Diploma in Rural Horticulture

Learn to cultivate plants for amenity or production in rural places.

For a start, land is usually more plentiful and not so expensive in rural locations. Unlike city and urban environments, rural places may be less polluted, but also vulnerable to different types of pest, disease and other problems.

Production horticulture is more significant in rural places.

Land conservation and rehabilitation projects are likely to be on a larger scale too (eg. rehabilitation of degraded sites, including mines, contaminated wasteland, reclaimed farmland, etc).

Modules

Note that each module in the Diploma in Rural Horticulture is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.

Sustainable Land Management 

Sustainable land management is the key to preserving our natural resources in a healthy state for the enjoyment of all - for cultural, social, and recreational pursuits as well as for agricultural and other commercial uses, now and into the future. Our natural resources include soil, water, natural environments, and their allied bio-diversity. With an ever-growing world population, improved land management is vital to our future.

Land management encompasses:

• Protection of health of our natural environments.
• The sustainable use of soil and water.
• Maintaining or improving water quality.
• Improving the health of the soil and protecting it from erosion, salinity, acidity, disease and weed infestation.
• Protection and reintroduction of biodiversity – the flora and fauna (including soil life e.g. microorganisms and insects).
• Retention and protection of isolated stands of vegetation and soil ground cover.
• Fire management
• Increasing resilience to change - such as climatic variations.

Many economies depend on primary production, and to ensure sustained production this must go hand in hand with wise management of the land. Where land has been degraded or its use is not sustainable, rehabilitation is required to improve or restore the land to good health and ensure future sustainability. Land degradation occurs through both natural and human induced processes, with many problems arising from poor human management of this resource.