1161 version 8
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Demonstrate knowledge of the mowing of turf areas
Level
3
Credits
4
Purpose
People credited with this unit standard are able to: describe the tolerance and
responses of turf species to mowing; evaluate turf mowing equipment and its
use; and describe alternatives to mechanical mowing.
Subfield
Sports Turf
Domain
Sports Turf Management
Status
Registered
Status date
17 October 2008
Date version published
17 October 2008
Planned review date
31 December 2013
Entry information
Open.
Accreditation
Evaluation of documentation and visit by NZQA and
industry.
Standard setting body (SSB)
Primary Industry Training Organisation
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference
0037
This AMAP can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Special notes
Assessment
This unit standard can be assessed against in either a sports turf or amenity turf context.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
1161 version 8
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Elements and performance criteria
Element 1
Describe the tolerance and responses of turf species to mowing.
Performance criteria
1.1
Tolerance of turf species to mowing is described in terms of the range of
acceptable cutting heights.
Range
must include at least three cool season turf species and two warm
season turf species from – browntop, creeping bentgrass,
Chewing’s fescue, red fescue, hard fescue, tall fescue, Kentucky
bluegrass, Leptinella, Poa annua, perennial ryegrass, cynodon,
Kikuyu, buffalo grass, carpet grass.
1.2
Bench setting and effective cutting height are distinguished in terms of their
characteristics.
1.3
Physiological responses of turf plants are described in terms of mowing
frequency and cutting height.
Range
1.4
at least five of – shoot density, nitrogen response, seedhead
formation, succulence, shoot/root ratio, leaf texture, carbohydrate
production.
Inappropriate mowing techniques are described in terms of consequences.
Range
at least five of – scalping, mowing frequency, mowing height,
thatch formation, weed invasion, disease susceptibility, wear
tolerance, leaf shredding, grain/nap.
Element 2
Evaluate turf mowing equipment and its use, and describe alternatives to mechanical
mowing.
Performance criteria
2.1
Mowing equipment is compared in terms of cutting height, turf species, turf use,
and cost-effectiveness.
Range
2.2
reel, rotary, flail.
Mowing equipment and use is evaluated in terms of factors affecting mowing
quality.
Range
at least five of – number of reels and blades, reel clip rate, forward
speed, height of cut, corrugation, leaf shredding, grooming,
mowing patterns, clippings removal.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
1161 version 8
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2.3
Mowing frequency is evaluated in terms of its relationship with shoot growth
rate, environmental conditions, height of cut, and turf use.
2.4
Alternatives to mechanical mowing are described in terms of plant growth
regulators and slow growing species.
Please note
Providers must be accredited by NZQA, or an inter-institutional body with delegated
authority for quality assurance, before they can report credits from assessment against
unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before they can register
credits from assessment against unit standards.
Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against unit standards
must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Accreditation requirements and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this
standard are outlined in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP). The
AMAP 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.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016