Turf Program

Turf Program

The vast majority of the population of Massachusetts and southern New England lives in urban or suburban settings. One of the primary routes by which these people may come in contact with pesticides is application to turf (golf courses, lawns, athletic fields) or ornamental plantings. Hence, the UMass Turf Team prioritizes development of ecologically sound management strategies that maintain high quality turf while reducing populations or effects of turf pests, thereby minimizing the need for pesticide use.

The ongoing focus of current Turf IPM activity is to educate professional turf and grounds managers' awareness, understanding and use of the principles of IPM and Best Management Practices (BMPs) through applied research, extension outreach and the development of educational programs and other media training resources.

Visit the Turf Program Website

Turf Program IPM Resources:

• The Professional Turf IPM Guide for Massachusetts

Have a turf question? Reach out to individual team members below: 

• Jason Lanier (jdl@umass.edu) - Extension Educator, Team Leader
• Olga Kostromytska (okostromytsk@umass.edu) – Extension Assistant Professor of Entomology
• Angela Madeiras (madeiras@umass.edu) – Extension Plant Pathologist
• Randy Prostak (rprostak@umass.edu) - Extension Weed Specialist