Assess and Manage Risks to Freshwater from Horticultural Production

This brand-new micro-credential has been set up for those in the horticulture industry such as growers, horticulture advisers, auditors and students, to assist with the management of risks to freshwater from horticulture practices.

This micro-credential takes 3 months to complete and does not have any off-job training days. 

Topics covered include: 

• Understanding the current state of a local river or stream.
• Monitoring sites for states and trends e.g. nitrates, phosphorous, sediment and E. coli.
• Freshwater values and uses.
• Ecosystem health e.g. native or threatened species and habitats.
• Cultural value/uses e.g. supporting practices of manaakitanga and mahinga kai.
• Impact of farming activities.
• Cultivation and other soil disturbance.
• Examination of soil types to determine their vulnerability to erosion.
• Effect of rainfall as well as slope and soil types.
• Nutrient use.
• Importance of nutrients for plant growth.
• Processes by which nutrients can be lost to freshwater.
• Nutrient use risk factors for an operation.
• Irrigation use.
• Efficiency of various irrigation systems.
• Farm drains, Washwater and greenhouse nutrient discharges.
• Activities associated with greenhouse discharges that may be subject to local council rules.
• Use of decision and analytical tools (including industry codes of practice and other industry guidance) to analyse on-farm biophysical and management risk factors.
• Examples of record keeping evidence for:
  • Cultivation and other soil disturbance
  • Nutrient use
  • Irrigation use
  • Farm drains
  • Wastewater and greenhouse nutrient discharges.