Saginaw Valley Dry Bean & Sugar Beet Research Farm
Michigan is the country’s No. 1 producer of black beans, the No. 2 producer of all dry beans and the No. 4 producer of sugar beets, and Michigan growers depend on bean and sugar beet production research at the Saginaw Valley Beet and Bean Research Farm. On average, beans add more than $77 million to the state’s economy each year, and sugar beets add more than $110 million. Processing plants in the state enhance the value of these important crops. Research at the Saginaw Valley station offers growers the latest information on crop management and tillage techniques, new variety trials, and pest and weed control with minimal environmental impact.
Virtual tour of research areas at Saginaw Valley
History of the Farm:
From 1926 through 1970 on-site research with dry edible beans and sugar beets was conducted at the Ferden Farm near Chesaning Michigan. In the late 1960’s the Ferden Farm was located in the southern edge of the growing area, farmers and industry wanted a research farm that was located more central to the growing region. A group of farmers, industry and university representatives started meetings in 1967 to discuss this issue.
They decided that the Saginaw Valley Bean and Beet Research Farm would be established on January 18, 1971 through an agreement between the Farmers and Manufacturers Beet Sugar Association, Michigan Bean Shippers Association and Michigan Bean Commission. The land was purchased by these groups and leased to Michigan State University to be operated as a branch experimental station. The station was organized to provide on-site research in dry edible beans, sugar beets and other related cash crops such as corn, wheat and soybeans. Current owners of the farm; Michigan Sugar Company, Michigan Bean Shippers Association and Michigan Bean Commission share administration of the property and help determine research priorities through an advisory board. Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station provides funds through the office of Land Management to operate the station. The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences also provides administration to the station with a Faculty Coordinator and a manager for the station. Research is conducted by Departments of Crop and Soil Sciences, Entomology, Plant Pathology, USDA, and by dry bean and sugar beet industry scientists.
Dry beans grown in the early days of the Ferden Farm had a prostrate vine growth habit which made them very susceptible to the “Saginaw County Fair Week” rains which occurred after Labor Day when the beans would ripen. The rains would discolor the beans and lower the quality and price of the beans. The Saginaw County Fair was recently moved to earlier in the growing season to promote a more timely rainfall event.
During the 1960’s a bush type bean was developed which had short vines which improved harvesting, since all beans were mechanically pulled and windrowed before harvesting. The bush beans still left beans pods touching the ground, still resulting in problems of poor quality and low price. During the late 1970’s at the Saginaw Valley Bean and Beet Research Farm an upright short vine dry bean was introduced that kept most of beans off of the ground and increased the chances of a farmer selling a good quality dry bean for market. This growth habit has been introduced into most of the edible dry bean classes currently grown in Michigan.
Sugar beets are dug from the ground in the fall, loaded on trucks, and hauled to the factory to be processed into sugar. Depending on the moisture conditions in the fall, a portion of soil would cling to the beet roots after they were run through the sugar beet harvester. This soil would have to be removed from the beets where the beets were piled and the soil sent back to the farm as tare dirt, or washed from the beets further along in the process and hauled or piled. During the 1950’s a USDA scientist started working on a smooth root sugar beet that would dig cleaner, and allow less soil to be hauled to the factory. Initial selections were made, and the program continued until 1986 when another USDA scientist working at the Saginaw Valley Bean & Beet Research Farm crossed these selections with high sugar lines to make a more commercially acceptable sugar beet breeding line. These breeding lines are now being incorporated into current commercial sugar beet varieties.
The main focus of the Saginaw Valley Bean & Beet Research Farm has always been to introduce new technologies into current dry edible bean and sugar beet production systems that are profitable to the growers of these crops. New developments in varieties included increased yield and quality, disease resistance and growth habit that were requested by farmers and industry working in cooperation with research scientists at the station. All levels of the production systems are examined by scientists in weed control, tillage, fertility, entomology, pathology, plant breeding and variety development. The information is presented to all interested groups at field days, production meetings, publications and web sites.
Information is also disseminated directly to farmers by a network of MSU and industry personnel including extension agents, sugar company field men and industry scientists. The research is also extended further to cooperative on farm sites so the farmer can see the same results in his own back yard. This cooperative effort has and in the future will pay dividends for farmers in this growing region.
Paul Horny
Farm Manager
Saginaw Valley Bean & Beet Research Farm
For more information, contact:
Saginaw Valley Dry Bean & Sugar Beet Research Farm
Farm Manager
3066 South Thomas Road
Saginaw, Michigan 48603
Phone: 989/781.1160
Saginaw Valley Dry Bean & Sugar Beet Research Farm
3066 South Thomas Road • Saginaw, Michigan 48603
Tel: 989/781-1160