Nursery Spray Technician

SUMMARY:

A well-established commercial nursery is seeking a Nursery Spray Technician to execute the nursery crop protection programme effectively. This includes ensuring correct, safe, and efficient pesticide application, accurate mixing and calibration, proper equipment operation and maintenance, and precise record-keeping to protect soft fruit plants while maintaining full compliance with safety and environmental standards.

POSITION INFO:

Minimum requirements for the role:

• Grade 12 and tertiary education will be an advantage
• Minimum 2 years’ practical experience in crop protection and spraying activities
• Must have a strong understanding of pest and disease control principles, including correct label interpretation, mixing, and sprayer calibration
• Good literacy and numeracy skills for accurate measurements, calculations, and record-keeping
• High attention to detail with a strong safety-first mindset and discipline around compliance
• Must have a valid driver’s license and own reliable transport

• Implementing the daily and weekly spray programme as directed by the Nursery Manager and Greenhouse Manager.
• Ensuring correct product selection, dosage rates, spray intervals, coverage, and application methods for each crop and area.
• Coordinating spray timing with irrigation schedules, weather conditions, and other production activities to maximise efficacy and minimise risk.
• Accurately mixing chemicals according to label instructions, maintaining correct water volumes, agitation, and mixing order.
• Regularly calibrating sprayers (nozzles, pressure, flow rate, and speed) and monitoring spray quality, addressing any issues such as poor coverage or drift immediately.
• Operating, supervising, and maintaining spray equipment including knapsacks, motorised units, and mist blowers, ensuring they are kept clean and in excellent working condition.
• Managing chemical inventory, including receiving, safe storage, labelling, expiry control, reordering, and proper disposal of empty containers and chemical waste.
• Maintaining a clean, compliant chemical store that meets all safety, bunding, ventilation, and documentation requirements (including SDS availability).
• Working closely with nursery scouts to identify pest and disease hotspots, provide feedback on treatment outcomes, and adjust spray actions accordingly.
• Enforcing PPE usage, conducting training for spray operators, ensuring medical fitness where required, and maintaining accurate spray records and compliance documentation at all times.