Certificate courses for urban dwellers

To inculcate the know-how and do-how on agricultural enterprises among the elite progressive farmers and urban dwellers who are deprived of formal agricultural education, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) will offer five certificate courses, in the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode.

These are in landscaping and ornamental gardening, nursery technology, commercial horticulture, modern weed management, and soil fertility management.

According to G. Selvaraj, Director of the Directorate of ODL, the courses, which will be for six months, will be offered in English for the benefit of urban learners in the State as well as other States.

Landscaping

The course in landscaping and ornamental gardening will cover topics on identification of suitable plants for outdoors, landscaping principles, styles of gardening, importance of irrigation, utility of fountains, ponds, waterfalls, etc.

Nursery technology

The course in nursery technology will deal with preparation and layout of nursery beds, seed treatment, soil sterilisation aspects, propagation methods, laying and bedding, maintenance and display of plants, etc.

The course in commercial horticulture will cover indoor plants, landscape gardening, kitchen gardening, seed production, pollination control, package and practices of flower and vegetable crops, etc.

Weed management

The course in modern weed management will include topics like identification of weeds, integrated weed management in field and horticultural crops, problematic weed and crop residue management, herbicide application techniques, operation and maintenance of sprayers, etc.

Soil fertility management

The course in soil fertility management will deal with waste recycling, composting techniques, press mud and fly ash in agriculture, vermicomposting technology, storing and packaging of vermicompost and its application, utility of urban wastes and bio-solids for crop production. The courses will commence from 15 November 2008.

Those who can read and write English are eligible to enrol for the course.

Applications can be obtained from the Director, Directorate of Open and Distance Learning, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore – 641003; or downloaded from the university’s website www.tnau.ac.in.

Last date for receipt of applications is October 31. For details call 0422-6611229 / 6611429.