Agrichemical Use

If you are a contractor who uses agrichemicals, you must follow the Zespri Crop Protection Standard. 

For a copy of the crop protection standard and other allowable compounds, contact Zespri on spraydiary@zespri.com.

You must follow the requirements of the Crop Protection Standard. For kiwifruit, this includes reading and understanding the information Zespri has provided on residue assurance and how the residue testing program works. You must also have records of any Justified Approvals for applications outside of the standard.

You will also be required to demonstrate:

• Agrichemicals are mixed and handled appropriately

• Surplus agrichemicals or other application mixes are disposed of responsibly. 

Records and qualifications

You must keep records for any maintenance carried out on application equipment, including annual calibration.

The person calibrating the equipment needs to be able to show that they are competent to do so, either through a documented calibration procedure they follow, or a CV outlining their competency.

This condition can also be met by someone with a GROWSAFE® applied certificate (not just a standard GROWSAFE®), as there are no formal calibration-certification schemes available in New Zealand.

Equipment

The appropriate measuring and mixing equipment must be available and calibrated annually (this can be done with another measuring jug if it is glass or has been measured against a verified scale or test weight). Records of the calibration must be kept.

Used filter cartridges (and other components) must be disposed of as per manufacturers’ standards. Equipment used in the application of plant protection products (for example, spray tanks, knapsacks) must be stored in a secure way that prevents product contamination of other materials that may come in contact with the crop.

Protective clothing

All workers must be given the appropriate protective clothing for spray application. Contaminated clothing and equipment must be washed separately from private clothing and kept clean according to the type of use and degree of potential contamination. Protective clothing must be stored outside the chemical store, away from chemicals that may contaminate the clothing, and in a well-ventilated area.

You can find more information regarding Agrichemical Safety.

NOTE:

For more details, including all principles and criteria, please refer to the “Am I Ready?” checklist.