Tocal college takes out course award

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI’s) Tocal College contribution to a course designed to better manage weeds was recognised at a higher education awards event recently.

Tocal College Principal Cameron Archer said DPI was part of a collaborative group that were recognised at the 2007 Business and Higher Education Round Table Awards for Outstanding Achievement for Collaboration between Private and Public Sector Enterprises. 

‘We were delighted to be part of this team, a program that the College has been working on in association with Mr John Cameron of Independent Consultants Australian Network (ICAN) along with the Cooperative Centre for Australian Weed Management and the Grains Research and Development Corporation’, Mr Archer said.

Course convenor, John Cameron said the award recognised the importance of weeds to the environment, future impacts of herbicide resistant weeds on grains industry profit, and well as the importance of collaboration in bringing the course together.

"Access to world class experts in weed management through the Weeds CRC and the process of bringing them together to share experiences with grains advisers, has helped radically change how weeds are being managed in grain crops in Australia," he said.

"Most importantly, there has been a re-focusing onto the importance of managing the weed seedbank over a number of years, rather than a focus on weeds and their impact in this year’s crop. 

"The course covers the diverse range of weed management tactics available to farmers and agronomists, covers the role of agronomy and crop rotation in weed management, and the impact of paddock and whole farm issues when providing strategic weed management advice to clients."

Mr Archer said about 400 advisors have undertaken the Integrated Weed Management course since 2005.

"It is accredited within the National Vocational Education and Training system and also provides credit to diploma courses, as well as the professional re-accreditation program for advisors," he said.