MSU Project GREEEN Announces Research Grants
Michigan State University (MSU) researchers have been awarded more than $2 million for research and outreach projects to continue growing Michigan’s $71.3 billion agri-food and agri-energy industries.
Eighty-eight plant agriculture research projects will receive $2.08 million in grant funding from Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to Meet Economic and Environmental Needs), Michigan’s plant agriculture initiative at MSU, for fiscal year 2009.
Doug Buhler, Project GREEEN coordinator and associate director of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, said this year’s cycle was the most competitive in GREEEN’s 12 years of funding projects and programs to meet plant agriculture industry challenges.
Project GREEEN is a cooperative effort between plant-based commodities and businesses together with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU Extension and the Michigan Department of Agriculture to advance Michigan’s economy through its plant-based agriculture.
A total of 101 new project proposals requesting more than $3 million were received for consideration in this year’s selection process. Fifty-two continuation proposals seeking $1.2 million were received for projects begun in 2007 or 2008.
New projects were funded across the spectrum of Michigan’s plant agriculture industries on a wide range of topics, including a comprehensive fruit worm”management program for Michigan blueberries, developing sustainable water management guidelines for Fraser fir Christmas trees and developing business plans for hoop houses.
“GREEEN is uniquely positioned to stay at the forefront of plant agricultural research and Extension by surveying the industry about its challenges and identifying projects that will address them,” Buhler said. “The research and outreach projects selected for Project GREEEN funding address industry-identified priorities and have met the rigors of scientific peer review.”
A complete listing of the 2009 Project GREEEN research and extension projects, both new and continuing, is available at www.greeen.msu.edu/.
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