| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Agriculture and Food Processing |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Farm Manager |
| Direct reports | Field Assistant (Agri) |
| Experience | 2 to 5 years in horticulture or orchard management |
Horticulturist job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Horticulturist
Department: Agriculture and Food Processing
Reports to: Farm Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Horticulturist manages the growing of fruits, vegetables or flowers, from the nursery through the orchard or field to harvest. The role reports to the Farm Manager or Head of Agronomy. A good horticulturist raises healthy planting material, plans and runs orchard and crop operations, keeps disease and pests in check, uses irrigation and nutrition well, times pruning, flowering and harvest right, keeps quality and yield high, and turns careful horticultural practice into a crop that grades well and fetches a good price in the market.
Key responsibilities
- Raise healthy planting material in the nursery for orchard and field crops.
- Plan and run orchard and horticulture crop operations through the season.
- Manage irrigation, nutrition and mulching for the horticulture crops through the season.
- Time pruning, training, flowering and harvest for the best yield and quality.
- Keep pests and diseases in check with sound plant protection.
- Manage grading, handling and post harvest care to protect quality.
- Plan planting, spacing and variety for the site and market.
- Support protected cultivation such as polyhouses and shade nets where used.
- Keep records of operations, inputs, yield and quality for each crop.
- Improve yield and quality through better horticultural practice each season.
Requirements
- Degree or diploma in horticulture or agriculture
- Knowledge of the local horticulture crops
- Field experience is an advantage
- 2 to 5 years in horticulture or orchard management
KRAs and KPIs for a Horticulturist
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Yield | Horticulture crop yield against the agreed seasonal target |
| Quality and grade | Produce meeting the target grade above the agreed level |
| Nursery survival | Planting material survival rate above the agreed level |
| Disease control | Crop losses to pests and disease kept below the agreed level |
| Post harvest | Post harvest losses kept below the agreed level |
| Timeliness | Pruning, flowering and harvest done within the right window |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Nursery and orchard tools, Irrigation systems, Sprayers, Testing kits, Farm record tools.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Farm Manager, Head of Agronomy, Horticulture Head
Interview questions for a Horticulturist
- How do you raise healthy planting material in a nursery?
- How do you time pruning and flowering for the best yield?
- How do you manage irrigation and nutrition for an orchard?
- How do you keep a horticulture crop free of pests and disease?
- How do you reduce post harvest losses to protect quality?
- How do you plan variety and spacing for a new planting?
Managing a Horticulturist in ZeniaHR
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What does a Horticulturist do?
A Horticulturist manages the growing of fruits, vegetables or flowers, from the nursery through the orchard or field to harvest. They raise healthy planting material, run crop operations, manage irrigation, nutrition and plant protection, time pruning and harvest, and protect quality through post harvest care to get a good, well graded crop.
What is the difference between a Horticulturist and an Agronomist?
A Horticulturist specialises in fruits, vegetables and flowers, including nursery, orchard and protected cultivation. An Agronomist works more broadly on field crops such as grains and pulses, advising farmers on practices. Both are crop specialists, but horticulture focuses on high value garden and orchard crops.
What qualifications does a Horticulturist need?
Most roles ask for a degree or diploma in horticulture or agriculture with knowledge of the local horticulture crops, and field experience is a strong advantage. Employers value nursery, orchard and post harvest skills and the practical judgement to time operations and protect yield and quality.