A cold winter, a lack of rain, and pear psylla’s resistance to pesticides combined to create the perfect storm for pear growers last season, Dr. John Dunley observed during the North Central Washington Pear Day in January. Growers are spending more money—at least $700 per acre—to control pear pests and still have fruit that’s sticky from pear psylla honeydew at harvest, said Dunley, an entomologist with Washington State University in Wenatchee. Sticky fruit is an increasing concern because pickers don’t like to handle it. It’s becoming more difficult, yet more important, to have clean fruit. Many pear growers are using […]