Sunrise Field Day WSU, USDA Research 2025

Join Washington State University and USDA-ARS Wenatchee for a summer field day discussing the latest tree fruit research.

Topics

· Sunburn physiology.

· Drape net for codling moth.

· Codling moth biocontrols.

· Ground cover management to limit X-disease spread.

· Soil health management – thinking long term.

· Rootstocks.

Station 1: The Kalcsits group will demonstrate controlled sunburn experiments to better dial in thresholds for sunburn browning and necrosis in apples.

Station 2: WA 38 maturity and greasiness facts.

Station 3: Codling moth are known to be well controlled with drape nets, but growers have experienced ‘non-target’ effects on secondary pests, especially woolly apple aphid. This trial with the Beers Lab explores different approaches to mitigate the non-target effects without compromising control of codling moth.

Station 4: The Northfield lab will discuss groundcover management for X-disease vectors and current research into how leafhopper feeding behavior and mating calls to better understand X-disease vector host plant use.

Station 5: NC140 Granny Smith rootstock trial. ‘Granny Smith’ was planted in 2020 on different rootstocks. Most of them are novelty rootstocks 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 6: Learn about our new long-term research and extension site for soil health. See differences in tree growth, decomposition, soil biota, water infiltration, and soil carbon between mulch, mown and blown grass clippings, and standard treatments.

Also check out other Health & Wellness events in Rock Island.