AGRONOMY VI - FIBRE CROPS BAG313

Duration (approx) 100 hours

Qualification To obtain formal documentation the optional exam(s) must be completed which will incur an additional fee of £30. Alternatively, a letter of completion may be requested.

Learn to grow different types of fibre crops

better and commercially
on a small or large scale.
cotton, jute, flax, hemp, sisal coir and more

Know the crop options and make better choices about what you grow and how you grow it

It's easy to enrol...

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Within UK

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Plan A: 1 payment of £520.00

Plan B: 2 payments of £280.00

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Online

Offline (supplied on USB Stick)

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Please note, choosing offline (USB stick) will attract a 5% surcharge on top of the course fee

Farm Fibre Crops - Understand more about the practices and theory of agronomy specialising in fibre crops

Plant fibres have a range of uses in fabrics, ropes and other materials. Research is continually finding more uses for cellulose. Most fibre crops can be grown and harvested within a single season.

Discover how to grow, harvest and market fibre crops for a quick return on your investment.

This specialist course will provide you with a detailed knowledge of agronomy focussing specifically on fibre crops.

Course Content:

This course has 10 lessons covering the following:

1. Scope and Nature of Fibre Crops

Introduction
Fibre Properties
Fibre Uses
Types of Fibre Crops
Commercial Viability
Assessing Land Characteristics
Assessing land suitability
Broad Acre Farming
Crop Production Considerations
Production Systems
Crop Rotation and Management
Cover Crops
Crop Islands

2. Cotton – Part 1

Cotton Production
Sustainable Agriculture
Crop Rotation
Conservation Tillage
Insects and Diseases
Insects
Aphids
Armyworm
Cotton bollworm
Cotton Diseases
Fungal Diseases
Viral Diseases
Bacterial Diseases
Pesticides and insecticides
Cotton Life Cycle
Types of Cotton
Better Cotton Initiative
Genetic modification

3. Cotton - Part 2

Cotton Fibre Properties
Improving Properties of Cotton Fibre
Flexural testing
Industrial Use of Cotton
Cotton Fibre in Clothing
Wicking
Cotton - Milkweed blends
Ginning
Coloured Cotton
Textile Dyeing
Load Bearing Materials
Harvesting
Cotton Pickers
Cotton Strippers
Cotton Ginning
Uses of Cotton

4. Jute

Types and Properties of Jute
Jute Production
Climatic requirements for Jute
Jute Characteristics
Genetic Yield Improvements
Pests and Diseases
Harvesting
Uses and Consumption

5. Industrial Hemp

Terminology
Types and Properties
Cultivation
Countries of Production
Climate
Soil Fertility
Water
Pests and Diseases
Cost
Genetic Modification
Harvesting
Uses and Consumption
Geotextiles
Fabric
Carbon Capture
Phytoremediation
Hempseed
Building
Paper
Cannabidiol

6. Sunn Hemp and Kenaf (Deccan Hemp)

Sunn Hemp
Properties
Cultivation
Soil Fertility
Water
Cost
Phytoremediation
Pests and Diseases
Genetic Modification
Harvesting
Retting
Uses
Fibre
Weed Control
Green Manure
Biofuel
Kenaf (Deccan Hemp)
Types and Properties
Cultivation
Countries of Production
Climate
Soil Fertility
Water Requirements
Pests and Diseases
Harvesting and Processing
Uses and Consumption
Textiles
Food
Sustainable Material
Soil Structure
Paper

7. Flax

Types and Properties
Cultivation
Countries of Production
Climate
Soil
Water Requirement
Pests and Diseases
Genetic Modification
Harvesting
Processing
Uses and Consumption
Fabric
Bio Composites and Industrial Materials
Paper
Bioplastic
Food

8. Leaf Fibres and Grass Fibre

Abaca and sisal fibres
Abaca
Types and Properties
Production and Cultivation
Pests and Diseases
Harvesting and Processing
Uses and Consumption
Sisal
Sisal Cultivation
Harvesting and Processing
Uses and Consumption
Grass Fibres – sugarcane and bamboo
Sugarcane
Properties
Sugarcane Culture
Growing & Production
Soil Conditions
Ratooning
Tillage
Crop Rotation and Break Crops
Harvesting
Burn-offs
Sugarcane Straw
Sugarcane Yield Limitations
Pests and Diseases
Pathogens
Uses and Consumption
Sugar
Energy
Bioethanol
Bioplastics/Biomaterials
Paper and containers
Other Uses
Alcohol – Rum
Bamboo
Types and Properties
Cultivation
Pests and Diseases
Harvesting and Processing
Uses and Consumption
Food
Fuel
Medicine
Building Material
Furniture, Household Items and Accessories
Clothing
Paper

9. Fruit Fibre - Coir

Types and Properties of Coir
Coir Production and Cultivation
Countries of Production
Climate
Soil Fertility
Water Requirement
Cultivars
Pests and Diseases
Harvesting and Processing
Uses and Consumption
Cordage
Horticulture
Construction material
Biocontrol

10. Fibre Processing and the Fibre Future

Fibre Quality
Retting
Biological Retting
Dew Retting
Water Retting
Enzyme Retting
Chemical Retting
Mechanical Retting
Physical Retting
Drying
Fibre Future
Hybrid Composites
Geotextiles
Building Industry
Car Interiors
Genetic Improvements
Other Fibre Sources

Course Aims

Explain the scope and nature of fibre crops in agronomy.
Explain the different cultivation aspects of cotton.
Explain cotton Production, harvesting and uses.
Explain the requirements for growing a commercial crop of Jute (Corchorus spp.).
Explain the requirements for growing a commercial crop of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa).
Explain the requirements for growing commercial crops of Sunn Hemp (Crotalaria juncea) and Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus).
Explain the requirements for growing a commercial crop of flax (Linum spp.).
Explain the requirements for growing commercial leaf fibre crops, abaca (Musa textilis) and sisal (Agave sisalana), and grass fibre crops, sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) and bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis).
Explain the requirements for growing a commercial crop of coir for fibre use.
Explain how different fibres are separated and processed for sale, along with modern applications for fibre use.

Who should study this course?

Farmers
Farm workers
Fibre traders - selling raw or processed product
Farm equipment/material suppliers (Understanding how the crop is grown underpins supplying the farm's needs)
Consultants, educators, journalists, providing information to the farm
Students, academics, manufacturers, investors or anyone else with an interest in fibre products and their production
Anyone wanting to gain a detailed knowledge of agronomy, specialising in fibre crops
Students wanting to improve their job and career prospects in agronomy and agriculture by undertaking specialist training.

Growing, harvesting, processing and creating plant fibre based products is an enormous global business. Farm production quite obviously underpins that whole industry. This course focuses on the production of that raw product.