News Articles
Green Atlas Cartographer for Precision Crop Load Monitoring
Written by Dattatray Bhalekar, Juan Munguia de la Cruz, Bernardita Sallato, Lav Khot, Washington State University, March 2026 Over the past two seasons (2024 and…
The Impact of Soil Amendments on a Replanted Apple Orchard
This study aims to evaluate how different soil amendments influence soil health indicators, soil biology, and early tree growth in a replated commercial apple orchard.…
A Web-Based Decision-Support Tool for Sweet Cherry Floral Dormancy, Relative Water Content, and Cold Hardiness
The LTER–Sweet Cherry Model v1 is a web-based decision-support tool that uses daily temperature and solar radiation inputs to generate seasonal predictions of floral dormancy…
2026 WA Tree Fruit Research Commission Grant Awards for Technology
In December of 2025, the WA Tree Fruit Research Commission approved $564,371 for six (6) new technology research projects for the upcoming year.
Starting the Season off for Pear IPM Success
For growers intending to use selective IPM programs (limiting broad spectrum sprays) for pears this season here are a few considerations for success.
2026 WA Tree Fruit Research Commission Grant Awards for Cherry
For 2026, the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (WTFRC) approved $228,176 to help fund six (6) new projects. The Oregon Sweet Cherry Commission (OSCC) is…
Lenticel breakdown disorder: preharvest and postharvest considerations
Although lenticel breakdown disorder (LBD) is well-know, the latest research published by Torres et al. (2025) has shown: (1) sanitizers used at commercial doses do…
WSU Cherry Breeding Program Update: New Variety
The Washington State University cherry breeding program, led by Dr. Per McCord in Prosser, WA, is releasing a new variety of sweet cherry. Currently known…
How to effectively remove cankers and associated pathogens in sweet cherry orchards
Effective disease management in sweet cherry begins with informed pruning decisions. Recent observations indicate that pruning at least five inches below visible cankers during hot/dry…
Four different types of fire blight pathogen existed in Washington Orchards: What does this mean to growers?
It is often believed that the pathogen causing fire blight is genetically similar in every orchard. A recent study by Washington State University researchers found…
