Michigan State University AgBioResearch Bolsters Blueberry Industry

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Compared to many of Michigan’s more than 300 agricultural commodities, the blueberry industry is relatively new. Blueberries were first cultivated commercially in the state in the 1920s after Dr. Stanley Johnson, a horticulture professor at Michigan State University, set up test plots throughout the Lower and Upper Peninsulas. 

Johnson discovered that blueberries thrived, particularly in the sandy soils near Lake Michigan, and his work over the following decades would position MSU as a nationwide leader in production. 

The MSU breeding program realized its most significant growth from the efforts of Dr. Jim Hancock, a professor emeritus in the Department of Horticulture, through the development of six varieties. Two of these, Liberty and Draper, remain among the most widely planted northern highbush varieties in the world.

Today, Michigan’s blueberry industry contributes more than $529 million in economic activity annually, according to a 2025 report from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.

Nancy Nyquist, executive director of the Michigan Blueberry Commission, says MSU deserves ample credit for the proliferation of production across the state.

“The Michigan Blueberry Commission started in 2017 with its main purpose to support industry-driven research,” she said. “We don’t deviate from that mission. Research is critically important for our growers to stay on the cutting edge of production strategies, variety development and selection, disease management and all of the other factors that go into producing what’s become an important part of Michigan’s agricultural economy. The commission can’t support the volume of research needed to do that alone, and MSU helps us every step of the way.”

Nyquist noted that with commission funding, new variety trials began last year at MSU’s Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center in Benton Harbor. She said the goal is to evaluate properties that are advantageous to growers, while also acknowledging consumer preferences around taste and overall fruit quality.

In addition to the breeding program, MSU AgBioResearch scientists and Extension educators have worked for decades with blueberry growers and partners on emerging and persistent problems. The MSU small fruit team interacts regularly with the Michigan Blueberry Commission on setting goals, advancing research on the highest-priority topics, and troubleshooting production challenges.

“I’m biased, of course, but I think the small fruit team at MSU is the best in the nation, if not the world, in terms of the services they provide to our communities and farmers,” Nyquist said. “There are a number of areas of expertise, whether it be pollination, disease resistance, pest issues or new cultivars. We have people doing world-renowned research at MSU. Our growers know the researchers, the Extension educators and the lab managers. It’s really a full circle, which also has included MSU Plant & Pest Diagnostics to do testing for us. MSU has its hands on the industry in so many ways, and it’s really phenomenal.”

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Michigan State University AgBioResearch scientists discover dynamic solutions for food systems and the environment. More than 300 MSU faculty conduct leading-edge research on a variety of topics, from health and agriculture to natural resources. Originally formed in 1888 as the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU AgBioResearch oversees numerous on-campus research facilities, as well as 15 outlying centers throughout Michigan. To learn more, visit agbioresearch.msu.edu.