05 December 1985 Diploma of Field Technology graduates in demand

Communication skills being able to talk to groups and write reports - are becoming increasingly important for students taking the Diploma of Field Technology course at Lincoln College.

Plant science lecturer Dr David Askin said Diploma of Field Technology graduates went into MAF, DSIR or private enterprise organisations.

Field technicians, with practical experience in farming or horticulture, were key people in field research, he said.

This was because they had the skills, knowledge and understanding of techniques and methods in such research.

Those gaining a diploma after the one-year course had little difficulty in getting jobs.

"There is usually at least one job a week advertised in the daily newspapers throughout the year, and about 30 graduate each year," he said.

"Most of those completing the course go to MAF, but more are going to private enterprise, which is increasingly looking for technicians who have good communication skills."

Dr Askin said some of those with the diploma moved into sales, because they had the technical knowledge to talk about products.

However, he emphasised that sales was not an aspect of the course.

Students take the Diploma of Field Technology. course after gaining some other qualifications; such as Diploma of Agriculture or Horticulture.

Before being awarded the diploma they must complete 18 months work on a farm, in an orchard or in a nursery.

Those who have done some degree studies can also take the course, but they, too, must do practical work.

Dr Askin said the course provided career opportunities for those with a B. Sc. degree.

"Some of our best students have been older people with B.A. degrees, some medical studies, or who have worked for a few years and were looking for further practical training."

Dr Askin said 27 students had completed the course in 1985, the largest class had been 32 and the smallest 11.

"The numbers on the course do not relate to how many jobs there are available.

"But because of there being such good job opportunities for those with diplomas, we would like to see more on the course.

"They can move out to being field officers in rural advisory work or technical officers in agricultural research and development," he said.

Experienced field technicians are specialists able to run experiments in such work as sheep breeding, hill country pasture, cultivar screening, and evaluating training methods for apples.

They are required to analyse data, write reports, and talk to farmers at field days.

The college offers the only such course in New Zealand and Australia, and the diploma is the preferred qualification in New Zealand for agricultural and horticultural field research.

About half the two-semester-course is taken up with experimentation.

Students plan, lay down, harvest, measure and analyse results of about 10 field experiments during the year.

Much of the experimentation involves biometrics - statistical analysis of data from biological experiments and computing.

After each experiment students talk to the class about the work, and also write reports.

Most experiments are done by students working in groups, with students each also carrying out individual pot trials in a greenhouse.

In these individual trials a student works from planning, through planting to harvesting ; making a photographic record of the plant's progress, measuring, analysing data, writing a report and talking about the results.

Pests and diseases, field engineering, crop production, animals, pasture, soils, and fruit, vegetable and nursery production are also studied on the course.

During the second semester students can choose between studying ecology, or writing a dissertation on a topic of their choice,

This year's dissertations ranged from maximising winter production of dryland pasture after drought to statistical graphics.