Seeds Production Research Intern

Role purpose

• Working within the Seeds Production Research team, the intern is integrated into the Corn & Sunflower programs and participate in the activities of setting up and monitoring trials and continuous improvement of processes.
• The program will also enable the incument to learn and execute the following:
  • Trialing Operations: Field Trial location Scouting, Seed Preparation, Trial Design, Sowing, Maintenance, Field work, Processing and Data consolidation
  • Crop specialist: Develop expertise to directly support Field Production team on agronomy topics

Accountabilities

• Management of several trial locations close to production zones
• Support technically Field Production team before, during and after the season
• Deliver technical reports on specific trials (understand the complete vision of a corn/sunflower cycle: preparation of trials, participation in sowing, trial maintenance, flowering notations, harvesting, process at the factory and analysis of results)
• Support Cereals team with basic activities (transport, trial preparation, sowing, maintenance and harvesting) 
• In collaboration with the HSE local manager, comply with Syngenta Code of Practice for operations in the Fields

Knowledge, Experience & Capabilities

Critical qualification

• A qualification in Agriculture, Degree from a recognised institution
• Be computer literate (Office software, mail communication)
• Highly proficient in written and verbal English. 
• Verbally proficient in Afrikaans

Critical knowledge & Experience

• Field crop specificities (either commodity or seed)
• Trial management

Critical Skills

• Field operations management (soil preparation, planting, and related on farm activities)
• Good communication skills possessing the ability to collaborate with SPR colleagues and Field Production Agronomists
• Self-motivated
• Ability to work without close supervision
• Must be a person of proven integrity

Critical success factors & key challenges

• Deliver high trial quality results
• Create and enhance good working network inside SPR and within Field Production team

Develop and propose protocol and innovation to improve FP yield performance in South Africa

As a world market leader in crop protection, we help farmers to counter these threats and ensure enough safe, nutritious, affordable food for all – while minimizing the use of land and other agricultural inputs. Syngenta Crop Protection keeps plants safe from planting to harvesting.  From the moment a seed is planted through to harvest, crops need to be protected from weeds, insects and diseases as well as droughts and floods, heat and cold. Syngenta Crop Protection is headquartered in Switzerland.