TNAU introduces 4 new certificate courses for urban dwellers after 10 years: VC

R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, FEB 6

The Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU) once again introducing four new certificate courses for the urban dwellers after a gap of a decade, said Vice Chancellor Dr V Geethalakshmi here on Monday.

Addressing reporters at the Information and Training Centre (ITC) in Guindy, she said that after conducting a survey recently, the University has decided to launch four certificate course though its ongoing Open and Distance Learning Centre (ODL) for the urban dwellers – Landscape and Ornamental Gardening; Nursery technologies; Roof and Kitchen Garden and Solid Waste Management. The six-month course can be pursued through distance mode with contact classes on Saturdays for the home makers and youths whoever is interested, she adds.

Dr Geethalakshmi said, “This course mainly focus on the Urban Dwellers who aspire for distance learning and interested in starting self employment opportunities with a limited resource and land areas of urban cities  with efficient usage of land, transportation, infrastructure, public spaces, sanitation, air and water quality etc.”

Mode of operation:

The Vice Chancellor said, ‘In recent years, the distance learning mode from the public has gained adequate momentum among the learners of various sections of the community in view of its favorable qualities’, she adds.

TNAU conducts 44 Agriculture based certificate courses; 6 Online Certificate Courses; Diploma Course in Agri Inputs for Dealers and 16 Diploma Courses in Agriculture and Horticulture.

Diploma courses

• Protected cultivation Technology
• Hydroponics for Horticultural Crops
• Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture
• Drone Technology in Agriculture

Agricultural based Certificate courses as under:

• Coconut Cultivation Technology
• Mushroom Production
• Medicinal plants
• Bakery and Confectionary products
• Sericulture
• Sugarcane Production Technology
• Nursery Technology and propagation of horticultural crops
• Waste recycling and vermicomposting
• Organic Farming
• Bee Keeping
• Landscaping and Ornamental Gardening

Mode of operation:

Advantages

The learners could know about the advance technologies and increase the production in their respective areas and Stake holders, Self-employment in private sectors/ sales persons and Technical advisor in Agriculture. The syllabus for these courses is framed in such a way that the learners can gain knowledge and these courses paves way for self-employment and to become successful entrepreneurs.

Diploma in Agri Inputs

As per the Central Government amendments regarding the Fertilizer Order and Pesticide, 2015, the basic educational qualification for the input dealers was fixed as Diploma in Agriculture. Hence, based on the need of the input dealers, the Diploma in Agri Inputs course has been designed and is being offered since, 2016.

Mode of operation:

Advantage:

The Agricultural input dealers could get license as per the Fertilizer Order and Pesticide, 2015, by undergoing this course.

Diploma courses in Agriculture and Horticulture

In continuation of gaining of adequate momentum by the Diploma in Agri Inputs course among the learners of various section of the community in view of its favourable qualities, furthermore 12 Diploma courses had been initiated from 2021. Among 12, the following courses are being enrolled by more number of learners and are offered at various centers of TNAU regularly.

List of Diploma courses

Diploma in Farm Technology

Diploma in Horticultural Technologies

Diploma in Herbal Sciences

Diploma in Coconut Production Technologies

Diploma in Sugarcane Technologies

Diploma in commercial production of Bio-fertilizers and Bio-control agents

Diploma in Production and Quality Control in Medicinal Plants in collaboration with PSG College of Pharmacy

Diploma in Tea Plantation Management in collaboration with Kothari Agricultural Management Centre, Coonoor

Mode of operation:

Advantage:

Self-employment generation

Opportunity to work as managers in Tea and Coconut Plantations

Facilitate obtaining bank loans

New Diploma Courses   

• Protected cultivation Technology
• Hydroponics for Horticultural Crops
• Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture
• Drone Technology in Agriculture

Protected cultivation Technology

This course will enable the learners to gain knowledge about the importance of maintaining nurseries of various crops, pest and disease management, irrigation and fertilizer management, marketing of vegetable and flower crops under controlled condition by adopting different structures cultivation of crops throughout the year and many crops of economic value can be cultivated and marketed easily after harvest from protected cultivation structures.

Hydroponics for Horticultural Crops

The learners can gain knowledge about the importance of hydroponics, various classes and components, protected infrastructure, nursery management, irrigation, pest and disease management and cultivation of vegetable, fruits, ornamental and aromatic crops. The crops growing without soil by using water based mineral nutrient solutions in aqueous solvents and undergoing this course may also create interest in agriculture among the urban dwellers to create, to maintain gardens in limited available space with cultivation may also carried throughout the year.

Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture

Learning this course will help to gain knowledge about the use of Artificial Intelligence in the field harvesting, crop health monitoring, pest control and deficiency detection, soil monitoring, crop safety, better decision making and real-time data collection knowledge also helps to know the market intelligence for efficient production. This course will help to apply the precision farming technologies in the field and to adopt smart farming techniques in the field with use of Internet of Things.

Drone Technology in Agriculture

There has been a immense demand for the course on “Drone Technology in Agriculture”among different stakeholders for gaining knowledge on use of crop and livestock monitoring, pest and disease management for spraying nano formulated insecticides and pesticides, nutrients can also be applied through drones in a precise manner. This course will enrich the knowledge of participants on various aspects of drone applications in agriculture and transform them to become entrepreneurs.

All the courses of Directorate of Open and Distance Learning are being offered only during Saturdays and Sundays for the benefit of the candidates at TNAU Main campus and all sub-campuses, 15 KVKs and Research Stations of TNAU spread across all districts in the state.

Aspiring people from farming community, entrepreneurs, self-help groups and other learners who aspire for education and interested in establishing agro based industries in rural areas are requested to get enrolled in this directorate and reap the benefit.

People who are in the districts in and around Chennai can also attend the ODL classes in the Agricultural Research Stations, Krishi Vigyan Kendra’s, constituent Agricultural College and Research Institutes which comes under Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

People residing in and around Chennai may contact the Information and Training Centre under Tamil Nadu Agricultural University at Guindy, Chennai to enroll and make use of Open and Distance courses offered from Directorate of Open and Distance Learning, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore.

For further details contact:

The Director,

Open and Distance Learning

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

Coimbatore – 641003

Phone: 0422 6611229

Mobile: 9442111048 / 9489051046

Website: www.tnau.ac.in

e-mail: odl@tnau.ac.in