Course CodeBHT207Fee CodeS2Duration (approx)100 hoursQualificationStatement of Attainment THE MAIN WAYS OF CONTROLLING PESTS OR DISEASES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Sanitation - maintaining good hygiene Physical control methods e.g. mowing, slashing, burning, flooding, hand removal, physical barriers (ie. netting, fences), etc. Using plant varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases Biological controls Chemical controls (artificial and naturally derived). Soil drenches/dips This course takes a "wholistic approach, giving appropriate consideration to all of these "methods", without bias toward any particular method Lesson Structure There are 10 lessons in this course: Introduction - scientific names, terms, diagnosing problems. Control Techniques - natural & chemical. Chemicals - characteristics. Identifying Diseases - symptoms, fungi and viruses, and other pathogens. Disease Control - life cycle of fungi. Insect Classification and biology. Insect Control - how to control pests. Other Pests - nematodes, snails, millipedes. Weed Identification and chemical control. Non-chemical Weed Control Aims Identify the broad category which a plant health problem belongs to. Explain a range of methods for controlling plant problems. Select appropriate chemical pesticides for different problems. Identify the symptoms of different plant diseases, including most common and some uncommon problems, in your locality. Develop procedures to control specific plant diseases. Identify different insects, including significant taxonomic orders, common pest species, and some less common pest species Determine appropriate methods to control different types of insects. Identify different non-insect pests found in the learner's locality. Determine appropriate control methods for different non-insect pests. Identify different non-insect pests found in the learner's locality. Determine appropriate control methods for different non-insect pests. Manage the control of different types of weed problems. How to Control Garden Pest and Disease To control pest and diseases naturally there are four methods to consider: 1. Cultural Controls the methods you use to grow plants 2. Physical Controls methods which physically interfere with pests or diseases 3. Sprays or Dusts natural products which control pests or diseases without having any undesirable side effects 4. Biological Controls where other organisms control the pest or disease buy such means as directly attacking the problem by repelling it or by attracting or luring pests to a place where they can be easily trapped or collected, and then easily destroyed or removed elsewhere WHAT WILL THIS COURSE DO FOR YOU? Improve your skills as a horticulture professional Give you confidence as a professional gardener Work as a pest and disease control contractor Improve your garden and gardening skills Help designers in better plant selection Help nursery professionals improve the quality of the plants they produce Visit the ACS online bookstore - click here for outlines of books related to this subject