Organic food tastes better, is more nourishing and has environmental benefits! So, it’s little wonder organic farms are becoming so popular. Whether you want to work on a commercial organic farm or plan to develop an organic growing business, this course is ideal for you!
Certificate of Commercial Organic Vegetable Growing is a professional development course that will teach you the processes required to tap into the lucrative commercial organic vegetable market.
In this organic vegetable growing course, you will learn about pest and disease control, permaculture and biodynamics, soil and nutritional management, cultivation, harvesting and irrigation methods. You will also learn business principles, research methods, economics and how to market your produce successfully.
On completion of this course, you will have a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of commercial organic vegetable growing.
Course Structure
Unit - Commercial Organic Vegetable Growing
Unit 1 – Introduction
- Organic growing
- Definitions of organic growing
- Influential people of the organic movement
- Different ways to garden organically
- Permaculture
- Structure of a permaculture system
- The development of permaculture
- Biodynamics
- Organic certification
- Certification structure
- Example: certification in Australia
- The transition to organic production
- Example: Certification in the UK
- The management plan
- Be aware of your industry
- Resources and reference books
- Internet searches
- Organisations
- Magazines and journals
- Commercial organisations
- The scientific naming system (plant names)
- Plant review sheet
- Plant herbarium
Unit 2 – Cultivation and Planting
- Cultivation methods
- Feed the soil not the plants
- Choose the right plant for the right place
- Keep plants growing vigorously
- Overfeeding
- Plant when conditions are favourable
- Mulching
- Pest and disease control
- Crop rotation
- Plant families (vegetables)
- Value of crop rotation
- Green manures in an organic system
- No dig techniques
- No dig raised beds – one method
- Building ‘no dig bed’ retainers
- No-till planting in grass
- Planting
- Sowing vegetable seeds outdoors
- Sowing seed indoors
- Transplanting seedlings
- Crowns offsets and tubers
- Sowing a transplanting guide
- Crop scheduling
- Simple flow chart for growing lettuce
- Tillage
- Ripping, harrowing, disc ploughing and small scale methods
- Tractors and tractor safety
- What to look for when buying a tractor
- Maintenance on tractors
Unit 3 – Understanding Soils
- Physical and chemical properties of soil
- Soil physical characteristic
- A soil profile and soil texture
- Identifying your soil type
- Soil chemical characteristics
- Soil pH
- Cation exchange capacity
- Adjusting pH
- pH and nutrient availability
- Buffering capacity
- Water and air
- Soil temperature
- Humus
- Organic matter
- The nutrient elements
- The macronutrients and micronutrients
- Organic fertilisers
- Types of organic fertiliser
- Animal manures
- Liquid feeds in an organic system
- Rock dusts
- Diagnosis of plant nutritional problems
- How to use a key
Unit 4 – Soil Management
- The importance of the soil
- Cultivation techniques – and their effects on the soil
- Cover crops
- Using cover crops
- Green manures as cover crops
- The value of some green manures
- Nitrogen fixation in legumes
- The rhizobium bacteria
- Mycorrhizae
- Composting
- Compost bins
- What can be composted?
- What is the C/N ratio?
- Materials to avoid in a compost heap
- the basic conditions needed in a compost heap
- Hot heaps versus cold heaps
- How to build a compost heap
- The finished product
- How to use compost
Unit 5 – Major Varieties
- Getting the best out of the organic vegetable plot
- Vegetable directory
- Bean, dwarf or bush (phaseolus vulgaris) fabaceae
- Broad bean (vicia faba) fabaceae
- Beetroot (beta vulgaris) chenopodiaceae
- Broccoli (brassica oleraceae– botrytis group) brassicaceae
- Brussels sprouts (brassica oleraceae– gemmifera group) brassicaceae
- cabbage (brassica oleraceae– capitata group) brassicaceae
- Capsicum (capsicum annuum Annuum) solanaceae
- Carrot (daucus carota Sativa) apiaceae
- Cauliflower (brassica oleraceae– botrytis group) brassicaceae
- Corn (sweet corn) zea mays Rugosa poaceae
- Celery (apium graveolens Dulce) apiaceae
- Eggplant (solanum melongena) solanaceae
- lettuce (lactuca sativa)asteraceae
- Onion (allium cepa) amaryllidaceae
- Pak-choi (brassica rapa– pekinensis group) brassicaceae
- Parsnip (pastinaca sativa) apiaceae
- Pea (pisum sativum) fabaceae
- Potato (solanum tuberosum) solanaceae
- Pumpkins, marrows and squash (and other cucurbita species)cucurbitaceae
- Radish (raphanus sativus) brassicaceae
- Silver beet (beta vulgaris Vulgaris) chenopodiaceae
- Spinach (spinacia oleraceae) chenopodiaceae
- Turnip (brassica rapa– rapifera group) brassicaceae
- Sowing and transplanting guide
Unit 6 – Pests and Disease
- Integrated pest management
- Management techniques
- Allowable inputs
- Understanding pests and diseases and other plant problems
- Lifecycles
- Disease lifecycle
- Pest lifecycles
- Feeding habits
- Insects
- Types of diseases
- Anthracnose
- Blight and botrytis
- Canker and damping off
- Leaf spot and mildew
- Rots and black leg
- Blossom end rot
- Collar rot and crown rot
- Rust, smut and sooty mould
- Wilt
- Plant viruses
- Virus control
- Types of pests
- Aphids (aphis spp.)
- Beetles and weevils
- Bugs
- Green vegetable bug (nezara viridula)
- Harlequin bug (murgantia histrionica)
- Caterpillars
- Cabbage white butterfly
- Leafhoppers and leaf miner
- Mealy bug and millipedes
- Mites including red spider mite
- Nematodes
- Scale insects
- Slugs and snails
- Thrip and whitefly
- Environmental problems
- Air pollution
- Foliage burn
- Drainage problems
- Temperature
- companion planting charts
- Trap or decoy plants
- Nutrient accumulating plants
- Don’t plant the following combinations
Unit 7 – Seeds
- Seed propagation
- Organic seeds
- Reproduction
- Pollination
- Preventing cross-pollination
- Preventing cross-pollination
- Collecting seeds
- Cleaning seeds
- Storing seeds
- Types of seed storage
- Germinating seeds
- Flower structure
Unit 8 – Greenhouse Growing
- Greenhouses
- Designs for commercial greenhouses
- Greenhouse designs for commercial production
- Framing and covering materials
- What type of greenhouse is appropriate for you?
- Siting greenhouses
- Greenhouse benching and hygiene
- Greenhouse problems
- Other structures for growing plants
- Cold frames and shade houses
- Plant needs
- Environmental factors affecting plant growth
- Environmental controls
- Methods of temperature control
- Heating systems and heat loss
- Controlling light in the greenhouse
- Lighting control mechanisms
- Thermal screens, blackout and shading
- Day length manipulation
- Growing media
- Organic nutrition for greenhouse plants
- Some allowable inputs
- Fertigation in organic systems
- Carbon dioxide enrichment
- Greenhouse irrigation methods
- Overhead spray lines
- Flood benches
- Capillary watering
- Irrigation practices
- Crops directory – tomatoes and cucurbits
- Tomato (lycopersicon esculentum) solanaceae
- Cucumber (cucumis sativus) cucurbitaceae
- Melons (cucumis melo; citrullus lanatus) cucurbitaceae
- Pumpkins, marrows and squash (and other cucurbit species) cucurbitaceae
- Zucchini (cucurbita pepo) cucurbitaceae
Unit 9 – Lesser Grown Varieties and Herbs
- Growing herbs
- Culinary herbs directory
- Lesser grown vegetable varieties: crop directory
- Amaranth (Amaranthus) Amaranthaceae
- Artichoke (Globe) (Cynaria scolymus) Asteraceae
- Artichoke (Jerusalem) (Helianthus tuberosus) Asteraceae
- Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) Liliaceae
- Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Euphorbiaceae
- Chicory (Cichorium intybus) Asteraceae
- Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Asteraceae
- Endive (Cichorium endiva) Asteraceae
- Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Apiaceae
- Garlic (Allium sativum) Amaryllidaceae
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Zingiberaceae
- Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) Brassicaeae
- Leek (Allium ampeloprasum) Amaryllidaceae
- Mint (common) (Mentha cordifolia) Lamiaceae
- Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) Malvaceae
- Pigface (Carpobrotus sp.) Aizoceae
- Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum)Polygonaceae
- Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) Convolvulaceae
- Taro (Colocasia esculenta) Araceae
- Warrigal Greens (Tetragonia tetragonioides) Tetragoniaceae
- Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) Brassicaceae
- Water Spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) Convolvulaceae
- Yams (Dioscorea esculenta) Dioscoreaceae
- Approximate number of seeds per gram
Unit 10 – Irrigation
- Irrigation – introduction
- The objectives of irrigation
- The feasibility of irrigation
- Soil and water
- Why is water important to plants?
- Infiltration and water retention
- Classes of soil moisture
- soils and transpiration
- Measuring water available to plants
- Calculating field capacity
- Calculating permanent wilting point (PWP)
- Available moisture range
- Tensiometers
- Test for estimating soil moisture level
- When to irrigate
- Scheduling irrigation
- Important elements
- Period of watering
- Cyclic watering
- Pulse watering
- Rooting depths of selected plants
- Water extraction by roots
- Irrigation types
- Flood irrigation
- Sprinkler irrigation
- Trickle irrigation
- Irrigation system efficiency
- Conventional sprinkler systems
- Portable systems
- Permanent systems
- Semi-permanent systems
- Travelling sprinklers
- Sprinkler heads
- Types of sprinkler heads
- Methods of driving rotating head sprinklers
- sprinkler spacings
- Considering sprinkler performance
- Selection of surface irrigation methods
Unit 11 – Weed Control and Mulching
- Mulch
- Mulch materials
- Commonly used organic mulches
- General rules
- Living mulch
- weed management
- Weeds can also be useful
- Preventative measures
- Weed control methods
Unit 12 – Harvesting and Marketing
- Harvesting
- Post-harvest quality considerations
- Harvesting hints
- Post-harvest treatment of vegetables
- Cooling methods
- Quantity standards
- Monitoring and reviewing
- Marketing
- Marketing is not just selling!
- Business capabilities
- Market research
- target marketing
- Targeting strategies
- Defining your target market
- Determining market segmentation
- Projecting the future
- Positioning
- Steps involved in market research
- Sources of information
- Economic laws
- Change or die
Study Hours
Estimated duration 50 hours
Course Delivery and Start
Start anytime, self-paced and 100% online
Assessment
Assessment will be comprised of written exercises, including short-answer questions, reflective tasks, short reports and/or projects. There are no examinations or due dates for assessment. As a result, you can complete training in your own time and at your own pace with the assistance of unlimited tutor support.
Testimonials
About Us
Graduation
A Certificate of Attainment and Statement of Results will be issued upon successful completion of this course.
How to Enrol
Enrol Online: Enrol Now
Enrol via Live Chat (Business Hours)
Enrol via Telephone 1300 76 2221 (Business Hours)
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Enrolling Multiple Staff?
To enrol multiple staff, please complete the Employer Enrolment Form. We’ll be in touch within 60 minutes during business hours!
Payment Options
Visa, Mastercard, BPAY and EFT/Direct Deposit. Please allow 1-2 Business days for processing for EFT and BPAY.
Course FAQs
Why Choose Australian Online Courses?
- Professional development that is widely recognised and respected;
- Improve your employment opportunities;
- Study online, anywhere via our elearning system;
- High-quality professional development programs written by industry experts;
- All course materials provided online – no textbooks to buy;
- Unlimited tutor support via email;
- We offer twelve (12) months’ access, with extensions available upon application (fees apply);
- Course may be tax deductible; see your tax advisor.
Are there any entry requirements or pre-requisites?
There are no course or subject pre-requisites for entry into our programs. However, our professional development programs are generally intended for people over the age of 18. In some circumstances, enrolments from younger people may be considered. Please complete the AOC Parent Guardian Consent Form prior to enrolling and submit here.
Are there any computer requirements?
To study online with Australian Online Courses you will need a computer (desktop PC/laptop) running a current/updated operating system with reliable high-speed internet access. You will need to use the Google Chrome browser to access your course.
When can I start this course?
You can start within 60 minutes during business hours when you enrol and pay in full with a credit card!
Credit card: Within 60 mins during business hours.
BPAY: Within 1-2 working days.
Internet Banking: Within 1-2 working days.
Cheque/Money Order: Upon receipt of mailed cheque.
How is this course delivered?
This course is delivered online via our easy-to-navigate Learning Management System (LMS), where you will discover interactive online learning/written content, resources and assessment.
Do I need to attend classes or undertake any work placements?
No. All courses are delivered online via our LMS and there are no work placement requirements in this course.
What support can I expect from Australian Online Courses?
Unlimited tutor support is available throughout your studies via email only during business hours Monday to Friday. Our Administrative team are available Monday to Friday via email, live chat and telephone.
I am an international student. Can I enrol into this course?
Yes! We accept enrolments from individuals both within Australia and internationally; location is no barrier to entry into our programs.
Career Pathways
Future growth
Strong
Unemployment
Low
Professional Development for:-
- Organic Farmer
- Organic Market Operator
- Organic Retail Sales
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