Unit of Competency Mapping – Information for Teachers/Assessors – Information for Learners

AHCNSY301A Mapping and Delivery Guide
Maintain nursery plants

Version 1.0
Issue Date: May 2024


Qualification -
Unit of Competency AHCNSY301A - Maintain nursery plants
Description This unit covers the work undertaken to maintain nursery plants and defines the standard required to: calculate daily water needs; recognise stages of plant growth; monitor plant health; integrate range of plant maintenance activities; monitor the effects of plant interventions; prepare, mix and use chemicals as required.
Employability Skills This unit contains employability skills.
Learning Outcomes and Application This unit applies to the process of monitoring and maintaining plants in a retail or production nursery.
Duration and Setting X weeks, nominally xx hours, delivered in a classroom/online/blended learning setting.
Prerequisites/co-requisites
Competency Field
Development and validation strategy and guide for assessors and learners Student Learning Resources Handouts
Activities 		Slides
PPT 		Assessment 1 Assessment 2 Assessment 3 Assessment 4
Elements of Competency Performance Criteria              
Element: Monitor and maintain the nursery environment
  • Environmental parameters are monitored against the needs of the plants and enterprise guidelines.
  • Environmental parameters are altered, as required, to meet the needs of nursery plants and market requirements.
  • Irrigation system components are serviced for basic operational use and basic user serviceable parts are repaired or replaced.
       
Element: Determine daily water requirements
  • Water requirements are determined according to the needs of the plant and environmental parameters.
  • Water is applied according to the needs of the plant group.
  • Water requirements of the plant are monitored according to enterprise guidelines.
       
Element: Promote plant growth by intervention
  • Potting media is tested in production areas to ensure quality specifications are met.
  • Health of the plant is monitored according to enterprise guidelines.
  • Plant interventions are undertaken according to marketing plans, appropriate stage of plant growth for the particular intervention, and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements.
  • Waste is disposed of with full consideration of the environmental implications.
  • Records are kept on all maintenance activities according to enterprise requirements.
       


Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

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:

calculate daily water needs

recognise stages of plant growth

monitor plant health

integrate range of plant maintenance activities

monitor the effects of plant interventions

prepare, mix and use chemicals as required.

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.

Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assignment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)

Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Required skills

select, fit and use appropriate personal protective equipment

calculate daily water needs

recognise stages of plant growth

monitor plant health

integrate range of plant maintenance activities

monitor the effects of plant interventions

prepare, mix and use chemicals as required

service basic irrigation system components

repair or replace user serviceable irrigation components

interpret and record required workplace information

operate irrigation systems

use oral communication skills/language competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation, including questioning techniques, active listening, clarifying information and consulting with supervisors as required

use interpersonal skills to work with and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities.

Required knowledge

effects of environmental parameters on plant growth

methods of calculating daily water needs

relationship between plant water needs and environmental parameters

characteristics of various types of potting media

factors affecting the growth of nursery plants

optimum growing conditions for a range of plants in a nursery

quality parameters for a range of nursery plants

symptoms of unhealthy plants

common problems that occur with nursery plants and their treatment

botany and plant physiology

effect of different pruning and intervention methods

processes for modifying environmental parameters

phenological stages of plant growth

treatments required by plants at different phenological stages and environmental parameters

principles and operations of a range of irrigation systems used in nurseries

OHS hazards and the associated risks when maintaining plants

environmental impacts of applying plant interventions

Nursery Industry Water Management Best Practice Guidelines 2005.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Plants may include:

a wide range of plants common in production and retail nurseries and commonly used and produced in the region.

Plant cultural practices may include:

practices relevant to maintenance activities in diverse environments and a varying ability to control the environmental parameters.

Plant physiological processes may include:

principles of transpiration, water intake, nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, respiration and translocation.

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Environmental parameters are monitored against the needs of the plants and enterprise guidelines. 
Environmental parameters are altered, as required, to meet the needs of nursery plants and market requirements. 
Irrigation system components are serviced for basic operational use and basic user serviceable parts are repaired or replaced. 
Water requirements are determined according to the needs of the plant and environmental parameters. 
Water is applied according to the needs of the plant group. 
Water requirements of the plant are monitored according to enterprise guidelines. 
Potting media is tested in production areas to ensure quality specifications are met. 
Health of the plant is monitored according to enterprise guidelines. 
Plant interventions are undertaken according to marketing plans, appropriate stage of plant growth for the particular intervention, and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements. 
Waste is disposed of with full consideration of the environmental implications. 
Records are kept on all maintenance activities according to enterprise requirements. 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

AHCNSY301A - Maintain nursery plants
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Assessment Record Sheet

AHCNSY301A - Maintain nursery plants

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: