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
Cost Share Funds Available to Cherry and Stone Fruit Producers through Grant for X-disease and Little Cherry Disease Tree Removal
Washington State University Extension in partnership with county Conservation Districts and Pest Boards announce the availability of cost-share funds for the removal and testing of…
Early Fall Defoliation in Sweet Cherry
In perennial species, natural leaf senescence in the fall is part of a remobilization of mobile nutrients and carbohydrates to wood, buds and roots.
Reimbursement for Composting
WSDA is launching the Compost Reimbursement Program to encourage on-farm compost use. Approximately $1 million will be distributed annually on a first-come, first-served basis. All…
BMPs for tree removal for X disease and Little Cherry Virus infected trees
Methods to remove trees infected with X-disease or Little cherry disease.
Recommended Harvest Criteria for Commercial WA-38 Storage in 2023
Use this guide in addition to the published marketing and quality standards for the 2023 crop year. First ship date for fruit produced in the…
AgWeatherNet Update
The month of August saw the completion of two new Mesonet tower stations bringing the network total to 40. It was also a busy month…
Fall Leafhopper Management
Manage leafhopper vectors of X-disease in their final fall generation.
Upcoming Events
15
Nov
Nov
Pear Study Circle – Scouting, Thresholds, Conserving Natural Enemies
Mission Creek Community Club
16
Jan
Jan
Pear Day – North Central Washington Tree Fruit Days
Wenatchee Convention Center
Featured Videos
Pre-emergent Herbicides-Timing Trials and Product
Mike discussed results from his multi-year pre-emergent herbicide timing trials at two field sites in New York. He provided some practical tips for fall herbicide applications to maximize product efficacy, and will briefly review some…
Codling Moth: Achieving Optimum Spray Coverage
Sprayer calibration and optimization per canopy architecture is achievable if it is prioritized by management and personnel have an understanding of the affect of air, nozzles, and rates on deposition. Extension Specialist, Gwen Hoheisel, provides…
Codling Moth: Considerations When Building a Spray Program
Chemical choices are clear, but the challenge is how to build a spray program that incorporates “The Decision Triad”, resistance management, and takes advantage of the selectiveness (ovicides, larvicides) of new chemistries. WSU researcher Rob…
Codling Moth: Resistance Management
Historically, the availability of different chemical choices has been driven by regulations and pesticide resistance. Understanding how the over use of chemical classes leads to the loss of products should be the foundation of a…
Codling Moth: The Effects of Netting
Netting is commonly used for sun and wind protection, but it can also be used to exclude insects from an orchard. Adrian Marshall shares research and expertise on how to implement netting for IPM.
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…
