MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ON
DR. MARIA TOMASOPETERSON “N
ever underestimate the power of a fungus,” is the closing line, maybe even the signature, of a recent email from Dr. Maria Tomaso-Peterson, recently retired Professor of Plant Pathology. Whether the phrase is an homage to the complexity of the organisms she spent her career studying or a warning of their power, is left to the reader’s imagination. There aren’t many people on Earth who have a consuming passion for fungi, and maybe the average person can’t understand why anyone should feel so strongly about such organisms. But any turfgrass manger can tell you that when you encounter fungus on the job, that’s exactly who you’re looking for. Since 2004, Dr. Peterson has answered those calls for turfgrass managers in Mississippi. Her lab has analyzed samples from golf course superintendents far and wide. “It’s like solving a puzzle in pathology, whether it’s turf or other plants. I love the diagnostics, and what really opened a door for me is turf diagnostics and working with golf course superintendents, problem solving,” she says. “When you receive a sample that came from across the country, you’ve got a fourinch cupcutter plug that was taken from maybe a 3,500 square foot green, so it’s this little snapshot of what the superintendent thinks is the worst problematic area, and then it’s my challenge to solve that problem.” In fact, Dr. Peterson says her favorite part of the work she’s done is finding and characterizing a new disease, ink spot. Not only because she “could sit at the scope for hours and hours and look at turf and what’s growing in that turf,” but also because the disease management application of that knowledge for turfgrass professionals can make a real difference in their work. Alongside her lab research, Dr. Peterson has been a constant presence in education opportunities for current and future turf professionals across the state. Through her classes, mentoring graduate students, and extension work through conference education sessions and research articles in magazines like this, Dr. Peterson has generously shared her findings with anyone who seeks a deeper understanding of disease management.
16 • MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS • SUMMER 2021
