COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE PRODUCTION BHT222

Distance Learning Commercial Vegetable Production Course

• Learn to grow and harvest a wide range of vegetable crops for a commercial market garden.
• After enrolling, watch our "orientation video" and discover how to use all sorts of services to support your study.
• Lots of flexibility is where and how often you study -even what your learning is focussed on
• Exams are optional and only needed if you want to use this study as a credit in a formal qualification -even then, we always give you the option to repeat exams
• Exceptional tutor support -Our horticulture faculty includes a dozen university trained professionals most with decades of industry experience. You have unlimited access to tutors over the phone or email.

COURSE STRUCTURE

Course Aim 

Develop your skills to grow and manage a commercial vegetable crop.

CONTENT

There are eight lessons as follows:

1.  Introduction to Vegetable Growing

Understand the planning processes required in setting up a farming enterprise. Select appropriate crops.

2.  Cultural Practices for Vegetables

Explain general cultural practices used for vegetable production.

3.  Pest, Disease & Weed Control

Explain the management of potential problems, including pests, diseases, weeds, and environmental disorders in vegetable production.

4.  Hydroponic & Greenhouse Growing

Explain alternative cultural techniques, including greenhouse and hydroponic production, for vegetables.

5.  Growing Selected Vegetable Varieties

Determine specific cultural practices for selected vegetable varieties.

6.  Irrigation

To develop understanding of how efficiently manage the availability of water to vegetable crops in order to achieve optimum growth.

7.  Harvest & Post-Harvest

Determine the harvesting, and post-harvest treatment of different vegetables.

8.  Marketing Vegetables

Develop marketing strategies for different vegetables.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

This is an individual module. The individual module courses are 100 hour long usually and can be taken on their own or as part of a larger program of study. Other qualifications, such as certificates, diplomas etc may require examinations to be taken as part of the overall assessment process.

For individual courses - If you want to take one of these courses only, you can elect to sit an optional exam at the end of it. If you successfully pass the exam, you will receive a Statement of Attainment. If you do not wish to take the exam, you will receive a Course Completion letter when you have passed all assignments. You can take examinations at a time and location to suit you. If you enrol, you will be sent further information on how to arrange examinations at the end of the course. If you do not wish to sit the examination, you will need to complete all assignments to receive the course completion letter. There is an assignment at the end of each lesson. So for example, if an individual module course contains ten lessons, you will need to complete ten assignments. Assignments can be sent to us via email, post or fax.

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SUMMARY OF COMPETENCIES DEVELOPED
On successful completion of the course you should be able to do the following:

• Select appropriate vegetable varieties for different situations.
• Explain general cultural practices used for vegetable production.
• Explain the management of potential problems, including pests, diseases, weeds, and environmental disorders, in vegetable production.
• Explain alternative cultural techniques, including greenhouse and hydroponic production, for vegetables.
• Determine specific cultural practices for selected vegetable varieties.
• Determine the harvesting, and post-harvest treatment of different vegetables.
• Develop marketing strategies for different vegetables.

WHAT THE COURSE COVERS
Here are just some of the things you may be doing:

• Compile a resource file of sources of information regarding vegetable varieties.
• Describe the classification of different vegetables into major groups.
• Prepare a collection of plant reviews of different vegetable varieties.
• Determine three appropriate cultivars from each of different species of vegetables to be grown on a specified site.
• Prepare a planting schedule of vegetable varieties, to be planted over a twelve month period, in your locality.
• Differentiate between soil management practices for different vegetable varieties.
• Explain the establishment of vegetables by seed.
• Explain how to establish three different vegetables from seedlings.
• Prepare a table or chart showing the planting distances, and planting depth of seed for different vegetable varieties.
• Describe the application of pruning techniques to the production of specified vegetables.
• Prepare a crop schedule (ie. production timetable) for a specified vegetable crop.
• Prepare a pressed weed collection of different weeds.
• Differentiate between different specific techniques for weed control in vegetable crops, including different chemical and different non-chemical methods.
• Determine pest and disease problems common to different specified types of vegetables.
• Identify appropriate control methods for the pest and disease problems you determined (above).
• Develop pest and disease control programs, for the lifespans of different vegetables.
• Determine the environmental disorders occurring with vegetable crops inspected by you.
• Explain the methods that can be used to prevent and/or overcome different environmental disorders affecting vegetables.
• Determine the potential benefits of greenhouse vegetable production in a specified locality.
• Differentiate between the characteristics of different types of greenhouses.
• Compare vegetable growing applications for different environmental control mechanisms used in greenhouses, including:
  • Different types of heaters
  • Shading
  • Lighting
  • Different types of coolers
  • Vents
  • Fans
• Describe how a specified commercial vegetable crop might be grown in a greenhouse visited by you.
• Compare vegetable growing applications for the major types of hydroponic systems
  • Open and closed systems
  • Aggregate
  • Water
  • Aeroponic culture
• Determine reasons for choosing to grow vegetables in hydroponics rather than in the open ground.
• Explain how a specified vegetable can be grown in an hydroponic system.
• Determine two commercially viable varieties suited to growing in a specified locality, from each of the following different types of vegetables:
  • Brassicas
  • Cucurbits
  • Tomatoes
  • Lettuce
  • Onions
  • Potatoes
  • Legumes
• Determine specific cultural requirements for growing each of the vegetable varieties selected (above) on a specified site.
• Describe the culture of less commonly grown vegetables chosen by you.
• Produce a log book, recording all work undertaken to grow a crop of different vegetable varieties, suited to your locality.
• Describe different harvesting methods, including both manual and mechanical techniques, used in vegetable production, for specified vegetables.
• Identify the appropriate stage of growth at which different types of vegetables should be harvested.
• Evaluate commonly used harvesting techniques of vegetables.
• Evaluate commonly used post-harvest treatments of vegetables.
• Determine post-harvest treatments to slow the deterioration of different specified vegetables.
• Develop guidelines for post harvest handling, during storage, transportation and marketing, of a specified vegetable variety.
• Analyse vegetable marketing systems in your locality.
• Explain the importance of produce standards to marketing in different vegetable marketing systems.
• Explain the impact of quarantine regulations on transport of different types of vegetables, in your locality.
• Explain an appropriate procedure for packaging a specified vegetable for long distance transport.
• Develop marketing strategies for different specified vegetables.

Who is ACS Distance Education?
If you want to know more about ACS and our history, then please click on “The School”, then “About us.” 

Horticulture Tutors

Diana Cole B.A. (Hons), Higher Dip. (Garden Design), RHS Advanced Cert. Horticulture, Cert Admin.Mgt., Dip. Inst. Personnel Management
In addition to her RHS horticulture, garden design, City & Guild construction, NPTC pesticide/legislation and business/management qualifications, Diana has a variety of skills drawn from setting up Arbella Gardens, a landscape gardening business. She also has administrative, management and training delivery experience drawn from her employment in other organisations such as the NHS and other educational institutions such as schools & universities. She has augmented her training expertise having gained the Preparing to Teach in the Life Long Learning Sector qualification. She also has experience gained through working as a volunteer in a number of different roles including amenity style gardening in parks and practical conservation work. Diana is also a member of the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners Limited (NSALG).

Maggi Brown Cert.Ed.(Environment)
Maggi is regarded as an expert in Organic Growing throughout the UK, having worked for two decades as Education Officer at the world renowned Henry Doubleday Research Association (now Garden Organic). She has been active in education, environmental management and horticulture across the UK for more them three decades.

Yvonne Sharpe RHS Cert.Hort, Dip.Hort, M.Hort, Cert.Ed., Dip.Mgt.
Over 30 years of experience in horticulture, education and management, Yvonne hastravelled widely within and beyond Europe, and has worked in many areas of horticulture from garden centres to horticultural therapy. She has served on industry committees and been actively involved with amateur garden clubs for decades. Yvonne is also a member of the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG).

Home Study Commercial Vegetable Growing

Study commercial vegetable production for improved crops and job prospects.

Study in your own time and at your own pace.

Understand production methods for vegetable production.

Learn from industry experts – our tutors!

Develop skills and knowledge required for commercial vegetable production, including a variety of production methods. This is a very sound 100 hour foundation course in general vegetable production. Note: Do not undertake Commercial Organic Vegetable Growing as well as this. The two courses do overlap)