Gala apples are sprayed with overhead sprinklers near Prosser, Washington, in the heat of the summer. (TJ Mullinax/Good Fruit Grower) As growers prepare to implement new food safety requirements in their orchards, several lingering questions remain. Among them: Can water they spray to cool their crop impact the survival of contaminants? In Washington, many growers spray water from overhead sprinklers and misters during summer’s hottest months to create evaporative cooling to control sunburn. They typically begin cooling in July and continue through harvest for Gala and Golden Delicious apples. Under the Food Safety Modernization Act, growers who apply untreated […]