Implementation of a bilingual extension program for Cosmic Crisp®
Author: Jenny Bolivar-Medina
Published: 2023
Summary: WA 38 is an apple variety released by WSU and its fruit is commercially known as Cosmic Crisp ®. Since the release of WA 38, WSU research teams and the Tree Fruit extension team have provided information focused on improving its cultivation and the production of high-quality fruit. Most of those resources has been only published in English. In Washington tree fruit industry, most of the workforce speaks Spanish, therefore, the WA 38 resources are often out of their reach, especially workers whose knowledge in the English language is limited. The goals of this project were to translate existing information as well as to develop and deliver bilingual (English-Spanish) extension resources related to WA 38. At the beginning of the project, a survey was given to the Spanish speaking workforce. Most of them were interested in getting access to the information in Spanish, and more than 50% in field days. An advisory committee was formed and consulted to prioritize the translation of resources previously published in the WSU tree fruit website, and to provide ideas for field days. A section called Recursos en español (Resources in Spanish), and a QR code were created in the WSU tree fruit website, where the written resources in different formats (flow charts, summary articles and infographics) were uploaded. These resources are available to consult and cover different aspects of the WA 38 horticulture, orchard management, pre- and post-harvest recommendations. A total of eight field days, three in 2021 and five in 2022 were given in Spanish and with topics including pollination, fruit set, nutrition, vigor and heat stress management, and harvesting recommendations for WA 38, among others. All the events were well received, and participants evaluated them as the high quality related to their organization and the information provided. Despite the positive feedback, the participation in field days gradually declined as the growing and harvest season progressed. It is important to continue providing resources and events in Spanish or in a bilingual format to create more opportunities to transfer the information related to WA 38 to all the tree fruit industry in Washington.
