20 HOURS SHORT COURSE PLANT MANAGEMENT IN NURSERIES

$225.00

COURSE DESCRIPTION This course covers the practical components of nursery production, such as knowing and understanding plant propagation, the potting and transportation of plants, helping you decide on appropriate plants that you would like to grow and sell, plant breeding and ownership, effectively managing plant pests and diseases and selecting the appropriate growing media for your plants. This course would suit helping your foundation understanding, whether for a small backyard start-up, or even a large-scale production. WHAT THE COURSE COVERS – 6 LESSONS LESSON 1 PROPAGATION Sexual propagation Asexual propagation Propagation efficiency Practical exercise Review what you have been learning LESSON 2 POTTING AND TRANSPLANTING Transplanting Potting up plants Growing on In-ground production Review what you have been learning LESSON 3 SELECTING AND MANAGING NURSERY STOCK Considering your stock options Criteria for selecting plants Developing a nursery stock list – an example Nursery stocklist worksheet Stock plants for production/propagation nurseries Propagation material Quarantine issues when selecting stock Environmental weeds and plant selection Managing plants in retail nurseries Exercise: nursery inspection sheet Holding stock Plant modification Making flowers out of season Using light to modify plant growth Examples of flowering control Review what you have been learning LESSON 4 PLANT BREEDING AND OWNERSHIP Genetic improvement of plants Plant reproduction Genetic variations Male sterility Genetics versus environment Monohybrid and dihybrid crosses Quantitative traits Plant breeding programs Hybrid seed production – an outline Hybridising techniques Micropropagation Plant breeders’ rights/plants varieties rights and trademarks Review what you have been learning LESSON 5 PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT Integrated pest management Identifying the problem Resistant plants Hygiene Cultural controls Quarantine Physical controls Biological controls Chemical controls Minimising chemical use Types of chemicals A review of chemicals Ways of applying chemicals Weed control Some chemicals and their modes of action Noxious weeds Using chemicals Safe use of weed killers Review what you have been learning LESSON 6 GROWING MEDIA Understanding soils Soil testing and sampling Improving soils Potting mixes Propagation media The nutrient elements Nutrition management Review what you have been learning Final assessment COURSE FEATURES