Duration: February to December
Schedule: Part Time
Starting: Spring 2023
Contact: (opens in a new window)Dr Tomas McCabe
Fees: Click here for fee listings
- HETAC Level 7 programme
- Part-time programme delivered in three one week blocks at UCD and Teagasc
- Completion of this qualification enables practitioners in crop advisory industry to register as pesticide advisers
- Those registering to the module AESC30240 Pesticide use, Integrated Pest Management and the environment may use this to gain credits for CPD which is mandatory in order to remain on the register of Pesticide Advisors.
Overview - Who is the Course For?
This course has been developed by the School of Agriculture and Food Science in UCD and its course partner Teagasc at the request of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to fulfil the obligatory national requirements under the EU Directive (2009/128/EC) on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides, enacted into Irish legislation by S.I. No. 155 of 2012. The course will provide training for persons wishing to register with DAFM as pesticide advisors. This course replaces the 10 day course in Crop Protection previously delivered by IASIS.
What Will I Learn? How Will I Benefit?
The course modules will provide an understanding of the important issues relevant to the use of pesticides in crop production and the potential risks to human health and the environment and an understanding of the appropriate measures to reduce those risks as much as possible
The course will focus on the use of IPM (Integrated Pest Management) practices to reduce pesticide use in crop production by providing a detailed understanding of the biology and non-chemical control of weeds pests and diseases in crop production. The important aspects of pesticide chemistry including mode of action, physical properties and resistance risk will also be covered.
The course will provide guidance on the use of decision support systems for implementing IPM practices to guide the use of pesticides in crop production. The practical component of the course will require the attendee to provide logged practical work material including documented crop advisory work schedules which used IPM principles and practices in the use of pesticides in practice. During the course of their study specifically in Module 4. students will be given assignments which will require that they reach conclusions about very specific case studies on relevant IPM-based issues.
A number of the course modules will use case study examples of real practical pest-crop based scenarios relevant to the subject matter which will use decision support tools to make appropriate decisions relevant to sustainable pesticide use. In addition, small group work is planned to develop IPM solutions to important crop-pest problems relevant to unique local experience. Computer-based IPM tools will also be reviewed and used as part of this component of the course.
Course Delivery Details
The learning pathway for the students will commence in February of each year with a 10 month programme, with all modules including examination and project work completed by December of that year. The course will run once per year with modules 1 and 2 delivered in UCD Belfield Campus in the spring period (February / March), the Teagasc delivered supervised module 3 in early summer (April/May/June) with five attendance dates at Teagasc Oakpark. Module 4 (project-based module) runs during the autumn (September / November).
Curriculum
Course Modules: Four Modules each of 5 Credits
Module 1: Biology and Control of Weeds, Pests and Diseases of Crops (CPSC 30060)
Module 2: Pesticide Use, Integrated Pest Management and the Environment (AESC 30240)
It is possible to complete AESC 30240 as a stand-alone CPD module. For further information, please see the Admissions section.
Module 3: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Principles and Practices (CPSC 30070)
Module 4: Use of Integrated Pest Management Practices in Crop Management Programmes (CPSC 30080) (Project based module)
For more detailed information on the modules, please see Professional Diploma in Integrated Pest Management and the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Module Listing.
Entry Requirements
Minimum requirement is Level 6 (FETAC) qualification in Advanced Certificate in Agriculture (Crop and Machinery Management) or Advanced Certificate in Horticulture.
How to Apply
Application to this course can be made online through the UCD website at www.ucd.ie/apply. Please select D041 as the major code for the Professional Diploma. Any queries should be directed by email to (opens in a new window)onlineapps@ucd.ie.
It is possible to register to Module 2 Pesticide Use, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and the Environment (AESC 30240) as a Continuing Professional Development Module. Application is online through Online Applications at www.ucd.ie/apply. Please select D043 as the major code.
Fees
Click here for fee listings
Careers
The course is to provide training for practitioners who are currently working in the crop advisory industry to become eligible to register as Pesticide Advisers and continue to work in this industry fulfilling the professional training requirements under the Sustainable Use of Pesticides directive (S.I. No. 155).
