CERTIFICATE IN HYDROPONICS

• Learn to grow plants commercially in hydroponics
• Learn about the equipment and materials used in both amateur and professional hydroponics
• Discover the nature and scope of this industry and the career and business opportunities it offers.
• Develop networking, resources, business and technical skills, building a foundation for success in the hydroponic industry.

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.

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction to Hydroponic Technology
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
9. Growing Structures ‑ Design and Construction ‑ types
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.
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
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.

Aims

• Discuss the range and scope of hydroponics
• Explain the role of light in plant growth and ways to provide it
• Identify the nutritional requirements of plants and how these can be met hydroponically
• Discuss the effects of temperature and plan growing strategies for different temperature conditions
• Design and conduct a trial to evaluate the commercial prospect of growing a chosen hydroponic crop
• Identify different hydroponics systems and evaluate their qualities
• Investigate the varieties and properties of different growing media
• Identify nutrient requirements for different situations and describe solutions that will provide them
• Describe and explain the used of the equipment used in main hydroponics systems
• Compare and select growing structures for different growing situations
• Explain the role of heat and light control and methods of achieving them
• Determine different hydroponics practices, including careful planning of crop production
• Explain benefits and manipulation of carbon dioxide to promote plant growth
• Describe methods of aggregate culture
• Describe the uses and applications of NFT
• Understand the uses of rockwool in hydroponics
• Explain the properties of soil and their behaviour when irrigated
• Describe other techniques of hydroponic growing, including aeroponics
• Explain various methods of propagating plants
• Identify and describe the components and design of various irrigation systems.
• Describe the range of commercial plants produced hydroponically
• Identify potential pests and diseases, and describe method to control them
• Describe methods of hydroponically producing cut flowers for the cut flower market
• Describe methods of hydroponically producing vegetables for the market
• Discuss a range of cultural practices for hydroponics
• Outline key strategies for managing a business and effective supervision
• Identify marketing and market research strategies relevant to your business
• Use your knowledge of hydroponics and business to carry out

HYDROPONIC MANAGEMENT (HYDROPONICS II)

Develop your capacity to make informed decisions regarding the management of commercially significant hydroponic crops. This course was developed to cover key issues which have been identified as recurrent problems for many experienced growers. It is suitable for anyone who has either completed hydroponics I, or alternatively, has significant prior experience.  Gain skills in:

• harvesting
• post harvest treatment
• packaging
• grading standards
•  tomatoes, capsicums, salad greens, cucurbits, strawberries, roses, carnations & orchids

Our tutor Dr Lyn Morgan (a commercial consultant) has found one of the most common needs for hydroponic growers is to know how to properly conduct a trial to determine what to grow and how to grow it -and in doing so avoid costly mistakes.Develop your capacity to make informed decisions regarding the management of commercially significant hydroponic crops. This course was developed to cover key issues which have been identified as recurrent problems for many experienced gowers. It is suitable for anyone who has either completed hydroponics I, or alternatively, has significant prior experience.

• Learn to grow commercial hydroponic crops
• Study by distance education
• Improve a business, start a business, extend your horticultural and farming skills
• Course developed by John Mason (author of Commercial Hydroponics) and Dr Lyn Morgan (NZ Hydroponic consultant and author)

Course Structure

There are eleven lessons as follows:

1. How the Crop Plant Grows

• Understanding how a plant grows in hydroponics
• Plant growth factors
• Roots, Stems. Leaves, Reproductive Parts
• Manipulating and controlling growth
• Light Levels, Air Temperature, Root Zone Temperature, Relative Humidity, Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen, etc
• Heating and Ventilation Systems
• Thermal Screens
• Blackout, Shading and Lighting Equipment
• Day Length Manipulation
• Irrigation and Nutrition Control
• Links to Weather Station
• Controlling Plant Growth: Stopping, Spacing, Disbudding, Trimming, Training
• Growth Control: Chemical and Cultural
• Pest and Disease Disorder Control
• Intercropping
• Plant troubleshooting
• Resources
• Fruit set management
• Pollination issues
• Flower initiation
• Flower and fruit development

2. How to Run a Small Evaluation Trial

• What is a Hydroponic Trial
• Running a Crop trial
• Setting up a Comparison Trial
• Records and Recording
• Evaluating the Trial
• Research Methodology
• Experimentation
• Steps for Collecting Data

3. Harvest and Post Harvest

• Importance of Harvest and Post Harvest Management
• Understanding Harvested Crop Physiology
• Ripening of Fruit
• Respiration
• How and When to Harvest
• Preparing Salad Mixes from Harvested Hydroponic Produce
• Prevention of Bruising and Post Harvest Rots
• Packaging
• CA and MA Storage
• Chilling Damage and Storage Te3mperatures
• Harvesting and Grading Vegetables
• Grading Standards
• Fruit Grading Systems
• Mechanised Grading
• Grading Equipment
• Harvesting Cut Flowers; stage, shelf life.
  Post Harvest Treartments for Flowers
• Grading Standards for Flowers
• Conditioning and Packaging Flowers
• Marketing: wholesale, supermarket, export, contract, local retailers, etc.

4. Tomatoes

• Growing Hydroponic Tomatoes
• Growing conditions
• Nutrition
• Suitable Systems
• Culture
• Problem Management

5. Capsicum

• Growing Capsicums; Bell Peppers in Hydroponics
• Growing conditions
• Nutrition
• Suitable Systems
• Culture
• Problem Management

6. Lettuce, Salad Greens and Foliage Herb Crops

• Lettuce
• Celery
• Chicory
• Endive
• Parsely
• Spinich
• Basil
• Marjoram
• Mint
• Sage
• Thyme

7. Cucurbits (Cucumber and Melons)

• Growing Hydroponic Cucumbers
• Growing conditions
• Nutrition
• Suitable Systems
• Culture
• Problem Management
• Other Cucurbits in Hydroponics; Marrow, Zucchini, Melon, Watermelon, Pumpkin

8. Strawberries

• Growing Strawberries in Hydroponics
• Growing conditions
• Nutrition
• Suitable Systems
• Culture
• Problem Management

9. Roses

• Growing Roses in Hydroponics
• Growing conditions
• Nutrition
• Suitable Systems
• Culture
• Problem Management

10. Carnations

• Growing Carnations in Hydroponics
• Growing conditions
• Nutrition
• Suitable Systems
• Culture
• Problem Management

11. Orchids

• Growing Orchids in Hydroponics
• Growing conditions
• Nutrition
• Suitable Systems
• Culture
• Problem Management
• Harvest and Post Harvest for different Orchid Genera

Prerequisite: Hydroponics I or significant experience.

Aims

• Determine and explain factors that influence the growth of a crop.
• Design and conduct a trial to evaluate the commercial prospect of growing a chosen hydroponic crop
• Determine appropriate harvest and post harvest treatments for different types of hydroponic crops.
• Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial tomato crop in any given location.
• Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial capsicum crop in any given location.
• Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial Lettuce, Salad Greens and Foliage Herb Crops in any given location.
• Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial cucurbit crop in any given location.
• Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial strawberry crop in any given location.
• Determine an appropriate procedure for hydroponic production of a commercial cut flower rose crop in any given location.
• Determine appropriate hydroponic production for commercial cut flower carnation crops.
• Determine appropriate hydroponic production of a commercial cut flower Orchid crop in any given location.