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 three assignments and one comprehensive 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
- spraydrift 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 Continuing Education Program was launched in January 2008 for students who have completed the initial online certification process. It was revamped in 2023 to reflect current educational needs.
Re-certification 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. Of your 40 CEUs, 5 CEUs are required in at least 5 different categories. Students submit and track their own personal education through an online submission system. Cost is $310.00 plus GST.
Up to six months before your certification expires you can register in the program using the link above.
Your certification will expire on the two-year anniversary date found on your certificate and/or in your completion letter. All recertifications have moved to a December 31 renewal cycle.
Once you have enrolled in the CEU component of the program, you are required to accumulate 40 hours of CEU credits within the two-year certification period. Students self-report their professional development and educational efforts through our online reporting system. These credits 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.
- Industry meetings
- Technical updates
- Field tours
- Safety training
- Stewardship events
- Webinars
Students self-report credits to their online portal. As such, we no longer provide sign in sheets for events. If you are hosting an event and would like your event pre-assessed for CCSC credits, please contact our office a month before your event. See details below.
You can also obtain CEUs for events for which CEUs have not previously been granted. Please see the section below for information on how to obtain credits.
We recommend you keep track of the credits you have submitted. You can see a detailed breakdown of your credits and apply for more credits at ccsctracking.ca.
Requesting credits
Students self-report credits to their personal online portal. As such, we no longer provide sign in sheets for events.
If you are hosting an event and would like your event pre-assessed for CCSC credits, please contact our office a month before your event.
If you are an event host and would your event pre-assessed for CCSC credits, please email a copy of your event information (including a detailed agenda) to agriculture.programs@usask.ca. We will need the title, description and duration for each portion of your event to accurately assign credit. We will provide you with the credit assignment for each portion of your event. Students can use this information to submit their own credits to their own portal, or you can submit an attendance list to us after the event.
Company Champions
The role of the CCSC Company Champion is an integral part in the overall success of CCSC program. Roles and responsibilities of the CCSC company champion are:
- Act as an advocate for the CCSC program both internally within thier company and externally within the plant science industry as a whole.
- Participate in CCSC “company champion” conference calls, which are designed to provide regular updates on the status of the certification program and to seek input on relevant items of interest.
- 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 employess register in the Con Ed CCSC program.
- Act as the company point (“go to”) person for employees who need to be certified.
- Act as the company point (“go to”) person for the CCSC office.
- Identify internal activities (meetings, training sessions, etc.) that may qualify for CCSC CEU’s and facilitate timely CEU submissions to the CCSC office, University of Saskatchewan.
List of Company Champions
Blair Bossuyt – Eastern Cdn. Rep
Ontario Sales Manager
Tel: 519-872-3276
blair.bossuyt@ca.nufarm.com
Grant Deveson – Western Cdn. Rep
Commercial Manager
Tel: 403-692-2541
grant.deveson@ca.nufarm.com
Contact
Vanessa Young, Program Manager
College of Agriculture and Bioresources
agriculture.programs@usask.ca