HX-PH-07
BSc Protected Horticulture Technology
Growing high-value crops under cover: climate control, hydroponics, light and the technical economics of a tunnel that has to pay for itself.
Overview
A tunnel is a small factory. Learn to run it like one.
Protected cultivation is the fastest-growing part of Western Cape horticulture: berries, leafy greens, tomatoes, nursery stock and medicinal plants grown under plastic or glass. It is also the most technical, with climate, nutrition, light and labour all interacting in a space you can walk through in 40 seconds.
Our six demonstration tunnels are instrumented end to end, and you will run a crop cycle yourself in your second year: from transplant to harvest, with a budget, a nutrient plan and a yield target you have to defend. The programme includes a full module on the economics of protected production, because most tunnel projects fail on the financial model, not on the plants.
- Climate control, ventilation and greenhouse technology
- Hydroponics, substrate systems and nutrient management
- Integrated pest management in closed environments
- Light, photoperiod and supplementary lighting economics
- Capital budgeting and technical feasibility of tunnel projects
Curriculum
What the three years look like
Year 1
Plant and environment
Horticultural science · Plant nutrition · Climate and plant physiology · Applied statistics · Field practice I
Year 2
Protected systems
Greenhouse technology and climate control · Hydroponics and substrates · IPM in protected environments · Water and nutrient reuse · Field practice II
Year 3
Enterprise
Protected production economics · Post-harvest handling · Project design and feasibility · Industry placement (12 weeks) · Capstone crop trial
Entry requirements
Bachelor of Science · NQF 7
- National Senior Certificate with an APS of 28 or above
- Mathematics and Physical Sciences at level 4 (50%)
- Life Sciences at level 4 recommended
- Practical horticultural experience is an advantage, not a requirement
Where it leads
BSc Protected Horticulture Technology
- Production manager in protected horticulture
- Technical agronomist for a substrate or fertiliser company
- Hydroponic systems designer or consultant
- Postgraduate study in horticulture or plant nutrition
Next step
Applications for 2027 are open
Applications close 30 September 2026 for the February 2027 intake. Late applications are considered while places remain.