Funded Projects

2024

  • Increasing resiliency of tree fruit production to climate change through a holistic approach to water, nutrient and soil management. Researchers will work to develop a climate-smart technology that can optimize irrigation and fertilizer management to make timely decisions, as well as maximize water and fertilizer use efficiency. The principal investigator is Younsuk Dong, an assistant professor in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering.

  • Creating a decision-support system that promotes sustainable farming by providing insights into climate-smart approaches. The goal of the project is to develop a statewide tool that integrates socioeconomic analysis, groundwater flow, nutrient and pollutant fate and transport modeling, and field observations. The principal investigator is Pouyan Nejadhashemi, an MSU Foundation Professor in the departments of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, and Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences. He is also a director of the Center for Intelligent Water Resources Engineering.

  • Providing Michigan field crop farmers the information they need to build climate-resilient cropping systems. Using an innovative and multidisciplinary approach that engages field crop farmers as partners, the research team will assess factors influencing climate adaptation and mitigation of major commodity crops in Michigan. Researchers will explore how regenerative agriculture practices enhance soil health and yield stability, evaluate the relationship between soil health and greenhouse gas emissions, and identify factors that influence farmer adoption of climate-smart practices. The principal investigator is Christine Sprunger, an assistant professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences based at the W. K. Kellogg Biological Station. Sprunger is also a faculty member in the MSU Plant Resilience Institute.

  • Addressing specific pest management concerns regarding the effects of erratic weather on early season management, bloom prediction and late-season management in apple, blueberry, cherry and grape production systems. The goals of the project are to develop resilient disease management strategies, adaptive insect pest control measures, integrated bloom prediction models and effective outreach strategies for stakeholder engagement. The principal investigator is Julianna Wilson, an assistant professor in the Department of Entomology.
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