Elements and Performance Criteria
- Develop a pasture and crop program
- Establish production targets for each crop and pasture type consistent with marketing and enterprise objectives
- Select plant varieties that are best suited to soil, climate, seasonal conditions and marketing goals
- Determine irrigation schedules, where required, for each soil and crop or pasture type based on assessed water requirements, rainfall and evapo-transpiration data
- Assess nutrient requirements for crops and pastures to determine appropriate fertiliser program
- Assess technology to ensure most efficient performance of operations
- Identify and maintain budgetary constraints appropriately
- Develop a pasture and crop program to meet production targets and enterprise objectives
- Identify work health and safety hazards in crop & pasture management and develop control strategies
- Implement pasture and crop management program
- Implement pasture and crop program and monitor pasture capacity appropriately
- Implement planned strategic grazing, where necessary, to reduce or eradicate areas of weed infestation
- Determine and conduct fertiliser applications and rates appropriate to crop or pasture type
- Apply crop and pasture nutrient requirements to ensure achievement of yield and sustainability of pasture
- Monitor soil moisture schedule watering, and adjust as required
- Determine and implement appropriate processes to minimise waste, soil degradation and environmental standards
- Monitor crop or pasture growth and fodder production
- Determine longer term trends in weed, pest and disease incidence and implement any necessary control measures changes
- Monitor soil structure and erosion, determine and implement any necessary changes to cultural practices, grazing management and drainage
- Check and maintain irrigation and drainage systems
- Monitor grazing management
- Integrate livestock into the cropping cycle through grazing of pastures returning to crop, stubbles and crop residues, and dual purpose crops
- Identify feed surpluses and deficiencies and take appropriate action
- Monitor crop or pasture maturity is monitored and conduct harvesting to meet marketing and production targets
- Review production level
- Monitor pasture and crop yields and evaluate against forecast production levels
- Evaluate efficiency and effectiveness of grazing and cropping programs and document for future best practice
- Evaluate production performance of each enterprise and document for management program review
- Maintain appropriate production records for production performance analysis and evaluation