Biobest Launches Online IPM Academy

Chris Beytes

Want to learn more about integrated pest management (IPM), specifically as it pertains to utilizing beneficial insects and pollinators? Biobest Group of Belgium has just launched the Biobest Academy, an online e-learning platform designed to strengthen your knowledge and understanding of IPM from the comfort of your home or office.

Easy to navigate, the website features 30 modular courses covering everything from the general concepts and principles of IPM, bumblebee pollination and crop scouting, right through to advance modules aimed at technical managers and consultants.

With a modular format, you can tailor your learning experience to suit your needs. Courses end with a short exam and you earn a certificate on passing. In the UK, the courses qualify for BASIS professional development points, something Biobest will expand to other countries in the future. All courses are delivered in English and some are also available in Dutch, with French and Spanish versions coming soon. A good selection of the basic courses are free; others are about $55 (50 euros). You can buy packages of courses at a discount.

“Our initial focus was to build a valuable, easily accessible resource for our own technical teams, helping ensure we give the very best advice to growers,” explained Biobest Academy Manager Neal Ward. “We’ve now progressed to the next stage … we have launched the Biobest Academy to external audiences, empowering distributors, growers and anyone interested in sustainable IPM practices.”

Neal said they’ve spent three years compiling the central knowledge repository, with material contributed by subject-matter experts within their international team of IPM and Pollination Specialists, as well as R&D and Product Managers.

“IPM doesn’t stand still,” said Neal. “While new pest and disease threats are constantly appearing in crops, there is also a steady stream of sustainable new Biobest solutions. As such, the Academy will continue to evolve, with new content added and existing content regularly reviewed, keeping users at the forefront of the latest IPM developments.”

Learn more and sign up at academy.biobestgroup.com. GT