, climate or plant health.

What types of containers may be used in crop harvesting?
Containers may include boxes, trays, crates, bulk bins or net bags.

How is the temperature of a crop maintained in the field and upon delivery at the processing or storage area?
Crops may need to be stored in the shade, in water-filled or covered containers in the field. In the shed storage may occur in a temperature-controlled environment such as a cool room. These may include forced air cool rooms for table grapes, hydro cool rooms for stone fruit and vacuum cool rooms for mushrooms.

How is the crop transported from the field to the processing area?
Produce is picked into containers and transported by tractor, trailer, truck or forklift. Team members involved in the operation of vehicles should comply with operators manuals, and enterprise work and OHS procedures.

What evidence is required to demonstrate competence for this standard as a whole?
Competence in supporting crop harvesting requires evidence that the trainee can perform routine assessment of plant products for harvest in accordance with enterprise market requirements, harvest a crop and transport it according to enterprise procedures and OHS requirements.
The skills and knowledge required to support crop harvesting must be transferable to a different work environment. A person who can support the harvesting of a crop should be able to transfer that knowledge and skill to another workplace although different crops may be present. For example, if a crop is harvested on a property growing vegetables, it should be evident that a crop could be harvested on a property where flowers are grown, following induction to the new workplace.
What specific knowledge is needed to achieve the performance criteria?

Knowledge and understanding are essential to apply this standard in the workplace, to transfer the skills to other contexts, and to deal with unplanned events. The knowledge requirements for this competency standard are listed below:

recognition of the maturity parameters of a range of crops
enterprise quality procedures and characteristics of a crop relative to varying market requirements
grading characteristics of each crop
the importance of maintaining quality of produce including cooling requirements and quick transport from field to processing areas
the effect of adverse climatic conditions (e.g., rain, hail, extreme wind with dust, or very high ultraviolet radiation), which may downgrade the quality of affected crop, prevent or impede harvest operations or severely influence the time taken to complete the harvest program.

What specific skills are needed to achieve the performance criteria?

To achieve the performance criteria, appropriate literacy and numeracy levels as well as some complementary skills are required. These include the ability to:

participate in teams and contribute to team objectives
read and interpret work procedures
communicate with team members and supervisor
calculate tallies and production rates
dispose of out-of-standard plant material in an environmentally aware and sensitive manner, such as the careful disposal of rotten produce to minimise smell and the spread of insect pests and disease.

Are there other competency standards that could be assessed with this one?
This competency standard

Essential Assessment Information
There is essential information about

What specific knowledge is needed to achieve the performance criteria?

Knowledge and understanding are essential to apply this standard in the workplace, to transfer the skills to other contexts, and to deal with unplanned events. The knowledge requirements for this competency standard are listed below:

recognition of the maturity parameters of a range of crops
enterprise quality procedures and characteristics of a crop relative to varying market requirements
grading characteristics of each crop
the importance of maintaining quality of produce including cooling requirements and quick transport from field to processing areas
the effect of adverse climatic conditions (e.g., rain, hail, extreme wind with dust, or very high ultraviolet radiation), which may downgrade the quality of affected crop, prevent or impede harvest operations or severely influence the time taken to complete the harvest program.

What specific skills are needed to achieve the performance criteria?

To achieve the performance criteria, appropriate literacy and numeracy levels as well as some complementary skills are required. These include the ability to:

participate in teams and contribute to team objectives
read and interpret work procedures
communicate with team members and supervisor
calculate tallies and production rates
dispose of out-of-standard plant material in an environmentally aware and sensitive manner, such as the careful disposal of rotten produce to minimise smell and the spread of insect pests and disease.

Are there other competency standards that could be assessed with this one?
This competency standard

Essential Assessment Information
There is essential information about

There are a number of processes that are learnt throughout work and life, which are required in all jobs. They are fundamental processes and generally transferable to other work functions. Some of these are covered by the key competencies, although others may be added. The questions below highlight how these processes are applied in this competency standard. Following each question a number in brackets indicates the level to which the key competency needs to be demonstrated where 0 = not required, 1 = perform the process, 2 = perform and administer the process and 3 = perform, administer and design the process.
Communicating ideas and information
Ideas and information about crop selection, crop maturity standards, harvesting procedures, grading requirements and transportation methods should be discussed with other members of the work team and the supervisor. (1)

Communicating ideas and information
Ideas and information about crop selection, crop maturity standards, harvesting procedures, grading requirements and transportation methods should be discussed with other members of the work team and the supervisor. (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
Enterprise work procedures should be consulted, interpreted and applied to crop harvesting activities with further clarification sought from the supervisor where necessary. (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
Enterprise work procedures should be consulted, interpreted and applied to crop harvesting activities with further clarification sought from the supervisor where necessary. (1)

Planning and organising activities
Tools, equipment and machinery, harvesting schedule, own work activities and co-ordination in the work team should be organised according to enterprise work procedures such as supervisors instructions and production schedules. (1)

Planning and organising activities
Tools, equipment and machinery, harvesting schedule, own work activities and co-ordination in the work team should be organised according to enterprise work procedures such as supervisors instructions and production schedules. (1)

Working with others and in teams
Crop harvesting usually involves co-ordination and participation with other members of a production team to complete specified tasks and maximise production schedules. (1)

Working with others and in teams
Crop harvesting usually involves co-ordination and participation with other members of a production team to complete specified tasks and maximise production schedules. (1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Mathematical concepts may be used in counting; tallying and calculating individual and team harvesting output or hours worked. (1)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Mathematical concepts may be used in counting; tallying and calculating individual and team harvesting output or hours worked. (1)

Solving problems
Problems relating to harvesting techniques, processes, the crop, workplace safety and other team members may arise during the harvesting of a crop. (1)

Solving problems
Problems relating to harvesting techniques, processes, the crop, workplace safety and other team members may arise during the harvesting of a crop. (1)

Using technology
Technology may be applied in the preparation, use and maintenance of harvesting tools, equipment and machinery. (1)

Using technology
Technology may be applied in the preparation, use and maintenance of harvesting tools, equipment and machinery. (1)