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The very popular BASIS FSTS Certificate in Crop Protection, the foundation course to the BASIS Diploma in Agriculture, starts shortly at three venues around East Anglia, Gosfield Lakes Golf Club near Braintree in Essex, Timbers Motel, Fincham in Norfolk and Processors and Growers Research Organisation in Thornaugh, Cambridgeshire.

The course is being delivered by members of Anglia Rural Training through the LandSkills East training project, with eligible trainees able to access 65% funding. It is aimed at practical farmers and land managers and will provide them with agronomic skills which are needed in the industry. The course will cover a number of areas including legislation, storage, transport, pesticides, nutrition in soil and grassland, integrated crop management techniques (ICM) along with in depth studies in a number of crops including Oilseed Rape, Potatoes, Sugar beet, and Cereals. The courses start in November and are delivered in a modular way spread over 16 days between November and March.

As well as Basis FSTS, there is also a Foundation Basis Course and other Basis courses available, which all form part of the BASIS Diploma in Agriculture, including BETA (Biodiversity and Environmental Training for Advisors), FACTS Fertiliser Module, Plant Protection Award, Soil and Water and Nutrient Management Certificate. These courses are also scattered throughout East Anglia with some places still available – see the Landskills East website for course availability.

BASIS® is an independent organisation set up in 1978 to establish and assess standards in the pesticide industry relating to storage, transport and competence of staff. It is an industry self-regulated scheme for staff involved in the UK Crop Protection Industry. All buying organisations, farmers and land managers require the supplier to have completed this course as a good standard for crop management and managers themselves participate in the course to enable them to fully understand the crop protection and agronomic decisions being made by their specialist.

John Bucknell a partner with W.P Bucknell & Son at Fingrith Hall Farm in Essex has attended one of the courses and said –
“Growing arable crops is getting more complicated these days and farmers need to know more about the science so that we can grow crops to a better quality and standard. All farmers are growing crops to Farm Assurance standards; buyers will not accept crops for human consumption without it and to comply with farm assurance standards growers have to have any advice on crop protection chemicals given by BASIS qualified advisers. Whether we grow organically or with chemicals we need to understand how to keep the crops healthy and to produce the good quality food that is required in today’s market”

Debbie Wedge of Anglia Rural Training said- “Today’s growers and managers have to keep pace with new legislation, developments in crop protection products and environmental awareness in their use. Completing and successfully passing the examination of the BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection, and the other associated modules, gives these people the advantage, in knowing that they are carrying out the day to day decision making, in the correct and proper way.“

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