Nutrients for Hydroponics and Tissue Culture

Learn about hydroponics, nutrient management, study how to make and manage nutrient solution

Course Code: SGH21
Fee Code: SG
Duration (approx) Duration (approx) 20 hours
Qualification
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Learn to prepare and manage different types of nutrient formulations in hydroponics.

Plant nutrition in hydroponics not a fixed science. Nutrient formulas and working strength solutions are tweaked and fine-tuned throughout plant life cycle.

In this course you will be able to :

  • understand different nutrient solutions
  • analyse the components of a solution
  • decide what is appropriate

Lesson Structure

There are 11 lessons in this course:

  1. INTRODUCTION
    • Artificial Growing
    • Tissue Culture
    • Hydroponics
    • How Plants Uptake Nutrients
    • How Plants Absorb and Use Nutrients in Hydroponics
    • Hydroponics Techniques
  2. PRE-PACKAGED NUTRIENTS
    • Using Solid Nutrients
    • Solutions and Precipitates
    • Why Twin-Pack Chemicals?
    • Why Single-Pack Liquid Solutions?
    • Organic Solutions
  3. CHEMICAL COMPONENTS
    • Types of Chemicals
    • Electrical Conductivity
    • The Role of pH in Hydroponics
    • What are Solutions?
    • What Does a Hydroponic Nutrient Look Like?
    • Writing Chemical Names
    • Calculating the Amount of Nutrient in a Chemical
    • Mixing Nutrients
    • Hydroponic Fertiliser details
  4. OTHER ADDITIVES
    • Introduction
    • Allowable Additives for Hydroponic Nutrient Solutions
    • Beneficial Trace Elements as Hydroponic Additives
    • Bio-stimulants as Hydroponic Additives
    • Foliar Nutrition and Foliar sprays
  5. CREATING HYDROPONIC NUTRIENTS
    • Introduction to Basic Mixes
    • Process of Making and Mixing Nutrients from Fertiliser Salts
    • Example Solutions
    • Nutrient Solution Formulation
    • Hydroponic Nutrient Levels
    • Nutrient Ratios
    • Assessing a Nutrient Formulation
    • Suggestions for Beginners
  6. ORGANIC HYDROPONIC NUTRIENTS
    • Brief History
    • Issues with Organics
    • Types of Organic Systems
    • Allowable Nutrient Sources and Products for Organic Production
    • Making Organic Nutrient Solutions Onsite
    • EC and pH Control in Organic Hydroponics
    • Problems with Organic Nutrients
  7. TISSUE CULTURE NUTRIENTS
    • Hydroponics vs. Tissue Culture
    • Nutrient Supply in Tissue Culture
    • A Tissue Culture Medium
    • Other Additives in Tissue Culture and Hydroponics
    • Organic Compounds
  8. MANAGING CONTAMINANTS
    • Water Quality
    • Disinfection Systems
    • Preventing Chemical Contaminants from Leaking into the Broader Environment
  9. TESTING SOLUTIONS
    • Important Tests in Hydroponics
    • Water Quality Tests
    • Water quality test results and interpretation
    • Nutrient Balance Testing: Solution Analysis
    • Plant Testing: Foliar Mineral Levels
    • pH Tests for Hydroponics
    • EC Testing
    • Automatic EC and pH testing and control
  10. NUTRITIONAL DISORDERS
    • Nutrition Management
    • Diagnosing Nutritional Stress
    • Nutritional Deficiencies
    • Macronutrients: NPK Deficiencies and Toxicities
    • Other Common Deficiencies and Toxicities
    • Micronutrients
    • What are the Most Common Symptoms?
    • Key to Detecting Deficiencies and Toxicities
  11. NUTRIENT SOLUTION AND PRODUCE NUTRITION
    • Examples of Nutrient Solution Manipulation and Produce Nutrition
    • Final Assessment

Who is this course suitable for?

  • Commercial growers
  • Fertiliser Manufacturer and Suppliers
  • Home gardeners
  • Hydroponic shop manager and staff
  • Any other suppliers who service hydroponic farms or growers; and who need to develop a greater ability to understand and interact with hydroponic growers.
  • Horticultural consultants, teachers, or anyone else providing advice, who want to expand their knowledge into the area of hydroponics.
  • For someone who already understands the mechanics of hydroponics; or the growing of plants, but needs to learn more about how to provide appropriate nutrients.

 

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Course Contributors

The following academics were involved in the development and/or updating of this course.





Tutors

Meet some of the tutors that guide the students through this course.

Alison Pearce

Alison brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to ACS Agriculture, Wildlife and Ecotourism students.

She has worked as a University Lecturer, a Quality Assurance Manager, a Research Technician, and has also run a veterinary operating theatre; responsible for animal anaesthesia, instrument preparation, and assistance with surgical techniques and procedures. She has worked in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

She has extensive experience of handling, husbandry, and management of a wide range of both small and large animals and has a particular love for nature and wildlife.

Robert Browne

ROBERT K BROWNE completed his Honour's degree in Aquaculture at the Key Center for Aquaculture, Australia, and then obtained a Ph.D. (1998) in Conservation Biology from the University of Newcastle, Australia. Robert's Ph.D. was seminal to the development of biobanking to preserve the genetic diversity of threatened amphibian species, where he developed the first reproduction providing fertile amphibian eggs from cryopreserved sperm, and since then his research has led to many major advances. Robert's science career has included consultancy with biotechnology corporations, and in response to the global biodiversity conservation crisis has focused on amphibian conservation and sustainability. Working with zoos in Australia, the USA, Europe, and for the IUCN has led Robert to work with a wide range of international collaborative conservation programs. Robert has experience in a wide range of research fields supporting herpetological conservation and environmental sustainability and has published more than 45 research articles in the fields of terrestrial and marine ecology, marine fish and amphibian taxonomy, nutrition, pathology, larval growth and development, husbandry, karyology, thermo-biology, reproduction technologies, and facility design, and also several book chapters. Robert remains active in research, and in developing a global project for the sustainable management of the Goliath grouper.

Lyn Quirk

Lyn has 35 years of experience in the Fitness, Health and Leisure Industries. She has a string of qualifications that are far too long to list here; being qualified and registered to teach, coach or instruct a wide range of different sports and other skills.

Lyn established and managed Health clubs at three major five star resorts on Australia's Gold Coast, including The Marriott. She was a department head for a large government vocational college (TAFE), and has conducted her own aquafitness business for many years. Lyn has among her other commitments worked as a tutor for ACS for almost 10 years, and over that time, participated in the development or upgrading of most courses in her fields of expertise.

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