NZQA registered unit standard
21560 version 2
Page 1 of 4
Title
Demonstrate knowledge of agrichemicals
Level
3
Purpose
Credits
6
This unit standard is for people working in the primary sector
who handle agrichemicals.
People credited with this unit standard are able to describe:
modes of action of agrichemicals agrichemical formulations; the
uses of spray additives; resistance to agrichemicals; and
agrichemical degradation, and environmental fate.
Classification
Primary Sector > Plant Pest, Weed, and Disease Control
Explanatory notes
1
Legislation and regulations relevant to this unit standard include but are not limited to
–
Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997;
Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996;
Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;
Resource Management Act 1991;
Toxic Substances Regulations 1983;
local regional and territorial authority regulatory requirements.
2
The New Zealand Standard applicable to this unit standard is NZS 8409:2004
Management of agrichemicals, or subsequent replacement, available from
http://www.standards.co.nz
3
Reference
Ministry of Health, New Zealand labelling guide for toxic substances: Toxic
Substances Regulations 1983 (Wellington: 2001), available from
http://www.moh.govt.nz.
4
Definitions
Environmental fate – a generic term describing the interaction of the product, or
substance concerned, with the environment, including descriptions of:
a
the various pathways by which a substance may enter and transferred within
the environment;
b
the possible interactions with the environment;
c
the consequences of these interactions, especially where there is potential for
adverse environmental effect;
d
the processes involved in the breakdown, neutralisation or accumulation of
agrichemicals.
Primary Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101556
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
21560 version 2
Page 2 of 4
Agrichemical – any substance, whether inorganic or organic, man-made or naturally
occurring, modified or in its original state, that is used to eradicate, modify or control
flora and fauna. It is a subset of agricultural compounds and includes pesticides,
spray additives, fertilisers, vertebrate pest control products, and oral nutrition
products.
5
Range
Specified primary sector may be any one of agriculture, equine, forestry, horticulture,
amenity turf, sports turf.
Specified primary sector industry may be any subsector of a specified primary sector,
for example, agriculture – dairy, sheep; equine – sport horse, racing; forestry –
plantation forest, wood manufacturing; horticulture – viticulture, fruit production;
amentity turf – sports turf, golf course, bowling green.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Describe modes of action of agrichemicals.
Evidence requirements
1.1
Invertebrate pesticides are described in terms of their modes of action.
Range
1.2
Agrichemicals used to control diseases are described in terms of their modes of
action.
Range
1.3
protectant, eradicant, systemic.
Herbicides are described in terms of their modes of action.
Range
1.4
contact, ingestion, systemic, fumigant, ovicidal.
contact, dessicant, translocated, selective, non-selective, residual,
hormone-type, pre-emergence, post-emergence.
Plant growth regulators used in a specified primary sector industry are
described in terms of their modes of action.
Range
plant growth regulators may include – dormancy breaker, growth
regulator, crop load regulator, ripening agent;
evidence is required for at least one plant growth regulator.
Outcome 2
Demonstrate knowledge of agrichemical formulations.
Range
may include but is not limited to – emulsifiable concentrates, soluble
concentrates, wettable powders, water dispersible granules, suspension
concentrates, prills, granules, pellets, dusts, gases, aerosols, baits;
evidence is required for at least five.
Primary Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101556
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
21560 version 2
Page 3 of 4
Evidence requirements
2.1
Agrichemical formulations are described in relation to how they work.
2.2
Agrichemical formulations are described in terms of their advantages and
disadvantages.
2.3
Agrichemical formulations are described in terms of potential incompatibility
issues between formulations.
Outcome 3
Describe the uses of spray additives.
Range
may include but is not limited to – surfactants, buffers, spray drift reducers,
penetrants, markers, stickers, bulking agents, carriers, stenching agents,
emetics;
evidence is required for at least six.
Evidence requirements
3.1
Spray additives are described in terms of their uses.
Outcome 4
Describe resistance to agrichemicals.
Evidence requirements
4.1
Agrichemical resistance is described in terms of how it develops.
4.2
Agrichemical resistance is described in terms of the management strategies
required to prevent, and mitigate its occurrence.
Outcome 5
Describe agrichemical degradation, and environmental fate.
Evidence requirements
5.1
Agrichemicals are described in terms of the ways in which they degrade in the
environment.
Range
5.2
includes but is not limited to – hydrolysis, photodegradation,
microbial, oxidation.
Agrichemicals are described in terms of their environmental fate.
Range
absorption, adsorption, leaching, breakdown products, soil
residues, crop residues, surface run-off, food-chain accumulation.
Primary Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101556
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA registered unit standard
5.3
21560 version 2
Page 4 of 4
Agrichemicals are described in terms of their detrimental effects on the
environment.
Range
evidence is required for at least two detrimental effects.
Planned review date
31 December 2016
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
27 May 2005
31 December 2013
Review
2
18 August 2011
N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0232
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
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.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact the Primary Industry Training Organisation standards@primaryito.ac.nz if
you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
Primary Industry Training Organisation
SSB Code 101556
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016