What’s New? | Horticulture Crops Entomology

Congrats to Adriana!

April 21, 2026

Adriana successfully defended their MS thesis, Evaluating Impacts of Soil Management and Crop Rotation Practices on Soil-Associated Arthropods in Northwestern Washington Potato Systems, in April.

A smiling person with dark hair wearing a grey hoody with blue sleeves stands in front of racks of orange funnels in clear glass jars with heat lamps above each funnel.

Agragene Visit

April 21, 2026

Louie invited Agragene to NWREC to present their SWD SIR technology and meet with blueberry and raspberry stakeholders.

three people are in a field of raspberry canes that are tied in hoop shapes.

Claire’s AMT Article

April 20, 2026

Claire and Louie recently published a paper assessing the efficacy of a new insecticide on SWD in blueberries.

clusters of small blue fruits growing on green plants

Suppression of pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), with fall applications of kaolin clay

April 14, 2026

Residues from fall-applied kaolin can remain through the winter and reduce pear psylla colonization the following spring.

sweeping view of the Wenatchee Valley in the fall, with dried grass in the foreground, mountains in the background, and a pear orchard amongst several buildings freshly sprayed with kaolin clay, giving it a whitish hue.

Potential use of vibrational playbacks for management of pear psylla

January 22, 2026

This project uses biotremology, the study of vibrations, for mating disruption in pear psylla.

a yellow card clipped to a tree branch with a binder clip with a small black playback device in the bottom left corner, indicated with a red circle and text.

Gusta Beard Spotlight

January 21, 2026

Lab superstar Gusta Rose Beard was recently featured in a WSU Foundation Scholarship Spotlight.

A smiling person with short dark hair wearing a purple tee shirt and overalls is holding a container of foamy liquid in front of an open lab fridge containing more containers of foamy liquid.