News Articles
WSU’s Long Term Soil Health Experiment Featured in the Good Fruit Grower
WSU’s Tree Fruit Long-Term Agroecological Research and Extension (LTARE) Site was featured in the Good Fruit Grower’s April 2026 issue.
“Ghosting” / Diffuse Skin Browning in ‘Golden Delicious’: Causes and controls
“Ghosting”, or diffuse skin browning (DSB), is a physiological disorder in ‘Golden Delicious’ that can be mitigated with step-down cooling and careful 1-MCP application.
Climatic Effects on Postharvest Cherry Quality
Seasonal weather affects sweet cherry quality. Heat waves and temperature fluctuations can reduce firmness, stem quality, and storability, making timely harvest and cooling critical.
Organic AVG (Retain®OL) Extends Apple Harvest Window and Maintains Firmness in Long-Term Storage
Retain®OL delays maturity at harvest and slows ripening in organic 'Gala' apples, preserving firmness through long-term CA storage.
Apple IPM in Hard Economic Times
Optimal pest control may not be possible when budgets are tight. But, by carefully balancing the damage potential of the pests with the cost of…
Critical Time For Codling Moth Management
The codling moth first generation egg hatch is underway in across Washington, and now is one of the most critical times to be controlling population…
Post-bloom nutrition priorities for Washington tree fruit orchards
As orchards transition from bloom into early fruit development and rapid shoot growth, tree fruits enter a period of high nutrient demand and increasing root…
Preharvest X-disease transmission risk
Warm spring weather may allow vectors to transmit X-disease in late May and June. We recommend broadleaf-specific herbicides and coordinating fruit fly sprays to also…
The Biology of Shoot Blight
Shoot blight is caused by fire blight bacterium Erwinia amylovora. It is critical to understand the migration of E. amylovora through the plant tissue so…
Pruning out Fire Blight Infections
It is important to quickly prune out fire blight infected materials soon after an infection occurs to reduce the bacterial ooze which insects and wind…
