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
Tree Characteristics and Management Recommendations for WA 64
A newly released WSU Extension publication offers management recommendations and preliminary findings concerning the growth, tree characteristics, and cultivation practices of WA 64, the latest…
Ultraviolet radiation for packinghouse surface disinfestation and direct application to pear fruit: research report
Written by Shawn McMurtrey, Kartini Luther, Janet Turner, John Bennett, Rachel Leisso, June 2025 Mucor rot of pear and apple is caused by the fungal…
Horticulture Program Manager Position Available
There is one Program Analyst II opening with the Yakima County Horticulture Department.
AWN CropAI: AI-Powered Sunburn Risk Assessment and Fruit Color Tracking App
AWN CropAI is a smartphone application platform designed by AgWeatherNet to support growers in managing crop stressors through a suite of innovative applications. The first…
Digital Technology for Precision Apple Crop Load Monitoring in Washington Orchards
One of the critical steps of crop load management is the assessment of bloom and green fruit density. Precise crop load data is useful to…
Big data comes for the big apple: WSU researchers develop interactive tool for visualizing food consumption
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, the saying goes, but how much do Americans eat apples?
Upcoming Events
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Pear Pest Management Summer Field Day
Hall Rd, Cashmere WA (Pine Flats) 47.52316, -120.55118
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Featured Videos
Fire Blight of Apple and Pear
This animation illustrates the biology of fire blight infections in apple and pear. Video produced by Tianna DuPont, Washington State University. Animation by Dani Abram. Funded by USDA SCRI grant #2020-51181-32158. Thank you to reviewers…
Surface mulches to buffer environmental stress in tree fruit
Kirsten Hannam, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Summerland, BC presented at the 2025 Soil Con: Soil Health Workshop for Tree Fruit February 27, 2025. Thank you to funding and sponsorship from the Soil Health Initiative, WSDA,…
Lacewing releases: Increasing your odds for success
Rebecca Schmidt Jeffris, USDA ARS covered updates on the best strategies for lacewing releases based on recent studies at North Central Washington Apple Day. Part of North Central Washington Tree Fruit Days sponsored by WSU…
New codling moth tools- NCW Tree Fruit Days 2025
Betsy Beers, WSU Entomology described efficacy information on new codling moth products at North Central Washington Apple Day. Part of North Central Washington Tree Fruit Days sponsored by WSU Extension, NW Cherry Growers, Pear Bureau…
Avoiding resistance in organic codling moth management- NCW Tree Fruit Days 2025
Tobin Northfield, WSU Entomology described the importance of rotating products and other strategies to slow virus resistance at North Central Washington Apple Day 2025. Part of North Central Washington Tree Fruit Days sponsored by WSU…
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…
