Description
Operate and control fertilizer application equipment to apply dry and liquid nutrients, lime, and soil amendments to fields and forage areas. Mix, load, and calibrate materials; monitor equipment performance; and follow labels, prescriptions, and environmental regulations to deliver accurate rates. May perform basic maintenance, post-application cleanup, and assist with tendering and transport.
- • Adjust, repair, and service spreaders, sprayers, and tender equipment; report malfunctions.
- • Observe gauges, rate controllers, and machine sounds to detect problems.
- • Mix and blend fertilizers and soil amendments to specified formulations.
- • Load hoppers, tanks, or conveyors with product using loaders, augers, or forklifts.
- • Calibrate application rates and swath widths; set GPS guidance and section control.
- • Operate and monitor applicators such as floaters, spreaders, sidedress units, and boom sprayers.
- • Manipulate controls to start, stop, and adjust pumps, booms, spinners, and conveyors.
- • Attach, hitch, and set up applicator implements on tractors or trucks.
- • Drive tender trucks to deliver product, water, and equipment to fields.
- • Apply dry and liquid fertilizers, lime, or micronutrients according to labels and prescriptions.
- • Follow weather, drift, and buffer-zone guidelines to protect people, crops, and waterways.
- • Keep application, inventory, and maintenance records as required by company and regulators.
- • Direct and coordinate ground crews assisting with tendering and field operations.
- • Sample or test product weight and density to verify calibration and rate accuracy.
- • Clean and flush equipment, contain spills, and dispose of rinsate and waste properly.
- • Load and unload bags, totes, and pallets of product manually or with forklifts.
- • Secure loads and transport equipment safely between fields and storage sites.
- • Read work orders and labels to determine products, rates, fields, and precautions.
- • Calibrate spreaders and sprayers to achieve target application rates and patterns.
- • Mix and load dry and liquid fertilizers into tenders, hoppers, or tanks.
- • Operate self-propelled or towed applicators, spreaders, and sprayers in fields.
- • Manipulate controls, GPS, and variable-rate systems to set and adjust application.
- • Monitor equipment operation, pressures, and flow to detect malfunctions.
- • Inspect, adjust, and replace nozzles, hoses, booms, chains, or spreader plates.
- • Perform routine maintenance and minor repairs on applicators and support equipment.
- • Attach and detach implements such as spreaders, tanks, and booms to tractors.
- • Load and unload bulk or bagged fertilizer using loaders, conveyors, or augers.
- • Drive trucks or tenders to transport fertilizer, water, and equipment between sites.
- • Keep accurate application logs, maps, weights, and product inventory records.
- • Observe weather, wind, and field conditions to minimize drift and runoff.
- • Flush, clean, and neutralize application equipment after use; manage rinsate properly.
- • Follow PPE, spill response, and environmental compliance procedures.
- • Communicate with growers and supervisors to coordinate timing and field access.
- • Direct and monitor seasonal crew members assisting with loading or tendering.
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Agriculture
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
