Weed Control 100 Hours Certificate Course

There are 7 lessons:

1 Weed Identification:

• Introduction
• Plant Taxonomy: Botanical/Horticultural Nomenclature, The Binomial System, Botanical Classification, Plant Families and Species, Hybrids, Varieties and Cultivars
• Some Common Groups of Weeds: Grasses, Onion Family Weeds, Daisy Weeds, Thistles, Cabbage Family, Pea Family (Fabaceae)
• Characteristics of Selected Common Weeds - A - Z
• Resource Guide: Reference Books, Organisations, Government Departments, Garden Clubs, Farmers Groups and 'Friends of' Groups, Magazines and Journals, Commercial Businesses/ Companies, Online Resources
• Set Reading

2 Weed Control Methods:

• Weed Control: Steps in Controlling Weeds, Ways to Control Weeds, Grazing
• Types of Weed Problems: Fence lines and Borders, Weeds at the Base of Trees, Weeds in Garden Beds, Weeds in Hard Surfaced Areas, Plants That Go to Seed, Vigorous, Invasive Creepers, Suckers, Underground Rhizomes, Tubers, Bulbils and Corms, Weeds in Lawns, Poisonous Plants, Noxious Weeds, Environmental Weeds, Plants to Avoid
• Profiles of Some Common Weeds: Bamboo, Bindii, Blackberry, Bracken Fern, Capeweed, Clover, Dandelion, Dock, Gorse, Grasses, Lantana, Nettle, Oxalis, Singapore Daisy, Thistles
• Mulching: Some Popular Mulches
• Soil Treatment to Control Plant Problems: What is Controlled, Fumigants
• Physiological Effects
• Definitions of Pesticide Terms - A - Z

3 Chemical Weed Control:

• Types of Herbicide Chemicals: Aliphatics, Amides and Anilides, Benzoics, Bipyridyliums, Carbamates and Carbanilides, Dinitroanilines, Diphenyl Ethers, Nitriles, Phenoxys, Thiocarbamates, Triazines, Ureas and Uracils, Other Organic Herbicides, Inorganic Herbicides
• Comparative Toxicities
• Weedicides for the Home Garden
• Set Reading

4 Weed Control In Specific Situations:

• Weeds in Turf: Methods of Controlling Weed Problems in Turf
• Turf Weedicides (Herbicides): Dicamba, Mecoprop (Mecoprop-P: MCPP), 2,4-D, Bromoxynil, MCPA
• The Law in Relation to Chemical Use
• Commonly Used Commercial Formulations
• Weeds in Plant Nurseries: Weed Control in Greenhouses, Recommended Weedicides for Use in a Nursery

5 Safe Chemical Application:

• Safety Rules for Using Chemicals
• Safely Storing Chemicals
• Safely Mixing Chemicals
• Using Chemicals: Agitation
• Cleaning up and Disposing of Chemicals
• Basic First Aid in Relation to Chemicals
• In Event of a Pesicide Liquid Spill
• In the Event of a Powder Spill
• Keeping Records: What Information Should be Kept, Recommendation
• Your Spray Machine - Is it Good Enough?: Selection of Pump and Tank, Calibration, Constant Tractor Speed, Watch These Points
• Sprayer Maintenance and Cleaning
• The Effects of Chemicals on Humans and Animals: Acute Poisoning, Chronic Poisoning

6 Non-Chemical Weed Control:

• What Damage is Being Done to the Environment? Soil, Water, Air, Vegetation, Wildlife, Humans
• Biocontrol of Pests & Diseases: The introduction of parasites and predators, Conservation of existing natural enemies, New natural enemies can be developed, Advantages of Bio-control, Disadvantages of Bio-control

7 Developing A Major Weed Control Program:

• Problem Based Learning Project (PBL)