CLASSIFICATION MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

None

JOB DESCRIPTION:

This is an Agricultural Assistant I position based in Gainesville, FL, within the Blueberry Breeding Program of the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). The position will be responsible for executing the daily maintenance of the UFBBP germplasm in a greenhouse, Nursery, and Field setting. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience with successful care of large group of plants in different life cycle stages. The ability to work in a team environment with good communication skills are a critical component of this role. The Agricultural Assistant 1 will report to the Program Manager, and will collaborate closely with UFBBP team leaders, as well as graduate students and other staff members, as needed.

Specifically, the principal duties and responsibilities assigned to this position are:

• Assisting with Core Breeding Activities of the UF Blueberry Breeding Program (UFBBP).
• Preparation of Breeding Plants, Pollinating Blueberry parent plants, harvesting breeding fruit, seed extractions, sowing of breeding seed, seedling/propagule transplantation.
• Germplasm Maintenance in a Greenhouse/ Field setting. This will entail irrigation and fertilizing the new seedling populations, newly rooted advance selections, and the germplasm collection plants.
• Weeding maintenance of the germplasm collection at the greenhouse facilities and research farm location.
• Greenhouse and field infrastructure maintenance.
• Routine monitoring of the greenhouse facility environmental controls and water supply.
• Maintaining the greenhouse and field hygiene with accordance to the segregated waste streams dictated by the PSF and PSERU.
• Inventory and data set collecting.
• Inventory assessment with supplies needed for the greenhouse operations and data collection during the UFBBP infrastructural breeding activities.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

None.

• Assisting with Core Breeding Activities of the UF Blueberry Breeding Program (UFBBP).
• Preparation of Breeding Plants, Pollinating Blueberry parent plants, harvesting breeding fruit, seed extractions, sowing of breeding seed, seedling/propagule transplantation.
• Germplasm Maintenance in a Greenhouse/ Field setting. This will entail irrigation and fertilizing the new seedling populations, newly rooted advance selections, and the germplasm collection plants.
• Weeding maintenance of the germplasm collection at the greenhouse facilities and research farm location.
• Greenhouse and field infrastructure maintenance.
• Routine monitoring of the greenhouse facility environmental controls and water supply.
• Maintaining the greenhouse and field hygiene with accordance to the segregated waste streams dictated by the PSF and PSERU.
• Inventory and data set collecting.
• Inventory assessment with supplies needed for the greenhouse operations and data collection during the UFBBP infrastructural breeding activities