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Title / Care for nursery crops
Level / 2 / Credits / 10
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: identify the growing environment requirements of nursery crops; monitor a specific nursery crop and its growing environment; and maintain a specific nursery crop.
Classification / Horticulture > Nursery Production
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1Definitions
Nursery Croprefers to a crop of no less than 50 plants.
Workplace procedures refer to oral or written instructions to staff on procedures for the worksite and equipment.
2It is intended that the candidate care for a specific crop of either: annuals orwoody perennials, durations for monitoring and maintaining these crops differ due to the differing growing durations of these crops.
3Legislation relevant to this unit standard includes but is not limited to the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, the Resource Management Act 1991, and their subsequent amendments.
4Work may involve exposure to chemical, dangerous, or hazardous substances. Safety procedures are observed in accordance with NZS 8409:2004 Management of Agrichemicals, available from Standards New Zealand or the NZ Agrichemical Education Trust
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Identify the growing environment requirements of nursery crops.
Rangemay include light levels, temperature, moisture, humidity, growing media, protected growing environments.
Evidence requirements
1.1Environmental growing requirements for nursery plants are outlined in general terms.
1.2Methods for meeting the environmental growing requirements are identified in terms of workplace procedures.
Rangefor plants grown – indoors, outdoors, in containers, in the field.
Outcome 2
Monitor a specific nursery crop and its growing environment.
Rangeannuals for a minimum of four weeks;
woody perennials, container grown, or field grownfor a minimum of three months.
Evidence requirements
2.1The growing environment required to ensure growth expectations are met for a specific crop is identified in accordance with the plants requirements.
2.2Plants are monitored regularly for growth development and plant health, and reported in accordance with workplace procedures.
2.3The manual or automatic systems controlling a protected growing environment are operated to maintain the required environment.
2.4The growing environment conditions are monitored and recorded and any variation reported, in accordance with workplace procedures.
Rangemay include maximum and minimum temperatures, humidity, shading, light, ventilation, irrigation.
2.5The importance of regular monitoring is explained in accordance with workplace procedures.
Outcome 3
Maintain a specific nursery crop.
Rangeannuals for a minimum of four weeks;
woody perennials, container grown, or field grown,for a minimum of three months.
Evidence requirements
3.1Plants are watered by hand and/or irrigation system to maintain optimum water amount in the growing medium, in accordance with the requirements identified for the crop.
3.2Spacings of container grown plant are adjusted as required in response to plant development.
3.3Plants are examined regularlyand unwanted material is removed from plants and the media or soil surface.
Rangemay include dead or damaged plant parts, spent flowers, fallen leaves, diseased plant parts, weeds.
3.4The development stages when plants need attention are identified and necessary tasks are carried out in accordance with workplace procedures.
Rangemay include include but not limited to – move container plants into larger containers or line out, apply additional fertiliser, trim, prune, train, harden off, move to shelter or shade, control weeds.
3.5Plants are handled so as to minimise damage in accordance with workplace procedures.
3.6Plant maintenance records are kept, in accordance with workplace procedures.
Rangemay include irrigation dates and times; plant maintenance, such as spacing, potting on, fertiliser application, pruning.
This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.
Replacement information / This unit standard was replaced by unit standard 29492.Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 23 February 2004 / 31 December 2014
Revision / 2 / 24 February 2006 / 31 December 2014
Review / 3 / 19 April 2012 / 31 December 2020
Review / 4 / 18 August 2016 / 31 December 2020
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0032
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Primary Industry Training OrganisationSSB Code 101558 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut