The US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) has awarded more than US$16.2mn for Michigan State University’s (MSU) ongoing Plant Science Research Greenhouse Complex renovations.
The funding, which comes through the Research Facilities Act Program, will help researchers advance solutions to some of agriculture’s toughest challenges.
Per the programme’s requirements, MSU is providing matching funds to create more than $32.5mn in new support for the project.
The Research Facilities Act Program provides financial assistance to institutions for the construction, alteration or modernisation of research facilities that host basic, applied and developmental agricultural research.
The programme places an emphasis on infrastructure that promotes research, teaching and extension activities that enable the training of future researchers and professionals in a wide range of agricultural industries.
Priorities focus on themes such as advancing agricultural productivity and profitability, supporting domestic agricultural markets, promoting sustainable resource use, and enhancing resilience against insects, diseases and environmental pressures.
“The USDA NIFA funding will allow our researchers, staff and students to benefit from high-quality greenhouse facilities, and we’re grateful to USDA for recognising the importance of this project,” said Matt Daum, associate provost and dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR).
“We also appreciate the tremendous role our partners have played in securing funding, including legislators at the federal and state levels, as well as our agriculture commodity organisations, business leaders and Michigan’s farmers.”
To date, roughly US$40mn from the State of Michigan and MSU units has led to new construction and renovation of about 60 per cent of the research greenhouses, including a new headhouse, environmental control systems, LED lighting, glazing panels and taller ceilings for larger crops.
Upon completion of the latest project phase in April 2026, however, 40 per cent of the greenhouses have received little to no updates.
When USDA NIFA announced a request for proposals through the Research Facilities Act Program in June, MSU leaders saw great opportunity to enhance the greenhouses.
“In a state with an unpredictable growing season, our greenhouses are critical for plant research,” College of Natural Science dean Eric Hegg said.
“This funding will give our faculty quality spaces and controlled environments to do what they do best – the unseen but vital research that lays the foundation for farmers, plant breeders and agricultural innovators to better feed the world.”
In addition to addressing the unrenovated greenhouses by installing LED lighting, environmental controls and taller ceilings, other features will be added throughout the complex.
This includes automated shade and energy curtains that give researchers the ability to manipulate environmental conditions such as light exposure, temperature and humidity – all while increasing energy efficiency.
“Funding from USDA NIFA and the university will greatly expand the research our scientists can perform in the greenhouses,” noted Erik Runkle, a professor and MSU extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture and co-chair of the MSU Plant Science Research Greenhouse User Committee.
“The new facilities will give us much tighter and more reliable control of temperature and light, which are the main drivers of plant growth.
”They will also eliminate research barriers, such as height restrictions on tall crops and obstacles in drought studies and pest control research,” he continued.
“Just as importantly, they will operate more sustainably than the greenhouses they replace.
”Once this project and the Plant and Environmental Sciences Building are complete, we will have one of the largest and most sophisticated plant growth facilities in the US and beyond,” Runkle enthused.
Chad Cotti, MSU AgBioResearch interim director, said with USDA NIFA’s support, MSU scientists will have the necessary tools to meet the plant agriculture industry’s needs of today and tomorrow.
“MSU is one of the world’s leading plant science research institutions, and we need modern infrastructure to build on that foundation,” he said.
“This funding strengthens our mission of finding solutions to the major challenges facing plant agriculture in Michigan, across the US and all over the world.
”The upgrades already made to the facility allow us to do many types of experiments that were not previously possible, but bringing the entire complex up to that level will spur innovation in even more areas for years to come,” Cotti added.
Source: www.fruitnet.com
