“Debugging” berries
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Washington’s small fruit growers
represent a more than $100 million industry.
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Berries are big in Washington state. Washington farmers grow the majority of the nation’s red raspberries, producing up to 70 million pounds yearly on more than 10,000 acres. The state’s growers also produce nearly 13 million pounds of strawberries and 14.5 million pounds of blueberries every year. Altogether, the state’s small fruit growers represent more than a $100 million industry.
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At WSU’s Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center in Mount Vernon, entomologist Lynell Tanigoshi and his team are working on new approaches using integrated pest management and a new generation of highly targeted insecticides with low use rates. His small fruit arthropod programs, begun in 1995, focus on developing management tactics that integrate IPM and timed pesticide applications for optimal control and cost effectiveness while minimizing the development of pesticide resistance.
