WSU Extension is scouting 20 orchards in the Wenatchee Valley for three seasons to demonstrate integrated pest management in pears and ultimately provide a beneficial scorecard to assist producers and consultants with management decisions.
Orchard blocks are managed conventionally, organically, or using an IPM program.
- Conventional blocks are managed using a standard spray program used by the majority of the industry.
- IPM blocks are managed with a spray program that includes selective materials in order to boost natural enemy numbers.
- Organic blocks are established OMRI-certified orchards (they have been using organic management for at least 3 seasons).
All orchards contain primarily Bartlett and D’Anjou pear varieties. The blocks are clustered geographically in order to make meaningful comparisons of insect populations. Click on the links to the left to see data from each cluster.
This project was funded in part by a grant from WSDA Specialty Crop Block Grant K1986.
