A Guide to Grapevine Abnormalities in South Africa - P.G. GOUSSARD

The curriculum is characterised by strong emphasis on the problem-based method of learning in which students collaborate in groups to solve real-world examples of problems. The lecturer acts as a facilitator to encourage self-direction and active engagement among students to a greater extent than the passive, teacher-centric lecture model allows. Classes are intensive and students are held to high standards. In just the three-hour “Introduction to the Crop Protection Industry” class, students are expected to be able to demonstrate their understanding of key concepts including history of the industry, past and future industry trends, market segmentations, the role of Chinese and Indian suppliers of generic products, classification of suppliers and products, product lifecycle and post-patent technology, seeds and GM technology. Assessment criteria in addition to in-class work includes written tests and a final project in which students create a production plan for a field crop produced in their area by researching its significance, evaluating the suitability of climate and soil for production and applying key principles of plant production and protection.

The crop chemicals business is rapidly evolving, and it has become highly technical. We’ve been through a decade of experiential and self- training, which just isn’t good enough for the environment we operate in. The position of agrochemical sales professionals is such that if they make a mistake, the consequences can wreak havoc not only on customer relations, but also on local economies. Furthermore, because their customers often have agriculture degrees themselves, agents need the appropriate knowledge to be able to deal with customers and to be adequately equipped to talk with them on the same level. The crop chemical industry in South Africa is small. If everyone could understand and appreciate the big-picture benefits, we could all be winners. In order to also ensure that students, growers and technical advisors in local agriculture do have access to handbooks and relevant literature the Villa Academy embarked on a program to sponsor the compilation and publishing of handbooks earmarked for local agriculture.

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