Welcome to the Medicinal Plant Program
(MPP) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The Medicinal Plant
Program is a consortium of faculty and staff at the University of
Massachusetts, Amherst and is a part of the Department of Plant, Soil, and
Insect Sciences. The program conducts education, research, and outreach
related to all aspects of medicinal plants.
Education
The Medicinal Plant Program has both
undergraduate and graduate courses of study. Currently, five courses are offered through the Program,
encompassing the identification, production, use, manufacturing, and
marketing of medicinal plants, giving students a well rounded education in the
various disciplines related to medicinal plants.
Research
Current
research in the Medicinal Plant Program is focused on the basic plant
science necessary to establish specific medicinal plants as cultivated
crops and to improve current medicinal plant production practices.
MPP facilities include research
laboratories with the facilities for essential oil extraction, plant
monitoring, biological screening, constituent analysis, and tissue culture
production. Gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy
services are available for compound identification and quantification.
Fields, greenhouses, and environmentally controlled chambers are available
for growth of plant materials. The MPP has professional contacts throughout
the world and can furnish both local and international service.
Outreach
The MPP conducts outreach through
talks to growers and researchers, local school enrichment programs, and the
annual HerbFest celebration. The Program also publishes the Journal of
Herbs, Spices, and Medicinal Plants, and has produced several growers
guides for medicinal and aromatic plants.
Affiliations
The MPP is a member of:
Medicinal
Plant Working Group
American Herbal Products Association
MPP faculty and staff maintain memberships
in several professional organizations including:
American Botanical Council
American Society for Horticultural Science
Herb Society of America
International Society for Horticultural
Science
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