Greenhouse and horticultural lighting course winter session registration open

Heidi Wollaeger<wollaege@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - October 24, 2016

Registration closes Nov. 30, 2016. Students will have three months to take this online course about greenhouse and horticultural lighting. Scholarships and incentives are available.

The Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting course presents research-based information on topics such as light quality and quantity. This example from Unit 7 reports how light quality and quantity can affect red pigmentation and fresh weight of microgreens.

Registration for the winter session of the Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting course in Michigan State University Extension’s College of Knowledge closes Nov. 30, 2016. Students will have from Dec. 1, 2016, through Feb. 28, 2017, to complete the course. Sign up now!

There are currently three online modules of the Floriculture College of Knowledge. A total of 103 people have taken the Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting course from 16 countries, including 26 U.S. states and eight Michigan counties. In the most recent session, which ended September 2016, 100 percent of course participants said they would recommend the course to another individual. As a result of the course, 74 percent of people intended to make a crop production change.

Course information

This non-credit, pre-recorded online course on greenhouse and horticultural lighting is intended for greenhouse and ornamental plant growers and others interested in learning about the fundamental concepts about how plants respond to light quality, quantity and duration. Participants enrolled in this self-paced course will take a pre-test and a final exam to gauge their learning of the topics. Self-assessment quizzes will engage students with the material throughout the course. The course also provides links to 36 trade articles published on pertinent lighting topics. Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting is available through Campus eXtension for $129.

For more information, check out the course Greenhouse and Horticultural Lighting flier. To watch the teaser for the course and see what other online courses MSU Extension offers, visit the MSU Floriculture website.

Available scholarships and incentives

Complete the course and receive a $20 refund! Once students have paid for the course, completed the pre-test, final exam and the post-course evaluation, they will be eligible for a $20 refund. The students must complete all criteria by Feb. 28, 2017, and have emailed the instructor, Heidi Wollaeger (wollaege@anr.msu.edu), by Feb. 28 to receive the refund. If all conditions are met, the cost of the course is thus reduced to $109.

NEW for winter 2016: There are four scholarships available for those interested in the course but do not currently have the financial means to take it. Greenhouse growers interested in the scholarship will be able to apply for it upon registering by writing a short paragraph about why you should be awarded this scholarship and how you plan to use the information in your business or professional endeavors. The applicants and winners will be kept confidential. The cost of the course will be reduced to $39.99 for scholarship winners.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).