HYDROPONICS ONLINE STUDY
Duration: 100 hours
General Objectives:
1. To provide a sound basis of knowledge in horticultural principles as they apply to the culture, use and management of plants in various production situations.
2. To provide new and existing employees who are unable to undertake on campus training with the opportunity to gain appropriate knowledge in the field of plant culture, use and management.
3. To prepare employees for supervisory and managerial positions in the field of plant culture, use and management.
4. To provide horticultural business owner/operators (or those contemplating ownership) with appropriate training to apply technical skills to the management of the physical, financial and human resources in which they have made, or will make, a substantial investment.
5. To provide an understanding of modern technology and its application to growing plants, with emphasis being placed on hydroponics production of commercially valuable plants.
Course structure
This subject has 30 lessons, each requiring about 12 15 hours of study:
1. Introduction to Hydroponic Technology
Why grow hydroponically? - Definition, history, resources, the industry.
2. Plant Growth Requirements Light
artificial light, light balancers
3. Plant Growth Requirements Nutrition
nutrient requirements, deficiencies, toxicities, pH, conductivity, salinity, growth regulators
4. Plant Growth Requirements Temperature
5. Hydroponic Growing Systems
basic concepts and designs, site considerations.
6. Growing Media
types, properties, uses.
7. Hydroponic Nutrient Solutions
nutrient formulae, preparing solutions.
8. Hydroponic Equipment
componentry, nutrient delivery, pumping, testing and monitoring
9. Growing Structures Design and Construction
types (greenhouses, shadehouses, cloches), materials, siting
10. Environmental Control A Heating, Cooling
11. Environmental Control B Lighting, Shading.
12. Environmental Control C Carbon Dioxide Enrichment
13. Plant Culture In Hydroponics A
trellising, pruning, pollination, transplanting.
problem diagnosis
14. Plant Culture In Hydroponics B
15. Aggregate Culture
16. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Culture
17. Rockwool Culture
18. Other Techniques
wick systems, flood & drain, bag culture, aeroponics, etc.
19. Irrigation Soil Requirements
20. Irrigation Systems
21. Plant Propagation
seed & cutting propagation & tissue culture
22. Market Gardening Cut Flowers
23. Market Gardening Vegetables
24. Other Plants In Hydroponics
herbs, grasses, indoor plants
25. Pest and Diseases
identifying the problem, pests and diseases in hydroponics
26. Weeds
identification and control
27. Managing A Commercial Hydroponics Farm
crop scheduling & selection, standards, layout.
28. Management Organisation and Supervision
29. Marketing Promotion and Selling
30. Special Project
Prepare a detailed report of at least 2,000 words, plus photos or diagrams, on a particular
aspect of technology which you have studied that significantly assists growing.
PLUS 2 exams: one at the end of lesson 15, the other at the completion of lesson 30.
Exams: There are four exams for the course; one after lesson 7, another after lesson 15; a third after lesson 22 and the final at the conclusion of the course.
