Application
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to provide information on fertilisers and soil ameliorants.
All work must be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, work health and safety legislation and codes, and sustainability practices.
This unit applies to employees in a sales role in an agricultural or horticultural support enterprise who provide information on fertilisers, soil ameliorants and related environmental information to primary producers
This unit applies to individuals who take responsibility for their own work and provide and communicate solutions to a range of predictable and sometimes unpredictable problems.
No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Element | Performance criteria |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Gather information on the requirements of the client | 1.1 Identify basis of fertiliser or soil ameliorant requirement 1.2 Evaluate planned use of fertiliser or soil ameliorant against legislative requirements, local productivity and environmental guidelines and food safety regulations 1.3 Take individual soil, plant tissue and water samples for each customer 1.4 Provide customer with relevant sampling kits and advice on sampling procedures where appropriate |
2. Provide information on nutrient management program | 2.1 Provide information and referrals about the fertiliser and soil ameliorant products including work health and safety, biosecurity, food safety and environmental and sustainability issues inline with industry codes of practice and enterprise policies 2.2 Recommend use of nutrient management tools where necessary 2.3 Suggest changes to application method or timing if necessary 2.4 Research and update knowledge and understanding of fertilisers, soil, ameliorants and related products from authoritative sources 2.5 Research local enterprise and district requirements for fertilisers, soil, ameliorants and related products |
3. Provide appropriate service or product | 3.1 Refer customer to a specialist adviser if required 3.2 Provide customer with information regarding transporting, storing and handling fertiliser and soil ameliorants 3.3 Arrange transport, handling and storage of fertiliser and soil ameliorants where required 3.4 Supply fertiliser and soil ameliorants that meet legislative requirements and productivity, food safety, biosecurity and environmental guidelines 3.5 Record details of transaction |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must be assessed on their ability to integrate and apply the performance requirements of this unit in a workplace setting. Performance must be demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.
The candidate must provide evidence that they can:
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
follow enterprise work health and safety policies
follow enterprise biosecurity and sustainability policies
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:
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, run-off, 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 work health and safety 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,
sampling tools and methods, including soil, plant tissue and water tests; yield monitoring; and electrical conductivity survey
impact of climate on soil productivity
environmental impacts including soil structural decline, fertility decline, acidification and salinity, erosion, loss of organic matter, water quality, fertiliser and soil ameliorant impurities, and greenhouse gas emissions
work health and safety legislation
use, transport, handling and storage requirements of fertiliser and soil ameliorants in terms of legislation, codes of practice, environmental stewardship and human safety
Assessment Conditions
Competency is to be assessed in the workplace or simulated environment that accurately reflects performance in a real workplace setting.
Assessors must satisfy current standards for RTOs.
Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
Sectors
Merchandising and Sales (MER)