AgBioResearch

This story is part of a series highlighting the impact of MSU AgBioResearch’s work with Michigan agriculture and natural resources told through our stakeholders' perspectives. Through partnerships with the State of Michigan and industries, MSU AgBioResearch is finding solutions to some of the most timely problems facing our state. To view the entire series, visit agbioresearch.msu.edu.

In addition to the written story, listen to the below podcast with MSU AgBioResearch Director George Smith and Nancy Nyquist, executive director of the Michigan Tree Fruit Commission, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

EAST LANSING, Mich. — In 2013, funding challenges were at the forefront for Michigan State University AgBioResearch, weakening the ability to support efforts at its strategically located research stations around the state. The organization was still enduring the residual effects of the Great Recession, and difficult decisions were imminent.

As a result, AgBioResearch leaders assembled a committee to evaluate how significant decreases in funding support for its centers was affecting needed research that drives Michigan agriculture forward.

The troubles were particularly acute at the centers supporting tree fruit production, which at the time included the Clarksville Research Center, Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center, Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center, and Trevor Nichols Research Center. All are located near or within the Fruit Belt, Michigan’s primary fruit-growing region along Lake Michigan.

The committee included MSU leaders, Michigan agriculture stakeholders, tree fruit commodity executives and growers. What they discovered was that immediate action was needed to preserve the four centers. Like with many commodities in Michigan, growers stepped in to meet that need.

Groups such as the Cherry Marketing Institute, Michigan Apple Committee, Michigan State Horticultural Society and Michigan Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Association recommended that a grower-led tree fruit organization be formed. From those talks, the Michigan Tree Fruit Commission (MTFC) was born.

The MTFC was created in 2014 as a partnership among apple, cherry, peach and plum growers, along with MSU and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). It’s one of the only organizations of its kind in the country uniting tree fruit industries, which are big business in Michigan.

According to Michigan Farm Bureau, the state ranks second in apple production in the U.S., with an estimated economic impact of more than $700 million annually. Michigan is the largest nationwide producer of tart cherries, an industry that contributes more than $108 million to the state’s economy each year. While peaches and plums occupy a smaller market segment, they contribute significantly to Michigan’s agricultural diversity.

“Our industry leaders and growers saw the value of research and outreach from MSU, and they committed to putting grower dollars into play to continue this work,” said Nancy Nyquist, who has served as MTFC executive director for three years. “With a one-time matching appropriation from the Michigan Legislature, we got the commission up and running, and it’s been a lifesaver for our industries.”

Priorities that have guided the MTFC include funding new research infrastructure at the five tree fruit stations — MSU added the West Central Michigan Research and Extension Center in Hart in 2021 — and providing support for research and MSU Extension positions.

New research infrastructure covers a wide range of equipment such as tractors, sprayers, orchard platforms, deer fencing and irrigation controllers. A larger investment was made in a small-scale apple grading line that uses advanced imaging technology to quickly rate apple quality.

An autonomous sprayer was also purchased by MSU AgBioResearch and MSU Extension, with assistance from the MTFC and the Michigan State Horticultural Society, to explore the viability of the technology for Michigan growers. As labor challenges persist, Nyquist said this could be an essential tool in years to come, but it requires thorough testing.

“We take our funding decisions very seriously, ensuring the best use of those dollars by investing in the areas of greatest need,” she said. “The autonomous sprayer is a great example because it’s innovative, but we need to understand more about its efficiency and the associated costs for growers.

“Since 2014, we have invested more than $4.6 million in station support and more than $1.2 million in other investments, such as making sure researchers and Extension staff can travel to conferences and stay on top of the latest research. That’s a really important component to this work, and we recognize that.”

Many of MSU’s tree fruit research projects are kickstarted by funding from Project GREEEN, a program that joins together MSU, the Michigan Plant Coalition and MDARD. In its 27^th year, Project GREEEN is aimed at short-term plant agriculture issues such as developing new production strategies and mitigating problematic insects, diseases and weeds.

Projects focus on myriad issues, including devastating apple diseases — fire blight and apple scab — as well as spotted wing drosophila (SWD), an invasive pest that targets soft-fleshed fruits such as cherries. Researchers have tested various management techniques to uncover the most effective sprays and, more recently, a biological control for SWD.

Nyquist cited a recent advancement for growers with the Enviroweather program, which is supported through Project GREEEN and delivers weather-based data and models that inform Michigan growers on pest, natural resource and production management strategies.

For years, the program has operated via a desktop-only platform. To make Enviroweather more accessible to farmers in the field and away from the office, the AgBioResearch Research Evaluation and Data Analytics team recently launched the Enviroweather Mobile App.

“One thing I’m really excited about is the Enviroweather Mobile App and the idea that it can be used on a tractor or in a truck,” Nyquist said. “That program has been essential for our growers, and they were vocal to groups like the MTFC and Michigan State Horticultural Society that a mobile app would be very useful. It’s another great example of the partnership. We brought this idea to MSU, and as technology keeps advancing, it has made this possible.”

A newer initiative built on a model similar to Project GREEEN, the Agricultural Resiliency Program, was created in 2024 to address long-term challenges with water and extreme weather. The program is also a partnership among MSU, the Michigan Plant Coalition and MDARD.

“Project GREEEN is a tremendous program with a history that has been so important to the tree fruit industry,” Nyquist said. “The Agricultural Resiliency Program is different in that it emphasizes multidisciplinary, multi-crop research. The problems we’re looking at are affecting more than one commodity, and we need to have solutions to things like efficient water use.

“Both of these programs are invaluable for specialty crops. I know Project GREEEN had a record number of project applications and dollars being requested by researchers, and that goes to show how vital it is to growers and the university since those projects are driven by industry needs.”

While the MTFC’s support is a boon to MSU’s research and outreach capacity, Nyquist said continued state and federal funding is critical.

“Michigan agriculture is a tough and resilient business,” she said. “It’s thriving and growing in a lot of ways, but the margins are so thin. We need this research to stay on the cutting edge. If we didn’t have it, our industries wouldn’t be nearly as robust as they are currently.”

Two Michigan growers, Dan Dietrich and Jim Nugent, have implemented MSU research recommendations on their farms that have yielded positive results. Dietrich is a sixth-generation farmer and partner with Dietrich Orchards in Conklin, Michigan, where they grow apples and asparagus. Nugent is a stalwart of the Michigan cherry industry with more than 50 years of experience. He owns Sunblossom Orchards in Leelanau County and served as one of the leading voices championing the creation of the MTFC.

Below is a Q&A with Dietrich and Nugent that shares their experiences with MSU research.

How does MSU research currently support your goals?

Dietrich: I’ve worked closely with researchers at MSU, particularly with Dr. Randy Beaudry (who specializes in fruit quality and postharvest technology). He has helped us with storage issues on Honeycrisp apples, and that’s been phenomenal. Dr. Todd Einhorn (who focuses on optimizing tree fruit production systems) has been working on Honeycrisp and controlling bitter pit, which is a major problem. Now that we have some indicators of what’s going on, it makes it much easier to get ahead of problems before they occur.

Nugent: I’ve been really pleased with what the MTFC has been able to do to help MSU research. It’s hard to know exactly where we would have been without it. I think we’ve accomplished some significant upgrades at all the stations in terms of equipment, deer fencing and technology — really in every way we need to have those facilities at the level of quality to conduct the research. That research is aimed at increasing efficiency of production through our growing systems. We’ve seen a lot of advancements in the apple industry and cherry industry. It’s important to keep up on technology advancements as well, an area in which MSU has done a great job.

What outcomes or benefits do you expect from MSU research?

Dietrich: Funding from the MTFC is there to get the ball rolling on research and identify what we think are the bigger issues we’re having. This is seed money to get some initial results with the hope that researchers can get larger funding later. We’re really working on proof-of-concept stuff here, so we’re always hopeful it will begin the process of developing solutions, which is the ultimate expectation.

Nugent: I expect that MSU helps us address the most relevant issues we’re facing. We certainly see resistance in insects and disease populations, and that’s changed how we must manage things. We’re continually having to reassess how we can effectively and efficiently grow our crops. An essential piece of that process is research.

Can you share an example of when MSU research has positively affected the industry or helped it overcome a looming challenge?

Dietrich: When Randy (Beaudry) revamped some of his lab to look at Honeycrisp storage, that was huge for us. Previously, we were only able to store until mid-December or so. Now we can store the apples year-round, and that has changed our operation. That’s due in large part to Randy’s work.

Nugent: I think spotted wing drosophila is a great example. We had no experience with this insect. When it hit, it really hit with a vengeance, and it didn’t take long for them to build up really high numbers. The learning curve with this pest was very sharp. It’s not just one spray or something like that. It’s a whole system of learning how to manage SWD. We’ve figured out some materials to manage them and have been evaluating those materials, as well as reducing populations with biocontrols. That hasn’t gotten very far yet, but it’s promising. We still struggle with the pest at times, but we know a lot more about it and how to manage it thanks to MSU.

How can MSU research help position the industry to thrive moving forward?

Dietrich: Like with any crop, we haven’t figured everything out. Just when you think you have, you can run into trouble. It’s an ever-changing industry. New apple varieties have new challenges, and even older varieties still have things we haven’t figured out. We’re trying to be more productive and cost-effective, so continued research is important to make those things better. Having MSU focus on our areas of greatest need is how we can continue to see a thriving industry.

Nugent: We must continue looking for ways to be more efficient. To that point, we must pay attention to technology that may be adaptable for specialty crops. I think the use of technology in horticulture will be extremely important, and MSU can help us by testing those new technologies. We will still need to deal with pest management, of course, and I think we need to be looking at resistance to pathogens. That may be something from a genetics standpoint we need to evaluate, but with MSU researchers in place to do that, we can stay on the leading edge.

What would you say to legislators to advocate on behalf of continued research funding? What would it mean to not have this funding support?

Dietrich: Specialty crops in Michigan are a small industry, relatively speaking. But they support a lot of jobs (roughly 41,000 according to MDARD) and contribute to the state’s economy. Without the help of state funding, the reality is that specialty crop growers can’t come up with enough funding to do the research that’s necessary to keep us successful. That state funding is greatly appreciated and needed. We try to ensure the money is focused on the most relevant challenges we face, so we want to be good stewards of those dollars.

Nugent: The future of these industries is dependent on research. I tell that to the politicians I have the opportunity to speak with. We may be able to survive for a short time without it, but in the long term, it’s not sustainable. We always have new issues emerging, and we don’t always know what those will be. When we see these huge cuts in research funding, it’s resulting in a real drain on our ability to adapt to changing conditions. It’s another reason we wanted to invest as an industry, as many industries do, but we need additional funding to help with research. Many of these issues are too big for us to conduct the research on our own. The reality is that we’re in a global economy, and if we don’t stay on top of those pressing issues, we’ll see these industries shrink.

Michigan State University AgBioResearch scientists discover dynamic solutions for food systems and the environment. More than 300 MSU faculty conduct leading-edge research on a variety of topics, from health and agriculture to natural resources. Originally formed in 1888 as the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU AgBioResearch oversees numerous on-campus research facilities, as well as 15 outlying centers throughout Michigan. To learn more, visit agbioresearch.msu.edu.