Washington State University and the Washington tree fruit industry are proposing a major effort to help orchardists transition away from organophosphate pesticides. The three-year project, costing 1.9 million dollars, will involve education about new pest management tools, development of pest management strategies, and assessment of the risks and benefits. Mating disruption, which was commercialized in the early 1990s, has proven to be the key to reducing pesticide use, according to Dr. Jay Brunner, director of WSU’s Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Wenatchee. In 1993, soon after mating disruption became available commercially, Brunner and entomologist Dr. Larry Gut (then […]