The New Zealand Sports Turf Institute (NZSTI) is New Zealand's leading sports turf consultancy group, recognised by SPARC (Sport and Recreation NZ) as the “standard setting body” for turf maintenance and management. Founded in 1949, NZSTI is an independent, industry funded research, consultancy and training organisation.

NZSTI provides independent, scientifically based advice on all aspects of sports and amenity turf planning, construction and maintenance. Coupled with extensive international experience, it has a world-wide reputation for quality, cost-effective advice.



NZSTI’s office in Palmerston North includes the National Turf Training Centre. NZSTI has five regional offices in New Zealand in addition to offices in Australia and Malaysia. It employs 25 staff, including 10 professionally trained turf consultants with a wide range of experience and specialities. NZSTI agronomists have experience of both cool and warm season turf grasses and a track record in the construction and maintenance of all types of natural and synthetic sports turf surfaces.

Education is an important part of NZSTI's workload. Its staff provide teaching and extension services at universities, polytechnics and ground managers’ field-days and seminars within New Zealand and abroad. NZSTI administers and provides training delivery services to the NZ Sports Turf Industry Training Organisation (NZSTITO) – the national standard setting body recognised by the NZ Government to develop and manage qualifications, training and skills forecasting for the sports turf industry.

In addition, NZSTI publishes the New Zealand Turf Management Journal, New Zealand’s foremost turf management publication. This has an international distribution while also achieving full coverage of the New Zealand turf industry.