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CRP310Agricultural Sciences3 Unitsintermediate

HARVESTING, PROCESSING AND STORAGE OF CROPS

This course introduces the fundamental principles of harvesting methods, processing, and storage of crops. It covers harvesting methods for tropical crops, fundamentals of crop storage and transportation, traditional and modern methods of crop processing and storage, storage life of harvested crops, and the design and operation of equipment for storage and preservation. The course aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to minimize post-harvest losses and ensure food security.

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150h

Study Time

13

Weeks

12h

Per Week

none

Math Level

Course Keywords

HarvestingProcessingStorageTropical CropsPost-Harvest

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level

Builds on foundational knowledge

65%

intermediate

📚

Math Level

No Math

🔬

Learning Type

Hands-on Practice

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

Harvesting Methods

2

Crop Storage Principles

3

Crop Transportation

4

Traditional Crop Processing

5

Modern Crop Processing

6

Food Preservation Techniques

Total Topics6 topics

Ready to Start

No specific requirements needed

This course is designed to be accessible to all students. You can start immediately without any prior knowledge or specific preparation.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

Assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Tutor-Marked Assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Final Examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Agricultural Extension Officer

Apply your skills in this growing field

Food Processing Technician

Apply your skills in this growing field

Quality Control Inspector

Apply your skills in this growing field

Post-Harvest Specialist

Apply your skills in this growing field

Farm Manager

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

AgricultureFood ProcessingStorage and PreservationTransportationQuality Control

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week

1

Module 1: Harvesting Methods For Tropical Crops

2h

Unit 1: Maturity Indices of Harvested Crops

2 study hours

•Understand the importance of maturity indices in determining crop quality and shelf life.
•Learn to differentiate between subjective and objective maturity indices.
•Study the physical indices of maturity, including skin color, shape, size, and aroma.

Week

2

Module 1: Harvesting Methods For Tropical Crops

2h

Unit 2: Determination of Maturity

2 study hours

•Differentiate between physiological maturity and harvest maturity.
•Understand the three stages in the life span of fruits and vegetables: maturation, ripening, and senescence.
•Learn about chemicals used for hastening and delaying the ripening of fruits and vegetables.

Week

3

Module 1: Harvesting Methods For Tropical Crops

2h

Unit 3: Harvesting Methods of Different Tropical Crops

2 study hours

•Describe the different harvesting methods for various tropical crops.
•Explain the harvesting methods for cereals, including rice, maize, millet, and sorghum.
•Understand how to harvest vegetables and tree crops.

Week

4

Module 2: Fundamentals and Principles of Crop storage and Transportation

2h

Unit 1: Principles of Crop Storage

2 study hours

•Understand the principles of crop storage, including factors affecting grain quality.
•Learn about the safe moisture content for various cereals and pulses.
•Explore temporary storage methods such as aerial storage and storage on platforms.

Week

5

Module 2: Fundamentals and Principles of Crop storage and Transportation

2h

Unit 1: Principles of Crop Storage

2 study hours

•Learn about long-term grain storage methods, including storage baskets, earthenware pots, and solid wall bins.
•Understand the conditions for storing cassava, yam, sweet potatoes, and Irish potatoes.
•Explore methods for storing oil-containing products.

Week

6

Module 2: Fundamentals and Principles of Crop storage and Transportation

2h

Unit 2: Methods of Reducing Crop Deterioration

2 study hours

•Learn about technical methods of reducing crop deterioration, including physical, chemical, and biochemical processes.
•Understand procedures for fruit and vegetable preservation, such as fresh storage, cold storage, and freezing.
•Explore preservation methods involving the reduction of water content, including drying and dehydration.

Week

7

Module 2: Fundamentals and Principles of Crop storage and Transportation

2h

Unit 3: Use of Preservatives

2 study hours

•Describe the different methods of preserving crop produce.
•Explain the latest handling procedures for crop produce.
•Describe chemical methods of preservation, including the use of sulphur dioxide and sulphites.

Week

8

Module 2: Fundamentals and Principles of Crop storage and Transportation

2h

Unit 4: Principles of Crop Transportation

2 study hours

•Understand the factors that affect the quality of produce during transportation.
•Explain hygiene in transport systems.
•Distinguish the factors that govern the selection of the mode of transport.

Week

9

Module 3: Traditional and Modern methods of Crop Processing and Storage

2h

Unit 1: Principles of Crop Processing

2 study hours

•Define food processing and describe its basic principles.
•Describe the different types of agricultural processing, including primary, secondary, and tertiary processing.
•Explain sector-wise food processing, focusing on fruits and vegetables.

Week

10

Module 3: Traditional and Modern methods of Crop Processing and Storage

2h

Unit 2: Modern Methods of Crop Processing

2 study hours

•Describe the methods of processing cereals, including whole meal cereal, decorticated meal, and de-germinated meal.
•Describe the methods of processing cassava and yam.
•Explain the methods of processing oil fruits and oil seeds.

Week

11

Module 3: Traditional and Modern methods of Crop Processing and Storage

2h

Unit 3: Traditional Food Processing Technology in West Africa.

2 study hours

•Describe traditional food processing technologies in West Africa.
•Explain traditional food fermentation methods.
•Understand the processing of fruits and vegetables in Nigeria.

Week

12

Module 3: Traditional and Modern methods of Crop Processing and Storage

2h

Unit 4: Challenges of Crop Processing.

2 study hours

•Describe the challenges of crop processing.
•Describe the strategies for enhancing crop processing.
•Understand future post-harvest priorities.

Week

13

Module 5: Design and Operation of Equipment for Storage and Preservation

2h

Unit 1: Designing of Modern Storage Structures

2 study hours

•Describe the basic requirements and recommendations for the design of storage structures.
•Describe on-farm storage structures.
•Design modern storage structures.

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

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Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Focus on understanding the different harvesting methods for tropical crops, paying attention to the specific requirements of each crop type (Module 1).

2

Create detailed notes on the principles of crop storage and transportation, including factors affecting grain quality and methods for reducing crop deterioration (Module 2).

3

Compare and contrast traditional and modern methods of crop processing and storage, focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of each (Module 3).

4

Review the ideal environmental conditions for storage, including temperature, humidity, and atmospheric composition, and their impact on storage life (Module 4).

5

Study the design and operation of equipment for storage and preservation, including modern storage structures and their components (Module 5).

6

Practice applying the knowledge gained to real-world scenarios, such as designing a storage plan for a specific crop or troubleshooting common storage problems.

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