Apple Day – North Central Washington Tree Fruit Days 2026
January 20, 2026 @ 8:45 am - 3:30 pm
Join us for the latest research-based information. 4 WSDA pesticide update credits (with approval). In person event with hybrid virtual option.
North Central Washington Tree Fruit Days
Join us for WSU Tree Fruit Extension Programs in North Central Washington. Co-sponsored by Northwest Cherries, Pear Bureau Northwest, NCW Fieldmen’s Association, and the Okanogan Horticultural Association. These events provide the latest research-based information on horticulture, pest and disease management. We hope you will join us to network and learn this winter. Apple, Pear and Cherry Day will be held in Wenatchee, WA January 20-22, 2026 with a virtual webinar option. Okanogan Horticultural Day February 11, 2026.
Format
NCW Tree Fruit Days events in 2026 will be held in person with a virtual option through zoom webinars for Apple, Pear and Stone Fruit Days.
Apple Day Topics
Session 1: Pest and Disease Management
- Organic codling moth management
- Conventional codling moth management
Session 2: Biocontrol
- Lacewing release research updates
- Natural enemy releases panel
- Netting impact on codling moth and natural enemies
Session 3: Improving Pack outs by Preventing Post Harvest Problems in the Field
- Preventing storage rots
- Pre-harvest techniques to improve pack-outs
Session 4: Profitability
- Efficiencies panel
- Benefits of field sorting
Credits
4 pesticide update credits will be available with WSDA approval.
Registration
Registration is required for virtual webinar attendance. Walk-ins okay for in person participation. In person event is free (sponsored, a $150 value). Thank you sponsors: Washington State University, Northwest Cherries, Pear Bureau Northwest, NCW Fieldmen’s Association. Virtual attendee registration fee ($30 for 3 day event) covers additional cost of audio visual technician/live streaming for event. Virtual registration. Registered attendees should receive a confirmation from zoom the next business day.
Networking Lunch
Join us for the sponsored networking lunch which provides an opportunity to learn and network with your peers and visiting speakers. Sponsored lunch limited to the first 100 attendees per day. Apple Day Networking Lunch Sponsored by USDA SARE Grant. Register here.
Agenda (Draft)
This serves as a complement and additional consideration to all current pre-harvest techniques used to improve fruit packouts. We will talk about the most important factors that can affect packouts and how to improve upon these while maintaining economic feasibility.
Vendors
To join the tradeshow please contact the NCW Fieldmen’s association at ncwfieldman@nwi.net
Speakers
Achour Amiri is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at Washington State University. He focuses on tree fruit diseases in Washington State and Pacific Northwest with a focus on applied epidemiology of major pathogens in orchards and its linkage to post-harvest disease problems.
Erik van der Sluys has been working in the biocontrol industry for the past six years helping growers gain a deeper understanding of the effects of their IPM decisions on their local ecology. Over the past 10+ years, Erik has been working in different orchard and row crop production as well as ornamental and cannabis facilities, bringing an interesting perspective to pest management.
Thiago Campbell is a new WSU Tree Fruit Extension Educator focusing on postharvest pathology and physiology. Campbell has a pHD in horticulture from Washington State University. He is originally from Miami, Florida, where his family operates a small-scale mango orchard.
Rebecca Schmidt-Jeffris is a USDA-ARS Research Entomologist. Her research program focuses on the biological control of tree fruit pests by their natural enemies, including augmentative releases, pesticide non-target effects, and natural enemy biology.
Betsy Beers, Professor and Entomologist, WSU Department of Entomology, Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center. Beers has worked for 30+ years on integrated pest management of apple and cherry pests.
Chuck Weaver is a horticulturalist with GS Long covering North Central Washington.
and many more coming soon
Credits Q&A
WSDA pesticide update credits. To receive credits for online attendance, participants must:
- Register each participant including pesticide license information. Make sure registrant name matches name on license.
- Attend the full morning session. The webinar software tracks the number of minutes each attendee has participation. 3 credit sessions require 150 minutes of pesticide related content.
- Respond to poll questions and check-ins during the workshop.
Common Zoom Problems and Trouble Shooting
- Cannot enter the webinar.
- Early? If you are early you will receive a message that the meeting has not started yet. Just wait and we will have webinar open soon.
- Enter the passcode: you can attend the meeting without a zoom account, but you have to enter the passcode to get in. Passcode: 1111.
- All online participants will be required to have a zoom account to sign in due to WSU security policies. Go to https://zoom.us/ to sign up (free) and don’t forget to check your email to confirm. Please make sure to sign in early and check that zoom is working for you and that recent updates have been downloaded.
- No sound
- Check your audio settings in zoom. Click on the up arrow close to the microphone icon at the bottom of your screen. Choose audio settings and check that you have the correct speaker and microphone checked.
- Check your audio in your computer settings.
- Still having trouble. Call (509) 293-8792. Note these phone numbers will be forwarded to volunteers during the hour before and after the webinar starts as Tianna will be running the meeting.
Common questions:
- Can I have multiple people watching on one computer? The webinar host can only verify attendance for each logged in participant. If it is not possible for each participant to login separately, please contact Tianna (509) 713-5346 in advance to designate a host for your site who can verify attendance.
