Viruses Aid and Abet to Overcome Plant Defenses WSU researchers have found that viruses will join forces to overcome a plant’s defenses and cause more severe infections that an individual pathogen. “These findings have important implications in our ability to control these viruses,” said Hanu Pappu, Sam Smith Distinguished Professor of Plant Virology and chair […]
Fruits of the Vine Viticulture Field Day Offers Harvest of Science-based Solutions for Growers John Derrick of Mercer Canyons Inc. didn’t know what was wrong with two blocks of the farm’s 920 acres of wine grapes outside of Prosser last year. Leaves showed reddish discolorations and flecking. He and other vineyard staff speculated about a […]
Regenerating Pixie is Important Step in Grasping Grape Genetics Graduate student Kathie Nicholson holds regenerated Pixie grape plants. Photo by Brian Charles Clark/WSU. Understanding the grape genome in all its vast variety will give growers…
PROSSER, Wash. — Ken Eastwell, a professor in the Washington State University Department of Plant Pathology based at WSU’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser, has been appointed director of the Clean Plant Center of the Northwest. As director of CPCNW, Eastwell provides leadership for the development and distribution of deciduous fruit trees, […]
PROSSER, Wash. — The Nigerian poet and novelist Flora Nwapa calls it “Mother Cassava.” A fundamental staple in the diet of nearly a billion people, the cassava plant produces a root that is processed in a wide variety of ways to produce foods and beverages. After rice and beans, cassava is the most important subsistence […]
Optimizing Virus Detection Using the Power of Attraction To determine if a fruit tree has a virus, it currently takes a minimum of nine separate laboratory tests in combination with several biological assays, and even these can identify only known viruses. Scientists dream of being able to run a single test that will determine all […]
PULLMAN, Wash. – Naidu Rayapati, a plant virologist at the Washington State University Prosser Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, and his colleagues from other institutions received a team award for international work at the 6th International IPM Symposium in Portland, OR, on March 24. Rayapati, a member of the Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research […]
PROSSER, Wash. – In the not too distant future, grape growers may be able to detect virus-infected grapevines in the field using a portable sensor that evaluates changes in the light reflecting properties of leaves. The sensor will speed detection and save money now spent in random testing to find infected vines. Grapes are susceptible […]
PROSSER, Wash. – In order to grapple with one of the wine grape industry’s rising concerns–how to deal with grapevine leafroll virus disease–a small group of wine grape growers, certified nurserymen, representatives from the Washington, Oregon and Idaho state departments of agriculture and Washington State University faculty recently gathered at WSU’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and […]
PULLMAN, Wash. – Naidu Rayapati, a plant virologist at the Washington State University Prosser Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, has received the International Service Award from the American Phytopathological Society. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to plant pathology by international members for countries other than their own. Rayapati was honored for accomplishments in solving […]