tree fruit

The Washington State Department of Agriculture will host an open house on Thursday, March 9th to address plans to eradicate the Japanese Beetle.  The open house is scheduled to run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Grandview Library, 500 W. Main St....

Ask anyone in the tree fruit, berry or vegetable industries, they’ll tell you all about the high labor costs associated with their labor-intensive commodities.  A recent USDA study looked at those costs and what can be done to help producers with their bottom line.   “There...

Washington State University will start their Tree Fruit Days this week for growers and producers across north central Washington.   “Topics include pest and disease management, invasive species, climate impacts on pollination, discussions on agricultural labor, and evaluating emerging technologies,” said WSU Tree Fruit Extension Specialist Tianna DuPont.  She added this is a...

Washington State Department of Agriculture officials confirmed last week that Japanese beetles have spread beyond the initial quarantine area established earlier this year.  On Thursday, December 15th, the WSDA filed an emergency rule to expand the boundaries of the internal quarantine of Japanese beetle.  The Dep...

Farmers will need to feed an estimated 9.8 billion people worldwide by 2050, and to help in that effort, Oregon State University researchers are trying to expand the use of robots in agriculture.  Joe Davidson, Assistant Professor of Robotics, said nearly all fruit is harvested by humans because robots don’t operate efficiently in unstructured environments.   "Not o...

Researchers at Washington State University are looking at whether or not automated drones can successfully keep birds away from fields and orchards.  Associate Professor Dr. Manoj Karkee said farmers have been trying many different technologies to address this challenge.  He said...