2/24/2025

At Harrell’s, our goal is to be your partner for success every step of the way through quality products, unrivaled service, and knowledgeable Reps. We now have six employee-owner PhDs on staff working hard to develop innovative solutions to the biggest and smallest challenges you may face in the field, day in and day out. In this article, we give you a brief overview of the extent of their research and what they currently have going on in product trials.

Research & Development Trial Work

The team at Harrell’s is always testing new concepts and innovations in laboratory, greenhouse, or field trials across the country. This is done primarily through university programs with trusted academic experts in a number of agronomic categories. Last year, the Harrell’s trial work spanned the following states and universities:

17+ States

Wisconsin
Indiana
New Jersey
South Carolina
North Carolina
Illinois
Michigan
Tennessee
Florida
Louisiana
Texas
Kentucky
Alabama
Mississippi
Virginia
Ohio
Georgia

17+ Universities

University of Wisconsin
Purdue
Rutgers
Clemson
NC State
Michigan State
University of Tennessee
University of Florida
LSU
Texas A&M
Auburn
Mississippi State
Clemson University
Virginia Tech University
Tennessee State University
The Ohio State University
University of Georgia

40+ Active Trials, Including:

Water Quality and Moisture Management
Disease and Nematode Management
Plant Health and Abiotic Stress Mitigation
Root Growth and Soil Health
Agricultural and Crop Yield
Environmental Stewardship with Controlled-Release Fertilizers
New Active Ingredients on POLYON® Fertilizer

Six PhDs on Staff

Our team continues to grow through strategic additions of experts in key categories of agronomy within the Harrell’s business. From soil science to weed science, to plant pathology, to horticultural growth substrates, the Harrell’s R&D team has it covered!

 

Dr. Raymond Snyder

Dr. Raymond Snyder is Harrell's first Director of Agronomy. Dr. Snyder is a graduate of the University of Florida, where he received his Ph.D. in Soil Science, specializing in Soil Fertility and Fertilizers. Since 2003, he has been responsible for investigating new product opportunities, proprietary product development, and providing technical sales support.

 

 

 

Dr. Jeff Atkinson

Dr. Jeff Atkinson serves as Harrell’s Director of Agronomy for the Northern United States. In this role, Dr. Atkinson is responsible for the testing and development of proprietary products to expand Harrell’s portfolio and provide technical support to our sales representatives and customers. He has experience in research and development across several disciplines of golf course agronomics, with work found in both industry and peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Atkinson has worked in the turf industry for 15 years and holds a bachelor's, master's, and doctorate from Clemson University. His graduate research focused on the physiological effects of shade on putting green turf, herbicide efficacy, and turfgrass tolerance, and the biology of invasive species.

 

 

Dr. Paul Giordano

Dr. Paul Giordano is a Director of Agronomy for Harrell’s, managing research & development functions as well as providing technical sales support for the Golf, Sports Turf, and Turf & Landscape businesses. Dr. Giordano has worked in the turfgrass industry for over 20 years, holding positions at both public and private golf courses, and gaining experience in both applied and basic turfgrass research. A three-time Spartan, Paul earned a B.S. in Crop and Soil Sciences and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from Michigan State University. He currently resides in Canton, Michigan, with his wife and two daughters.

 

 

Dr. Tom Reed

Dr. Tom Reed is the Director of Agronomy for Specialty Agriculture at Harrell’s, focusing on POLYON® controlled release fertilizer blends. Dr. Reed has been involved in the agricultural industry for over 15 years in crop protection and nutrition across a variety of specialty and row crops. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Florida (Horticultural Sciences), a Master of Science from the University of Georgia (Crop and Soil Sciences), and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin (Biology and Environmental Studies). Since 202, Dr. Reed has been responsible for proprietary product development and providing technical support to Specialty Agriculture sales representatives and customers, as well as having the role of Specialty Agriculture Sales Director.

 

 

 

Dr. Aaron Palmateer

Dr. Aaron Palmateer is a Director of Agronomy at Harrell’s. He holds a Ph.D. in plant pathology from Auburn University and a master’s degree in plant and soil science from Southern Illinois University. He has worked in the horticulture industry for over 20 years, with his career starting as a faculty member in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida, where he is currently a Courtesy Professor. His expertise lies heavily in plant diagnostics and managing plant pests, diseases, and disorders. Since 2022, he has been responsible for investigating new product opportunities, proprietary product development, and providing technical sales support at Harrell’s.

 

 

Dr. Glenn Fain

Dr. Glenn Fain is a Director of Agronomy at Harrell’s. He holds a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Auburn University and grew up working in the horticulture industry for his family. Dr. Fain has 40 years of horticulture experience, 10 years in industry, followed by stints with Mississippi State University and the USDA-ARS Southern Horticulture Lab. Dr. Fain retired from Auburn University after a 20-year career in Teaching and Research, bringing expertise in container-grown plant production in both nursery and greenhouse environments. His primary research over the past 25 years has focused on container substrate formulation using both existing and novel substrate components. Since 2024, Dr. Fain has been responsible for investigating new product opportunities, product development, and providing technical sales support at Harrell’s.

 

The TurPh.Dudes Podcast

Our TurPh.Dudes are reaching out to industry leaders and game-changers to discuss what they are seeing out there. With now 55 episodes and counting, the topics focus on turf health, nutrition, control solutions, and the latest in academic research. TurPh.Dudes episodes are released periodically, and you can subscribe to us on iTunes and Google Podcast or tune in directly here at www.harrells.com. If you have any questions, you can email them to us at turphdudes@harrells.com.

Learn More from Your Harrell’s Rep

To learn more about any current trials, innovations, or to contact one of our Directors of Agronomy, reach out to your local Harrell's Rep. They can get you connected with the Director you need to diagnose your toughest cases and deliver product performance you rely on.