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Elements and Performance Criteria

  1. Interpret and schedule test requirements
  2. Prepare materials for test
  3. Plant and maintain seeds
  4. Evaluate test results
  5. Maintain a safe work environment

Required Skills

Required skills include

Ability to

prepare growing media

pretreat seed to break dormancy

plant and maintain seeds in a controlled environment

assess seed germination

record and report results

maintain a safe work environment

maintain security integrity traceability of samples subsamples test data results and documentation

Required knowledge includes

Knowledge of

the role of the International Seed Testing Association ISTA and the ISTA Rules for Seed Testing

assessment of germination and determining need for retesting

seed biology

enterprise standard operating procedures SOPs

enterprise andor legal traceability requirements

relevant health safety and environment requirements

calculations tolerances and rounding results

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

prepare growing media

assess seed germination

recording and reporting of results

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

Method of assessment

This Unit should be assessed together with core Units and other Units of Competency relevant to the function or work role

Guidance information for assessment

To ensure consistency of performance competency should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances cases and responsibilities and where possible over a number of assessment activities

Range Statement

The range statement relates to the Unit of Competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Growing media may include:

paper substrates; sand; or organic growing media.

Pre-treatment of seeds may include:

Pre-chilling; preheating; pre-storage; light; gibberellic acid; potassium nitrate; acid scarification; or mechanical scarification.

Normal seedlings may include:

intact seedlings; seedlings with slight defects; or seedlings with secondary infection as applicable to the species being tested.

Abnormal seedlings may include:

damaged; deformed or unbalanced; or decayed seedlings as applicable to the species being tested.

Un-germinated seeds may include:

hard; fresh; dead; or other categories of seed.