Michigan Apple Committee Research Priorities for 2026-27
Increase demand: To conduct consumer related research that will aid in the sale and profitability of Michigan Apples.
Market research
Variety specific demographics
Economic drivers related to markets, varieties and consumer preferences
Packaging/New Product Development
Lengthen shelf life
Reduce bruising
Overall consumer appeal
Improve quality and consistency: To demonstrate how to improve Michigan Apples in terms of variety, size, taste and appearance.
Apple variety evaluation specific to:
Soils
Weather
Storability
Rootstocks
Resistance to diseases and other pests (insects, mites, nematodes)
Technology
Cultural approaches to protect or enhance fruit quality
Genetic approaches to improve fruit quality
Post-harvest storage improvements
Packing line improvements
Remote sensing or AI-assisted technologies (for detecting tree stress, environmental conditions, and/or insect/disease monitoring including smart traps and decision-supported tools)
Drone use (crop, weather, insect/disease monitoring, spray application)
Irrigation
Growth regulators/thinners
Improve production efficiency and resilience: To help increase grower profitability by improving production efficiency and resilience to climate change induced stressors, regulatory changes, and market shifts.
Training systems - providing uniformity and consistency
High yield/quality
Solid set use
Technology
Remote sensing or AI-assisted technologies including drone use (crop, weather, insect/disease monitoring)
Mechanization – reduce labor needs
Irrigation
Precision apple production
Predictive models for dormancy, bloom and fruit growth development
Crop Load Management
Pruning, thinning
Soil – rootstock matches to soil types, manipulation, irrigation and management of soil issues
Including regenerative practices and improved orchard floor management
Innovative management of fire blight, apple scab, and summer fruit rots
Optimizing pheromone mating disruption for Michigan conditions
Minimizing pesticide/increasing biologic controls
Developing pest control programs that address regulatory and marketing changes
Economic drivers – production vs cost
Food safety: To enhance produce safety systems for all phases of production, harvest, packing, storage, transportation, receiving and point-of-sale environments.
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