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Plant protection competence certificate: duty and training period

Anyone applying plant protection products professionally in Germany needs a certificate of competence and training every three years. How to work out your period.

PhytAI editorial teamPublished 5 min read

Key points

  • Duty under section 9 PflSchG for everyone who applies plant protection products professionally, advises on them, instructs or supervises others applying them, or sells products commercially or online.
  • Training: a further training course recognised by the competent authority within every three-year period.
  • Period: personal; the imprint "Beginn erster Fortbildungszeitraum" (start of first training period) on your own certificate is decisive.
  • Consequences: anyone who misses the training risks having the certificate revoked.
  • Proof: the certificate of attendance, which must be presented during inspections.

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Without a certificate of competence (Sachkundenachweis), plant protection products may not be applied professionally in Germany. The duty is set out in section 9 of the Plant Protection Act (PflSchG) and concerns not only the farm manager but every person who applies products professionally, advises on them or instructs others. It includes regular further training. This article explains who needs the certificate, how the training period is calculated and which documents should be available during an inspection.

Who needs the certificate

According to section 9(1) PflSchG, a certificate of competence is required by people who

  • apply plant protection products,
  • advise on plant protection,
  • instruct or supervise other people applying products,
  • place plant protection products on the market commercially or via the internet.

On the farm this means: every person who sprays, spreads or treats seed personally needs the certificate. This includes employees and family members, not just the farm manager.

Exemptions

Section 9(5) PflSchG names among others the following exemptions:

  • application within an apprenticeship under the instruction of a competent person
  • simple auxiliary tasks under the supervision of a competent person
  • non-professional use of products authorised for home and allotment gardens

The exemption for auxiliary tasks is narrow. Anyone applying products independently needs the certificate themselves.

How the training period is calculated

Section 9(4) PflSchG obliges certificate holders to attend a recognised training course within every period of three years from the first issue of the certificate. The Chamber of Agriculture North Rhine-Westphalia explains that the periods are personal: what counts is the imprint "Beginn erster Fortbildungszeitraum" on the back of your own certificate. Fixed three-year periods follow from there. Attending early or late within a period does not shift the following periods.

Example: if the certificate shows 1 January 2025 as the start, the period runs until 31 December 2027. Anyone who attends training in February 2025 still has to attend again in the next period from 2028.

For people who were already competent before 14 February 2012, the first period ended on 31 December 2015 according to the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture; since then the periods have followed a three-year rhythm.

Look at the back of the certificate for every person on the farm and note the period. This shows at a glance when the next training is due.

What counts as training

The training must be recognised by the competent authority. Courses are offered by plant protection services, chambers of agriculture, advisory rings, associations and trade, often as winter meetings or online seminars. After attending, the organiser issues a certificate of attendance. Before registering, check that the event is recognised as training under section 9 PflSchG.

What happens if training is missed

If a certificate holder does not meet the training duty, the certificate can be revoked. Without a valid certificate, the person may no longer apply plant protection products professionally; a new competence examination would be required. On the farm this can cause bottlenecks in the middle of the season if only a few people are allowed to spray.

Competence during inspections

Conditionality inspections check among other things plant protection records, correct application and sprayer inspections. For each person applying products, keep ready:

  • the certificate of competence
  • the certificate of attendance for the latest training
  • for apprentices or helpers, the name of the competent person instructing them

Since the plant protection record contains the name of the person applying the product, an inspector can easily check whether this person was competent. More on required details in Plant protection records: required fields.

Organising competence in the team

On many farms more than one person sprays. Especially in special crops, with contractors and on farms with seasonal staff, the people applying products change. It helps to set clear responsibilities: who may apply plant protection products independently, who works only under instruction, and who supervises? This allocation should match the certificates and be recognisable for each application. When someone leaves or joins, checking the certificate is part of onboarding, together with instruction on the products, equipment and protective measures used on the farm. Also record who supervises when apprentices or helpers work along, so this can be shown during an inspection.

Tips for farms with several people

  1. Create an overview: name, certificate number, start of the training period, latest training.
  2. Set a reminder: at least six months before the end of the period, so a suitable course can be found.
  3. Clarify seasonal staff: anyone working without a certificate may only do auxiliary tasks under supervision.
  4. File certificates centrally: keep photos of the attendance certificates on the farm.

Competence in PhytAI

In the evidence area, PhytAI records each person's certificate of competence with their training and warns 60 days before the period ends. In the plant protection record, the person applying the product is selected, so missing or expired competence stands out. The imprint on the certificate remains decisive for your own period.

Frequently asked questions

May apprentices spray without a certificate? Within an apprenticeship under the instruction of a competent person, yes, according to section 9(5) PflSchG.

Does every plant protection event count as training? No. The event must be recognised by the competent authority; the organiser should state this.

Do contractors need their own certificate? Yes, every person applying plant protection products professionally needs their own certificate of competence.

Sources

This article reflects the situation on the date shown, based on the sources named, and is not legal advice. Laws, approvals, official decisions and the guidance of the competent authorities prevail.

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