404 Field Crop Farming

This group includes occupations concerned with growing and harvesting field crops, such as cotton, peanuts, potatoes, sugar beets, sugarcane, and tobacco; and miscellaneous crops, such as castor and mung beans, dill, ginseng, hops, and sesame. These crops usually require processing before being sold to the consumer and miscellaneous crops are those that cannot be classified as grain, vegetable, fruit, nut, horticultural, or field crops.

404.131-010 SUPERVISOR, FIELD-CROP FARMING (agric.)

Supervises and coordinates activities of workers engaged in preparing fields and planting, cultivating, and harvesting crop specialties, such as cotton, mint, tobacco, and hops: Confers with manager to evaluate soil and weather conditions and to develop plans and procedures. Inspects fields and observes growing plants and harvested crop to determine work requirements, such as cultivating, spraying, thinning, weeding, irrigating, harvesting, and drying, according to time of year and condition of soil, plants and crops. Determines number and kind of workers needed to perform required work and schedules activities. Inspects work performed, observes instrument and gage readings, ascertains condition of crop, and performs related duties to verify worker adherence to instructions. Performs other duties as described under SUPERVISOR (any ind.). May hire workers. May train workers in work procedures, safety policies, and use of machinery and tools. May oversee packaging and transporting of harvested crop. May drive and operate farm machinery, such as tractor, baler, and self-propelled harvester. May examine machinery to ascertain maintenance, repair, and replacement requirements, and supervise workers engaged in machinery-maintenance activities. May issue tools to workers. May be designated DRIVER (agric.) when supervising cotton workers. May be identified with crop grown.

404.161-010 FARMER, FIELD CROP (agric.)

Plants, cultivates, and harvests specialty crops, such as alfalfa, cotton, hops, peanuts, mint, sugarcane, and tobacco, applying knowledge of growth characteristics of individual crop, and soil, climate, and market conditions: Determines number and kind of employees to be hired, acreage to be tilled, and varieties and quantities of plants to be grown. Selects and purchases plant stock and farm machinery, implements, and supplies. Decides when and how to plant, cultivate, and irrigate plants and harvest crops, applying knowledge of plant culture. Attaches farm implements, such as plow, disc, and seed drill to tractor and drives tractor in fields to till soil and plant and cultivate crops. Drives and operates farm machinery to spray fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides and haul harvested crops. Hires, assigns duties to and oversees activities of farm workers. Demonstrates and explains farm work techniques and safety regulations to new workers. Maintains employee and financial records. Arranges with buyers for sale and shipment of crop. May install irrigation system(s) and irrigate fields. May set poles and string wires and twine on poles to form trellises. May lubricate, adjust, and make minor repairs on farm machinery, implements, and equipment, using mechanic's hand tools and work aids. May plant seeds in cold-frame bed and cover bed with cloth or glass to protect seedlings from weather. May transplant seedlings in rows, by hand or using transplanted machine. May grade and package crop for marketing. May be designated according to crop grown as COTTON GROWER (agric.); GINSENG FARMER (agric.); HAY FARMER (agric.); HOP GROWER (agric.); PEANUT FARMER (agric.); SUGARCANE PLANTER (agric.); TOBACCO GROWER (agric.).

404.663-010 FARM WORKER, FIELD CROP (agric.)I

Performs following duties to prepare fields and plant, cultivate, and harvest field crops, such as cotton and hops: Attaches farm implements, such as disc harrow and weed cutter, to tractor, using bolts and mechanic's hand tools. Drives tractor to field and tows attached implement back and forth across field or between crop rows, manipulating levers that activate and position implement parts to till soil. Loads and drives truck to transport farm supplies and tools, such as fertilizer and pesticide chemicals, trellis poles and wires, hoes and shovels, harvested crops, and farm workers to specified locations. Drives and operates self-propelled harvest machine to harvest crop. Adds oil, gasoline, and water to appropriate tanks on machinery. Makes minor mechanical adjustments and repairs on farm machinery, paints farm structures, and replaces fence and trellis wires when weather and season preclude driving activities. May irrigate fields. May oversee work crew engaged in planting, weeding, or harvesting activities. May weigh crop-filled containers and record weights. May spray fertilizer and pesticide solutions in assigned areas.

404.685-010 SEED-POTATO ARRANGER (agric.)

Tends machine that cuts potatoes into sections of uniform size for use as seed: Pushes button to start machinery that carries potatoes to, through, and from cutter blades. Arranges potatoes, according to size, on feed conveyor in line with knives. Discards diseased and rotting potatoes. Monitors potato flow and observes machinery operation to detect jams and malfunctions. Clears jams, and reports malfunctions to supervisor. Rakes up potatoes and potato sections that have fallen from conveyors.

404.686-010 SEED CUTTER (agric.) cutter; potato-seed cutter.

Cuts seed potatoes into sections of uniform size for mechanical planting by any of the following methods: (1) Cuts potato into sections containing one or more eyes, using paring knife or draws potato along knife attached to table. (2) Dumps potatoes into hopper of machine that cuts potatoes in half. (3) Places potatoes on revolving arms of machine that cuts potatoes into quarters.

404.687-010 FARM WORKER, FIELD CROP (agric.)II

Plants, cultivates, and harvests field crops, such as cotton, hops, and tobacco, working as crew member: Plants seeds or digs up and transplants seedlings and sets, using hand tools such as hoes and scoops. Chops out weeds, thins plants to leave sturdier plants spaced at regular intervals, and hills up soil around plant roots to retain moisture and protect roots from temperature extremes, using hoe. Cuts vines from trellis, using knife, or pulls leaves from stalks to harvest crop. Stacks or packs crop in containers and loads containers on trucks or wagons. May propagate plants in covered cold-frame beds and pull up seedlings to be transplanted. May set up poles, string wires and twine among structure to support growing plants and provide shade. May cut or pull away tops, leaves, and suckers from plants during growing season. May spray fungicides and pesticides on plants to destroy diseases and insects, using hand or engine-powered pump sprayer. May stack empty harvest containers in field area. May sharpen hoes, using portable grinding wheel and hand file. May be identified with task performed, such as pole setting, raking, suckering, and picking, or according to crop, as COTTON FARM WORKER (agric.); HOPS FARM WORKER (agric.); TOBACCO FARM WORKER (agric.).

404.687-014 HARVEST WORKER, FIELD CROP (agric.)

Harvests field crops, such as broomcorn, cotton, hops, peanuts, sugarcane, and tobacco, working as crew member: Walks, stoops, crawls, or sits between plant rows to reach harvestable crop. Pulls, twists, or cuts fibers, leaves, stalks, straw, or vines, selected according to color, size, and shape, from bolls, roots, stalks, or trellises; by hand or using knife, machete, or sickle. Collects crop into containers, such as bags, boxes, and bundles, or piles and stacks crop in windrows. Picks up and carries bundles, bales, containers, or stacks of harvested crop to collection point, and loads crop onto truck or wagon, by hand or using hoist or hooks. May tie leaves, stalks, straws, or vines into bundles, using twine, clamps, or rubber bands. May shake dirt from vines and stack vines or straw around stakes or stalks, by hand or using pitchfork, to protect leaves, vines, or pods on truck. May burn debris, leaves, and stalks. May be identified with duties performed, such as cutting, picking, carrying, and loading; or with crop worked, such as alfalfa, mint, and sugar beets.

Adapted from US Department of Labor DOT for Dictionary of Agricultural Occupations

15 November 2004