Plant Health Professional certificate example | Michigan State University
Growers and technical staff in the greenhouse and controlled environment industry can gain a certificate in plant health management. This brings together two award-winning online training programs offered by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF IFAS) and Michigan State University Extension (MSU Extension).
More than 5,880 growers have already graduated from individual courses through the University of Florida IFAS Extension Greenhouse Training Online program and the MSU College of Knowledge. Now by passing five courses in plant health in these programs, growers can obtain a certificate of completion that recognizes their training, skills, and dedication, and helps them grow in their careers. To date, 24 professionals have earned their Plant Health Professional certificates.
“We are developing a training curriculum for horticulture professionals already working in industry. Online works well for growers who are already living the ‘how to’ of horticulture but benefit from understanding the ‘why’ of their decision-making from the underlying science,” says Paul Fisher, Professor and Extension specialist at UF IFAS.
Heidi Lindberg, Greenhouse and Nursery Educator with MSU Extension, says, “The online floriculture College of Knowledge program has provided a broad audience from 47 countries and 48 states with introductory knowledge in greenhouse production. It has been very successful in training those new to the industry. It provides a great foundation that professionals can then use to build real-life experience.”
Saqib Mukhtar, the Associate Dean for Extension, Agriculture, and Natural Resources at UF IFAS Extension, adds, “This program checks off several boxes for modern Extension. That includes English and Spanish language; online and available any time of day; collaboration by leading universities for national and international impact; and high-quality training by leading experts.”
How the Plant Health Professional Certificate Program Works
Growers must pass five courses out of the following options:
- Nutrient 1 (UF, Paul Fisher)
- Field Diagnosis of Plant Diseases (UF, Carrie Harmon)
- Weed Management (UF, Chris Marble)
- Irrigation Water Quality and Treatment (UF, Fisher and multi-state)
- Practical Disease Management (UF, Carrie Harmon)
- Abiotic Disorders (MSU/Ohio State University, Garrett Owen)
- Biological Control (MSU/Kansas State University, Ray Cloyd).
Growers sign up for individual courses through the UF IFAS Greenhouse Training Online and the MSU College of Knowledge websites. They can then email [email protected] once five courses are successfully completed and obtain their certificate of completion at an annual graduation ceremony at AmericanHort’s Cultivate event in July.
For additional information on the Plant Health Professional certificate program, please read the original article published by Michigan State University Extension.
