Graphic for four new winter greenhouse online courses from the Online College of Knowledge | Heidi Lindberg, Michigan State University Extension
Now through Jan. 1, 2025, greenhouse growers who are new to the industry or those who are interested in brushing up on their knowledge can now sign up for four self-paced courses in Michigan State University Extension’s Online College of Knowledge greenhouse series:
This award-winning series serves 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.
These four non-credit courses are pre-recorded and registrants have three months to complete the courses: Dec. 1, 2024, through March 15, 2025. Students in the course will take a pre-test and a final exam to gauge their learning of the topics. Registrants also can complete the optional self-assessment quizzes to engage with the material throughout the course.
There are three scholarships for each of the courses for those interested but who do not currently have the financial means to take them. Interested greenhouse growers should see the registration websites below for more details. Registration for all courses ends Jan. 1, 2025.
Two Courses Qualify for the Plant Health Professional Certificate Program
In May 2022, Michigan State University Extension and University of Florida IFAS announced a new collaborative certificate program where growers and technical staff in the greenhouse and controlled environment industry can gain a new qualification in plant health management. This brings together two award-winning online training programs offered by UF IFAS and MSU Extension. Abiotic Disorders of Greenhouse Crops and Biological Control for Greenhouse Growers qualify for the certificate program through MSU Extension. To date, 24 people have graduated from the certificate program.
1. Abiotic Disorders of Greenhouse Crops
The Abiotic Disorders of Greenhouse Crops course is intended for greenhouse and ornamental plant growers who are interested in learning what factors induce or contribute to the onset of abiotic disorders of greenhouse crops. Abiotic plant problems are those that are caused by non-living things, such as cultural or environmental conditions. This course will guide you through the diagnostic process to learn what abiotic factors can cause plant problems causing top growth symptoms (on either foliage, stem, or flower buds) or root symptoms.
MSU Extension partnered with Garrett Owen, former Greenhouse Outreach Specialist at MSU and current Assistant Extension Professor in the Department of Horticulture at The Ohio State University to develop the course. 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.
Register for Abiotic Disorders of Greenhouse Crops in English or Trastornos abióticos de cultivos de invernadero for the course in Spanish.
2. 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.
Register for Biological Control for Greenhouse Growers in English or Control Biológico para Cultivadores en Invernaderos for the course in Spanish.
3. Floriculture Root Zone Management
The Floriculture Root Zone Management course is for beginning-level floriculture growers. It covers the fundamental concepts of 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 the nutrition of greenhouse crops.
Register for Floriculture Root Zone Management in English or Manejo de la Zona Radicular to take the course in Spanish.
4. Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting
The Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting course is intended for greenhouse and ornamental plant growers and others interested in learning about the fundamental concepts of 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.
Register for Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting in English or Iluminación para Hortícola y Invernaderos to take the course in Spanish.
For additional information on each course, please view each listing and read the original article published by Michigan State University Extension.
