Water quality and treatment training for greenhouse, nursery professionals

The University of Florida IFAS Extension will offer its online Water Quality & Treatment course from July 6 to Aug. 2, providing greenhouse and nursery industry professionals with training on irrigation water management.

The course focuses on interpreting water quality tests for greenhouse and nursery crop irrigation, evaluating water treatment technologies and designing water treatment and monitoring systems. It is intended for participants with industry experience or upper-level university training who work in production, technical or sales roles. The course is also a requirement for the Root Zone Expert program.

The UF/IFAS Extension course is taught by professors from six U.S. universities and is offered in both English and Spanish. Participants complete eight learning modules delivered online through prerecorded videos, quizzes and discussion boards moderated by faculty members. Two modules are released each week, and participants work at their own pace during the four-week program. Typical coursework requires about six hours per week.

The training is offered every other year. Past participants said it provided a strong understanding of water treatment technologies ranging from filtration systems to constructed wetlands, according to UF/IFAS Extension.

There is a registration cost per participant. Organizations registering five or more employees receive a 20% discount. Additional information is available on the UF/IFAS Greenhouse Training Online website.