Plant Production: Hydroponics

Course Objective

The Purpose of this skills program is to provide learners with a basic understanding as well as application of: Knowledge and skills to plan, prepare and operate a hydroponic system.

Target Audience

The range of typical learners include persons interested in gaining a better understanding of basic agricultural practices and start their own farming enterprise.

Duration

25 Days / or 20 Days (Limited)

Attendees Min./Max.

Minimum of 10 / Maximum of 20

Pre-requisites

Learners with previous experience as farm workers or vegetable cultivation. Learners must be physically fit (especially in regard to lung diseases). 

Form of Assessment

Portfolio of Evidence

Formative assessment: Evidence of performance will be collected continuously as Learners progress and will be considered in the final determination of the learners capabilities.

Learning Outcomes

- Planning and Construction of a greenhouse for hydroponics.

- Identify various growing media.

- Demonstrate a basic understanding of different hydroponics production systems.

- Prepare a production area for crop establishment.

- Establish vegetable crops in a hydroponics production unit.

- Maintain vegetable crops in a hydroponic production unit.

- Maintain hygiene / food safety measures in a hydroponics production unit environment.

- Plants are manipulated as per instruction in the hydroponics production system.

- Identify and report basic problems in the production system.

- Apply crop fertilizers and nutrient solutions in a hydroponics production system.

- Prepare nutrient solutions to be used and apply herbicides.

- Operate and perform routine maintenance on equipment and tools.

- Perform quality checks.

- Compile a routine irrigation schedule in a hydroponics production system.

- Monitor insects in a hydroponics production unit.

- Control plant diseases according to different types of diseases.

- Control fungal diseases chemically.

- Maintain pesticide application equipment.

- Harvest different vegetable crops in a hydroponics unit.

- Market crops.

Provider

Train the Nation and Associates