What to expect:
This edible legume crops short course is a thorough explanation of how to identify edible legumes and grow essential legume crops for food.
Topic includes chickpeas, lentils, beans, peas, clovers, lupins, lucerne, soybeans and many more legumes that are essential for food supply.
How does it work?
At the end of each lesson, you will be given a short interactive test to undertake, which will provide an indication of how your learning is progressing. Upon completing the very last lesson, you will be offered a more thorough automated test or examination. This final assessment can be undertaken at any time of day or night; and any day of the week; and if you achieve an overall pass (60% or more); you will be able to obtain a “certificate of completion” with your name and completion date on it.
Note: these short courses are self-guided online courses and are not to be confused with our tutor-supported online courses.
There are 12 Lessons in this course:
1. The Legumes
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- Classification Taxonomy of legumes
- A brief history of legumes and human use
- Legume cover crops
- Legumes as cover crops
- Inoculation of legumes
- Legumes today
2. Growing Beans
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- Classification
- Growing conditions
- Soil
- Planting
- Irrigation
- Nutrient management
- Weed control
- Pests and diseases
- Management
- Varieties
- Harvesting
- Storage
- Runner Beans
- Lima Beans
- Broad Bean
- Hyacinth Beans
- Snake Beans
- Mung beans
3. Growing Peas
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- Cultivars
- Snow peas
- Snap peas (or ‘sugar snap’)
- Green peas
- Climate
- Soil
- Land and seed bed preparation
- Planting material
- Inoculation
- Plant spacing
- Trellising
- Nutrient management
- Irrigation
- Weed control
- Integrated pest management
- Disease management
- Harvesting
- Storage
- Processing peas
4. Clovers and Annual Medics
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- Clover
- Growing Clovers
- Clover Species
- Medics
- Annual medics
5. Growing Lentils
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- Planting lentils
- How to plant
- Soil structure
- Watering and fertiliser
- Nurturing lentil plants
- Diseases
- Pests
- Harvesting
6. Growing Lupins
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- Lupin plant structure
- Leaves
- Stem and branches
- Roots
- Flower spike
- Pods
- Seeds
- Lupin growth cycle
- Benefits of lupin crops
- Factors affecting lupin growth
- Seed quality
- Lupin sowing
- Pod growth
- Harvesting
- Sources for seed growth
- Factors affecting seed development
- Fertilisers
- Pests
7. Growing Alfalfa (Lucerne)
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- How to grow Lucerne sprouts at home
- Lucerne crops
- Soil type
- Plant variety
- Crop planting
- Seeding depth
- Crop management
- Irrigation
- Disease management
- Insect management
- Harvesting Lucerne
8. Growing Soybeans
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- Planning Soybean crops
- Modern farming
- Zero tillage
- Nitrogen Contribution
- Residue management
- Crop rotation
- Soil management
- Variety selection
- Planting Soybeans
- Plant growth and physiology
- Factors affecting growth
- Nutrition and fertiliser
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Weed control
- Pest control
- Harvesting Soybeans
9. Growing Chickpeas
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- Crop preparation
- Weed control
- Soil preparation
- Soil moisture
- Diseases
- Chickpea varieties
- Desi Type Chickpeas
- Kabuli Type Chickpeas
- Planting Chickpeas
- Plant growth and physiology
- Nutrition and fertiliser
- Harvest
10. Growing Peanuts
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- Background
- Human diet
- Types of Peanuts
- Global demand
- Paddock preparation
- Planting Peanut seeds
- Plant growth and physiology
- Nutrition and fertiliser
- Weed Control
- Diseases
- Harvest
- Storage
11. Other Legumes
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- Inga (Ice Cream Bean)
- Tamarind
- Carob
- Fenugreek
- Acacia Species (Wattles)
- Harvesting and processing wattle seeds
12. Storage and Harvesting
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- Storage planning
- Calculating the costs
- Variable costs of on-farm storage
- ROI Investment Analysis
- Safety issues
- Grain storage and insect management
- Management
- Storing cereals