Land-based machinery operator

Land-based machinery operators operate specialised equipment and machinery for agricultural production and maintenance of landscape.

Land-based machinery operators typicallt do the following duties:

• Plant, inspect, and harvest crops
• Irrigate farm soil and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps
• Operate and service farm machinery and tools
• Apply fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungi, and weeds
• Move plants, shrubs, and trees with wheelbarrows or tractors
• Feed livestock and clean and disinfect their cages, pens, and yards
• Examine animals to detect symptoms of illnesses or injuries and administer vaccines to protect animals from diseases
• Use brands, tags, or tattoos to mark livestock ownership and grade
• Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures

The following job titles also refer to land-based machinery operator:

agricultural machinery operator
farm equipment operator
forest tractor driver
forestry tractor driver
combined driver
agricultural equipment operator
landbased machinery operator
tractor driver
land-based machinery operators

A high school diploma is generally the minimum required to work as a land-based machinery operator.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Land-based machinery operator is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to land-based machinery operator.

land-based machinery supervisor
vineyard machinery operator
pesticides sprayer
cargo vehicle driver
interior landscaper

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of land-based machinery operator. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of land-based machinery operator with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

petroleum pump system operator
freight inspector
deck officer
performance rental technician
passport officer

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of land-based machinery operator.

• Mechanical tools: Understand machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Road traffic laws: Understand road traffic laws and the rules of the road.
• Pesticides: Types of chemical characteristics of pesticides and their adverse human and environmental effects.
• Herbicides: Types of chemical characteristics of herbicides and their adverse human and environmental effects.
• Plant disease control: Types and features of diseases in plants and crops. Different kinds control methods, activities using conventional or biological methods taking into account the type of plant or crop, environmental and climate conditions and health and safety regulations. Storage and handling of products.

These skills are necessary for the role of land-based machinery operator.

• Operate agricultural machinery: Operate motorised agricultural equipment including tractors, balers, sprayers, ploughs, mowers, combines, earthmoving equipment, trucks, and irrigation equipment.
• Harvest cover crops: Sow or harvest cover crops, such as alfalfa.
• Harvest crop: Mow, pick or cut agricultural products manually or using appropriate tools and machinery. Take into account the relevant quality criteria of products, hygiene prescriptions and use the appropriate methods.
• Work in a land-based team: Collaborate with others in a team for land-based machinery activities regarding services for agricultural production and landscaping.
• Identify plants characteristics: Identify and classify crop characteristics. Be able to recognise different types of bulbs by name, graded sizes, field markings and stock markings.
• Implement instructions: Being able to implement written or oral instructions.
• Handle chemical products for soil and plants: Handle chemical products for soil and plants includes cleaning the equipment used for spreading and spraying, mixing of chemicals, preparing pesticides and herbicides for spraying, preparing fertilisers for spreading.
• Spread fertiliser: Spread fertiliser solutions to enhance plant growth.
• Tow a tractor implement using the power take-off: Tow an implement to tractors equipped with power take-off.
• Understand instructions: Be able to understand oral and written instructions.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of land-based machinery operator. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Environmental policy: Local, national and international policies dealing with the promotion of environmental sustainability and the development of projects which reduce negative environmental impact and improve the state of the environment.
• Variety of botanicals: Principles of botanicals with a primary focus in herbaceous and annual plants in raw form.
• Fertiliser products: Chemical characteristics of fertilisers and their adverse human and environmental effects.
• Agronomy: The study of combining agriculture production and protection and regeneration of natural environment. Includes the principles and methods of critical selection and adequate application methods for sustainability in agriculture.
• Fertilisation principles: The study of plant, soil structure, climatic and environmental issues in agronomical production.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of land-based machinery operator. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Create solutions to problems: Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.
• Load equipment: Handle safe loading of equipment in given restrictive conditions.
• Communicate with customers: Respond to and communicate with customers in the most efficient and appropriate manner to enable them to access the desired products or services, or any other help they may require.
• Use a computer: Utilise computer equipment or digital devices to facilitate quality control, data management, and communication. Follow instructions given by a computer programme, create computer files or documents.
• Use different communication channels: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
• Unload equipment: Handle safe unloading of equipment in given restrictive conditions.
• Prepare equipment for harvest: Prepare the equipment for harvest. Supervise the smooth running of high pressure cleaning equipment, heating or air conditioning and the temperature of premises. Carry out the smooth running of tractors and other vehicles.
• Operate landscaping equipment: Operate a variety of landscaping equipment such as chain saws, line trimmers, tillers, back hoes, bobcats, bed edgers, mowers, blowers, dump trailers, tillers, sod cutters, weed eaters, plant augers, and drills.
• Make independent operating decisions: Make immediate operating decisions as necessary without reference to others, taking into account the circumstances and any relevant procedures and legislation. Determine alone which option is the best for a particular situation.
• Apply precision farming: Using modern technologies and equipment with high precision positioning systems, geo-mapping and /or automated steering systems for agricultural activities.
• Maintain mechanical equipment: Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect malfunction. Service, repair, adjust, and test machines, parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical principles. Maintain and repair vehicles meant for cargo, passengers, farming and landscaping.
• Operate GPS systems: Use GPS Systems.
• Irrigate soil: Irrigate soil using portable pipes or ditches. Maintain ditches, pipes and pumps as required.
• Address problems critically: Identify the strengths and weaknesses of various abstract, rational concepts, such as issues, opinions, and approaches related to a specific problematic situation in order to formulate solutions and alternative methods of tackling the situation.
• Perform loading and unloading operations: Load and unload materials from containers, manually or using appropriate tools. Load hoppers, containers, or conveyors to feed machines with products, using tools such as forklifts, transfer augers, suction gates, shovels, or pitchforks.

8341 – Mobile farm and forestry plant operators

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References

1. Land-based machinery operator – ESCO
2. Agricultural Workers : Occupational Outlook Handbook – U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
3. Featured image: By 2010 : Farm equipment in need of repair by Maurice Pullin, CC BY-SA 2.0