The final stage of the project is expected to be complete by November 2026.
Just over a year ago, Michigan State University leaders broke ground on transformative renovations taking place at the MSU Plant Science Research Greenhouse Facility located at the corner of Farm Lane and Wilson Road. As work continues to be done at the facility, its progress is clear and evident when passing by.
In April, construction wrapped up at the greenhouses’ new headhouse, the hub supporting the entire complex, allowing the facility’s team to move in and the building to open.
The facility’s old headhouse only held staff offices, a conference room and an equipment workshop that also acted as a lunchroom. In comparison, the new headhouse hosts multiple workstations that contribute to cutting-edge research happening across the greenhouses, including a conference room, equipment workshop, soil mixing and fertilizer room, plant photography room, potting room, pot- and root-wash rooms, vernalization room, and pesticide mixing and storage rooms.
The large potting room offers tables for researchers to spread out while they’re planting and has hoses over each table to allow them to moisten potting mix as they’re filling pots, ultimately helping plants get off to a better start in the greenhouses. Chrislyn Particka, director of the MSU Plant Science Research Greenhouse Facility, said she hopes this can be a collaborative space for the more than 400 users who utilize the greenhouses.
She also said the tools offered in the new headhouse will promote research in ways the old headhouse couldn’t support.
“Many researchers at MSU study plant roots, an often forgotten, yet very important, part of plants,” Particka said. “The new headhouse offers a large sink with a soil trap so that users can more easily and quickly wash roots for their research projects without worrying about clogging drains.
“Additionally, high quality photos are important to include in research and extension publications and presentations.The new headhouse offers a plant photography room with black walls, shelving and lighting. Greenhouse users will only need to bring their plants and camera to access and use the room.”
The new headhouse also accommodates a cold room — or vernalization room — which scientists can use to mimic winter conditions on the plants they’re studying and conduct seed stratification. The old headhouse had a smaller vernalization room, but its compressor broke beyond repair years ago.
“Seeing the new headhouse reemphasizes how much the revamping of MSU’s greenhouse facility was needed,” said George Smith, director of MSU AgBioResearch. “Our scientists hear from stakeholders and do fundamental research intended to benefit them. The investment into these greenhouses is not only one for Michigan State University, but one for all Michiganders working in the agriculture and natural resources spaces.”
The updates at the greenhouses are supported, in part, by $53 million allocated by the Michigan Legislature in July 2022 to update the university’s greenhouse and dairy facilities. The university also contributed $12 million, creating a budget of $35 million for greenhouse renovations.
In addition to the completion of the headhouse, several other greenhouse developments have been finalized, and others are still ongoing.
By fall 2024, updates to eight existing greenhouses (including six that were renovated with financial support from various MSU units before the start of the state-funded project) had been made, and by January 2025, two of five new greenhouses planned to be built had been finished. The remaining three will be constructed over the next year and a half, with the final one scheduled for move-in by November 2026.
Installing modern environmental control systems and energy-efficient LED lighting have been among the advancements featured in the renovated and newly built greenhouses. These upgrades give MSU scientists the opportunity to conduct controlled, replicated experiments under a variety of growth, environmental and stress conditions — no matter the season.
In the new greenhouses, an energy curtain can be protracted and retracted with the environmental control system, assisting with cooling the greenhouses in the summer and retaining heat overnight in the winter. The new greenhouses will also allow for taller plants to be grown beneath higher ceilings.
This summer, in addition to the construction of new greenhouses, work will be done on existing greenhouses to rebuild sidewall vents and replace an evaporative cooling pad system.
“This investment will be a tremendous help to our researchers, whose work is advancing our understanding of plant science and contributing to sustainable solutions for global challenges,” said Eric Hegg, dean of MSU’s College of Natural Science. “Our faculty rely on precise environmental controls for their experiments. I’m excited to see the innovative discoveries they’ll make in these updated facilities.”
Prior to these renovations, two-thirds of the MSU greenhouses had been built before 1980, with the oldest having been built in the 1950s. The improvements being made address issues that MSU scientists have experienced with their research due to aging infrastructure, such as leaky roofs and walls, and an inability to properly control temperature inside greenhouses.
Campus units, including the College of Natural Science, Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, MSU AgBioResearch, Office of the Provost, Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, and Plant Science Research Greenhouse User Committee, have joined Particka over the years in raising awareness about the need to invest in the greenhouse facility.
But the work won’t be done after these refurbishments are complete.At the conclusion of the project in 2026, roughly 40% of the 88,500 square feet of greenhouse space will remain untouched. Smith said continued backing for the greenhouses is needed to guarantee MSU scientists are provided with reliable spaces to conduct their research.
“We’re very grateful for the support our advocates have shown in helping us update the greenhouse facility,” Smith said. “Thank you to the Michigan Legislature, state commodity organizations and our agricultural partners. After these renovations are complete, however, almost half of the greenhouse area will still need to be addressed with substantial work.
“Having up-to-date infrastructure is critical in ensuring research is accurate and true. We need to build on this momentum so we can continue enhancing our capacity to conduct research that advances how food is grown, plants are taken care of, and resources are managed.”
This story originally appeared on the Agbioresearch website.
