Horticultural Science

Thriving in Minnesota climate for over 80 years without cultivation, hemp has adapted to Minnesota’s frigid winters and hot summers. Dr. Tom Michaels and lab have initiated a hemp breeding project to develop Minnesota-specific cultivars and better understand industrial hemp and its diverse use cases. 

A University of Minnesota-led team of researchers received the first round of funding from a $10 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to follow up on their work with VitisGen2, a multi-disciplinary, collaborative project focused on cultivating disease-resistant grapes that can be grown sustainably with reduced pesticide and fossil fuel use. 

This summer, eight undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds across the country were provided full-time research positions with CFANS through the Sustainability Opportunities for Agricultural Research - Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (SOAR-REEU) program, which aims to close the agricultural career gap for youth from underrepresented groups.