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Board of Studies NSW provides a number of online multiple choice questions

Glossary

Some terms commonly used in the primary industry sector are listed below.

Select a letter below to be taken to that part of the alphabet.You will also find a link to the terms where they are used within this website. Simply return back to the module by pressing the back button in your browser.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Annealed Wire	A wire that has been heat-treated to improve its softness or workability.
Arboriculture	The care and management of trees.
Australian Qualifications Framework	A system of ranking all qualifications and training into levels so that learners, industry and education bodies can compare different qualifications fairly.
Award	A document which outlines the minimum working standards and pay rates for workers.

Belly Wire	Plain wire used to support netting in the middle.
Bud	The small knob on a plant which develops into either a leaf or flower.

Containerised Crop	Plants grown in pots, as opposed to those grown directly in the ground.
Continuous Weave	A type of wire netting.
Corner Assembly or Corner Post	A strainer assembly at the corner of a fence line.
Crusting	When the surface of the soil forms a hard layer. Often due to lack of water.

Double Galvanising	Wire which is heavily galvanised.
Drainage	Describes the way water flows out the bottom of a pot, ie. a soil with good drainage will allow water to flow freely from the bottom of a pot.
Driver	A tool used for driving posts and strainer assemblies into the ground.
Dropper	A rigid or semi-rigid vertical member in a fence which is not set into the ground.

End Post	A strainer assembly.
Enterprise Work Agreement	A written agreement that replaces federal and state Awards that would otherwise apply. The agreement is made between an employer and employee and covers pay, hours of work, annual leave and sick leave.

Fertiliser	A treatment which supplies additional nutrients to plants.
Fixed Irrigation	A system built into the nursery which artificially waters the plants. Usually overhead.
Flood Gate	A gate across a creek or water course that will rise up as the water level increases and fall back as it lowers.
Floriculture	The cultivation of flowers and floral products for use in floral displays.
Fungicide	A pesticide which specifically targets fungi.

Galvanising	A protective coating of zinc applied to wire products by the hot dip method.
Gauge	The method of measuring wire diameter in imperial units. Superseded by the metric system which measures wire diameter in millimetres.
Grafted	Where one plant is cut and joined with another plant and they become "one". This is often done with the roots of one plant and the top of another.
Gripple	A unique re-useable wire joiner.
Grippler	The tensioning tool that allows wire to be adjusted where a gripple has been used.
Groom	(as related to horticulture) To check a plant and remove any dead or diseased parts, eg. leaves.

Hand Weeding	To remove weeds manually.
Herbicide	A pesticide which specifically weeds.
High Tensile Wire	A wire able to withstand higher loads than soft wire because of special steel quality, processing or both.
Hinged Joint	Prefabricated fence having wire pickets permanently but flexibly joined to the H.T. line wires.
Horticulture	The science or art of growing fruit, vegetables, flowers or ornamental plants for commercial, environmental or aesthetic purposes.

Insecticide	A pesticide which specifically targets insects.
Intermediate Post	A large wood or concrete post used where lateral or vertical movement is a problem.
Iowa Pattern	A four point type of barbed wire, with a continuous twist, normally having 2.5mm soft wire as line wires.
Irrigation	Artificially watered beyond normal rainfall.

Leaching	The movement of water down through the soil. Nutrients also leach down through the soil with the water.
Line Post or Running Post	A fence post other than a strainer post.

Media	What the plant is grown in. Generally soil, but could also be vermiculite, sand, etc.
Miticide	A pesticide which specifically targets mites.
Moisture	The level of water or dampness in the soil.
Mulch	To cover the surface of the soil with straw, leaves, loose earth. Mulching has many benefits for the plants.

Netting	A woven wire hexagonal mesh made from soft wire. Used to contain or exclude small animals, birds and fish.
Nozzle	An attachment that goes on the end of a hose which can be turned to adjust the flow and/or spray shape.

Pad Wiped	Standard galvanised coating on wire.
Pesticide	Any substance used to destroy, suppress or alter the life cycle of a pest (ie. an organism causing harm). Herbicides, insecticides are types of pesticides.
Picket or Picket Wire	The vertical wire in prefabricated fencing.
Plant Growth Regulators	A treatment which modifies the growth (or development) of a plant. Sometimes it can enhance the growth of a plant part or suppress growth in other circumstances.
Post	A fence post which is a vertical member set into the ground.
Propagation	To produce new plant stock via plant reproduction or other means, eg. planting cuttings.
Prune	To cut or trim undesirable leaves, buds, flowers or branches from a plant.

Reservoir	A place to store water for use at a later time, eg. a water tank.
Respacing	A common nursery task where plants need to be rearranged.
Ringlock	Prefabricated fence featuring H.T. line wires and rigid picket wires.
Root Ball	The main concentrated mass of roots directly under the stem of a plant.
Rose	A hose fitting which allows water to flow widely and evenly from the end of the hose. Also a type of plant which produces beautiful flowers.

Sap	The fluid within a plant.
Saturation	When the soil can hold no more water.
Scion	A shoot or a twig. A cutting.
Selvedge Wires	The wire which forms the top and bottom of wire netting. Also fence wire placed at the top and bottom of wire netting or prefabricated fence to support these products in a fence.
Shaping	Pruning a plant over time to a desired shape.
Side Cutter Pliers	Pliers that have large cutting jaws on the side of the tool.
Spinner	A rotating platform for running our wire from a coil or reel.
Stake	A thick, straight stick used to attach a plant to so that the plant grows straight. To "stake" a plant means to put a stake in the soil and attach the plant to it.
Star Dropper or Star Post	A steel post.
Stock	The range of plants in the nursery for either sale or propagation.
Strain	To tension wire; a length of strained wire; the distance between strainer posts.
Strainer	A tool used to tension wire or a strainer assembly.
Strainer Post	A strainer assembly.
Strand	Wires twisted together to form a single strand. Used in cattle yards.
Submersion	To put the pot in water.
Surfactant	An addition to fertilisers or pesticides which performs a specific action, eg. makes the fungicide stick to the leaves when applied.

Tension	To apply a load to fence wire, usually with wire strainers.
Treatment	Any action or application to a plant, eg. fertilising, applying plant growth regulators, pesticides, pruning.

Waste Water	The excess water which is collected after watering the plants (ie. runoff).
Water Repellence	A condition where the soil becomes difficult to wet. A wetting agent is sometimes used.
Water Shadow	An area of a plant or section of the nursery which does not receive water when irrigated for a variety of reasons.
Water Stress	When a plant requires water. Symptoms of water stress include wilting and crusting.
Weed	Any plant which is growing where you do not wish it to grow.
Welded Mesh	A wire mesh, fabricated by resistance welding.
Wetting Agent	An addition to water which assists the water to penetrate the soil.
White Rust	The initial signs of the effect of moisture on the galvanised coating.
Wilting	When a plant starts to droop or slump. Often due to lack of water.
Wire Grip or Grip	Jaws of a wire strainer. A product used at the end of a line of strand in cattle yards.

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