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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Gather information on the requirements of the client
   • Basis of customer's fertiliser or soil ameliorant requirement is identified.
   • Planned use of fertiliser or soil ameliorant is evaluated against legislative requirements, local productivity and environmental guidelines and food safety regulations.
   • Individual soil, plant tissue and water samples are taken for each customer.
   • Where appropriate, customer is provided with relevant sampling kits and advice on required sampling processes to be followed.
2. Provide information on nutrient management program
   • Information and referrals about the fertiliser and soil ameliorant product are provided to customer, with particular reference to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), food safety and environmental issues and according to industry codes of practice.
   • Use of nutrient management tools is recommended where necessary.
   • Changes to application method and/or timing are suggested if necessary.
3. Provide appropriate service or product
   • Customer is referred to an appropriately qualified specialist adviser if required.
   • Customer is supplied with information and recommendations regarding transporting, storing and handling fertiliser and soil ameliorants in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.
   • Where required by customer, the transport, handling and storage of fertiliser and soil ameliorants in a safe and environmentally responsible manner are arranged.
   • Fertiliser and soil ameliorants are supplied that meet legislative requirements and productivity, food safety and environmental guidelines.
   • Details of transaction are recorded according to enterprise and industry guidelines.

Required Skills

Required skills

taking soil water and plant tissue samples analysing soil and plant tissue tests to determine nutrient requirements using safe and environmentally responsible work practices use literacy skills to read interpret and follow organisational policies and procedures develop sequenced written instructions record accurately and legibly information collected and select and apply procedures to a range of tasks use oral communication skillslanguage competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation including questioning active listening asking for clarification negotiating solutions and responding to a range of views use numeracy skills to estimate calculate and record routine and more complex workplace measures and data use interpersonal skills to work with others and relate to people from a range of cultural social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities

Required knowledge

crop nutrient requirements both macro and micro nutrients effect of soil ameliorants in dispersion and adjustment for acidity or alkalinity pH fertiliser and soil ameliorant application methods including timing and frequency of fertiliser and soil ameliorant application to minimise losses fertiliser and soil ameliorants availability and relative costs industry production regimes and fertiliser practices sources of technical information major nutrient management risks of leach runoff load blow mine and how these impact on the environment nutrient management advisory tools and processes used by advisers in making a crop nutrition recommendation organisational OHS and environmental procedures practices and policies in operating sampling equipment packaging and dispatch procedures for samples physical chemical and biological properties related to a healthy soil and environment including texture structure slaking dispersion organic matter and pH rainfall patterns in local area sampling tools and methods including soil plant tissue and water tests yield monitoring and electrical conductivity survey environmental impacts such as soil structural decline fertility decline acidification and salinity erosion loss of organic matter water quality fertiliser and soil ameliorant impurities and greenhouse gas emissions transport handling and storage requirements of fertiliser and soil ameliorants in terms of legislation codes of practice environmental stewardship and human safety

Evidence Required

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria required skills and knowledge range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package
Overview of assessment
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit	The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following take soil plant tissue and water samples use and explain use of nutrient management tools provide information on the relationship between soil types water crops fertiliser and soil ameliorant use describe legislative requirements relating to use of fertiliser and soil ameliorants
Context of and specific resources for assessment	Competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances

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Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.
Fertiliser or soil ameliorants may include:	the range of fertiliser or soil ameliorants that form part of a nutrient management plan covering inorganic or organic solids and fluids applied directly to soil or plant via foliar sprays.

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