Tree Fruit Research and Extension
WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension develops and applies research-based information for sustainable tree fruit production in Washington and the world.
Recent News
Fire blight risk high with warm temperatures: Reminders
With warm temperatures projected fire blight temperature risk will be high to extreme in many areas starting Friday and over the weekend. Where moisture (including…
How to assess cold damage
Following a cold night like this past Saturday/Sunday, many growers are concerned about damage to their crops. Here is a brief tutorial for assessing damage…
Powdery Mildew of Cherry: Fungicide Resistance Update 2021
Recent research in our laboratory has identified resistance to Group 11 (QoI or strobilurin) and Group 3 (DMI) fungicides in the cherry powdery mildew pathosystem…
Opportunity to comment on potential loss of mating disruption materials from organic approved list
The National Organic Standards Board is reviewing inert ingredients which if lost could make pheremone mating disruption not available for organic. Please see the communication…
AgWeatherNet Spring Frost Program
For the past 25 years Clearwest had provided frost forecasts for Central Washington fruit growers and decided to end this service after the 2020 season.…
Codling Moth Mating Disruption Considerations
Codling moth mating disruption is the foundation for integrated pest management in apple and pears. It is important to remember that the mode of action…
Featured
2021 Codling Moth Survey
Codling moth has been the key pest of pome fruits across the growing regions of Washington and Oregon for over a hundred years. Over that time, pest management programs regularly evolved as key pesticides were phased…
Upcoming Events
Featured Videos
X-disease and Little Cherry Virus Extent and Impact in the Pacific Northwest
X-disease and Little cherry virus cause small, light colored cherries. More than 238,856 trees equivalent to 974 acres of sweet cherries have been removed due to X-disease and Little Cherry Disease between 2015 and 2020…
Sweet Cherry Powdery Mildew Updates by Dr. Grove
Dr. Gary Grove presents an update on sweet cherry powdery mildew with an introduction of the disease, epidemiology, and current situation regarding pesticide resistance in Washington State.
Q&A with Dr. Gary Grover on Sweet Cherry Powdery Mildew
Questions and answers between the growers and industry members and Dr. Gary Grove addressing the current state of pesticide resistance in Washington State.
2021 WSU Review of Cosmic Crisp® C.v. WA 38 Planting Trends and Rootstock
Part 1 of 5 from the WA 38/Cosmic Crisp® 2020/2021 season updates webinar. In this video, Kevin Brandt (PVM) talks about planting trends and rootstocks, including number of trees planted and projected numbers, rootstocks used,…
Cosmic Crisp® Marketing Program for the 2020/2021 Season
Part 2 of 5 from the WA 38/Cosmic Crisp® 2020/2021 season updates webinar. In this video, Kathryn Grandy (PVM) covers the current information on the marketing program and strategies for 2021. There is a Q&A…
Recent Publications
Towards rapid detection and mapping of powdery mildew in apple orchards
Chandel, Khot, Sallato Dec 2020. Powdery mildew (PM) in apples is a critical fungal disease that adversely affects yield and fruit quality. Conventional PM identification techniques are laborious. This study evaluated the suitability of non-destructive…
Photoselective Protective Netting Improves “Honeycrisp” Fruit Quality
Sara Serra et al. Dec 2020. High temperatures, wind, and excessive sunlight can negatively impact yield and fruit quality in semi-arid apple production regions. Netting was originally designed for hail protection, but it can modify…
Sweet Cherries
L. Long, G. Lang & C. Kaiser Dec 2020. This new book provides comprehensive coverage of the history, genetic improvements, production physiology of growth and cropping, orchard establishment and management, and harvest considerations for sustainable…
Recent Achievements and New Research Opportunities for Optimizing Macronutrient Availability, Acquisition, and Distribution for Perennial Fruit Crops
Lee Kalcsits et al. 10/2020. Here, we highlight recent advancements and identify knowledge gaps in nutrient dynamics across the soil–rhizosphere–tree continuum for fruit crops.
RosBREED: bridging the chasm between discovery and application to enable DNA-informed breeding in rosaceous crops
This review presents a synopsis of the approach, deliverables, and impacts of RosBREED, highlighting synergistic global collaborations and future needs. Enabling technologies and tools developed are described, including genome-wide scanning platforms and DNA diagnostic tests.
