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CPT514

Produce And Post Harvest Management

This course introduces the fundamental principles of produce and post-harvest management. It explores the physiological processes of maturity, pre-harvest conditions, and post-harvest losses. Students will learn how to minimize these losses, ensuring high-quality produce reaches consumers. The course covers shelf-life extension, processing, transportation, and storage techniques. It equips students with the knowledge to manipulate plant conditions for improved handling, storage, and processing of agricultural produce.

About this course

Difficulty
Intermediate
Study hours
200 hours
Maths
None
Content
Theoretical, practical
Practical work
Yes
How it is assessed
  • Assignments
  • Tutor marked assessments
  • Final examination

What you'll read

The real module and unit structure of CPT514, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.

One paragraph, so you can see how it reads

CPT514 · Unit 5: Operational/Structures for Storage and Preservation

You should be able to use the knowledge acquired in this course in planning and executing successfully post harvest storage and management of crop produce. I wish you success in this course and hope that you find it both interesting and useful.

What you should be able to do

  1. Classify maturity indices of horticultural crops
  2. Apply post-harvest technologies for processing and storage
  3. Identify and control storage pests and diseases
  4. Describe methods for processing produce
  5. Explain pre-harvest factors affecting post-harvest life
  6. Implement strategies for minimizing post-harvest losses

What it prepares you for

Careers
  • Farm Manager
  • Agricultural Extension Officer
  • Post-Harvest Technician
  • Food Processing Supervisor
  • Quality Control Inspector
Where it is applied
  • Agriculture
  • Food Processing
  • Storage and Distribution
  • Export
  • Retail

Where it gets hard

The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.

  • Module 2: Post Harvest Handling of Crops

    Unit 2: Causes of Post Harvest Losses

    Understanding the complex interactions between primary and secondary causes of post-harvest losses requires critical analysis of multiple factors.

  • Module 3: Storage of Crop Products

    Unit3: Methods of Crop Storage

    Applying the various methods of crop storage requires understanding of the specific requirements for different crop types and environmental conditions.

A suggested way through it

Suggested

13 weeks, about 96 hours in total. Yours will differ.

  1. Week 1Module 1: Tropical Environment in Relation to Maturity, Ripening and Senescence
    • Unit1. Climatic factors (rainfall, temperature, relative humidity sunshine etc.) in Relation to Maturity, Ripening and Senescence · 4 hours

      Study climatic factors affecting crop maturity, ripening, and senescence.. Understand the impact of rainfall, temperature, humidity, sunshine, wind, and air.. Analyze how these factors influence plant growth and development..

    • Unit2. Soil factors (plant nutrients, soil reaction pH) in Relation to Maturity Ripening and senescence · 4 hours

      Examine soil factors like pH, texture, and moisture affecting crop maturity.. Learn about mineral nutrition, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium.. Understand how soil conditions influence post-harvest quality..

    • Unit3. Maturity Indices of Crops Products · 4 hours

      Explore maturity indices of crop products.. Distinguish between physiological and harvest maturity.. Understand the stages of fruit and vegetable lifecycles: maturation, ripening, and senescence..

  2. Week 2Module 2: Post Harvest Handling of Crops
    • Unit 1: Introduction to Post Harvest Technology · 3 hours

      Define post-harvest technology and its importance.. Understand post-harvest physiological processes and control mechanisms.. Learn about temperature and humidity management for extending shelf life..

    • Unit 2: Causes of Post Harvest Losses · 3 hours

      Identify primary and secondary causes of post-harvest losses.. Understand the sites of losses and their magnitude.. Analyze on-farm and after-harvest causes of loss..

  3. Week 3Module 2: Post Harvest Handling of Crops
    • Unit 3: Technologies of Reducing Post Harvest Losses · 3 hours

      Explore technologies for reducing post-harvest losses.. Learn about gentle handling, temperature control, and high humidity.. Understand suberization, curing, and genetic control of shelf life..

    • Unit 4: Post Harvest Treatments to Minimize Produce Contamination and Maximize Quality · 3 hours

      Study post-harvest treatments to minimize produce contamination.. Learn about reducing microbial contamination and water loss.. Understand ethylene damage reduction and decay control..

  4. Week 4Module 2: Post Harvest Handling of Crops
    • Unit 5: Crop Processing · 6 hours

      Understand the principles of crop processing.. Explore different types of agricultural processing.. Learn methods for processing cereals, cassava, yam, oil fruits, and oil seeds..

  5. Week 5Module 3: Storage of Crop Products
    • Unit 1: Storage life of Harvested Crop Materials · 4 hours

      Study physiological processes of fresh produce.. Understand respiration, transpiration, and ethylene production.. Analyze pre-harvest factors affecting post-harvest life..

    • Unit 2: Storage and Shelf life problem · 4 hours

      Identify problems of crop storage.. Learn methods of shelf-life extension.. Understand canning, drying, freezing, and vacuum packing..

  6. Week 6Module 3: Storage of Crop Products
    • Unit 3: Methods of Crop Storage · 6 hours

      Explore methods of crop product storage.. Understand principles of preservation and storage.. Learn about technical methods for reducing food deterioration..

  7. Week 7Module 3: Storage of Crop Products
    • Unit 4: Ideal Environment for Storage · 6 hours

      Study conditions for crop storage.. Understand cooling and storage techniques.. Learn about transportation of crop produce and factors compromising quality..

  8. Week 8Module 3: Storage of Crop Products
    • Unit 5: Operational/Structures for Storage and Preservation · 6 hours

      Explore operational equipment and structures for storage and preservation.. Understand yam and grain storage structures.. Learn about packing and packaging of fresh produce..

  9. Week 9Module 1: Tropical Environment in Relation to Maturity, Ripening and Senescence
    • Revision of Module 1 · 8 hours

      Review Module 1: Tropical Environment in Relation to Maturity, Ripening and Senescence. Revise key concepts and terminology.. Prepare for assignments and tutor-marked assessments..

  10. Week 10Module 2: Post Harvest Handling of Crops
    • Revision of Module 2 · 8 hours

      Review Module 2: Post Harvest Handling of Crops. Revise key concepts and terminology.. Prepare for assignments and tutor-marked assessments..

  11. Week 11Module 3: Storage of Crop Products
    • Revision of Module 3 · 8 hours

      Review Module 3: Storage of Crop Products. Revise key concepts and terminology.. Prepare for assignments and tutor-marked assessments..

  12. Week 12All Modules
    • Assignment Completion and Tutor Consultation · 8 hours

      Complete outstanding assignments and TMAs.. Focus on areas needing improvement.. Consult with tutor for clarification..

  13. Week 13All Modules
    • Final Revision · 8 hours

      Comprehensive course review.. Focus on key concepts and objectives from all modules.. Practice answering exam-style questions..

Preparing for the exam

What to do
  • Create detailed summaries of each unit, focusing on key terms and concepts.
  • Use flashcards to memorize maturity indices and storage requirements for different crops.
  • Practice applying post-harvest techniques to specific scenarios.
  • Review tutor-marked assignments and identify areas for improvement.
  • Focus on understanding the principles of food safety and quality assurance.
  • Create concept maps linking Units 3-5 storage methods to specific crop types
  • Practice identifying causes and prevention strategies for post-harvest losses from Units 7-9
  • Review chemical preservation methods from Units 10-12 and their applications
  • Create a table comparing different drying techniques from Units 13-15
  • Practice answering essay questions on exam topics under timed conditions

Questions students ask about this course

What is CPT514 about?

This course introduces the fundamental principles of produce and post-harvest management. It explores the physiological processes of maturity, pre-harvest conditions, and post-harvest losses. Students will learn how to minimize these losses, ensuring high-quality produce reaches consumers. The course covers shelf-life extension, processing, transportation, and storage techniques. It equips students with the knowledge to manipulate plant conditions for improved handling, storage, and processing of agricultural produce.

How many units does CPT514 have?

CPT514, Produce And Post Harvest Management, has 22 units across 3 modules, over 281 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.

How many credit units is CPT514?

CPT514 carries 2 credit units, at 500 level in Agricultural Sciences.

Is CPT514 hard?

CPT514 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and practical work, and it has a practical component.

How long does CPT514 take to study?

About 200 hours of study, spread across its 22 units.

How is CPT514 assessed?

CPT514 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments and final examination.

What can I do with CPT514?

Farm Manager, Agricultural Extension Officer, Post Harvest Technician, Food Processing Supervisor and Quality Control Inspector.

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