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Improving Agricultural Sustainability Short Course
Interested in learning more about Sustainable Agriculture?
Sneak Peek
Learn to be more sustainable in the farming sector: as a farmer, a farm worker or a supplier of goods or services to farming.
Many issues are impacting agriculture today; biosecurity, climate change, soil degredation, fires, market volatility and food miles, to mention just a few. This course helps you to become more aware, and understanding of such issues, and in doing so leads you to a better understanding of how to keep an agricultural business sustainable.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Short-Course covers 11 lessons:
INTRODUCTION
LESSON 1: DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE
- What to do
- Know your Land
- a) Evaluating a site
- b) Land Carrying Capacity
- c) Assessing Land Capacity
- An Indication of Sustainability
LESSON 2: SUSTAINABLE CONCEPTS
- Organic Farming
- Whole Farm Planning
- Systems Thinking in Sustainable Agriculture
- Permaculture
- Minimal Cultivation
- No Dig Techniques
- Biodynamics
- Crop Rotation
- Seed Saving
- Urban Farming
- Hydroponics
- Aquaponics
- Vertical Farming
- Environmentally Friendly Farming
LESSON 3: SOILS
- Growing Media
- Major Types of Soil Problems
- Erosion
- Salinity
- Soil Sodicity
- Soil Structural Decline
- Soil Acidification
- Build-up of Dangerous Chemicals
- Adding Organic Matter
- Cultivation Techniques
- Plant Nutrition
- Natural fertilizers
- Soil Life
- Earthworms
- Mycorrhiza
- Nitrogen Fixing
- Composting
- Guidelines for Using Compost
- Mulches
- General Rules for Mulching
LESSON 4: WATER MANAGEMENT
- Water Usage
- Methods of Water Storage
- Rainwater Collection and Storage
- Livestock Water Requirements
- Problems with Water
- Mosquitoes
- Algal Blooms
- Livestock Contamination
- Water Quality
- Water Saving Measures
- Water Wastage
- Reed Beds
- Swales and Keylines
- Irrigation Systems
- Irrigation System Design
- Maintenance Procedures and Scheduling
- Innovations in Water Management
- Surface or Flood Irrigation
- Sprinkler Irrigation
LESSON 5: PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL
- Use of Pesticides
- Cultural Controls
- Physical Controls
- Sprays and Dusts
- Biological Controls
- Companion Plants
- Legislation
LESSON 6: SUSTAINABLE WEED CONTROL & CULTIVATION
- What is a Weed?
- Ways to Control Weeds Without Chemicals
- Check Soil Condition
- Biological Weed Control
- Chemical Control of Weeds
- Herbicides
LESSON 7: FARM MANAGEMENT
- Changing an Existing farm to a Sustainable Property
- New Farm Products
- Pre-Planning
- Monitoring and Reviewing the Farm System
- Socioeconomic Considerations
- Production planning
- Organic Certification Schemes
- Contingencies and Seasonal Variations
- Planning for Drought
LESSON 8: GROWING AND HARVESTING PLANTS
- Selection Criteria for Plants
- Grain and Other Broad Acre Crops
- Row Crops
- Cover Crops
- Ways of Using a Cover Crop
- Hay and Silage
- Silage Production
- Silage Timing
- Quality Control
- Hydroponic Fodder
LESSON 9: TREES, FODDER AND OTHER PLANTS
- Agroforestry
- Timber Trees
- Fodder Trees
- Windbreaks
- Firebreaks
- Habitat Corridors for Wildlife
- Tree Planting Methods
LESSON 10: SUSTAINABLE ANIMAL MANAGEMENT
- Possible Problems Of Livestock Production
- Production Systems
- Land Care Practices
- Pastures
- Sustainable Pasture Varieties
- How Much Grazing?
- Grazing Methods
- Guidelines For Raising Different Livestock
LESSON 11: TECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
- Precision Agriculture
- Machines And Tools
- Drones
- Wearable Technology
- Robotics
- Computer Technology
- Fertilisers And Soil Conditioners
- Chemical Pesticides and Herbicides
- Soil Microbes
- Biotechnology And Sustainable Agriculture
- Modifying Organisms Genetically
- Cloning
- Nuclear And Isotopic Techniques
- Problems For Biotechnology
FINAL ASSESSMENT
An ideal learning experience for anyone seeking to better understand "SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE":
- Fully online
- 20-hour, self-paced course
- Optional practical set tasks throughout
- Automated self assessment tests
- "Certificate of Completion" on achieving a 60% pass rate on a final assessment
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Improving Agricultural Sustainability Short Course
£100.00
In stock