Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment at UMass Amherst

eggs have hatched and early instar nymphs are active on the UMass Amherst campus. This is an established population that was first detected in 2025.

Look for nymphs on the new growth of tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), as well as the new growth of a wide variety of trees and shrubs. Nymphs may favor cultivated roses, multiflora rose, cultivated and wild grape, perennials, black walnut and butternut.

Does your community have an established population of spotted lanternfly? Check this map provided by the MA Department of Agricultural Resources to find out: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/a25afa4466a54313b21dd45abc34b62d/page/Dashboard?views=Spotted-Lanternfly

Seeing spotted lanternfly nymphs in Massachusetts at a location not included in the above map? Please report them here: https://massnrc.org/pests/slfreport.aspx

Note: if trying to photograph or capture, nymphs move quickly and will change position to hide from you. They are also impressively strong jumpers.

Photo: A black and white spotted early instar spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) nymph rests on a tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) branch. This nymph was approximately 0.5 cm. long. (Tawny Simisky, UMass Extension)

AgriChampion Jianyu Li Developing App to Detect Stress in Specialty Crops

Jianyu Li was named as one of ten “Youth AgriChampions” by the AGCO Agriculture Foundation. Seed funding will support his development of the SmartFarm Scout app to help specialty crop growers facing increasing climate variability.

See link in comments!

Need some spring lawn care tips? WCVB 5 and Jason Lanier from UMass Agricultural Extension has you covered. Remember Mow high and water deeply.

UMass turf expert shares simple spring lawn care tips for a healthier yard UMass Amherst turf specialist Jason Lanier says a healthier lawn starts with simple spring basics: sharp mower blades, taller grass, deep watering, and the right timing for seeding and fertilizer.

Today is Founders Day on campus and in honor of the long history of UMass we wanted to share out history with everyone. Check out the link below to read more about how CAFE came to be! A huge thank you goes out to all of the units, stellar educators, incredible staff and dedicated faculty that work hard daily to ensure we help you, our community.

History The UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, the University’s central location for research and educational outreach on agriculture, natural resources, and food systems, was founded in 2001 as the "Center for Agriculture." The center is part of the College of Natural Scienc...

Most native plants are not keeping pace with climate change, and their geographic ranges are likely to shrink without assisted movement. One of the ways that landscapers can help is by planting species native to nearby, ecologically similar areas (called ‘near-natives’) in addition to local natives. Originating from nearby ecologically similar areas significantly increases the likelihood that the species will establish without harm. Planting climate-smart native and near-native species provides the biodiversity and climate adaptation benefits that underpin resilient ecosystems.

Read more and learn about resources in the article Climate-Smart Native Plants for Ecological Landscaping in our April edition of Hort Notes

https://www.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/landscape/newsletters/hort-notes/hort-notes-2026-vol-372

Illustration of climate-smart native plants in the Northeast by Marina Ibrahim

Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Blog » Blog Archive » Register Now for Our May Spotted Lanternfly Webinar – Free Credits Available Our next spotted lanternfly webinar is coming up on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 10am. Hosted by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), this quarterly webinar series provides stakeholders with the most current information about SLF in Massachusetts. The May session will feature...

The UMass Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Lab can help out with personalized recommendations for your garden this year. See this story by WCVB 5 on what our routine soil analysis can do for you! Have more questions? Put them in the comments below or email us at [email protected].

How to test your soil and why it matters for a healthy garden A $20 UMass Amherst soil test gives gardeners custom advice to improve soil, save money and help plants grow better.

Have you been curious about clean energy for your home, business farm or even your town? Our UMass Clean Energy Extension team has amazing resources for you to check out and explore.