Plennegy Research: Research Technician

A role has become available for a Research Technician in our Sweetcorn Breeding programme, based at the Greytown Research station for the Research and Development Department. The purpose of this role will be to assist the research department with day-to-day operations thereby ensuring that all research activities are carried out effectively and efficiently, specifically in the sweetcorn program, but offer support to others as needed.

**RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- Provide Assistance with Breeding activities
- This section applies to all research varieties planted in Komatipoort, breeding nurseries and associated trials, as well as small trials required by the Marketing Department.
- Receives instructions at the beginning of the season and seed from Breeders as to what has to be done for cultivation of each nursery / trial for each crop.
- Liaise with Breeders with regards to the seasonal planning and allocation of land to the different projects.
- Organizes necessary resources in liaison with Breeder and colleagues.
- Liaises with Breeder on any problems that may arise that are not of a routine nature. In the off-station situation, a greater degree of independent problem-solving is required than in the on-station situation due to distances involved and executing tasks on other people’s property which requires liaison.
- Planting Programmes: This entails the planting and recording of specific seed at a specific time in rows as specified by the Breeder. This includes the growing of seedlings for breeding and seed production purposes and to ensure that the planting is correct and properly documented.
- Handling of seed: Responsible for shelling, cleaning, treating, packaging, cataloguing of the seed and preparation of it for planting. To ensure that the seed is correctly harvested, catalogued (some of the seed is sent to outside organisations for further evaluation) and is viable.
- Executes and supervises data collection: This entails collecting data from a specific plant / plot / row at a specified time and recording it, as instructed by the Breeder. This may include, but is not limited to, plant number, flower number/time, fruit number and mass, weight of fruit per plot, size and dimensions of fruit, number of seeds, total yield etc. Large amounts of data are generated and these should be recorded timeously and accurately.
- Harvesting of plants: This entails the harvesting of specific plants and recording/cataloguing specified data/selections from these plants
- Monitoring, scouting and reporting of weed and insect infestations during the plant’s growth cycle to the farm manager. This applies to both the off-station and on-station activities.
- Monitoring and reporting plant health to relevant breeder on a regular basis, including photographically.
- Execution of hand pollination. This is a procedure that is very critical in that it is the basis of the breeding programme. All pollinations have to be properly executed, and since this is a biologically dependant process, co-ordination of resources is of utmost importance to accomplish this. This entails either self-pollinating or cross-pollinating specific plants or plots as per breeders request.
- Rouging of off-type plants, detasseling, training vines and trellising as directed by the breeder and as required through the growing season.

**REQUIREMENTS**:
Qualifications:
Grade 12 (Matric) National Senior Certificate (Essential)

BSc Genetics / Horticulture / Agriculture (Essential)

**Skills**:Time Management Skills

Management Skills

**Experience**:
Driver's License (Essential)

Minimum 2 years relevant experience