Description
Land-based machinery supervisors plan and organise land-based machinery services for agricultural production and landscaping in close cooperation with their clients.
Duties
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
Other titles
The following job titles also refer to land-based machinery supervisor:
agricultural machinery supervisor
land-based machinery supervisors
agricultural equipment supervisor
combined driver supervisor
farm machinery supervisor
tractor driver supervisor
landbased machinery supervisor
farm equipment supervisor
Minimum qualifications
A high school diploma is generally the minimum required to work as a land-based machinery supervisor. Prior experience as a land-based machinery operator is also mandatory.
ISCO skill level
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 supervisor is a Skill level 2 occupation.
Land-based machinery supervisor career path
Similar occupations
These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to land-based machinery supervisor.
land-based machinery operator
agronomic crop production team leader
vineyard supervisor
crop production manager
hop farmer
Long term prospects
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of land-based machinery supervisor. 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 supervisor with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
mine shift manager
dredging supervisor
refinery shift manager
forestry technician
soil surveying technician
Essential knowledge and skills
Essential knowledge
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of land-based machinery supervisor.
- Variety of botanicals: Principles of botanicals with a primary focus in herbaceous and annual plants in raw form.
- Crop production principles: Principles in growing crops, the natural cycle, nursing of nature, growth conditions and principles of organic and sustainable production. Quality criterias and requirements of seeds, plants and crop.
- Soil structure: Diversity of soil elements and types of soil in relation to plant growth.
- Pest control in plants: Types and features of pests in plants and crops. Different kinds of pest 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.
- 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.
Essential skills and competences
These skills are necessary for the role of land-based machinery supervisor.
- Organise labour: Organise, allocate and coordinate members of the team. Organise production programmes and plan the production and sales. Purchase materials and equipment. Manage stocks.
- Monitor work site: Regularly ensure that working conditions on site meet health and safety requirements; ensure that the proposed work will not pose a threat to the physical integrity of others.
- Programme work according to incoming orders: Schedule tasks based on incoming work; anticipate the total amount of resources required to complete the work and assign them accordingly. Assess the required working hours, pieces of equipment, and workforce needed taking into account the available resources.
- Advise client on technical possibilities: Recommend technical solutions, including systems, to the client within the framework of a project.
- Evaluate employees work: Evaluate the need for labour for the work ahead. Evaluate the performance of the team of workers and inform superiors. Encourage and support the employees in learning, teach them techniques and check the application to ensure product quality and labour productivity.
- Supervise staff: Oversee the selection, training, performance and motivation of staff.
- Supervise equipment: Start up and shut down equipment; identify and troubleshoot technical problems and conduct minor repairs. Monitor control equipment in order to identify safety and environmental hazards.
Optional knowledge and skills
Optional knowledge
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of land-based machinery supervisor. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Road traffic laws: Understand road traffic laws and the rules of the road.
- Principles of mechanical engineering: Understand principles of mechanical engineering, physics, and materials science.
- Budgetary principles: Principles of estimating and planning of forecasts for business activity, compile regular budget and reports.
Optional skills and competences
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of land-based machinery supervisor. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Operate agricultural machinery: Operate motorised agricultural equipment including tractors, balers, sprayers, ploughs, mowers, combines, earthmoving equipment, trucks, and irrigation equipment.
- Propose ICT solutions to business problems: Suggest how to solve business issues, using ICT means, so that business processes are improved.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
- Operate GPS systems: Use GPS Systems.
- Inspect agricultural fields: Inspect crops, fields, and plant stock to determine the need and timing for sowing, spraying, weeding, and harvesting.
- Use landscaping service equipment: Use landscaping service equipment for excavation, roto-tilling, ploughing, lawn fertilisation, flower planting. Use machinery like power push mower, riding mower, gas-powered leaf blower, wheelbarrow. Use hand tools including rake, shovel, and trowel, spreader, chemical sprayer, portable sprinkler system, and hose.
- Create soil and plant improvement programmes: Develop and advise on implementation of soil health and plant nutrition programs.
- Perform safety inspections: Inspect the park or part of the park. Note and report problems like blocked trails and risks like overflowing rivers.
- Operate forestry machinery: Operate machinery on and off road for harvesting, forwarding and transportation of wood.
- Apply organisational techniques: Employ a set of organisational techniques and procedures which facilitate the achievement of the goals set. Use these resources efficiently and sustainably, and show flexibility when required.
- Maintain technical equipment: Maintain an inventory of cultivation equipment and supplies. Order additional materials as needed.
ISCO group and title
8341 – Mobile farm and forestry plant operators
References
- Land-based machinery supervisor – ESCO
- Agricultural Workers : Occupational Outlook Handbook – U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Featured image: By 2010ย : By Graham Horn, CC BY-SA 2.0