Michigan's blueberry industry, first commercialised in the 1920s following test plots established by Michigan State University horticulture professor Dr. Stanley Johnson, now generates more than $529 million in annual economic activity, according to a 2025 report from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.
Subsequent breeding work at MSU, including six varieties developed by Dr. Jim Hancock, positioned the university within northern highbush production systems. Two varieties, Liberty and Draper, remain widely planted.
The Michigan Blueberry Commission, formed in 2017 to support research, works closely with MSU on breeding, pest management, and production systems. Executive director Nancy Nyquist said, "The Michigan Blueberry Commission started in 2017 with its main purpose to support industry-driven research. We don't deviate from that mission."
© U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.
Variety trials began last year at MSU's Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center in Benton Harbor to assess agronomic traits and fruit quality parameters. MSU researchers and Extension educators also address disease, pollination, and pest challenges in collaboration with growers.
Project GREEEN, a partnership among MSU, the Michigan Plant Coalition, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, has funded applied research for 27 years. Through this programme, researchers began work on spotted wing drosophila following its arrival in Michigan in 2010.
"One of the main ways MSU has helped in recent years is through recommendations developed on how to deal with SWD," Nyquist said. "This was an emerging issue we hadn't dealt with before, and MSU researchers got right on it."
Research has included evaluation of control strategies and monitoring tools. Enviroweather, a network of weather stations positioned across the state, provides data to support decision-making on irrigation, pest management, and disease forecasting.
Creela Hamlin, a grower and commission member, said, "It's really about doing projects that directly translate to real-world field operations. We need research that is translatable and can be implemented directly into the field."
Ryan Wysocki, a crop advisor, added, "If a manufacturer comes to me with a new product, my first response will be to have someone at MSU put it in a trial."
Both growers emphasised the importance of rapid response capability for invasive pests and emerging diseases.
Hamlin said, "It would be catastrophic to our industry if we weren't able to do this research."
Wysocki noted, "There must be constant communication between growers and MSU."
Research continues to focus on pest management, disease identification, water use, soil health, and production systems as part of ongoing collaboration between the university and industry stakeholders.
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