Apricots join fruit sale at WSU Tukey Orchard this weekend
Cynthia King
PULLMAN, Wash. – Fruit sales at Washington State University’s Tukey Horticulture Orchard will continue this weekend with the addition of apricots. » More …
WSU News
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WSU scientists turn white fat into obesity-fighting beige fat
Cynthia KingBy Rebecca Phillips, University Communications science writer
PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University scientists have shown that berries, grapes and other fruits convert excess white fat into calorie-burning beige fat, providing new strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity. » More …
Ask Dr. Universe: Why is ripe fruit sweet?
Cynthia King
WENATCHEE, Wash. – My friend Kate Evans said the answer really depends on whether you want the perspective of a person, a plant or even a cat. Evans is a plant scientist at Washington State University in Wenatchee, where she investigates fruit in the Apple Capital of the World. » More …
Fruit quality the focus of new biodegradable mulch research
Cynthia KingBy Cathy McKenzie, WSU Mount Vernon
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. – Biodegradable mulches provide eco-friendly benefits to the agriculture industry, but the effects on fruit quality of these weed-controlling, moisture-preserving products are largely unknown.
Grant helps WSU improve state’s most valuable crops
Cynthia KingBy Sylvia Kantor, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences
PULLMAN, Wash. – Scientists at Washington State University have been awarded $2.53 million to improve fruit quality and disease resistance of crops in the rosaceae family (apple, blackberry, peach, pear, rose, strawberry, sweet cherry and tart cherry). » More …
New pest management choices for small-fruit growers
Cynthia KingBy Cathy McKenzie, WSU Extension
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. – Entomologist Lynell Tanigoshi and his colleagues at Washington State University have devised an effective system to help soft-fruit growers control their “Public Enemy No. 1” – spotted wing drosophila, a type of fruit fly. » More …
April 9, 12: Add variety to orchard by learning to graft
Cynthia King
EVERETT, Wash. – Adding fruit trees to a home or commercial orchard can be an expensive proposition – unless you know how to graft. » More …
Scientist SWAT team combats stink bug invasion
Cynthia KingBy Linda Weiford, WSU News
PULLMAN, Wash. – An alien pest that smells like dirty socks and devours crops might become Washington state agriculture’s Public Enemy No. 1 in less than five years, government and university researchers are warning. » More …
Research on Phytochemicals continues for a second year
WSU News 
A microphoto of a phytochemical, courtesy of WSU
Extension.
PULLMAN – Research on the benefits of phytochemicals in apples and raspberries will expand to include other major Washington crops, continuing a project that a WSU scientist began last year.
Bernd M. Lange, assistant professor in WSU’s Institute of Biological Chemistry, spearheaded the research project, beginning in the fall of 2007, with the goal of developing a high-throughput analytical method of measuring levels of health-related phytochemicals in crops.
“Phytochemicals, in general, are active chemicals in plants that can be of nutritional value,” Lange said. … » More …
WSU researcher maps tree fruit genome mosaic
WSU NewsImproved apples, peaches, pears and cherries at market sooner. This is one benefit of research by WSU bioinformaticist Dorrie Main.Piece by piece, Main, an associate professor of horticulture and a scientist in the WSU Agricultural Research Center, is mapping the DNA mosaic of the rosaceous family. The family includes Washington’s largest crop–apples–and other tree fruit as well as cherries, peaches, berries and nuts. One result of her work is a shortening of the time between breeding-improved tree fruit varieties and actually planting them for production.Main focuses on genes connected primarily to fruit quality– sugar and acid levels, color, firmness and fruit size as well as … » More …