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Evidence Guide: AHCPER215 - Assist with garden soil health and plant nutrition

Student: __________________________________________________

Signature: _________________________________________________

Tips for gathering evidence to demonstrate your skills

The important thing to remember when gathering evidence is that the more evidence the better - that is, the more evidence you gather to demonstrate your skills, the more confident an assessor can be that you have learned the skills not just at one point in time, but are continuing to apply and develop those skills (as opposed to just learning for the test!). Furthermore, one piece of evidence that you collect will not usualy demonstrate all the required criteria for a unit of competency, whereas multiple overlapping pieces of evidence will usually do the trick!

From the Wiki University

 

AHCPER215 - Assist with garden soil health and plant nutrition

What evidence can you provide to prove your understanding of each of the following citeria?

Undertake simple soil assessment tests

  1. Prepare soil samples for testing
  2. Use simple techniques to check the texture, pH, organic matter and soil life in the soil samples
  3. Use simple techniques to read the probable soil condition using plant growth and insect or animal activity
Prepare soil samples for testing

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use simple techniques to check the texture, pH, organic matter and soil life in the soil samples

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use simple techniques to read the probable soil condition using plant growth and insect or animal activity

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add organic or allowable nutrients to improve soil

  1. Determine needs of soil for improvement
  2. Add allowable additives such as compost, rock dust, manure and compost tea to improve soil
  3. Use planting techniques such as green manures, companions, guilds and nurse plants to improve soils and plant nutrition
  4. Protect the soil with mulch to maintain moisture and discourage unwanted growth
Determine needs of soil for improvement

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add allowable additives such as compost, rock dust, manure and compost tea to improve soil

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use planting techniques such as green manures, companions, guilds and nurse plants to improve soils and plant nutrition

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Protect the soil with mulch to maintain moisture and discourage unwanted growth

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monitor soil health

  1. Monitor the health of the soil through the seasons
  2. Ensure soils are not over dry or over wet
  3. Avoid salting or greywater sodicity if watering with reused water
  4. Regularly check for health of soil organisms, nutrient deficiency in leaves, and signs of pathogen fungal, bacterial or viral action on plants
  5. Monitor soil improvement and plant nutrition over time
Monitor the health of the soil through the seasons

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ensure soils are not over dry or over wet

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Avoid salting or greywater sodicity if watering with reused water

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regularly check for health of soil organisms, nutrient deficiency in leaves, and signs of pathogen fungal, bacterial or viral action on plants

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monitor soil improvement and plant nutrition over time

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessed

Teacher: ___________________________________ Date: _________

Signature: ________________________________________________

Comments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions to Assessors

Evidence Guide

Element

Performance criteria

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Undertake simple soil assessment tests

1.1 Prepare soil samples for testing

1.2 Use simple techniques to check the texture, pH, organic matter and soil life in the soil samples

1.3 Use simple techniques to read the probable soil condition using plant growth and insect or animal activity

2. Add organic or allowable nutrients to improve soil

2.1 Determine needs of soil for improvement

2.2 Add allowable additives such as compost, rock dust, manure and compost tea to improve soil

2.3 Use planting techniques such as green manures, companions, guilds and nurse plants to improve soils and plant nutrition

2.4 Protect the soil with mulch to maintain moisture and discourage unwanted growth

3. Monitor soil health

3.1 Monitor the health of the soil through the seasons

3.2 Ensure soils are not over dry or over wet

3.3 Avoid salting or greywater sodicity if watering with reused water

3.4 Regularly check for health of soil organisms, nutrient deficiency in leaves, and signs of pathogen fungal, bacterial or viral action on plants

3.5 Monitor soil improvement and plant nutrition over time

Required Skills and Knowledge

Element

Performance criteria

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Undertake simple soil assessment tests

1.1 Prepare soil samples for testing

1.2 Use simple techniques to check the texture, pH, organic matter and soil life in the soil samples

1.3 Use simple techniques to read the probable soil condition using plant growth and insect or animal activity

2. Add organic or allowable nutrients to improve soil

2.1 Determine needs of soil for improvement

2.2 Add allowable additives such as compost, rock dust, manure and compost tea to improve soil

2.3 Use planting techniques such as green manures, companions, guilds and nurse plants to improve soils and plant nutrition

2.4 Protect the soil with mulch to maintain moisture and discourage unwanted growth

3. Monitor soil health

3.1 Monitor the health of the soil through the seasons

3.2 Ensure soils are not over dry or over wet

3.3 Avoid salting or greywater sodicity if watering with reused water

3.4 Regularly check for health of soil organisms, nutrient deficiency in leaves, and signs of pathogen fungal, bacterial or viral action on plants

3.5 Monitor soil improvement and plant nutrition over time

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:

undertake simple soil assessment tests

add organic or allowable nutrients to improve soil

Protect soil to maintain moisture and overall soil health

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

permaculture principles and practices related to soil health and plant nutrition, such as:

working with natural soils rather than importing soil

soil as an ecosystem

soil as biomass and carbon capture and storage

principles of sustainable horticultural practices

soil testing techniques, such as:

jar test for texture

ribbon test and ball test

pH testing

surface evaporation test

worm count

basic plant nutrition

allowable additives to improve soils, such as:

compost and worm castings

compost teas

rock dust

gypsum

green manures

manures/animal bedding materials

leaf mould

plantings – green manures, nurse plants

companion planting

dynamic accumulators

chop and drop

nutrient trapping systems

greywater use

organically certified products

methods of waste disposal causing minimal impact on the environment

Range Statement