EAST LANSING, Mich. — Registration for the winter session of the award-winning Root Zone Management Course in Michigan State University Extension’s College of Knowledge is now open. The College of Knowledge Online Series was the 2017 National Award Winning Commercial Horticulture Program from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. Growers or other interested professionals can participate in the upcoming series of this award-winning program by signing up until December 7, 2018. Students will have from December 1 through February 28, 2019, to complete the course. Sign up now!
There are currently three online modules of the Floriculture College of Knowledge. Since the Root Zone Management course was released, 74 people took the course from 7 countries, 23 U.S. states. These participants represented 16.4 million square feet of greenhouse production. The average pre-exam score for students who have taken the course is 71% and the average post-course exam score is 92%, showing significant progress on the topics covered (n=52). In the most recent session, which ended August 2018, 100 percent of people intended to make a crop production change as a result of the course. All course participants also said they would recommend the course to another individual!
Course information
This non-credit, pre-recorded online course on root zone management is intended for greenhouse and ornamental plant growers and others interested in learning about the fundamental concepts about irrigation water, media, and their effects on plant nutrition. The course covers the latest practical information on root zone management techniques for ornamental crops in a greenhouse. Participants enrolled in this self-paced course will take a pre-test and a final exam to gauge their learning of the topics. Self-assessment quizzes will engage students with the material throughout the course. The cost to take the course is $129.
The course is instructed on MSU’s Desire-2-Learn Course Platform by Heidi Lindberg, greenhouse and nursery extension educator with MSU Extension. For more information and to watch a teaser video for this course, check out the Root Zone Management page.
Available scholarships and incentives
For the winter 2018 session, there are three scholarships available for those interested in the course but do not have the financial means to take it. Greenhouse growers interested in the scholarship will be able to apply for it upon registering by writing a short paragraph about why you should be awarded this scholarship and how you plan to use the information in your business or professional endeavors. The applicants and winners will be kept confidential. The cost of the course will be reduced to $39.99 for scholarship winners.
Complete the course and be entered to win a $75 gift cards (U.S. residents only). Once students have paid for the course, completed the pre-test, final exam and the post-course evaluation, they will be eligible to be entered in a raffle for a $75 gift cards.
Register now for the Root Zone Management online course!
Growers should also consider registering for the two other College of Knowledge courses “Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting” and “Biological Control for Greenhouse Growers.” Both of these courses are available in English and Spanish:
- Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting
- (Spanish) Iluminación para Hortícola y Invernaderos (New for Summer 2019)
- Biological Control for Greenhouse Growers
— Heidi Lindberg, Michigan State University Extension
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