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
2025 WA Tree Fruit Research Commission Reserve Funds Grant Awards for Pear
For 2025, the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (WTFRC) approved $481,297 of pear reserve funds to help support four new special projects largely focused on…
Assessing Export Suitability of New and Standard Sweet Cherry Varieties
Sweet cherries destined for certain export markets must retain fruit and stem quality for 2 to 6 weeks postharvest and be resilient to breaks in…
2024 Apple Costs and Returns Production Studies
The Tree Fruit Extension Economics Team released the 2024 Cost and Return Studies for Gala, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Cosmic Crisp™. ‘Gala’ and ‘Granny Smith’…
Optimization of the WSU Cherry Breeding program using an optical fruit sorter
The optical sorter is an efficient tool for assessing fruit right after harvest and during postharvest evaluations. It provides valuable insights that can be helpful…
AgWeatherNet Updates
This spring, AgWeatherNet has introduced a redesigned interface for the Apple Pollen Tube Growth Model, featuring interactive visualizations and clearer guidance for thinning decisions.
WA 38: Best Management Practices Handbook
Hot off the press! WA 38 Flower Biology, Fruit Set, and Crop Load Management is the first published chapter of the WA 38: Best Management…
Upcoming Events
15
May
May
STAR Web Tool Training: Helping Conservation Agriculture Make Cents
21 N 1st Ave #236 Yakima, WA 98902
22
May
May
Industry Day at CAMA 2025 International Conference in Wenatchee
Wenatchee Convention Center
1
Jun
Jun
10th International Cherry Symposium in Richland
Holiday Inn Richland on the River
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Featured Videos
Fire Blight of Apple and Pear
This animation illustrates the biology of fire blight infections in apple and pear. Video produced by Tianna DuPont, Washington State University. Animation by Dani Abram. Funded by USDA SCRI grant #2020-51181-32158. Thank you to reviewers…
Surface mulches to buffer environmental stress in tree fruit
Kirsten Hannam, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Summerland, BC presented at the 2025 Soil Con: Soil Health Workshop for Tree Fruit February 27, 2025. Thank you to funding and sponsorship from the Soil Health Initiative, WSDA,…
Lacewing releases: Increasing your odds for success
Rebecca Schmidt Jeffris, USDA ARS covered updates on the best strategies for lacewing releases based on recent studies at North Central Washington Apple Day. Part of North Central Washington Tree Fruit Days sponsored by WSU…
New codling moth tools- NCW Tree Fruit Days 2025
Betsy Beers, WSU Entomology described efficacy information on new codling moth products at North Central Washington Apple Day. Part of North Central Washington Tree Fruit Days sponsored by WSU Extension, NW Cherry Growers, Pear Bureau…
Avoiding resistance in organic codling moth management- NCW Tree Fruit Days 2025
Tobin Northfield, WSU Entomology described the importance of rotating products and other strategies to slow virus resistance at North Central Washington Apple Day 2025. Part of North Central Washington Tree Fruit Days sponsored by WSU…
Recent Publications
Evaluation of biopesticides for the control of Erwinia amylovora in Apple and Pear
In a recent study, we evaluated non-antibiotic materials for fire blight control in 8 Washington, 3 Oregon, 3 New York and 2 Pennsylvania field experiments conducted between 2013 to 2022.
Investigations of Multiple Approaches to Reduce Green Spot Incidence in ‘WA 38’ Apple
A pre-harvest apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) disorder named “green spot” (GS) was recently identified on ‘WA 38’ apples. Previous work indicated a tentative association between GS and fruit mineral imbalance, and an influence of…
Soil Health Indicators for Central Washington Orchards
To help growers in Central Washington orchards, Washington State University scientists demonstrated that all soil health indicators should include measurements of water availability and root health in addition to standard fertility indicators to meet stakeholder…
Field scale application of Brassica seed meal and anaerobic soil disinfestation for the control of apple replant disease.
Study published June 2021 in Applied Soil Ecology shows potential of anaerobic soil disinfestation and biorenovation with mustard meals for mitigation of replant disease.
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…
