Potatoes are one of the highest value crops grown in Washington, but growers face threats from pests such as Colorado potato beetle (CPB). Because potatoes are an annual crop that grows for only 4-5 months, these pests live outside of crop fields from approximately September to May, and adults migrate into fields in late spring […]
High-throughput, low-cost diagnostics for multiple aspects of soil health are a necessary component of maximizing the ability of researchers to understand soil health processes and farmers to effectively adopt soil health management practices. Across many growing regions of WA, soilborne diseases are a major limitation and given their patchy nature a large number of samples […]
Farmers on the Palouse are increasingly spending more resources to manage weeds. Weed management, in part, requires fine scale knowledge of weed populations. Mapping weeds with drones is promising but requires knowledge of environmental variation and weed phenology. Application of drones in weed management is growing globally but local applications on the Palouse are limited. […]
Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) are non-toxic nanomaterials derived from plant cellulose, which is the most abundant, renewable biomass found in nature. Recently, CNFs were shown to effectively reduce the severity of Asian soybean rust, generating much attention for agricultural use. To investigate the potential application of CNFs for field crops including potatoes, this proposed project will […]
Pear IPM programs focusing on selective pesticides and cultural controls are demonstrated to effectively manage the most challenging pest, pear psylla, better than conventional programs relying on broad-spectrum insecticides. IPM programs are also less expensive, safer for workers, and more environmentally responsible. Washington pear growers spray 10-15 broad-spectrum insecticides per season, costing around $1500/acre while […]
X-disease, colloquially referred to as “little cherry disease” is the key threat to Pacific Northwest cherry production and the only management options are tree removal and control of leafhoppers that vector the phytoplasma pathogen. With little natural enemy knowledge, vector control focuses only on chemical controls, suspending integrated management principles. Here, we propose using primers […]
Winter pea could be a transformative crop in Washington due to high yields, tolerance for a wide range of conditions, and potential to provide income stability for farmers. In contrast to spring peas, winter peas have higher nutrition and can grow in more severe environments. Yet, although acreage of winter peas is growing rapidly, there […]
Codling moth is the key pest in Washington apples, a $2 billion industry. WSU research suggests that reducing insecticide rates by 90% in conventional farms can provide control equivalent to full rates by improving predator conservation that supplements chemical control. However, fears of promoting insecticide resistance has prevented industry adoption. In organic blocks, codling moth […]
Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is a devastating pest of Washington soft fruits including cherries, blueberries, and red raspberries. Since its arrival in 2009, the cost and intensity of insecticide programs for these crops has dramatically increased. SWD adults generally develop and invade crops from unknown alternative host plants, complicating management. Despite great efforts to identify […]
Aphids are abundant, outbreaking insect herbivores that can deal considerable economic damage to cereals and legumes due to pathogens they transmit. While aphid-virus outbreaks can have catastrophic impacts on crops, we do not yet have reliable population models that predict the time and location for areas at high risk for aphid-virus outbreaks. Because these tools […]