General Information
| Job Description | NURSERY TCHN | Working Title | Nursery Tech |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job Code | 009562 | Grade | |
| Department Name | Botany and Plant Sciences - D01047 | Department Head | Patricia Springer |
| Supervisor | Eric Focht | Effective Date | 12/05/2022 |
Position(s) Directly Supervised
| Job Code | Title | FTE |
|---|
Department Custom Scope
| Care and maintenance of plants for UCR Avocado research projects in both greenhouses and field. Also assistance with data collection. Greenhouse duties would include filling pots with soil and cleaning pots, grafting, pruning and staking trees. Field work would include fruit collection, harvesting fruit from fields in Riverside and other locations(this may involve extra long days or overnight trips). Other duties may be assigned as needed. |
Education & Experience Requirements
Education Requirements
Experience Requirements
| Experience | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Minimum of 2 years of training and experience in nursery techniques. Skills in plant propagation and maintenance of plants both in greenhouse and for field planting. | Required |
| Experience with care of plants in greenhouse. | Preferred |
License Requirements
| License | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Valid Drivers License | Required |
Certification Requirements
| Certification | Requirement |
|---|
Educational Condition Requirements
| Condition | Requirement |
|---|
Key Responsibilities
| Description | % Time |
|---|---|
| Upkeep of Irvine SREC field plantings. This includes suckering and removing seedlings under mature trees, pruning, whitewashing and nursing newly planted trees for successful field establishment, assisting in new and existing field plantings, grafting and topworking into fields as required, harvesting fruit seasonally, reporting/mitgating pests, and reporting to researchers on issues with trees or fields as they arise. Monitor supplies needed to complete these tasks such as tapes, staples, pruners, tags, stakes etc. | 40 |
| Generating clonal rootstock and grafting scions on to them. Recommending to researchers on the size and scope of greenhouse space and any special equipment needed. Setting up and cleaning and maintaining any equipment needed for etiolation and grafting | 10 |
| Assist researchers in conducting fruit quality studies including weighing, measuring dryweights, ripening, and tasting avocado fruit and cleaning the lab. | 10 |
| Assist researchers on field trials including harvesting fruit, recording yield, measuring tree size, and other tree data. | 10 |
| Maintain UCR AgOps Mapping Population field. Notify a supervisor over irrigation concerns. Maintain a monthly schedule for checking and monitoring irrigation. Detect and report high pest (especially gopher) levels to supervisor so that mitigation can be scheduled with UCR AgOps management. Maintain a monthly schedule for downloading weather data and monitoring weather station equipment and summarizing data. | 10 |
| Irrigation of lathhouse and/or greenhouse plants, trees and seedlings of various sizes and ages. This includes hand-watering, operation of automatic timers for drip irrigation, and ebb and flow systems, checking for clogged or malfunctioning drip emitters and replacement of individual drip emitters if they have clogged or malfunctioned, and reporting to researchers on recommendations for an individual plant's water needs based on personal observation or use of moisture meter. | 10 |
| Cleaning dirty or used pots and cones. Filling pots and cones for soil, planting seeds and transplanting seedlings and trees. Monitor supplies needed to complete these tasks such as soap, bleach, pots, soil and report to supervisor the need to replace inventory. | 5 |
| Maintain greenhouse areas in a clean and sanitary manner. Keep benchtops, floors, and walkways clear from soil, leaves and gravel, and remove weeds from pots, benches, and vestibules. Report excessive weed growth in outdoor areas such as shadehouses and greenhouse gutters so that herbicide sprays can be scheduled. Occasional painting of wooden benches with copper naphthenate | 5 |
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
| Knowledge/Skill/Ability | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Ability to lift 60 lbs. and, at times, lift 30 pounds repeatedly for several hours. The job will also sometimes require spending several hours standing and/or walking with repeated bending. Examples of such work include moving potted trees, full cone racks of seedlings, and gray field bins containing fruit. | Required |
| Ability to record data accurately on paper or handheld computers. Basic arithmetic such as addition and subtraction of whole numbers, decimals, and fractions. Keep accurate written records. | Required |
| Ability to speak, read and write in English. | Required |
| Ability to do field work such as harvesting fruit. This involves using a picker's bag which can hold up to 60 pounds of fruit, or lifting 20 pound buckets of fruit or bins of fruit that can weigh up to 55 pounds. This activity can continue for up to 6 to 8 hours in a day. | Required |
| Ability to work in the greenhouses/field in inclement weather, e.g., hot humid conditions above 100F, cold damp foggy conditions, windy weather or in the rain. They must also be able to routinely work in the greenhouse when temperatures exceed 90 degrees for several hours of the day and relative humidity exceeds 55%, given appropriate breaks and water. | Required |
| Knowledge of plant and horticultural care, especially of avocado. This knowledge should cover plant irrigation requirements (including signs of overwatering or underwatering of plants), plant propagation by seed and cuttings, grafting, seed collection, pruning methods, seed germination, recognizing general avocado cultivar differences, and recognizing rootstock suckers in the field and greenhouse. | Required |
Special Requirements & Conditions
| Special Condition | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Must possess or obtain a Valid CA Drivers License in accordance with the California Department of Motor Vehicles. | Required |
| Applicants must pass a physical exam before confirmation of employment. | Required |
| The work schedule for this position is 8 am to 5 pm five days a week of which two days may include Saturday and/or Sunday, as greenhouse plants require daily irrigation and monitoring. Weekend work may be required as a routine part of the schedule. The applicant must also work most holidays. | Required |
| Some work activities, such as harvests, will require starting earlier or staying later than the normal work schedule of 8 am - 5 pm, and many require in-state travel and sometimes overnight travel of which transportation and accomodation will be provided. | Required |
Other Special Requirements & Conditions
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Level of Supervision Received
| Close Supervision |
Environment
Working Environment
| Campus; UC Research and Extension Center, Grower fields throughout California |
Other Requirements
Items Used
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Physical Requirements
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Mental Requirements
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Environmental Requirements
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Critical Position
| Is Critical Position: Yes |