ICARE Foundation and Delphy are pleased to announce the “Strengthening the Horticulture in Armenia” online training programme. The purpose of this project is to contribute to strengthening the horticulture sector in Armenia, through sharing Dutch knowledge and best practices with professionals and students.

Organizing parties

Delphy

Delphy is the largest global commercial service provider in the field of cultivation and production related knowledge for food and flowers. Based in Wageningen, the Netherlands, Delphy develops and implements knowledge worldwide. More than 230 employees of which 65 foreign employees are 24/7 involved in cultivation and production of food and flowers. Our professionals are a strong team of entrepreneurial, independent advisors with leading global knowledge and expertise. Delphy has extended knowledge within vegetable, herb, fruit, nut and flower sectors. Delphy has proven to transfer and disseminate knowledge effectively within local contexts.

Web page: www.delphy.nl

Place: Wageningen, The Netherlands

ICARE

The International Center for Agribusiness Research and Education (ICARE) Foundation is a non-governmental and non-commercial organization established in Yerevan, Armenia. ICARE is an umbrella institution for the Agribusiness Teaching Center (ATC), the Agribusiness Research Center (ARC), and the EVN Wine Academy. The mission of ICARE is to serve as an international center of excellence to create food and agribusiness leaders through state-of-the-art education programs and cutting-edge research. The Agribusiness Teaching Center is the flagship unit of ICARE that provides agribusiness education to achieve sustainable entrepreneurial activities in the food and agriculture sector in Armenia. It prepares agribusiness specialists at undergraduate and graduate levels, armed with broad economic, marketing, and managerial skills, up-to-date communication abilities, and excellent knowledge of English.

ICARE will be the partner organisation in this project. ICARE will take care of the recruitment of participants and the local organisation of the trainings.

Web page: www.icare.am

Place:Yerevan, Armenia

Training Program

The “Strengthening the Horticulture in Armenia” online training programme contributes to addressing the lack of knowledge of growers and students in the horticulture sector in Armenia. The training programme addressing other challenges in the horticulture sector such as the lack of adequate technology and capital is out of scope for this project and will focus on

• Vegetables
• Herbs
• Fruits
• Nuts
• Flowers

Starting in April 2021 the training programme will be implemented. Each month (April, May, June, September, October and November) three or four training days will be provided. Next to the online lectures and practicals, the participants will also get assignments which they can make in their own time. The training days will be lectured by experts of Delphy and ICARE. The training programme will include lectures and practicals on Good Agricultural Practices such as water use and pest and disease management; modern greenhouse technologies; and in-depth trainings on vegetable, herb, flower, fruit and nut production.

The six themes are Good Agricultural Practices 1 and 2, modern greenhouse technologies, vegetable and flower production, leafy and herb production, and fruit and nut production. The series of lecture on Good Agricultural Practices will include trainings on general cultivation practices such as substrates and fertilizers, water use, pest and disease management, and (post-) harvest management. The lectures on vegetable, flower, leafy and herb, fruit and nut production will include specific cultivation practices for these crops, and useful varieties and hybrids of these crops.

Proposed training programme

MONTH	THEME	TRAINER
APRIL GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES 1
Day 1	Soil, substrates & fertilizers	Tiny van Poppel
Day 2	Sustainable and efficient water use	Tiny van Poppel
Day 3	Climate control	Houda Thlibi
MAY GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES 2
Day 1	Integrated Pest Management (IPM)	Houda Thlibi
Day 2	Disease management	Houda Thlibi
Day 3	Harvest management	Tiny van Poppel
Day 4	Post-harvest management	Tiny van Poppel
JUNE MODERN GREENHOUSE TECHNOLOGIES
Day 1	Modern greenhouse management; Dutch examples	Tiny van Poppel
Day 2	Nursery management	Tiny van Poppel
Day 3	Grafting	Tiny van Poppel
Day 4	Phytosanitary management	HoudaThlibi
SEPTEMBER VEGETABLE & FLOWER PRODUCTION
Day 1	Tomato	Tiny van Poppel
Day 2	Cucumber (and other vegetables)	Tiny van Poppel
Day 3	Roses (and other flowers)	Tiny van Poppel
OCTOBER LEAFY & HERB PRODUCTION
Day 1	Leafy crops	Willem Hendriks
Day 2	Herbs & microgreens	Willem Hendriks
Day 3	Vertical farming	Willem Hendriks
NOVEMBER FRUIT & NUT PRODUCTION
Day 1	Fruit trees	Adri Streef
Day 2	Berries	Adri Streef
Day 3	Nuts (walnuts & hazelnuts)	Adri Streef

 

Who, When and How to Apply?

Date of the course:  April 2021-November 2021

Location: Zoom online platform (link will be provided)

Course fees: Free of charge

Training language: English

The number of participants:  20 participants

Target audience: 10 students and 10 growers

Selection criteria:

• Growers – you have work experience or are currently working in the greenhouse sector , you are motivated to receive training and to share your gained knowledge and skills with other growers in the region
• Students – you have a background in or are studying something related to greenhouses and you are motivated to receive training

Registration deadline: Saturday, February 13, 2021

To apply for the programme, you need to fill out registration form and pass an interview.

• Registration form for the students
• Registration form for the growers

Eligible candidates will be announced until 19 of February, 2021. For more detailed information please contact Ani Asaturyan, +37493792787, aniasatryan9041@gmail.com