Qualification details
Title
New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture Production (Level 4) with strands in
Fruit Production, Indoor Production, Outdoor Vegetable Production, Nursery
Production, Post-Harvest
Version
1
Qualification type
Certificate
Level
4
Credits
90-185
NZSCED
050301 Agriculture, Environmental and Related
Studies>Horticulture and Viticulture>Horticulture
Qualification developer
Primary ITO
Next review
December 2019
Approval date
April 2015
Strategic purpose statement
The purpose of this qualification is to provide the horticulture
industry with individuals who have the skills and knowledge to
supervise operations in horticulture production.
Learners will benefit by having a qualification within a training
pathway that recognises progression through the industry, as
well as increased skills and knowledge acquisition to enable
improved job performance.
The horticulture industry will benefit by having staff with the skills
and knowledge to contribute to more efficient and effective
operations.
This qualification is ideally suited to people who are experienced
workers in the horticulture industry, or who are capable of
transferring their prior skills and knowledge.
Graduates will be capable of working in a self-managed capacity
and may have some responsibility for the performance of others.
Graduate profile
Graduates of the qualification will be able to:
Core Outcome
Outcome Statement
-
Qualification Reference 2676
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supervise and provide instruction to team members
using a range of effective communication and
interpersonal skills relevant to a horticulture sector.
(10 credits)
Graduates of the Fruit Production strand will also be able to:
-
implement and monitor fruit production operations to
achieve production goals and standards
(40 credits)
-
implement and monitor a fruit crop protection programme
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to meet production goals and standards
(25 credits)
-
implement and monitor fruit crop management
techniques to optimise fruit production
(15 credits)
Graduates of the Indoor Production strand will also be able to:
-
implement and monitor indoor production operations to
achieve production goals and standards
(50 credits)
-
implement and monitor an indoor crop protection
programme to meet production goals and standards
(25 credits)
-
implement and monitor indoor crop management
techniques to optimise crop production
(10 credits)
Graduates of the Outdoor Vegetable Production strand will also
be able to:
-
implement and monitor outdoor vegetable production
operations to achieve production goals and standards
(90 credits)
-
implement and monitor an outdoor vegetable crop
protection programme to meet production goals and
standards
(50 credits)
-
implement and monitor outdoor vegetable crop
management techniques to optimise crop production
(25 credits)
Graduates of the Nursery Production strand will also be able to:
-
implement and monitor nursery operations to achieve
production goals and standards
(75 credits)
-
implement and monitor a nursery plant protection
programme to meet production goals and standards
(45 credits)
Graduates of the Post-Harvest strand will also be able to:
-
implement and monitor post-harvest operations to
achieve production goals
(40 credits)
-
implement and monitor standards to achieve production
goals
(40 credits)
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Education pathway
This qualification may build on the New Zealand Certificate in
Horticulture (Level 3), strands Fruit Production, Indoor
Production, Outdoor Vegetable Production, Nursery Production
[Ref: 2678].
This qualification may lead on to the New Zealand Diploma in
Horticulture Production (Level 5), strands Fruit Production, Indoor
Production, Outdoor Vegetable Production, Nursery Production
[Ref: 2666].
Employment pathway
Graduates of this qualification are likely to be employed as:
Fruit Production – orchard/vineyard supervisor, orchard/vineyard
leading hand
Indoor Production – crop supervisor, team leader, crop monitor
Outdoor Vegetable Production – crop supervisor, leading hand
Nursery Production – nursery team leader, nursery specialist
Post Harvest - supervisor
Qualification specifications
Qualification award
This qualification may be awarded by the Primary ITO as the
qualification developer and the industry training organisation
arranging training leading to the qualification under section 5 of
the Industry Training Act 1992.
This qualification may also be awarded by an education
organisation accredited under section 250 of the Education Act
1989 to deliver an approved programme leading to this
qualification.
The formal document certifying the award of this qualification will
display the NZQF logo and may also include the name and/or
logo of the awarding education organisation.
Evidence requirements for
assuring consistency
All education organisations offering programmes leading to the
qualification must engage with arrangements for managing
consistency, including covering actual and reasonable related
costs.
Each education organisation is responsible for deciding what
specific evidence it will provide to demonstrate how well its
graduates meet the graduate profile outcomes of the
qualification.
Evidence of the following must be provided:
 Student feedback on course delivery and qualification
achievement, their perception of the value of the training,
and suggestions for improvements
 Feedback from employers on the level of skills,
knowledge and behaviour demonstrated by graduates of
the qualification
 Evidence of effective internal quality assurance systems
 Portfolios of work and/or assessment samples
demonstrating the range of student performance within a
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programme
TEOs can also provide any other relevant evidence that supports
the consistency review.
Minimum standard of
achievement and standards for
grade endorsements
The minimum standard of achievement required for award of the
qualification will be the achievement of all graduate outcomes in
the graduate profile through successful completion of an NZQA
approved programme.
Other requirements for the
qualification (including regulatory
body or legislative requirements)
There are no regulatory body or legislative requirements
General conditions for the programme leading to the qualification
General conditions for
programme
TEOs offering programmes leading to this qualification must
maintain currency with amendments to, and replacements of,
relevant legislation, regulations, and Codes of Practice.
Health and safety, sustainable practices, recording, and reporting
apply across all outcomes.
The behaviours that contribute to compliance with workplace
procedures, and commercial standards and timeframes are
inherent in the performance of the qualification’s outcomes and
must be considered as part of the assessment process.
Conditions relating to the Graduate profile
Qualification outcomes
Conditions
1
Programmes may include the following topics:
Supervise and provide
instruction to team members
using a range of effective
communication and
interpersonal skills relevant to
a horticulture sector.
 Practical skills instruction
 Continuous improvement concepts
 Supervision styles and techniques
 Giving and receiving feedback
 Motivation
 Delegation
 Complaints resolution
 Health and safety monitoring
Programmes may also include supervision of contractors, clients,
and the public when required for the role
2
Fruit Production Strand
Programmes may include the following topics:
Implement and monitor fruit
production operations to
achieve production goals and
 Seasonal activities – picking, thinning, training, pruning,
pollination, spraying, irrigation
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standards
 Standards – regulatory, water use, nutrient
Implement and monitor a fruit
crop protection programme to
meet production goals and
standards
Programmes may include the following topics:
 Plant pest, weed and disease – identification, life cycles,
control
 Integrated pest management
 Market and customer requirements
 Standards – hygiene, food safety
 Environmental implications - residues
4
Implement and monitor fruit
crop management techniques
to optimise fruit production
Programmes may include the following topics:
 Soil science
 Plant physiology
 Vigour control
 Crop load management
 Maturity management
 Manipulation – crop, fruit finish, plant growth regulator, colour,
size
 Frost and bird protection
5
Indoor Production strand
Programmes must include the following topics:
Implement and monitor indoor
production operations to
achieve production goals and
standards
 Seasonal activities, for example – picking, thinning, training,
pruning, pollination, spraying, irrigation, hydroponics
 Plant physiology
 Hygiene protocols
 Crop registration requirements
6
Implement and monitor an
indoor crop protection
programme to meet production
goals and standards
Programmes must include the following topics:
 Plant pest, weed and disease – identification, life cycles,
control
 Plant physiology
 Market and customer requirements
 Standards – hygiene, food safety
7
Implement and monitor indoor
crop management techniques
to optimise fruit production
Programmes may include the following topics:
 Considerations for – crop, season, situation
 Crop – manipulation, load management
 Inputs for crop health
 Automation
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 Market requirements and quality standards
 Environmental control
8
Outdoor Vegetable Production
strand
Programmes may include the following topics:
Implement and monitor
outdoor vegetable production
operations to achieve
production goals and
standards
 Seasonal activities – picking, thinning, transplanting,
pollination, spraying, irrigation
 Machinery and equipment – use, maintenance, GPS
 Plant nutrient uptake and growth
 Impacts on soil
 Crop status checks
 Standards – regulatory, water use, nutrient
9
Implement and monitor an
outdoor vegetable crop
protection programme to meet
production goals and
standards
Programmes may include the following topics:
 Plant pest, weed and disease – identification, life cycles;
control – timing, frequency
 Plant physiology
 Market and customer requirements
10
Implement and monitor
outdoor vegetable crop
management techniques to
optimise crop production
Programmes may include the following topics:
 Considerations for – crop, season, ground preparation inputs
 Crop rotation
 Succession and crop planning
 Inputs for crop health
 Automation
 Sustainable land management practices
 Nutrient budgets
 Soil test interpretation
 Market requirements and quality standards
11
Nursery Production Strand
Programmes may include the following topics:
Implement and monitor
nursery operations to achieve
production goals and
standards
 Resources – people, materials, machinery
 Specialised production activities
 Records – production, operational
 Observations
12
Implement and monitor a
nursery plant protection
programme to meet production
goals and standards
Programmes may include the following topics:
 Plant pest, weed and disease – identification, life cycles;
control – timing, frequency
 Plant physiology
 Customer requirements
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Post-Harvest Strand
Programmes may include the following topics:
Implement and monitor postharvest operations to achieve
production goals
 Post-harvest treatments - controlled atmosphere, cool
storage, storage enhancers
 Post-harvest physiology – ethylene production, respiration
and senescence, relative humidity, loss reduction and
treatments, role of packaging, tracking defect percentage
 Disinfection technologies – sanitiser, fumigation, washer
 Continuous output and improvement
 Operational efficiencies
 Operation inter-relationships
 Task delegation and prioritisation
 Customer specifications
 Equipment – safe use
 Incoming goods
14
Implement and monitor
standards to achieve
production goals
Programmes may include the following topics:
 Quality systems and standards – sanitary, phytosanitary,
grade
 Auditing and compliance procedures
 Laboratory analysis
 Automated grading technology
 Traceability
 Food safety
Transition information
Replacement information
This qualification and the New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture
Services (Level 4) [Ref: XXXX] with strands in Amenity,
Arboriculture, Cemetery, Landscape Construction, and Sports
Turf, replaced the National Certificate in Horticulture (Level 4)
[Ref: 1014], and the National Certificate in Horticulture
(Advanced) (Level 4) [Ref: 1015].
Learners currently enrolled in programmes leading to the replaced qualification may either complete the
requirements as specified below, or transfer their results to this replacement qualification.
The last date for entry into programmes leading to the replaced qualification is 31 December 2017. The
last date for award of the replaced qualification is 31 December 2019.
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