Lesson Structure:Diploma In Hydroponics VHT013

This subject has 30 lessons, each requiring about 12-15 hours of study:

1    Introduction to Hydroponic Technology

• Introduction
• Resources
• Set Reading

2    Plant Growth Requirements: Light, artificial light, light balancers

• Photosynthesis
• Artificial Lighting
• Lighting Equipment

3    Plant Growth Requirements:Nutrition- nutrient requirements, deficiencies, toxicities, pH, conductivity, salinity, growth regulators

• How Plants Grow
• Similarities between Soil and Hydroponic Growing: Chemistry, The Atomic Nature of Matter, The Structure of Atoms
• Biochemistry
• Hydroponic Nutrient Formalae
• Mixing Nutrients
• Plant Nutrition – The Nutrient Elements
• Major Elements
• Minor Elements
• Total Salts
• Diagnosis of Nutritional Problems – including Table : Nutrient Deficiencies
• Fertilisers
• Choosing the Right Fertiliser
• Natural Fertilisers
• A Look at Organic Fertilisers
• Temperature Requirements

4    Plant Growth Requirements:Temperature

• Temperature Requirements
• Set Reading: Commercial Hydroponics ‑ Ch. 2

5    Hydroponic Growing Systems:Basic concepts and designs, site considerations.

• Intoduction
• Commercial Systems:
• Simple Systems
• Dug in Aggregate Bed
• Automated Systems
• The Bentley System
• What makes up a System
• Horticultutal Rockwool – Australian Experiences
• Development of Propagating Blocks
• Propagation Applications
• Recomended Practices for Propagation
• Benefits of using Rockwool Propagating Blocks
• Limitations experienced in the use of Rockwool Propagating Blocks​

6    Growing Media:Types, properties, uses.

• Set Reading: Commercial Hydroponics   Chapters 6, 7 and 8

7    Hydroponic Nutrient Solutions:Nutrient formulae, preparing solutions

• Dutch Recommendations for Nutrient Solutions
• Example of Standard Formala to be Mixed with Rainwater

8    Hydroponic Equipment:Componentry, nutrient delivery, pumping, testing

• Salintary Controllers
• pH Controllers
• Set Reading

9    Growing Structures:Design and Construction – types

• Growing Plants in a Greenhouse
• The Greenhouse System
• Types of Greenhouses
• Greenhouse Checklist
• Commonly used Grennhouse Designs
• Shape of Structures to Maximise Light Transmission
• Siting Greenhouses
• Plant Needs
• Problems with Greenhouses
• Horticultural Management in a Greenhouse
• Fungi
• Common Fungal Problems
• Plants and Water
• Water Excess
• Water Defficiency
• Greenhouse Irrigation Methods
• Culture and Management of some Greenhouse Crops
• Optium Growth Requirement for Certain Plants
• Greenhouse Benches and Beds: Shelving or Staging, Ground Beds, Raised Beds, Pot Crops, Flooring, Guttering, Doors
• Principles of Temperature Control
• Solar Energy Applications in Horticulture
• Nature of Solar Energy
• Greenhouses
• Active Systems
• Nature of Active Solar Heating Systems
• Selected Solar Greenhouse Facilities 1 Air Based Systems
• Selected Solar Greenhouse Facilities 2 Water Based Systems
• Set Reading: Commercial Hydroponics  Chapters 9 and 10, Optional reading

10/11 Environmental Control A:Heating, Cooling and Environmental Control B – Lighting and Shading

• Environmental Control
• Environmental Factors that Influence Plant Growth
• Measurment of Environmental Factors
• Heating
• Temperature Control
• Heat Loss: Table
• Localised Heaters
• Ventilators
• Cooling (Ventilation)
• Light Factors
• Artificial Light
• Lighting
• Shading
• Set Reading: Commercial Hydroponics   Ch 10

12   Environmental Control C:Carbon Dioxide Enrichment

• Methods of CO2 Injection
• Carbon Dioxide
• Effects of Carbon Dioxide
• Standard Night Temperatures at which Greenhouse Flower Crops are Grown

13   Plant Culture In Hydroponics A: Trellising, pruning, pollination, transplanting

• Fruit Set Management
• Controlling Plant Growth
• Growth Control
• What is Hydroponic Trial?
• Running a Crop Trial
• Research Methodology

14   Plant Culture In Hydroponics B

• Introduction
• Post Harvest Storage
• Hydroponics Pests and Diseases
• Diseases
• Plant Viruses – Their Detection and Diagnosis
• Virus Control
• Environmental Problems
• Common Environmental Problems
• Set Reading: Commercial Hydroponics   Ch.11 Plant Culture
• Optional Reading

15   Aggregate Culture

• Set Reading: Commercial Hydroponics  Chapter 7

16   Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Culture

• Set Reading: Commercial Hydroponics: Chapter 5

17   Rockwool Culture

• Set Reading: Set Reading: Commercial Hydroponics: Chapter 5

18    Other Techniques:Wick systems, flood & drain, bag culture, aeroponics, etc.

• Set Reading: Commercial Hydroponics Chapter 8

19   Irrigation: Soil Requirements

• Objective of Irrigation
• Irrigation – The Wide View
• The Value and Feasibility of Irrigation
• Soil and Water
• Transpiration and Wilting Point
• Measuring Water Available to Plants
• Naming the Soil
• Improving Soils
• Soil Characteristics and Problems: Chemical Properties, Soil pH, Table
• Internal Drainage
• Rooting Dephs of Selected Plants
• Irrigation Calculations
• Set Reading:

20   Irrigation Systems

• Pumps
• Types of Pumps: Pumping Mechanisms
• More on Types of Pumps:
• When a Centrifugal Pump fails to Operate
• Hydraulics
• Measuring Pressure: With a Bourdon Gauge, Head of Water
• Calculating Discharge or Flow
• Velocity
• Friction Loss in Systems
• Water Hammer
• When to Irrigate
• Signs to Look For
• Estimating Water Needs
• The Water Requirements of Turf Grasses
• A Feel-Test for Estimating Soil Moisture Level
• Selecting the Best Irrigation System
• More on Trickle Irrigation
• Maintaining a Trickle Irrigation System
• Conventional Sprinkler Systems
• Travelling Sprinklers
• Microjets
• Special Applications
• General Maintenance of Watering Systems
• How to Improve the Quality of Water from any Source
• Problems of Water Quality and their Remedies
• Design and Operation
• Scheduling Irrigation
• Sprinkler Spacings
• Designing and Considering Sprinkler Performance
• Electrical Factors
• Electric Automatic Systems
• Design Considerations
• Set Reading

21    Plant Propagation:Seed & cutting propagation & tissue culture

• Plant Propagation Techniques
• Sexual Propogation of Plants
• Asexual (Vegetative) Propogation of Plants
• Genotype v Phenotype
• Types of Cuttings
• Stock Plants
• Hormone Treatment of Cuttings
• Other Chemical Treatments
• Other Treatments to Improve Cutting Success
• Using Artificial Light in Plant Propagation
• Production Systems
• Growing Media
• Quantities of Potting Soils
• Prpoagating Media
• Components
• Mixes/Substrates for Striking Cuttings/Starting Bed
• Using Fertilisers in Propagation Mixes
• Nutrition Management
• Factors Affesting Fertiliser Application
• Efficiences in Cutting Production
• Example of Estimating Cost of Cutting Productions
• Rules to Maintain Sanitation
• Tissue Culture
• Tissue Culture Procedures:
• Environmental Conditions

22  Market Gardening:Cut Flowers

• Perennials
• A – Z Directory of Specific Information for Flower Crops
• Gypsophila
• Judging Flowers
• Set Reading: Commercial Hydroponics – Ch.14

23  Market Gardening:Vegetables

• Hydroponic and Greenhouse Growing
• Growing Hydroponic Tomatoes
• Growing Capsicums (Bell Peppers) in Hydroponics
• Hydroponic Salad Greens
• The Brassicas
• The Legumes
• Onions:
• The Potato
• Other Crops
• Cucurbits
• Tropical Vegetables
• Less Commonly Grown Vegetables
• Harvesting
• Storing Vegetables
• Planting Vegetables
• Seed
• Hybrid Seed
• Storing Seed
• Sowing Seed Outdoors
• Sowing Seed Indoors
• Transplanting Seedlings
• Buying Seedlings
• Transplanting Crowns, Offsets, Tubers, Etc.
• Some Useful Suggestions on Planting
• Sowing and Transplanting Guide
• Set Reading – Commercial Hydroponics   Chapter 12​

24  Other Plants in Hydroponics

• Set Reading: Commercial Hydroponics Ch. 13, 15

25  Pests and Diseases

• Pest, Disease and Disorder Control (Chemical and Cultural)
• Cultural Controls
• LAW in Relation to Chemical Use
• Diseases A – Z
• Plant Viruses – Detection and Diagnosis
• Pests A – Z
• Environmental Problems
• Common Environmental Problems
• Set Reading: Commercial Hydroponics Ch. 17

26  Weeds

• Some Common Groups of Weeds
• Weeds in Turf
• Methods of Controlling Weed Problems
• Some Turf Weedicides  (Herbicides)
• MCPA
• Commonly Used Commercial Formulations
• Weed Control in Greenhouses
• Recommended Weedicides for Use in a Nursery
• Safety Procedures When Using Agricultural Chemicals
• Types of Herbicide Chemicals
• Encyclopedia of Common Weeds

27  Managing a Commercial Hydroponics Farm

• Physical Layout of the Workplace
• Layout of Shop
• The Importance of Harvest and Post Harvest Management
• Understanding Harvested Crop Physiology
• Harvesting and Grading Vegetables
• What is Considered Within a Grading Standard
• Harvesting Cut Flowers
• Managing a Market Garden
• Deciding What To Grow
• Crop Scheduling
• Standards
• Set Reading: Commercial Hydroponics   Ch. 16

28  Management – Organisation and Supervision

• Introduction
• Giving Directives and Introducing Change
• Orders and Instructions
• Supervision
• Management
• Organisational Structures
• Record Keeping
• Work Scheduling

29  Marketing – Promotion and Selling

• Marketing
• Fruit Grading Systems
• Grading Equipment
• Publicity
• Public Relations
• Press Releases
• Selling
• Types of Customers
• Keys to Improving Sales
• Key Strategies For Selling
• Marketing Your Produce
• Market Research
• Areas of Market Research
• Sources of Data
• What Do You Need To Research?
• Marketing Tips

30  Special Project

• You will undertake a research project on hydroponics (any aspect that you wish), plus write a report on your research and your findings. The final report should be around 3-5 pages long, and include a title page and a bibliography or list of references.

Learning Goals: Diploma In Hydroponics VHT013

• 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.
• 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 use of the equipment used in hydroponics systems.
• Compare and select growing structures for different growing situations
• Explain the role of heat and light control and methods of achieving them
• Explain benefits and manipulation of carbon dioxide to promote plant growth
• Discuss a range of cultural practices for hydroponics and design and conduct a trial to evaluate the commercial prospect of growing a chosen hydroponic crop.
• Determine different hydroponics practices, including careful planning of crop production.
• Describe methods of aggregate culture
• Describe the uses and applications of NFT
• Understand the uses of rockwool in hydroponics
• Describe other techniques of hydroponic growing, including aeroponics
• Explain the properties of soil and their behaviour when irrigated (NOTE: Whilst this lesson primarily relates to irrigation and soil requirements, much of the material covered is also directly related to growing plants hydroponically)
• Identify and describe the components and design of various irrigation systems
• Explain various methods of propagating plants
• Describe methods of hydroponically producing cut flowers for the cut flower market
• Describe methods of hydroponically producing vegetables for the market
• Describe the range of commercial plants produced hydroponically
• Identify potential pests and diseases, and describe methods to control them (An integral part of successful plant culture, be it hydroponic or otherwise, is the ability to recognise and control the pests and diseases which affect the health and productivity of crops)
• Consider needs for weed control and how to achieve it
• Plan to manage a commercial hydroponics enterprise
• 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 a special project

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General

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Q. Completing a 100 hour module – how long will it take?
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Assessment

Q. Assessment – how does it work?
A. For each 100 hour module you are assessed by assignments (at the end of each lesson) and a final one and a half hour exam (or you may elect to complete a Project, instead of sitting the exam) – the choice is yours – you sit for the exam in your own location.

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A. Yes –

Q. How many assignments do I need to complete for each module?
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Q. What qualification will I receive?
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A. At the completion of all courses and providing all assignments and exam requirements have been met, you will receive your Award and a Transcript.

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