New pest management training announced forcotton industryA new training opportunity focused on managing pests in cotton crops has been announced, with c otton growers in New South Walesencouraged to take part.
The Cotton Pest Management course is part of the AgSkilled program's new training offering. This course has been developed anddelivered by Tocal College in partnership with CottonInfo.
AgSkilled is a $15 million, three-year NSW Government -funded, industry-led workforce development strategy. It aims to ensure thestate's cotton, grains, production horticulture, viticulture and rice industries have a skilled workforce capable of meeting futurechallenges.
AgSkilled project officer Claudia Vicary said the new course will greatly benefit cotton farmers as they grow their crop this summer.
"The cotton pest management course is an interactive, thought -provoking training opportunity for cotton industry personnel in NewSouth Wales who want to better understand cotton crops and cotton pest management," Ms Vicary said.
"The course is a two -day, interactive classroom and field session training initiative and will be presented by leading researchers andindustry experts.
"The training is aligned and delivered against vocational education and training requirements, and growers will complete assessmenttasks to achieve a statement of attainment, which contribut es to a nationally -recognised qualification."The training course will cover cotton physiology, insect pests and beneficials that affect cotton, insect sampling and plant monitoring.
pest control decisions and options, influences on successful cotton pest management in high yielding cotton, emergency disease andplant pest response, and pest control techniques.
Ms Vicary said the course will be held in locations across New South Wales in early 2021.
"We encourage growers, farm hands, supervisors and managers who are regularly involved with the hands -on aspect of cotton cropmonitoring or management to register," she said.
"Th e training will run in the new year: in Narrabri on 13th - 14 th January, Leeton on 19 th - 2 0 th January, and Dubbo on 10 th - 11 thFebruary 2021. "Registrations will close before Christmas for the Narrabri and January courses. To secure a position, growers should contact their localTocal Skills Training coordinator.
• Jayne Wood (Northern NSW) - [email protected]• Kellie Goring (Southern NSW) - [email protected]
