AgBioResearch

Michigan Farm Bureau Research Priorities

Submitted by:
Michigan Farm Bureau
P.O. Box 30960
Lansing, Mich. 48909
517-323-7000 ext. 2020

1. Pest Control
   1. Continued research to determine the impacts of Spotted Wing Drosophila
   2. Find practical, effective methods to control or reduce the infection of varroa mites, tracheal mites, small hive beetles in honeybees and colony collapse disorder
   3. Enhance the use of natural plant pest predator species or bio-controls after thoroughly reviewing the potential consequences to the environment
2. Disease Control
   1. Armillaria root fungus
   2. Address viable control methods for Phytophthora capsica and downy mildew
   3. The development of new chemical and biological controls for disease detection, control, and eradication
3. Fruit & Nursery Crops
   1. Overall spruce decline
   2. The development of new tree fruit varieties for growing and marketing that are specifically geared for growers in the Midwest
4. Row crops and hemp
   1. Research into areas of dry bean disease control and pest prevention.
   2. Research on the use of 100 percent biomass fuels for some vehicles, as well as blending biomass fuels with petroleum-based fuels
   3. Research on hemp processing and production techniques
5. Climate and the environment
   1. Research and other investments to assist the agriculture industry in adapting to climate variability, for example research to determine the amount of carbon sequestered in soils and biomasses across all crops, including forestry
   2. Additional research on dissolved phosphorus

Updated August 2021