PROSSER, Wash.—A more accurate way to measure cold hardiness in apple and sweet cherry buds and blooms during early spring is under development by researchers at Washington State University Prosser Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center (IAREC). The three-year project, funded by the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission this year, will help Pacific Northwest growers […]
PULLMAN, Wash. – A recent assessment of educational and research programs in organic agriculture in the U.S. puts WSU in the top six schools in the nation. In fact, WSU outranks every other program in the country, because WSU is still the only university to offer a four-year, science-based bachelor of science degree in organic […]
SEATTLE – Washington State University took another giant step in becoming the world’s model for research, teaching and extension in organic and sustainable agriculture thanks to a $5 million donor investment announced here this afternoon.
PROSSER, Wash. – While Washington winemakers grow most of their grapes on their natural rootstock, the coveted quality of their crop–and wines–is unlikely to change if they join the rest of the world and start grafting their varieties to more disease- and pest-resistant roots. That day will probably come, say WSU experts, but growers have […]
PULLMAN, Wash. — What happens when tomato meets oregano in the WSU Creamery? Hundreds tried to name the delicious result, but there was only one winner: Oreganato. The new cheese flavor, made with loving care by the WSU students who produce world-famous Cougar Gold, is being released today, Valentine’s Day.
WENATCHEE, Wash. — Apple orchards are intricate webs involving a delicate balance between trees, soils, water, insects and more. To manage the pests that can potentially damage a crop of apples, a grower might apply a pesticide. There are several problems associated with pesticide use, though, including risks to environmental and human health; the costs […]
MOUNT VERNON, Wash.—Wheat growers west of the Cascades could bring in more profit by supplying wheat to local bakers, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by Washington State University graduate researcher Karen Hills. Sixty percent of western Washington commercial bakers said they are interested in purchasing locally sourced wheat and flour for […]
PULLMAN, Wash. – Traditional thought holds that a disease-causing organism has to penetrate a plant to initiate resistance. Now, two Washington State University scientists have established that a barley plant recognizes an invader and begins to marshal its defenses within five minutes of an attack. The discovery, along with the scientists’ successful cloning of barley’s […]
PULLMAN, Wash. – Apple and pear growers throughout the state have agreed to make a historic investment of $27 million over the next eight years to support tree fruit research and extension at Washington State University. It is the largest single gift in the university’s history. “A gift of this magnitude is truly transformational,” said […]
PROSSER, Wash. — Following a winter of wild weather extremes, spring weather in central Washington was the wettest and windiest since 1990, according to data recently analyzed by Washington State University meteorologist Nic Loyd and Gerrit Hoogenboom, director of WSU AgWeatherNet. Following periods of unusual warmth in January and February, a large-scale pattern change occurred […]