Plantation Training Courses

The SPGS runs a series of training courses to assist commercial tree planters. These courses are very practical and their objective is to give participants some key plantation skills and also to teach them about the standards expected under the SPGS. The courses are subsidised through the SPGS - expert tuition is provided (free) by the experienced Technical Advisory staff; participants only pay for board and lodgings and transport to and from the venue. The courses are run in areas around Uganda where there are plantation activities - both in the NFA's Central Forest Reserves and in plantations owned by private growers.

Four different courses have been running periodically since 2004 and more will be added as the need arises. An outline of each course is as follows:

1) Plantation Planning & Establishment:(duration 4 days)

Participants learn the basics of how to plan for - and how to establish successfully - commercial forestry plantations, with a focus on growing high quality sawlogs. Our aim is to teach you participants how to achieve canopy closure as early as possible and to establish Fast Growing, High Yielding plantations. The main topics covered are:

The importance of good planning & correct timing of silvicultural operations.
Basic surveying techniques.
Introduction to the main commercial tree species and the importance of careful site-species matching.
Seed and seedling quality (including basic nursery operations).
Land preparation (including bush clearance, lining out and pitting).
Weed identification and control methods.
Pre-plant weeding using Glyphosate herbicide.
Planting and beating-up.
Early weeding.

2) Plantation Management: (duration 4 days)

This course follows naturally from the Introductory course described above - and participants are advised to attend that course first before this Management one. This course focuses on post-plant operations, as follows:

Post-plant weeding - manual and chemical (using Glyphosate).
Common pests and diseases.
Fire protection (basics only).
Basic tree measurements (including sample plot establishment).
Thinning.
Pruning.
Eucalyptus coppice management.

3) Fire Protection: (duration 1 day)

This short course is designed to teach participants how to protect one's plantation investment from the biggest threat it faces over its life - namely, fire. The main topics covered are as follows:

Theory of how fires behave and how they start.
Fire Danger Index system for predicting level of risk.
Fire prevention methods: firebreak preparation and standby personnel.
Basic fire fighting equipment and its efficient use.
Fire fighting techniques.
Safety issues.

4. Contractor Training: (duration varies according to module)
This course is designed for those establishing and managing plantations on behalf of the investor for a specified time period as a business. The course is broken down into four basic modules:

Plantation Silviculture - covers the practical aspects of establishment and management
Labour management - covers the issues dealing with workers
Small business skills - deals with the financial issues related to small business enterprises
Contract management - how to work out a contract with the investor and operate it well.

Each module is run separetly, and the first batch of contractors to go through the course have covered the first two courses. If you are a contractor and would like to take part in these courses please contact the SPGS office to register.

Dates of Courses:

The first two plantation courses described above run throughout the year at 2-3 month intervals, whilst the Fire Protection courses are scheduled just before Uganda's two main fire seasons - which occur mainly (depending on locality) during Jan-Feb and again July-August. To find out the exact dates the course are running, the locations and also to book places on the courses, revisit our web-site periodically but also ensure you receive a regular copy of the SPGS Newsletter - refer Contact details on the contact page.

Numbers are restricted (max. 25) to ensure that participants receive individual tuition. Participants also have to do a small test at the end of each course too, to see whether anything has sunk in! We usually have a prestigious book award to the best performer as an incentive for participants to pay close attention and actively participaste in the training sessions.

Future Courses:

If you would like training in a specific area under commercial forestry that is not covered in the above courses, please contact the SPGS or the Uganda Timber Growers Association. If the number of interested persons is big enough to warrant it, SPGS can organise and run the course.