Intensive farming horticultural technician; Intensive horticulture specialist.

This is the person responsible for handling substrate, fertilizer and irrigation, applications of plant health products and other productive factors related to production. This professional also supervises temperature control to achieve the harvesting of horticultural products in intensive production, generally inside greenhouses, with substrates or hydroponic crops, as well as in the open air or seasonal outdoor crops.

• Control and modify climatic conditions (temperature, light, ventilation, etc.) of agricultural fittings to constantly adapt them to the needs of the productive cycle of cultivation.
• Guard against the presence of plagues and illnesses and identify them.
• Execute preventive control plans for plagues and illnesses for the different production models.
• Apply phytosanitary treatments in a correct and adequate way when plagues are present in the production process.
• Carry out the indicated irrigation plan for each product and cultivation phase.
• Control the dosage of fertilizer in production, using traditional methods or by mixing fertilizers in with irrigation water.
• Control facility maintenance.
• Controls and supervise operations to be undertaken on the plantation and products, in order to achieve a suitable quality.
• Control the collection of cultivations. Manage the fixed workforce, and on occasions take on the management of the temporary workforce.
• Control material inventories of operations.
• Carry out the daily work schedules and supervise their fullfilment.

Regulated training and graduates

• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Agrària: Activitats auxiliars en agricultura (Nivell 1)
• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Agrària: Horticultura i floricultura (Nivell 2)
• Professional Training Course(s) in the field of Agricultural Activities - Intermediate Level: Farming production

Complementary training

Other specific skills

Analytical thought: Level 2

Initiative: Level 3

Concern for order and quality: Level 3

People management: Level 1

Flexibility and change management: Level 2

Planning and organisation: Level 1

Mechanical handling

People related to the field of mechanical handling are interested in the assembly, maintenance, repair and use of machines, tools and installations. Some good examples of professional activities in the field of mechanical handling are adjusting and configuring machines, reviewing technical equipment to detect incidents in their operation, handling machinery in production processes and driving specialised vehicles.

Ecological agriculture operator

Thermal Solar Power Installer

Machinery assembler

Runway agent

Pharmaceutical Production Technician

• Work hours

  Full-time, adapted to the demand, which varies based on the seasonality of the farming.

• Salary

  Salary range: between 14.057 and 18.052 euros annum gross. Median: 15.930 euros annum gross.
  
  Source: Report "Observatory of Jobs and Salaries of the Labour Market. Barcelona Activa", elaborated by ICSA Grupo. April 2015.

• Other features

  Activities within the agricultural sector have a specific fiscal treatment. The agricultural sector has traditionally been based on family or cooperative cultivations. At present, second-level cooperative training is being promoted, with the aim of integrating different agents of the production chain under the same umbrella, or to expand the range of activities to add value to the product (for example, the food crafts).

• Professional category

  Specialist staff

• Human resources and equipment

  An undercover area is required for the management personnel, but the most part of the working day is carried out in the exterior to control the operation. Temporary workers are hired on ocassion. You will need a management system (software and hardware), vehicle and means of communication (telephone).

• Initial investments

  Part of the working day takes place in the company office, but the large majority is spent outdoors. Initial expenses will have to be assumed (payment of licences, purchasing of computers, renting of offices etc.).