May 12, 2020

MSU Extension Offering Online Greenhouse Courses This Summer

Michigan State University Extension has announced that its award-winning Online College of Knowledge greenhouse series is set to take place this summer.

The summer session includes four self-paced courses on:

• Abiotic Disorders of Greenhouse Crops,
• Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting,
• Biological Control for Greenhouse Growers and
• Floriculture Root Zone Management.

The courses serve as an excellent resource for greenhouse growers new to the industry or those who want to learn more about other areas of greenhouse crop production or pest management. All courses except the new Abiotic Disorders course are available in English and Spanish.

These non-credit courses are pre-recorded and registrants have three months to complete the courses: June 1 to August 31 2020.

Students will take a pre-test and a final exam to gauge their learning on the topics. Registrants also can complete the optional self-assessment quizzes to engage with the material throughout the course.

Each course is $129 and there are 3 scholarships per course available to those with financial need. Registration for all courses ends June 13, 2020.

Register for all of the courses at: www.canr.msu.edu/online-college-of-knowledge

The course descriptions are listed below.

Abiotic Disorders of Greenhouse Crops (NEW for Summer 2020!)

This course is intended for growers interested in learning what factors induce or contribute to the onset of abiotic disorders of greenhouse crops. The course covers an introduction to diagnostics, differentiating biotic and abiotic plant problems, and plant symptoms as a result of the following nutritional, environmental, or cultural factors: pH, EC, light intensity, photoperiod, ethylene, chemical phytotoxicity, and herbicide damage. This course will guide you through the diagnostic process to learn what abiotic factors can cause plant problems causing top growth symptoms or root symptoms. Michigan State University Extension partnered with Dr. Garrett Owen (former Greenhouse Outreach Specialist at MSU) and current Assistant Extension Professor at the University of Kentucky to develop the course.

Biological Control for Greenhouse Growers

MSU Extension partnered with Raymond Cloyd from Kansas State University Extension to offer an online course on biological control pest management. It is intended for greenhouse growers and others interested in learning about the challenges and opportunities associated with a biological control pest management program. The content of the course covers introductory materials to more advanced concepts such as utilizing banker plants.

Floriculture Root Zone Management

This course is for beginning-level growers. It covers the fundamentals on irrigation water, media and their effects on plant nutrition. The course covers water sources, water quality, water treatment, irrigation methodology and substrate components. The final unit of the course covers the essential elements for plant nutrition, how to select a fertilizer and how to monitor nutrition of greenhouse crops.

Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting

This lighting course is intended for growers and others interested in learning about the fundamental concepts about how plants respond to light quality, quantity and duration. It provides introductory to moderately-challenging content based on experiments performed at MSU. The units in the course cover photoperiod, photoperiodic lighting, light quality, quantity and duration, and factors that should be considered when replacing or installing new lamps.