WSU-USDA Tree Fruit Research Field Day Sunrise Orchard

Join the WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center and USDA-ARS Wenatchee for a field day Tuesday August 6, 2024. This field day is designed to highlight the latest research for growers, consultants, packers, industry professionals, university researchers and staff. We hope you will take home new ideas and enjoy a morning full of new information and networking with your peers.

Topics

• Soil health
• Apple rootstocks
• Pear IPM
• Codling moth lures and traps
• Powdery mildew
• Computer Vision Analysis of Fruit Quality
• X-disease management
• Beneficial insects

Format

Participants will be in 4 groups and rotate through stations highlighting each group’s work. Small groups will allow you a chance to discuss with researchers and peers.

Details

This fourth annual event will highlight the latest in horticulture, entomology, and plant pathology projects. Horticulture highlights include an apple rootstock trial and WA 38 best management blocks with Dr. Stefano Musacchi and highlight our new Soil Health Long Term Experiment with Tianna DuPont, Drs. Tracey Somera, Jessica Waite and Lee Kalcsits.  Dr. Betsy Beers will show codling moth management trials and a Ganapsis release. Learn the latest on Apple Powdery Mildew with Dr. Achour Amiri. Compare types of traps and lures for codling moth with Dr. Rob Curtis. Check out broadleaf weed management for X-disease methods with Dr. Tobin Northfield and Pear IPM to standard comparisons with Dr. Robert Orpet. See the latest on computer vision analysis of fruit quality with Dr. Loren Honaas.

Station 1

Soil Health: Learn about our new long term research and extension site for soil health. View common plant pathogens and nematodes found in replant disease under the microscope. Observe mow and blow application using a side discharge mower. See differences in decomposition, water infiltration, and soil carbon between mulch, mown and blown grass clippings, and standard treatments.

Station 2

‘WA 38’ SOP trial: ‘WA 38’ scions grafted on 9 rootstocks (on a scale of vigor from ‘Bud9’ to ‘G.890’) were planted in 2022. We will look at trees managed with “click pruning” immediately after planting and compare them to minimal pruning approach and to a “recovery” one to mitigate the blind wood effect.

NC140 ‘Granny Smith’ rootstock trial: ‘Granny Smith’ was planted in 2020 on different rootstocks. Most of them are novelty ones from the Geneva series (Cornell, NY), still under evaluation; a comparison between vigor and tree performance across 14 combinations will be observed during the visit.

Station 3

Pear IPM: We will observe pear damage, pear psylla, biocontrol, and overhead washing systems in two plots – one plot followed an integrated spray program for three years and the other plot used typical broad-spectrum pesticides.

X-disease: X-disease management and sampling in cherries. We will discuss weed management strategies to control X-disease vectors, and discuss how to collect samples from trees and survey for vector leafhoppers.

Station 4

Powdery Mildew: We will observe symptoms of apple powdery mildew and discuss the efficacy of organic and conventional materials used to control the disease.

Codling moth trials:  We will look at the 2024 codling moth insecticide trial and discuss interim results in the context of trials from 2015 to present.

Ganaspis release:  We will release adult wasps of the Asian parasitoid of spotted-wing drosophila, Ganaspis kimorum, at the research farm’s cherry block, and discuss release and survey efforts statewide.

Registration

Please RSVP here so we have an idea who is coming and can organize the groups.

Contact

Tianna DuPont (509) 713-5346, [email protected]