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
Introducing the WSU Pesticide Spray Record Evaluator
At some point, many of us have heard from a grower or friend that “it’s been a really bad year” for the control of a…
County Horticultural Pest and Disease Boards in Washington State
Every county in Washington State that has commercial tree fruit operations that ship fruit to specific countries outside the United States are required to have…
Tree Fruit Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition in Cropping Orchards in Central Washington
Healthy trees need healthy roots to take up water and nutrients; healthy soils to provide water, nutrients, and protection from plant pathogens; sufficient water; and…
Canker Removal Now is Critical for Fire Blight Management this Year
Fire blight cankers left in the orchard are the source for new infections next spring. Remove them now!
Featured Event
2020 Apple Horticulture/ Postharvest & Apple Crop Protection Research Review
Jan 29, 2020
The WA Tree Fruit Research Commission would like to invite everyone interested to attend this year’s Apple Horticulture / Postharvest and Apple Crop Protection Research Reviews.
Upcoming Events
Featured Videos
Taking time when testing WA 38 (COSMIC CRISP®) maturity
Ines Hanrahan, executive director of the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, shows differences in testing apple maturity between Granny Smith and WA 38 (COSMIC CRISP®) using an iodine starch test. Learn more about the recently…
Para mejorar la calidad de fruta, utilice el análisis de suelo
El análisis de suelo es fundamental para el manejo de la nutrición del huerto. En este video, Bernardita Sallato nos muestra cómo tomar la muestra de suelo en un huerto frutal. https://www.youtube.com
Netting for Apple Insect Management
Shade nets are becoming popular to reduce sunburn on apples, but what effect do they have on movement of insects? WSU graduate student Adrian Marshall is investigating the potential of mesh barriers to keep pests…
WA 38 Fruit Quality Update 2019
Dr. Ines Hanrahan, Executive Director for the WA Tree Fruit Research Commission, presents information about WA 38 fruit quality studies including recent results and future plans. This presentation was part of the 2019 Apple Day…
WA 38 Horticulture Update 2019
Dr. Stefano Musacchi, Endowed Chair of Tree Fruit Physiology & Management at WSU, discusses the most recent information about the best horticultural practices for WA 38 apple trees and updates on related research. There is…
Recent Publications
Fire blight in the plant nursery
This article discusses recommendations for preventing fire blight from arriving in your nursery, and for cleaning up the disease, should infected plants be detected there.
The Modern Apple Orchard: What does it entail?
Modern tree fruit orchards are planted with a goal of maximizing efficiency and productivity. Mechanized operations are ideal for high-value, large operations to increase profitability. Consequently, there has been a steady increase in sparsely-branched thin…
Responses of ‘Honeycrisp’ Apples to Short-term Controlled Atmosphere Storage Established During Temperature Conditioning
‘Honeycrisp’ apples are susceptible to bitter pit, a physiological disorder that impacts peel and adjacent cortex tissue. ‘Honeycrisp’ is also susceptible to chilling injury (CI) that can be prevented by holding fruit at 10 to 20 8C…
Apple Scion and Rootstock Contribute to Nutrient Uptake and Partitioning under Different Belowground Environments
Soil environment strongly contributes to tree growth and development, affecting nutrient and water uptake. Composite woody perennials, like apple, are a combination of two genetically different parts: a rootstock and a scion, and yet, the…
Use of Protective Netting in Washington State Apple Production
G Mupambi, D Layne, L Kalcsits, S Musacchi, S Serra, T Schmidt, and I Hanrahan. 2019. TB60E. WSU Extension Pubs. Washington State (WA) is the largest producer of apples in the United States. The major…
