The CCSC program is a nationwide standard designed specifically for people who advise growers, distributors, and the public on crop protection products. If your work involves advising and answering questions about crop protection, CCSC certification is for you.
Industry personnel carry considerable responsibility for the safe and effective use of crop protection products. Certified Crop Science Consultants are bound by a common standard of expertise in crop protection products and issues, and they are well respected for their communication skills and professionalism. The crop protection industry takes responsibility for the entire life cycle of its products— from manufacturing to recycling—and CCSC certification is another component of the industry’s commitment to stewardship.
CropLife Canada and all Canadian protection industry partners support the program. The University of Saskatchewan grants the CCSC certification jointly with CropLife Canada.
Certification
Complete the initial online certification course and become a Certified Crop Science Consultant (CCSC).
The CCSC online certification course
- must be completed within one year
- consists of 10 self-grading module quizzes and one final case study
- does not have a final exam
- is continuous entry which means you can start anytime and complete anytime within the one-year deadline
- has ten modules (see below)
- cost is $610.00 plus GST
When you complete this online CCSC course, you are a Certified Crop Science Consultant and may use the CCSC designation - CCSC.
- federal and provincial regulatory requirements
- types of registration and certification
- benefits and risks
- formulation types
- legal requirements for label design in different industry sectors
- current interpretations
- definitions of special terms used in labeling
- definition, concepts and strategies
- identification of weeds, insects, diseases and their life cycles
- economic impact of pests
- principles for prevention and management
- pesticide effectiveness and resistance
- dose transfer model including atomization, patternation and spray deposit uniformity
- canopy penetration and spray interception
- spray retention and uptake
- spray drift management
- incidence, causes, and symptoms of potential health risks and allergic responses related to pesticides
- aspects of short and long-term exposure
- public perception of risks
- how to answer common questions from concerned individuals
- factors influencing pesticide degradation or persistence in soils
- fate and effects of pesticides in air and water
- bioconcentration and biomagnification
- current issues
- safety procedures including protective clothing and equipment, disposal and clean-up
- container management and warehousing standards
- emergency response
- terms, benefits and possible risks of biotechnology
- current and future applications of plant biotechnology
- diversity of types of pests
- environmental concerns and benefits of pest management techniques in the urban environment
- standards for manufacturing, warehousing, sale and use in Canada
Recertification
The CCSC Recertification (Continuing Education) Program is how certification is maintained. It is reviewed annually to reflect current educational needs.
Recertification requires 40 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) relevant to CCSC training. These CEUs can be earned through workshops/events/conferences/seminars organized by associations, governments and companies. Each Subject area has a minimum and maximum CEU amount available. Students submit and track their own personal education through an online tracking portal. Cost is $310.00 plus GST.
Up to six months before your certification expires you can register in the program using the link below.
Your certification will expire on the two-year anniversary date found on your certificate and/or in your completion letter.
Once you have enrolled in the CEU component of the program, you are required to accumulate 40 hours of CEUs within the two-year certification period. Students self-report their professional development and educational efforts through our online tracking portal. These CEUs will be reviewed internally before recertification is granted.
CEUs can be obtained through a variety of learning programs, courses, conferences, etc. Generally speaking, an hour of formal education will grant you one CEU. The subject area of your event must fall under the educational areas of competency listed below. Each area has a minimum and maxiumum CEU amount available to ensure that all CCSC recertified students have a broad education.
- Pesticide laws and labels (5 min - 40 max)
- IPM: Integrated Pest Management (5 min - 40 max)
- Pesticides and environmental sustainability (5 min - 40 max)
- Safety and human health (2.5 min - 15 max) including:
- First Aid
- Driving training
- Crop management (no minimum - 20 max)
- All other professional development (no minimum - 10 max) including:
- drone training
- communications training
- marketing and sales
Consider every event as an opportunity to collect CEUs. Activites to look for include:
- Industry meetings
- Technical updates
- Field tours
- Safety training
- Stewardship events
- Webinars
- Internal training
Students self-report CEUs to their online portal. As such, we no longer provide sign in sheets for events.
You can also obtain CEUs for events for which CEUs have not previously been granted.
We recommend you keep track of the CEUs you have submitted. You can see a detailed breakdown of your CEUs and submit more CEUs at ccsctracking.ca.
Requesting CEUs
Students self-report CEUs to their personal online portal. As such, we no longer provide sign in sheets for events.
Company Champions
The role of the CCSC Company Champion is an integral part in the overall success of the CCSC Program. Roles and responsibilities of the CCSC company champion are:
- Act as an advocate for the CCSC program both internally within their company and externally within the plant science industry as a whole.
- Act as the communication link between the CCSC office and company personnel who are directly affected by the CCSC certification program.
- Track the progress of employees and encourage them to complete the initial certification process and to ensure employees register in the CCSC Recertification (Continuing Education) Program.
- Identify and approve activities (meetings, training sessions, etc.) and facilitate timely submission of CEUs to the online tracking portal.
List of Company Champions
Contact
General Inquiries