NCEA Level 1 Agricultural and Horticultural Science (90160) 2009 — page 1 of 5
Assessment Schedule – 2009
Agricultural and Horticultural Science: Describe the environmental impact of primary
production management practices (90160)
Evidence Statement
Q
Evidence
Achievement
with Merit
Achievement
Achievement
with Excellence
ONE
(b)
(c)
Impact of Management Practices
Possible answers:
EITHER
Biological control
This reduces the amount of chemicals
being used in the environment. This
involves using an insect or organism
that is not a threat in New Zealand, to
control a targeted pest.
OR
Applying chemical sprays
This could pollute the air by drifting
onto neighbouring properties if done
on a windy day. This could kill
desirable or non-targeted insects or
affect the health of neighbours not
wearing protective clothing.
It could also pollute waterways by
spray drift into streams, causing the
death of non-targeted organisms.
Describes the
impact of the
selected least
negative
management
practice on the
environment.
Explains the
impact of the
selected least
negative
management
practice on the
environment.
A
M
Justification
Possible answers:
EITHER
Selected management practice:
biological control
Biological Control reduces the
amount of chemicals being used in
the environment so soil and water
pollution is reduced. [Description (D)]
Using biological control will reduce
the amount of chemical sprays being
applied because it involves
introducing an organism which only
kills targeted insects, so desirable
insects will survive. The result is a
reduction in pollution of both soil and
water by spray drift. [Explanation (E)]
Using biological controls reduces the
amount of chemical sprays used, so
soil and water pollution will be
reduced. Spray drift from chemical
spraying can land on water, causing
pollution. Having to repeatedly apply
chemicals to control pests is timeconsuming and more weather
dependant than using biological
controls, which can often be
introduced simply by attaching the
Describes the
impact of the
selected least
negative
management
practice on the
environment.
Explains how the
use of the selected
least negative
management
practice impacts
on the
environment,
OR
its effectiveness
over time and its
impact on soil and
water.
A
M
Justifies, with
explained reasons,
how the use of the
selected
management
practice is a better
solution than the
other management
practice.
E
NCEA Level 1 Agricultural and Horticultural Science (90160) 2009 — page 2 of 5
Q
Evidence
ONE
larvae to growing plants and leaving
them to fend for themselves.
[Justification (J)]
OR
Selected management practice:
applying chemicals
This involves spraying chemicals
directly onto plants which are toxic to
pests. (D)
The use of chemicals to control pests
can be carefully controlled by
monitoring the pest population,
applying only at the manufacturer’s
rates, and by taking into account the
weather forecast. (E)
Biological controls can be difficult to
establish, and some pests do not
have usable predator species.
Spraying chemicals is a quick and
effective management practice that
will control the pests with greater
impact than biological controls, which
really only reduce the population –
they cannot remove them entirely.
With proper care and attention, the
use of chemicals can be quite safe for
the environment, leaving soil and
water unpolluted. (J)
Achievement
Achievement
with Merit
Achievement
with Excellence
NCEA Level 1 Agricultural and Horticultural Science (90160) 2009 — page 3 of 5
Q
Evidence
Achievement
with Merit
Achievement
Achievement
with Excellence
TWO
(b)
Impact of management practices
Possible answers:
EITHER
Using composted material
This reduces the chemicals/imported
nutrients used in the environment.
(D)
With composting, nutrients are
recycled, because plant and animal
material is decomposed and returned
to the soil. (E)
OR
Applying fertiliser
This could pollute the water if the
fertiliser drifted over the stream. (D)
Describes the
impact of the
selected least
negative
management
practice on the
environment.
A
Explains the
impact of the
selected
management
practice by linking
ideas back to the
management
practice
OR
forwards to
environmental
implications.
M
The high levels of nutrients in the
stream could cause an algal bloom.
This uses oxygen in the water that is
required by fish and other animals,
reducing their ability to survive.(E)
(c)
EITHER
Possible answers:
Selected management practice:
using compost
Using compost can improve soil
structure and stability, reducing soil
erosion and leaching of nutrients. (D)
The decomposed organic matter of
compost can bind soil particles
together, improving soil structure and
stability, which will reduce both soil
erosion and leaching of nutrients into
the stream. (E)
Using compost is a better
management practice to use to apply
nutrients to the garden soil than
applying fertilisers, which could
potentially leach out into the stream.
This would increase the nutrient
content of the water, and aquatic life
would suffer, due to the effects of
algal blooms’ consumption of oxygen
from the water. The addition of
compost will increase nutrients in a
form that will be slowly released for
plants to absorb, and hence will not
adversely affect the stream. Compost
would also be relatively simple to
use, as the gardener could easily
produce their own compost using the
scraps or weeds from their garden.
(J)
OR
Describes the
impact of the
selected
management
practice on the
environment.
A
Explains by
linking ideas how
the use of the
selected least
negative
management
practice impacts
on the
environment,
OR
its ease and
effectiveness in
applying nutrients,
and its impact on
the stream.
Justifies how the
use of this
management
practice is a better
solution than the
rejected
management
practice in terms of
its impact on the
environment,
OR
its ease and
effectiveness in
applying nutrients
and its impact on
the stream.
M
E
NCEA Level 1 Agricultural and Horticultural Science (90160) 2009 — page 4 of 5
Selected management practice:
applying fertiliser
Applying fertiliser can pollute
waterways and reduce water quality if
it leaches or goes into waterways.(D)
Fertilisers are necessary, as the
harvesting of crops results in removal
of nutrients from the soil and reduced
soil nutrient status. The high levels of
fertiliser nutrients that can be leached
into the stream could cause an algal
bloom. This uses oxygen in the water
that is required by fish and other
animals, reducing their ability to
survive.(E)
Correctly applied, nutrients from
fertilisers should not affect the
stream, as there will be very little runoff if used at the recommended rates
and frequencies. Most fertilisers will
give more of an immediate impact on
plant growth, and hence will be more
effective. They are relatively easy to
apply, as many can simply be spread
onto soil by hand. (J)
NCEA Level 1 Agricultural and Horticultural Science (90160) 2009 — page 5 of 5
Q
Evidence
Achievement
with Merit
Achievement
Achievement
with Excellence
THREE
(a)
Possible answers:
Over cultivation can cause soil
erosion, reduced water quality and a
breakdown of the soil structure. (D)
Over-cultivation is the result of
excessive ploughing or digging of the
soil. It can cause soil erosion, as the
soil particle size will be reduced and
may be blown away in the wind, or
could be washed away with rain into
waterways. This would pollute the
water and reduce quality of life for
fish. (E)
(b)
Justification
Possible answers:
(i)
and
(ii)
Crop rotation
If the crop rotation involves a mid-long
term pasture component, some
organic matter will be added to bind
soil particles together. Cultivation of
soil during crop rotation will continue
to cause soil particles to break down
and be blown or washed away.
Describes the
impact of over
cultivation on the
environment.
Explains by
linking ideas, the
impact of overcultivation on the
environment.
A
M
Describes the
impact of crop
rotation on the
environment.
Explains the
impact of crop
rotation on the
environment.
Example:
A crop rotation with
a pasture
component, can
improve the soil
structure and
stability.
Example:
Crop rotation can
improve the soil
structure and
stability, if, as part
of the rotation, the
land is left fallow
or in pasture at
some stage. This
reduces soil
damage as
cultivation does
not have to occur
and allows the soil
structure to rebuild.
The ploughing of a green crop would
damage the soil structure further. (J)
A
Justifies why
crop rotation is
better than
growing a green
crop in relation to
soil stability and
nutrient stability of
an over-cultivated
soil.
E
M
Judgement Statement
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
2A
2M
2E