pears

Carolina Torres, a horticulturist and WSU alumna, has been named the university’s first Endowed Chair in Tree Fruit Postharvest Systems.

Developing sustainable strategies to defeat pests that threaten Washington’s fruit crops is Tobin Northfield’s goal as new entomologist at WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center.

By Seth Truscott, College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences

PULLMAN, Wash. – Seven research teams at Washington State University will enhance the competitiveness of Pacific Northwest crops by fighting devastating diseases and advancing sustainable agriculture, thanks to more than $1.5 million in Specialty Crop Block Grant funds from the Washington state and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture.

By Linda Weiford, WSU News

WENATCHEE, Wash. – An alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears that was a favorite drink of Napoleon’s is gaining popularity in the United States, thanks to a wave of hard apple cider producers in the Pacific Northwest.

Xiao (Photo by Brian Charles Clark)

The old saying about one bad apple spoiling the whole bunch is based on a real concern. For Washington’s tree fruit industry, postharvest rot of fruit in storage costs the industry millions of dollars of losses annually.

Chang-Lin Xiao, an associate professor of plant pathology and extension specialist at the WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Wenatchee, has discovered three previously unknown fungal pathogens in the United States that cause apples and pears to rot in storage.

Two were the first reports of the pathogens in … » More …

MOUNT VERNON – Washington has become the nation’s second largest wine producer, and with a recent resurgence in interest in premium cider and perry, cider-making may be the next big thing.

Whether you are a beginner or a current cider producer, this summer you will have an opportunity to learn in depth about making quality cider and perry, orchard management, and succeeding in the cider industry from Peter Mitchell, one of the worlds’s leading experts.

Mitchell will lead an intensive five-day workshop on the “Principles and Practices of Cider Making” sponsored … » More …