Soil, air, water: making BMP work for you

This class will look at the history of pesticides and fertiliser including: the need for their development; nitrogen carrier sources and BMP; actions that led to pesticide regulation; pesticide resistance; environmental concerns; and legislation.

We will also cover soil science terminology including textures, plant available water and soil microbes. We will discuss concerns with leaching and runoff. In the final part of the class, we will explore BMP to maximise customer satisfaction and beneficial microbes while minimising pests and preserving the environment.

This will be an interactive session with polling followed by data. Following this, we will discuss irrigation, mowing height and frequency, rolling and pesticides.

Learning outcomes:

• Proven methods to get the most of cultural and mechanical practices to minimise waste
• Just because it’s a common belief does not mean its true: a detailed look at what the data says
• What history has taught us