Spartan science protects the food on your table

As the first institution of higher learning in the United States to teach scientific agriculture, Michigan State University has been creating solutions to food and agricultural challenges for 170 years. From apples to potatoes and from farm fields to your family table, MSU researchers are helping ensure that fresh, healthy food stays available, affordable and safe.

But feeding a growing population isn’t easy. Changes in climate, rising production costs, labor shortages and water scarcity are threatening farms across Michigan and the world. Meanwhile, food prices are up, and healthy options are harder to access for many families.

That’s why solutions from MSU researchers are more vital than ever. With support from federal agencies, Spartan scientists are working with farmers, policymakers and communities to build a food system that’s more resilient, more equitable and ready to meet the future.

At MSU, more than 100 researchers are advancing critical work in agriculture, food safety, sustainability and economics to help secure our food supply. Their efforts are supported by an average of $27 million in annual federal research expenditures and continue to drive innovations that improve lives in Michigan and beyond.

Making fruit more abundant

For more than 45 years, MSU’s Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center, or NWMHRC, has been a critical partner for fruit farmers in Leelanau County and beyond. This region produces nearly half of the nation’s tart cherries and 83% of Michigan’s sweet cherries. However, growing fruit here is challenging due to harsh weather, changes in climate and pests like the spotted wing drosophila.

Caring for cherries at MSU’s Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center. Courtesy photo

The research center works directly with growers to create practical, science-based solutions for growing cherries, wine grapes, apples, plums and hops made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Michigan Cherry Committee and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

One major advancement is a smart spraying model that helps farmers target pesticide use precisely when crops are most vulnerable, saving money, protecting the environment and improving fruit quality.

“We focus on research that’s valuable and directly applicable to growers,” says Nikki Rothwell, MSU Extension specialist and center coordinator. “Being grower-owned keeps the center closely aligned with farmers’ needs, from pest control to farm economics and succession planning.”

The center also tackles emerging threats, such as fire blight in apples, linked to a changing climate.

According to Emily Miezio, treasurer of the Michigan Cherry Committee, growers deeply rely on the center’s expertise.

“The research center helps with the research, but for a lot of us on the committee, a call to Nikki Rothwell is the first call we make when we have questions regarding our crops,” Miezio says. “We’d be lost without the center.”

By helping farmers adapt and thrive, the research center plays a direct role in ensuring fresh, Michigan-grown fruit continues to reach grocery stores, farmers markets and family tables.

Read more on MSUToday.

Feeding people, protecting the environment

At farms like Jeff Sandborn’s in Portland, Michigan, MSU’s Bruno Basso and his team are using technology like drones and satellites to monitor crop health, soil conditions and climate. This helps farmers make smarter choices about where and how to grow crops, saving resources like water and fertilizer while improving crop yields. And this is where federal funding is critical.

Bruno Basso

“Michigan is the state with the second most diverse agriculture after California,” Basso says, listing off crops like corn, soybeans, potatoes, cherries, apples and more. “Working in Michigan and the experiments on sites, it really helps become a window for neighboring farms throughout the state and beyond.”

One example of how farmers like Sandborn can adjust their practices is by converting low-producing land into pollinator habitats, which are areas filled with native plants that support bees and butterflies. These habitats let farmers focus on more productive land, making farming more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Basso is a leading researcher and professor in the colleges of Natural Science and Agriculture and Natural Resources at MSU. His team includes researchers from around the world who study everything from soil science to genetics. Their goal is to make farming more sustainable and adaptable to changes in climate, whether in Michigan, around the U.S. or in countries facing food insecurity. 

This work directly supports the food system by helping farmers grow more with less. With funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these science-driven farming methods make it possible to put healthy food on our tables while caring for the land that produces it.

Read more on MSUToday. 

Keeping our food safe

MSU researchers are showing how sustainable farming practices impact not just the environment but also the safety and health of the food we eat, which is why federal funding is needed. Led by MSU food safety expert Felicia Wu, the team studied how two common practices — alternate rice farming and no-till agriculture — affect public health.

Felicia Wu. Courtesy photo

Traditional rice farming floods fields, which helps control weeds but also leads to higher arsenic levels in rice. Arsenic is a toxic metal linked to cancer and heart disease and has even been found in baby food. Wu’s team found that a simple method called alternate wetting and drying reduces water use and significantly lowers arsenic levels in rice. That means putting more sustainable, healthier rice on our tables while farmers save money.

The team also studied no-till farming, where farmers leave plant residue on fields to protect the soil. While this improves soil health and saves money, it can increase the risk of toxic mold, called mycotoxins, in crops like corn and wheat. These molds are harmful to both people and animals and could lead to food waste if contamination levels are too high.

Wu emphasizes the need to balance sustainability and safety so agriculture feeds people safely, efficiently and for generations to come.

“Because the end goal of agriculture is to feed humans, the food safety angle must be considered from a one-health approach that links in human health, animal health and the environment,” Wu says. “We can’t do this without critical funding.”

Wu’s funding sources include the National Institute of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Read more on MSUToday.

Building a better potato

Professor Dave Douches is transforming the process for breeding potatoes — one of the world’s most important food crops. With support from Project GREEEN, Michigan’s plant agriculture initiative, Douches is shifting from breeding traditional tetraploid potatoes (which have four sets of chromosomes) to diploid potatoes (which have two sets). This simplifies the breeding process and allows researchers to more quickly develop new, improved potato varieties.

Why does this matter for putting food on the table? Diploid breeding makes it easier to introduce traits like pest resistance, higher yield and improved food quality. For example, one key breakthrough has been enabling diploid potatoes to self-pollinate, speeding up the development of new varieties. This means that growers can get better potatoes into the ground sooner.

Ultimately, this research helps ensure a stable, affordable supply of potatoes and strengthens the food system. It supports farmers by reducing production costs and improves the sustainability of farming by limiting pesticide use. And for families across the country, it means having healthy, nutritious potatoes on their tables for years to come.

However, while Douches’ work has had worldwide impact, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, funding was pulled in early 2025. 

“The potato is a crop that is grown in many countries around the world, and it is one of our food staples just behind wheat and rice,” Douches says. “About any country you go to, you find that potato production is critical. It is not a crop that you put in containers and ship around the world. It is this living, breathing tube. So, you tend to grow the potato and then use it in that region. But this has now stopped unless funding can be restored so we can help feed people around the world.”

Read more on MSUToday.

Shaping the future of farming

While most farmers are focused on this year’s growing season, scientists at MSU’s W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, or KBS, are looking decades into the future. Their focus is on building farming systems that will remain productive, profitable and sustainable over the long term. That’s why KBS has joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Long-Term Agroecosystem Research, or LTAR, Network, which is a group of 18 research sites nationwide working together to improve agriculture while protecting the environment.

Phil Robertson. Courtesy photo

LTAR’s goal is to explore how to grow more food without harming natural resources. At KBS, this means teaming up with farmers and other stakeholders to study things like soil and water health, climate resilience, pest management and economic viability. By combining scientific research with real-world farming experience, the program aims to develop solutions that work in practice, not just on paper.

“The opportunity to help structure a durable food production system is very exciting,” says Marc Hasenick of Hasenick Brothers Farm, who is partnering on the LTAR. “Our state has an amazing diversity of landscape and production systems that provide the perfect canvas to demonstrate that long-term food production stability and long-term socio-ecological stability must go hand in hand.”

“What’s new and exciting about LTAR is its emphasis on a long-term partnership between scientists and stakeholders such as farmers and others interested in agricultural outcomes to design durable, sustainable farming systems in Michigan and beyond,” says Phil Robertson, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and KBS LTAR director. “This allows us to take our long record of fundamental research at KBS to inform practical questions of implementation and outcomes.”

This work is especially important as farming faces challenges from changes in climate and shifting markets. KBS’s LTAR work is helping secure a more stable, productive and sustainable food future for everyone.

Read more on MSUToday.

The challenges to our food system are real, but so are the solutions. With continued support from federal funding, Spartan researchers can keep working alongside growers and communities to ensure that fresh, safe, affordable food stays on our tables. 

For generations, Spartans have been changing the world through research. Federal funding helps power many of the discoveries that improve lives and keep America at the forefront of innovation and competitiveness. From lifesaving cancer treatments to solutions that advance technology, agriculture, energy and more, MSU researchers work every day to shape a better future for the people of Michigan and beyond. Learn more about MSU’s research impact powered by partnership with the federal government.