Greenhouse Crops and Floriculture Program
Greenhouse Crops & Floriculture Program
The Massachusetts greenhouse industry is composed of approximately 900 greenhouse ranges with 9 million square feet of growing area, and a crop value of approximately $115 million. Pest management strategies for greenhouse crops differs from those used in production of edible crops in that, while the presence of a few insect, mites, or pathogens may not necessarily reduce the yield or vigor of plants, their aesthetic quality, and therefore their value, can be compromised.
The goals of the Greenhouse Crops & Floriculture team are to achieve success in the management of greenhouse pests while reducing the use of pesticides and substituting lower risk materials and economical, effective pest suppression using natural enemies. Participating growers have been able to reduce pesticide use by an average of 27%, while concomitantly reducing insect pest damage by an average of 87%.
Visit the Greenhouse and Floriculture Program Website
Greenhouse and Floriculture Program IPM Resources:
Have a greenhouse or floriculture question? Reach out to individual team members below:
- Jason Lanier (jdl@umass.edu) - Extension Educator, Team Leader
- Geoffrey Njue (gnjue@umext.umass.edu) - Extension Green Industries Sustainability Specialist
- Angela Madeiras (madeiras@umass.edu) – Extension Plant Pathologist
