College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

• Tree Fruit and Small Fruit Varieties in Michigan

  Published on February 3, 2022

  Bill Shane and Cheyenne Sloan will discuss the varieties of tree fruit and small fruit best suited for growing in Michigan.

• Christopher Gottschalk

  Christopher Gottschalk with MSU's Plant Breeding, Genetics and Technology, is researching a red-flesh and cultivar breeding project in apples.

• Understanding and Minimizing Cold Damage in Fruit Crops

  Published on February 18, 2021

  MI Ag Ideas to Grow With 2021 - Fruit Session: Review of winter and spring cold events, how cold damages plants, and measures growers can use to reduce the impact cold on their crops.

• Beginning Fruit

  Published on February 21, 2024

  Nothing compares to farm fresh fruit, but growing fruit can be a little more complicated than one would initially think. This session will cover the basics of fruit production and dispel some common myths that viral videos might have led you to believe

• Presenter Panel Discussion of the Week's Pest Topics

  Published on March 25, 2022

  Attendees submitted questions to the expert panel of presenters from the week's fruit sessions. The panel spent the Friday hour answering attendee submitted questions based on the week's topics.

• Do spotted wing drosophila traps impact infestation?

  Published on February 6, 2020

  Dr. Nikki Rothwell of Michigan State University Extension and AgBioResearch talks about preliminary research investigating how spotted wing drosophila traps could influence the risk of infested fruit.

• Bee Integrated: Linking Michigan Farmers and Beekeepers

  Published on March 2, 2022

  Farmers and beekeepers in Michigan describe how Bee Integrated brought them together to team up on honey bee health, opening lines of communication and setting the stage for collaboration for better crops and healthier honey bees.

• Key Wildlife Pests of Fruit and How to Promote and Protect Pollinators in Fruit Systems

  Published on March 24, 2022

  Learn more about key wildlife pests to be on the lookout for as well as how you can promote and protect pollinators on your operation.

• Key Insect Pests and Diseases of Small Fruits

  Published on March 23, 2022

  Diseases and pests can show up quickly to ruin fruit crops. This video will help you learn the basics, including management strategies, for important small fruit diseases and pests common in our region.

• Growing Cider Apples

  Published on April 8, 2016

  The basics of growing cider apples.

• Growing organic apples

  Growing organic apples in Michigan is a difficult thing to do. There are three major struggles: effective pest control for insects, diseases and weeds.

• Fruit Presenter Panel Discussion of the Week's Horticultural Topics

  Published on March 4, 2022

  Attendees at the MI Ag Ideas to Grow With conference who participated in the fruit track, week 1 with horticultural topics were able to hear from an expert panel of presenters from the week's sessions. This panel spent the Friday hour answering attendee submitted questions based on the week's topics.

• Insecticide rainfastness for products used to control spotted wing drosophila

  Published on February 6, 2020

  Dr. John Wise of the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University talks about characteristics of insecticides used to manage spotted wing drosophila.

• Influences of overwintering conditions and seasonal relative humidity on SWD populations

  Published on February 6, 2020

  Dr. Rufus Isaacs of the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University talks about how environmental factors influence spotted wing drosophila (SWD) populations.

• Michigan Tree Fruit Commission - Working in new ways to advance the industry

  Published on April 1, 2024

  The Michigan Tree Fruit Commission was created in 2014 with a focus on upgrading MSU research center infrastructure for apple, cherry, peach and plum projects.

• Bee Integrated: Blooms are a Boost for Bees

  Published on March 2, 2022

  Michigan State University Apiculture Extension Educator Ana Heck explains how good forage helps honey bees deal with other stressors.

• The Why and How for Training, Pruning, and Crop Management in Small Fruit and Tree Fruit

  Published on February 2, 2022

  Learn more about the reasons for training and pruning, as well as examples on how to train, prune and manage the crop in small fruit and tree fruit

• Using the 2025 Michigan Apple Cost of Production Study

  Published on November 14, 2025

  This is a recording of the “Using the 2025 Apple Cost of Production Study” webinar held on November 13, 2025. During the video, we look at per bushel and per bin costs, break-evens for both semidwarf and high density plantings, and how to adjust the results to your farm's specific numbers. This webinar was part of the Farm Policy & Risk Management series.

• Bernard Zandstra

  Bernard Zandstra is conducting research at Michigan State University's Clarksville Research Center to help farmers keep their apple orchards weed free.

• Bee Integrated: Bees and Pesticides

  Published on March 2, 2022

  In this Bee Integrated video, farmer Mike Van Agtmael describes how integrated pest management and good communication with his beekeeper, Jim Hilton, keeps bees healthy and pollination productive. Beekeeper Jamie Ostrowski describes a "perfect storm" that harmed some of her bees—and how she and Matt Jansen of Green Thumb Blueberries collaborate to protect her hives.