The primary objective of the 156-acre Trevor Nichols Research Center is to find the best ways to keep fruit pest-free in Michigan while preserving the environment and ensuring economic viability for the state’s fruit growers.

Established 1967

Michigan fruit producers are in competition with more than 30 fruit pests that threaten to damage their crops. The primary objective of the 156-acre Trevor Nichols Research Center is to find the best ways to keep fruit pest-free in Michigan while preserving the environment and ensuring economic viability for the state’s fruit growers. Research topics include studying performance attributes of reduced-risk pesticides, optimizing delivery systems for crop protection materials, monitoring and controlling invasive and emerging pests, and developing novel pest management tactics. The center also supports IR-4, a United States Department of Agriculture project that works with specialty crop growers, registrants and the United States Environmental Protection Agency to register products for use on specialty crops, including reduced-risk pesticides.

View Trevor Nichol’s Enviro-Weather Station for weather data and weather-based pest management tools for researchers and local growers.

 

News

  • Enviro-weather shows promise for growers of all kinds

    Published on June 11, 2013
    A 2011 survey of 1,000 fruit growers indicates that Enviro-weather helped to save at least $1.7 million in grower costs. Growers surveyed also indicated an estimated 7 million pounds in increased crop yield.