Learn to farm crops for food, fibre or fuel
Agronomic farming provides us with the raw products to produce a great deal of the products we find in our shops; from breads, cereals, and cooking oils to fabrics and medicines. Modern society depends upon successful agronomic farming more than what most people realize. The need to understand and develop and constantly improve agronomic practices has created massive employment opportunities in the past; and that situation is unlikely to ever alter.
You don't need to be highly qualified to work in Agronomy - but you do need to be highly knowledgeable.
This course provides a very solid foundation for you to understand the scope and nature of agronomy, as well as the technology and farm practices that underpin this industry. It is a starting point for farmers, technicians or entrepreneurs, or professional development for anyone with related knowledge or experience who needs to "fill in" gaps in what they know and understand about agronomy.
What this Course Covers
This Course Covers:
- Cereal Crops
- Oil Crops
- Fibre Crops
There are 8 lessons in this module as follows:
- INTRODUCTION TO AGRONOMIC PRACTICES
- Crop types
- Plant structure and function
- Transpiration rate
- Selection criteria for plants
- Understanding monoculture
- Row crops
- Cover crops
- Crop operations
- Planter types
- CULTURE: WHAT INFLUENCES CROP GROWTH
- Soils
- Problems with soils
- Loss of soil problems
- Erosion
- Salinity
- Soil sodicity, acidity and alkalinity
- Improving soils
- Cultivation techniques
- Plant nutrition and nutrient deficiencies
- Organic fertilisers
- Soil life
- Insect pests
- Diseases
- CROP HUSBANDRY PRACTICES
- Operations
- Identifying weeds
- Ways to control weeds
- Spraying
- Irrigation
- Chemical crop protection
- Preparing plant pathogens for microscopic observation
- Culturing pathogens
- Natural pest and disease control
- Physical controls
- Organic sprays and dusts
- SEED AND SEED MANAGEMENT
- Seed storage
- Types of seed storage
- Seed vigour testing
- Dormancy factors affecting germination
- Germination treatments
- Types of media
- Media derived from rock or stone
- Media derived from synthetic materials
- Organic media
- Diseases
- Salinty build up
- ARABLE CEREAL CROPS
- Cereal crops
- Zadock scale
- Wheat
- Barley
- Oats
- Triticale
- Sorghum
- Maize
- Rice
- Millet
- Sugar cane
- Ryegrass
- Hay and silage
- Quality control
- Storage and handling
- Hydroponic fodder
- ARABLE BROADLEAF CROPS
- Characteristics of broadleaf crops
- Oil crops
- Chickpeas
- Narrow-leafed lupins
- Canola
- Faba beans
- Cover crops
- Common legumes
- HARVESTING
- Crop preparation for harvest
- Crop harvest equipment
- Forage harvesting equipment
- Cereal harvesting equipment
- Root crop harvesting equipment
- Grain storage
- Contract harvesting
- CROP MANAGEMENT - SPECIAL PROJECT
- Crop management from planting to post harvest handling
Workload
Study when, where and however much you want. For most students, the course can be completed with a total of around 100 hours of study; and a commitment close to that may be needed to achieve desired learning outcomes.
Assessment
Self Assessment Tests are presented throughout the course. These are essentially an automated quiz. When you undertake a "SAT" or "Self Assessment Test", you will be able to see what you got correct, and what was incorrect; and in that way, you can identify your weaknesses.
Assignments are given at the end of each lesson. You should complete this assignment, paying careful attention to follow what is asked of you. It can be just as important to learn to work to specification, as it is to learn about the topic you are studying. Graduates who develop a habit of working to specification in the field of agronomy, will impress employers, and will be more efficient when self employed.
A Final Exam is offered upon satisfactory completion of all assignments. This is optional. If you choose to apply for and do this exam, you will have the possibility of obtaining a "formal credit" or "Pass Certification" for this course. A fee applies. The exam may be sat under prearranged conditions anywhere in the world. This college will award you a formal transcript, upon successful completion of the exam, as proof of your results.
Recognition and Ethics
This college is a member of the ACS Affiliates Network; a group of colleges from several countries, affiliated with each other through ACS Distance Education.. Courses are developed with input from all of these colleges, aspiring to reflect internationally accepted standards and needs.
A strict "No Plagiarism" and "No fraud" policy exists. Assignments are checked for plagiarism, and assignments will not be deemed to have been completed, if work is not your own original creation, and is found to have been copied from elsewhere. If the person doing the course is discovered to be different to the name enrolled, the enrolment and any results will be recorded as invalid and any fees paid will be forfeited.
Refund Policy
A full refund less expenses (up to 15% of fees applied) is provided to anyone wishing to withdraw from a course, within 2 weeks of enrolment. This does not apply after the first assignment has been submitted and marked; or after the two weeks has expired.
WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS INSTITUTION?
We believe that we have an ethical responsibility to make good use of the fees you pay and the time you invest into your education through our college. To this end, our first priority is always your learning. This comes before issues such as formal accreditations, speculative marketing and bureaucratic processes which all too often add considerable costs to the running of colleges, and take resources away from the provision of more valuable services to the student.
This college focuses on facilitating your learning and support to optimise that learning. We recognise that learning is all about improving knowledge and skills in your long term memory. While some colleges may focus on getting you to pass exams, by committing knowledge to short term memory; we understand that such an approach is not true education, and does little to improve your long term career or business prospects.
How This Course Can Help you: where could you work after studies in agronomy?
- On farms that produce cereal crops
- As a consultant to farmers
- In Farm management
- For commercial businesses that supply seed, animal feed and grains
- For crop protection businesses