Nov 29, 2018

MSU Extension Offering Online Greenhouse Courses

The deadline to register for  Michigan State University Extension’s Online College of Knowledge greenhouse series is rapidly approaching.

If you are you looking to brush up on greenhouse topics such as greenhouse lighting, biological control or fertility, you have until Dec. 7, to register for MSU’s award -winning courses.

The courses offered this winter are: Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting, Biological Control for Greenhouse Growers and Floriculture Root Zone Management.

This series is an excellent resource for new growers or those who want to learn more about other areas of greenhouse production.

These non-credit courses are pre-recorded and registrants have three months to complete the courses: Dec. 1, 2018, to Feb. 28, 2019.

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. Registration for all courses ends Dec. 7, 2018.

Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting

The course will address 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 and Purdue University. 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.

Biological Control for Greenhouse Growers (English and Spanish)

MSU Extension partner, Raymond Cloyd, ,Kansas State University Extension, will present an online course on biological control pest management. It is intended for individuals interested in learning about biological control pest management. The content of the course covers introductory materials to more advanced concepts such as utilizing banker plants.

Floriculture Root Zone Management

The Floriculture Root Zone Management course is for beginning-level floriculture growers. Participants will learn the fundamental concepts about 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.

To date, a total 514 participants from 37 states and 30 countries have taken the online courses! Join this prestigious group of growers by registering for one of the three online courses today.

You can register for all of the courses at www.canr.msu.edu/online-college-of-knowledge.