ACS CCN1 study plan
ACS CCN1 · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition Fundamentals
Define each essential plant nutrient and classify it as macronutrient or micronutrient
Explain the roles of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S in plant growth and deficiency symptom expression
Describe how soil pH, CEC, and base saturation govern nutrient availability
Interpret a cation exchange and anion adsorption scenario to predict nutrient mobility
Your checkpoint
A one-page nutrient function and deficiency-symptom reference table covering all 16 essential elements, self-quizzed to 90% recall
Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition Fundamentals & Nutrient Sources, Fertilizer Materials, and Soil Amendments
Compare commercial fertilizer sources (urea, ammonium nitrate, MAP, DAP, potash, gypsum, lime) by nutrient analysis and behavior
Calculate elemental nutrient content from fertilizer grade percentages
Distinguish soil amendments from fertilizers by purpose and regulatory classification
Explain how fertilizer salt index and volatilization risk affect material selection
Your checkpoint
A worked problem set of 10 fertilizer-grade calculations (elemental content, blend ratios, amendment rates) with step-by-step solutions
Nutrient Sources, Fertilizer Materials, and Soil Amendments & Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition Fundamentals
Describe organic nutrient sources (manure, compost, biosolids) and their release characteristics
Summarize nitrogen transformation processes: mineralization, immobilization, nitrification, denitrification
Relate soil physical and biological properties to nutrient supply capacity
Select appropriate amendments to correct pH, salinity, or sodicity problems
Your checkpoint
A decision matrix matching 8 soil/crop scenarios to recommended fertilizer or amendment programs with justification
Soil Testing, Plant Tissue Analysis, and Interpretation
Outline the complete soil sampling protocol for a field, including depth, number of cores, and timing
Interpret soil test reports (P, K, pH, CEC, organic matter, micronutrients) against sufficiency ranges
Explain the purpose and timing of plant tissue sampling for diagnostic and monitoring use
Describe how soil test correlation and calibration produce fertilizer recommendations
Your checkpoint
A written interpretation of a synthetic soil test report with recommended nutrient rates, plus a completed sampling plan for a 40-acre field
Nutrient Management Planning and Application Methods & Environmental Stewardship and Nutrient Loss Prevention
Build a nutrient management plan that balances crop removal, soil supply, and applied nutrients
Match application methods (broadcast, band, fertigation, sidedress, foliar) to nutrient and crop needs
Identify the 4Rs (right source, rate, time, place) in a given field scenario
Explain pathways of nutrient loss (leaching, runoff, volatilization, erosion) and mitigation practices
Describe how buffers, cover crops, and timing reduce edge-of-field nutrient movement
Your checkpoint
A one-season nutrient management plan for a chosen crop and field, including rates, timing, placement, and loss-prevention practices
Crop-Specific Nutrition and Yield Quality Management & Nutrient Management Planning and Application Methods
Compare nutrient demand curves and critical uptake periods for at least four major crop types
Relate nutrient management to yield components and quality attributes (protein, test weight, sugar, storability)
Adjust application timing and rate to manage lodging, luxury consumption, or quality penalties
Diagnose a crop-specific deficiency or toxicity scenario and prescribe corrective action
Your checkpoint
A crop-specific nutrition summary for three crops linking nutrient timing to quality and yield outcomes, with one case diagnosis each
Regulatory, Safety, and Professional Ethics & Environmental Stewardship and Nutrient Loss Prevention
Identify key regulatory frameworks governing nutrient application, storage, and recordkeeping
Explain professional ethical obligations around recommendations, conflicts of interest, and data integrity
Recognize safety hazards in fertilizer handling, storage, and application and the controls for each
Apply environmental stewardship principles to a nutrient-loss compliance scenario
Your checkpoint
A short ethics-and-compliance case analysis (2 pages) resolving a nutrient application scenario against regulatory and ethical standards
Record Keeping, Economics, and Decision Support Tools & Soil Testing, Plant Tissue Analysis, and Interpretation & Nutrient Management Planning and Application Methods
Compute economic comparisons of fertilizer programs using cost per unit nutrient and marginal return
Use decision support tools and recordkeeping systems to document applications and track plan performance
Integrate soil test, tissue, and economic data into a defensible recommendation
Complete full-length practice assessment and target weak domains for final review
Your checkpoint
A final integrated case file combining a soil test interpretation, economic comparison, and recordkeeping summary, plus a scored practice exam with a remediation list
Milestones
Week 2: Score 85% or higher on a self-made 25-question quiz covering Domains 1 and 2, and correctly solve 9 of 10 fertilizer calculations
Week 4: Produce a soil test interpretation and sampling plan that an independent reviewer rates as complete and internally consistent
Week 6: Complete a nutrient management plan and crop-specific summaries with all 4R elements and loss-prevention practices explicitly addressed
Week 8: Achieve 80% or higher on a full-length practice assessment with no domain below 70%, and submit the integrated case file