HARVESTING, PROCESSING AND STORAGE OF CROPS
- Agricultural Sciences
- 300 level
- 3 credit units
- 262 pages
- 17 units
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.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 150 hours
- Maths
- None
- Content
- Theoretical, practical
- Practical work
- Yes
- Assignments
- Tutor Marked Assignments
- Final Examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of CRP310, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
CRP310 · Unit 1: Maturity Indices of Harvested Crops
Most fruits synthesize volatile chemicals as they ripen. Such chemicals give fruit its characteristic odour and can be used to determine whether it is ripe or not. These doors may only be detectable by humans when a fruit is completely ripe, and therefore has limited use in commercial situations.
What you should be able to do
- Describe various maturity indices for fruits and vegetables
- Explain the importance of maturity indices on shelf life and quality
- Describe different harvesting methods for various crops
- Explain the principles of controlled atmosphere storage
- Describe methods of processing cereals, cassava, yam, oil fruits and oil seeds
What it prepares you for
- Agricultural Extension Officer
- Food Processing Technician
- Quality Control Inspector
- Post-Harvest Specialist
- Farm Manager
- Agriculture
- Food Processing
- Storage and Preservation
- Transportation
- Quality Control
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 3: Traditional and Modern methods of Crop Processing and Storage
Unit 3: Traditional Food Processing Technology in West Africa.
Requires understanding of complex biochemical reactions and microbial interactions during fermentation.
- Module 5: Design and Operation of Equipment for Storage and Preservation
Unit 1: Designing of Modern Storage Structures
Designing modern storage structures requires knowledge of engineering principles and environmental factors.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 26 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: Harvesting Methods For Tropical Crops
Unit 1: Maturity Indices of Harvested Crops · 2 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 2Module 1: Harvesting Methods For Tropical Crops
Unit 2: Determination of Maturity · 2 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 3Module 1: Harvesting Methods For Tropical Crops
Unit 3: Harvesting Methods of Different Tropical Crops · 2 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 4Module 2: Fundamentals and Principles of Crop storage and Transportation
Unit 1: Principles of Crop Storage · 2 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 5Module 2: Fundamentals and Principles of Crop storage and Transportation
Unit 1: Principles of Crop Storage · 2 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 6Module 2: Fundamentals and Principles of Crop storage and Transportation
Unit 2: Methods of Reducing Crop Deterioration · 2 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 7Module 2: Fundamentals and Principles of Crop storage and Transportation
Unit 3: Use of Preservatives · 2 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 8Module 2: Fundamentals and Principles of Crop storage and Transportation
Unit 4: Principles of Crop Transportation · 2 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 9Module 3: Traditional and Modern methods of Crop Processing and Storage
Unit 1: Principles of Crop Processing · 2 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 10Module 3: Traditional and Modern methods of Crop Processing and Storage
Unit 2: Modern Methods of Crop Processing · 2 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 11Module 3: Traditional and Modern methods of Crop Processing and Storage
Unit 3: Traditional Food Processing Technology in West Africa. · 2 hours
Describe traditional food processing technologies in West Africa.. Explain traditional food fermentation methods.. Understand the processing of fruits and vegetables in Nigeria..
- Week 12Module 3: Traditional and Modern methods of Crop Processing and Storage
Unit 4: Challenges of Crop Processing. · 2 hours
Describe the challenges of crop processing.. Describe the strategies for enhancing crop processing.. Understand future post-harvest priorities..
- Week 13Module 5: Design and Operation of Equipment for Storage and Preservation
Unit 1: Designing of Modern Storage Structures · 2 hours
Describe the basic requirements and recommendations for the design of storage structures.. Describe on-farm storage structures.. Design modern storage structures..
Preparing for the exam
- Focus on understanding the different harvesting methods for tropical crops, paying attention to the specific requirements of each crop type (Module 1).
- Create detailed notes on the principles of crop storage and transportation, including factors affecting grain quality and methods for reducing crop deterioration (Module 2).
- Compare and contrast traditional and modern methods of crop processing and storage, focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of each (Module 3).
- Review the ideal environmental conditions for storage, including temperature, humidity, and atmospheric composition, and their impact on storage life (Module 4).
- Study the design and operation of equipment for storage and preservation, including modern storage structures and their components (Module 5).
- Practice applying the knowledge gained to real-world scenarios, such as designing a storage plan for a specific crop or troubleshooting common storage problems.
Questions students ask about this course
What is CRP310 about?
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.
How many units does CRP310 have?
CRP310, HARVESTING, PROCESSING AND STORAGE OF CROPS, has 17 units across 5 modules, over 262 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is CRP310?
CRP310 carries 3 credit units, at 300 level in Agricultural Sciences.
Is CRP310 hard?
CRP310 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and practical work, and it has a practical component.
How long does CRP310 take to study?
About 150 hours of study, spread across its 17 units.
How is CRP310 assessed?
CRP310 is assessed by Assignments, Tutor Marked Assignments and Final Examination.
What can I do with CRP310?
Agricultural Extension Officer, Food Processing Technician, Quality Control Inspector, Post Harvest Specialist and Farm Manager.