Download a copy of the following RFP here: 2027 Cherry and Stonefruit RFP

2027 PNW Cherry and Stone Fruit Research Priorities

The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (WTFRC) and the Oregon Sweet Cherry Commission (OSCC) are seeking cherry and stone fruit research proposals in the following priority areas. Topics marked with an * are of special interest to the committee for the FY 27 funding cycle.

 

Fruit Quality and Safety (how to achieve better fruit quality in the market)

  1. Develop SOP for consistent production of high-quality cherries, addressing:
    1. Nutrition and Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) (GA timing/volume/multiple applications, Regina)
    2. Optimizing vigor
    3. Crop load management (including new varieties’ alternate bearing tendencies like Pearl/SweetNote, and pruning strategies, fruit set in Coral Champagne, utility of RGRs)
    4. *How to even out mixed maturity at harvest (e.g. Coral Champagne)
    5. Irrigation for optimal firmness pre-harvest
    6. Stems: holistic approach (breeding/hort./postharvest) to healthier stems and better retention (e.g., Skeena/Sweetheart/Early Robin) and also considering stem-on/stem-off
    7. Heat stress mitigation for profitable growth (e.g., Skeena/Bing; e.g. evaluate products and strategies; timing and temperature thresholds for summer pruning)
    8. Extended storability (what can we learn from other countries success stories?) and variety-specific exportability
    9. SOPs for new varieties, especially the Pearl series

 

  1. Cold hardiness (e.g. both going in and out of winter, ABA application to defoliate, e.g. for new variety rootstock combinations: Black Pearl/Krymsk), Verification of freeze mitigation with novel products

 

Insect & Disease Management

Projects in this area needs to consider pesticide resistance management.

  1. *Powdery mildew:
    1. new chemistry (especially for organic producers, and more FRAC groups) and optimum timing (especially late season mgt.).
    2. Same programs/different outcomes: why? (coverage/improper application/resistance/new strains?)
    3. Resistance management
  2. * SWD: develop a bait that can be mixed with GF 120 (2 baits for blueberry available, not proven in cherries); evaluate/adjust current model to account for mild winters and other unusual weather conditions; product efficacy and testing of new chemistries (ideally cheap)
  3. Investigate bacterial diseases in sweet cherry (e.g. Eutypa die-back, how to deal with it in young trees, ID bulletin to help field ID esp. when symptoms are similar, BMP to prevent spread, how to best collect samples; chemical control beyond kasumin; rootstock effect on scion, resistant varieties)
  4. MRL’s for all markets (expedite the process for fungicides related to mildew management; products of interest include: Vivando, Topguard, Torino, Gatten, Cevya, Luna Experience/Sensation) and/or safe use-case scenarios to broaden the toolbox for mildew control options.

 

Sustainability

  1. *Understand farm input economics (look at everything through an economic Lense, enable grower to determine what makes economic sense, include field to retailer, investigative reporting: top down, baseline document for growers to use with grocery stores and for legislators: breakeven point of production; LCD)
  2. Develop a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment for PNW sweet cherries
    1. Carbon sequestration on the farm (accounting and budgeting).
    2. Carbon credits: how to utilize as part of orchard profitability.
    3. Understanding ESG’s (physical farm inputs, economics).
    4. Develop rewards system to monetize efforts.

 

Little cherry disease (LCD) identification, management, and elimination

  1. *Optimized or new testing methods for early disease detection (especially on non-fruiting trees in nurseries and during the first years after planting): Research-informed solutions to reduce costs, turn-around time, and improve detection of recent infection (especially for non-symptomatic trees/rootstocks in orchard and nursery settings with the goal to have clean trees at planting).
    1. Methods for rapid, reliable identification of infected trees in orchards and nurseries, building on continued research (e.g. canine detection, artificial noses, physiological indicators).
    2. How can we deal with false negatives? (e.g. whole plant sampling/detection via volatiles or sensors) Special focus on nursery mother trees and stock, where symptoms do not exist.
    3. Scouting: ways we can improve/optimize scouting speed (i.e. camera based systems mounted on vehicles etc.).
  2. Biology
    1. Novel approaches to dealing with and living with LCD (e.g. options that prolong the viability of the orchard).
    2. Determine difference in virulence (e.g. between WA/OR or amongst strains)
    3. Better understanding of the latency period (non-symptomatic, why are some varieties taking longer to express symptoms?)
    4. Are there secondary sources of LCD?
  3. Leafhoppers/Vectors
    1. Development of an integrated pest management program for X-disease vectors that can be implemented areawide. (Including options for ground cover management; cost-effective postharvest program that considers SWD resistance mgt.).
    2. Innovative, sustainable strategies for disease management.
    3. *Develop dynamic spray program based on the risk of spreading and considering resistance management.
    4. Develop a lure for leafhoppers.
    5. Biological control agents.
    6. *Titer threshold for X-disease acquisition from trees. Are leafhoppers able to pick up X-disease from low titer sources (low titer trees and weeds)? Do leafhoppers feed enough or differently on weeds to overcome different low titers and acquire phytoplasma? What is the threshold for the titer to pick up X-disease?
    7. Role of weeds in X-disease transmission. Are they contributing pathogens, or just leafhoppers?

 

  1. *Resistance
    1. Develop resistant or tolerant varieties to ensure productivity, despite presence or risk of X- disease phytoplasma, little cherry virus 1 or 2.
    2. Screen rootstocks for LCD resistance and for hypersensitivity, especially Krymsk.

 

Scion breeding program target areas

  1. *Powdery mildew resistance
  2. Postharvest evaluation
  3. *LCD resistance
  4. *Stem health
  5. Pseudomonas resistance
  6. *Late maturing varieties (after Sweetheart)

 

Technology

Projects that work across several different crops are encouraged. Of special interest are proposals addressing methods assessing labor utilization or for the reduction of manual labor needs in orchards. Please refer to the current Technology Roadmap for more detailed background: https://treefruitresearch.org/about-us/technology-roadmap/

Those projects will be moved into the technology committee.

  • Partial or full automation of pruning, thinning, spraying, insect monitoring, harvest.
    • Three state (CA/OR/WA) collaboration to automate cherry harvest.
  • Accurate crop estimation (yield, size profile)
  • Timeline for pruning based on physiology to develop roadmap for pruning robots.

 

Please note that while some priorities may not explicitly ask for organic options, we expect organic practices to be considered in all proposed work when appropriate. Furthermore, proposals should include an industry outreach component if the project outcomes are expected to directly translate into management changes. Given the importance of maintaining profitable and sustainable tree fruit companies, economic considerations must be integrated into project designs.

 

We encourage novel ideas beyond the listed priorities. For projects outside the 2026 Request for Proposals (RFP) priorities, please contact Ines Hanrahan (hanrahan@treefruitresearch.com) for a discussion before submitting a pre-proposal. WTFRC staff are also available at any time to discuss your ideas, provide feedback, and offer guidance to help you craft a successful proposal.

Download a copy of the following RFP here: 2027 Technology RFP

2027 Technology Research Priorities

The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (WTFRC) is seeking proposals for technology. Technology projects for apples or across different crops (apples, cherries, pears, stone fruit) are encouraged. Of special interest are proposals addressing methods assessing labor utilization or for the reduction of manual labor needs in orchards. Please refer to the current Technology Roadmap for more detailed background: https://treefruitresearch.org/about-us/technology-roadmap/

General Considerations:
•Economic Viability: Maintaining profitable and sustainable tree fruit operations is paramount. Therefore, all project designs must incorporate economic considerations.
•Organic Practices: While not explicitly stated in all priorities, we encourage the integration of organic practices where applicable.
•Industry Outreach: Proposals with outcomes that directly translate into management changes must include a robust industry outreach component.
•Related projects: before submitting a preproposal review the lists of currently funded projects.
–https://treefruitresearch.org/technology-research-review/
–https://treefruitresearch.org/apple-crop-protection-research-review/
–https://treefruitresearch.org/apple-horticulture-postharvest-research-review/
–https://treefruit.wsu.edu/?s=WTFRC+funding+2026

Crop Load Management
•Pruning: Focus on one single pruning cut and automate (e.g. click pruning) or cutting of selected branches on a tree to achieve desired crop load.
•Bud counting: Develop a sensing method to distinguish fruiting from vegetative nodes
•Blossom and green fruit thinning: variable rate application
•Accurate crop estimation (yield, size profile, fruit to leaf ratio) / real time fruit growth measurement.
•Integrate vision systems into thinning models i.e. Pollen Tube Growth Model, Fruit Size Distribution model
•Next generation crop load management metrics based on vision systems data.

Harvest Automation
•Partial or full automation of harvest for apple, pear, stone fruit, and cherry using broad collaboration (multistate, private/public). May include assistive technologies, labor management systems, and harvesting robots.

Other Areas
-Novel pest management hardware.
oExamples:
▪Full or partial automation of cardboard banding in organic codling moth management
▪Rodent control
▪UV light for the control of fireblight / powdery mildew in tree fruit.
-Removal of unpicked fruit for orchard sanitation (see AHP RFP)
-Plant health monitoring with automated sensors. Finding more economical ways of disease and pest detection. Broad scale efficient detection and control for Apple, pear and cherry crops. (background: example of satellite imaging companies are making big leaps in row crops using infrared, Lidar, and other imaging). AI assessment of orchard imagery for pest and disease detection.
-Smart Orchard Project – Assess available tools to help growers gauge potential suitability.

Novel Ideas and Assistance during the Proposal Process:
We encourage novel ideas beyond the listed priorities. For projects outside the 2027 Request for Proposals (RFP) priorities, please contact Ines Hanrahan (hanrahan@treefruitresearch.com) for a discussion before submitting a pre-proposal. WTFRC staff are also available at any time to discuss your ideas, provide feedback, and offer guidance to help you craft a successful proposal.

Download a copy of the following RFP here: 2027 Apple Crop Protection RFP

 

2027 Apple Crop Protection Research Priorities

The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (WTFRC) is seeking apple crop protection research proposals in the following priority areas.

Some of the priorities listed do not specifically ask for organic options or pollinator protection. We are interested in having organic practices and pollinator protection considered in all proposed work, when appropriate. Of special interest are proposals addressing methods assessing labor utilization and/or for the reduction of manual labor needs in orchards. Please refer to the current Technology Roadmap for more detailed background: https://treefruitresearch.org/about-us/technology-roadmap/

 

Collaboration of scientists between institutions and across states and agencies is highly encouraged. Also, proposals are expected to include an industry outreach component if the sought-out project outcomes are anticipated to directly translate into management changes. Maintaining profitable and sustainable tree fruit companies is of utmost importance to our industry and economic considerations need to be included in project designs.

 

Topics marked with an * are of special interest to the committee for the FY 27 funding cycle.

Research Priorities

HIGH PRIORITY

 

Codling Moth (CM): We are not looking for demonstration trials. We request replicated controlled studies and research that provides statistically significant paths forward for pest management. Projects with an organic emphasis are preferred since control of the insect is currently challenging. Priorities are listed in order of importance.

  1. CM Management
    1. *Crop protection product efficacy testing of current and new materials and best tank mixes (i.e. Spear®-Lep, Virosoft CP4, Entrust, Pyganic EC 1.4 II, BoteGHA, Bt) especially development, refinement and deployment of new, more cost effective organic control strategies (i.e. trapping, nematodes, new products, relative contribution of oil, EC and UV effects, extended coverage, best tank mix options);
    2. BMP to ensure efficacy for new modes of action such as peptides.
    3. *Increase economic options for organic production (limited products, reduced product efficacy, pressure and number of sprays) and develop economic analysis for currently employed methods (netting mass trapping, banding).
    4. *Economically feasible hot spot BMP (examples: mass trapping, sterile insects, extra pheromones, sprayable pheromone, bin management: how do they work alone or in combination; better timing of Entrust, new variable rate sprayers: make sure CM are controlled with this new application method, migration patterns from dirty neighbors, depth of border sprays; focus on simple/cheap programs)
    5. Explore feeding stimulants
  2. *Resistance bioassays for CM and other pests with suspected resistance evolution to current insecticides.
    1. Followed by next steps for management of resistant populations
  3. Mass trapping and sterile insect release: comprehensive approaches.
  4. CM management on an area wide basis (education effort, SOP’s, implementation, point person to contact)

 

Fire Blight:

Build program options for growers (focus on entire season and weather events, include Cripps Pink on M9-337 for good data, importance of rootstock)

  • Season-long risk assessment in modern orchards including, but not limited to
    • Secondary bloom
    • Summer infections via overhead cooling
    • Risk in fall when temperatures are 70-80°F
    • How to maintain control once infections started
    • Product choice when not cutting out infections
    • Cultural vs. spray controls (timing)
  • Product efficacy testing of new materials and development of SOP’s for optimized efficacy (especially focus on shoot blight control, getting to the end of the season, orchard sanitation, new materials, organics)
  • Continued product resistance testing
  • Non-tree host plant: ID & control

 

Obliquebanded and Pandemis Leafroller

  • *Increase organic control options (limited tools: Entrust is destroying beneficials, Spinosad needs to be preserved, Bt is exhausted)
  • Resistance bioassays
  • Establish economic thresholds

 

Postharvest Decay:

Projects are sought that connect the field to the warehouse that will result in a SOP between the two

  1. Decay Management:
  • Organic preharvest products to manage postharvest decay
  • Resistance management for blue and grey mold (ex. coordination between field and warehouses to avoid loss of products, reduce levels coming into the warehouse, expand into new products)
  1. Patulin: Build on ongoing work funded by WTFRC
  • Determine if new strains of blue mold affect patulin production
  • Develop SOP for organic apples to minimize patulin production
  • Develop updated whole supply chain SOP to manage patulin

 

Soil Health Improvement:

  1. Efficacy testing of wide range of new products (i.e. biological inoculants) to increase soil fertility (example: mycorrhizal fungi) including economic feasibility and suitability under Washington state conditions and efficacy testing to verify product ingredients (preferred annual results)
  • Quick test to verify mycorrhizal fungi are present and alive
  • Test consistency of products
  • Develop an SOP to keep ‘biologicals’ alive
  1. Replant best management: steps after fumigation to restore soil health?
  2. Develop/adapt a system of standard soil health metrics for WA conditions.
  3. Effects of herbicides on soil biology

 

Pesticide Residue Management:

Continue WTFRC work (include new fungicides asap, living document: new products, new challenges).

  • *Determine BMP’s for pesticide efficacy under prolonged evaporative cooling conditions and current UV (see AHP RFP).
  • How do variable rate sprayers affect MRL’s? (product penetration, coverage, org. vs. conv., economics).

 

Weed Management:

  • BMP scenarios utilizing products that are still available to use
  • New products for young trees (< 3 yrs)
  • Develop a regional resistance management program
    • Determine resistant weeds by region
  • New technologies (microwave, waterpik): determine efficacy and economic feasibility

Organic tank mix options and what works best

 

Understanding Carbon Footprint of Apple Orchards

 

Technology projects in apple crop protection or across several different crops are encouraged. Those projects may be moved into the technology committee. Specific interest:

– Automated insect monitoring and scouting programs

– Adoption of precision crop protection application methods (needs to include efficacy data; reduced rate spray: how does this work for efficacy?)

– BMP for variable rate sprayers especially in organic production (amount of active ingredient, resistance mgt., patterns etc.)

– Plant health monitoring, pest, and disease identification with sensors

 

——————————————————————————————————————————

MEDIUM-HIGH PRIORITY

Thrips (org. and conventional): Thrips are becoming more of an issue in varieties such as Honeycrisp, Envy, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Cripps Pink, and Cosmic Crisp. Spinosad works but at the cost of our natural enemies and at the worse time. Determine if Spinosad has lost efficacy. We need other options.

  • *Alternative/new/softer material that does not impact pollinators and natural enemies and could be applied during the day.
  • Spray timing issue? Maybe a phenology model to help with timing sprays.
  • Why is the efficacy of programs variable? How long do chemical residues last?

 

Woolly Apple Aphid:

  • *New tools are needed to cut down on excessive scouting time.

——————————————————————————————————————————

MEDIUM PRIORITY

 

Spider Mites:

  • Effect of drought stress on mites and control strategies
  • Determine alternate hosts: which weeds push mites into trees?
  • Current products are tired: determine optimum timings and rotations

 

Pollinator Safety:

  • Refugia for increasing pollinators
  • Best management tactics to protect pollinators

 

Apple Replant:

  • Develop an SOP for mustard seed program

 

Beneficial insects:

  • Determine timing, rates, release techniques of beneficial release
  • Rearing techniques that are more economically feasible to growers

 

Mealybugs (esp. grape):

  • Organic and conventional control strategies (and better timing)
  • Develop a model or a pheromone
  • Mating disruption for organic

 

Mouse and Rodent Control:

  • Organic control methods
  • Investigate why some methods seem to have failed

 

San Jose Scale (Especially Organic):

– Develop an effective spray program

– Determine which beneficials to use

– Use of pheromones

 

Apple Leafcurling Midge (Organic):

  • How to manage it in newer plantings/young trees
  • New tools esp. for organic (i.e. attracts and kill, mass trapping)

 

Powdery Mildew (Conv./Organic)

  • Mildew outbreaks caused by neighboring misters for EC and how to best manage

 

Campylomma/Lygus (Conv.)

  • Monitor and tools to manage esp. in Golden, Gala, Honeycrisp

 

Oriental Fruit Moth/Lesser Apple Worm:

  • Determine location and distribution of the insect populations and create awareness and ID (might be mistaken for CM); how can we stay ahead of the pressure?
  • Efficacy of commercially available pheromones (application method, type of pheromone)
  • Develop/adopt a DD-model for WA and validate accuracy; model relative to temp. (existing table not enough)
  • Economic thresholds, what does trap catch mean, once clean: do we have to treat/use MD forever?

Rosy Apple Aphid

  • Need chemical control options
  • Timing of application of beneficials in the spring

——————————————————————————————————————————

LOW PRIORITY

 

Eyespotted Bud Moth

Apple Maggot

Extension:

  • Update the orchard pest monitoring guide (bilingual)

___________________________________________________________________

Novel Ideas and Assistance during the Proposal Process:

We encourage novel ideas beyond the listed priorities. For projects outside the 2027 Request for Proposals (RFP) priorities, please contact Ines Hanrahan (hanrahan@treefruitresearch.com) for a discussion before submitting a pre-proposal. WTFRC staff are also available at any time to discuss your ideas, provide feedback, and offer guidance to help you craft a successful proposal.

Download a copy of the following RFP here: 2027 Apple Horticulture and Postharvest RFP

2027 Apple Horticulture and Postharvest Research Priorities

The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (WTFRC) invites research proposals focused on advancing apple horticulture practices. For the 2027 funding cycle, we specifically request tree physiology-based projects linked to the “Apple Technology Roadmap” especially in irrigation and crop load management; these proposals may be comprehensive in scope rather than focused on isolated components of irrigation or crop load management. WTFRC will assist in helping to develop the overall framework and vision to encompass many aspects of a topic area. While WTFRC funding may help launch long-term projects with a systemic approach to these topics, we hope our initial investment will be leveraged into larger NIFA-type projects with external funding to complete the work. Other priorities laid out in the 2026 RFP are still of high industry relevance but will not be considered for funding this year by WTFRC.

For detailed background information, please refer to our Apple Technology Roadmap: https://treefruitresearch.org/about-us/technology-roadmap/

General Considerations:

Contact WTFRC staff if applying from outside of the PNW area to ensure the proposal does not duplicate any ongoing efforts and for assistance to establish potential collaborators in the area.

 

Irrigation Implementation for Fruit Quality and Profitability

  • Extension: Projects focused on extension should help the community understand how applying irrigation technology improves profitability and helps align future activities with current efforts. Examples include:
    • Educating growers on how to irrigate, available technologies, cost/benefit analyses of alternative tools, and how to transition.
    • Providing educational materials for operators, troubleshooting guides, infrastructure requirements, and water quality information.
    • Integrating irrigation practices with nutrient management and fertigation. BMP for sprinklers and drip irrigation by soil texture and irrigation format (example: sandy soils need more frequent but shorter sets)
    • Managing drought conditions during the growing season.
    • Offering training to drive technology adoption.
    • Demonstrating how to individually modulate modern irrigation monitoring systems (e.g., SWAN, AgWeatherNet, DAS, LUMO).
    • Creating or updating guides on instruments for monitoring tree water status, including how and when to integrate them into orchard operations.
    • Showcasing low-cost solutions.
    • Tying outcomes back to previously funded research.

 

  • Research: collaborative and holistic multi-season projects integrating irrigation, fertigation, tree health (roots, shoots), and fruit quality. Aim to understand the whole tree physiology impacts of new practices and integration of sensors and other technology tools. Examples of questions to be answered below.
    • understand how water and nutrients move through the tree (relationships and physiological ramifications) fully integrating weather-based models derived from orchard data
      • controlling tree vigor, root growth, fruit growth rate or fruit size
      • frost control (some missed low RH this spring and underestimated the damage potential), what is the strategy and how do we manage effectively
      • timing of irrigation and fertilization
      • effect on bitterpit and heat stress sensitivity
      • how does bicarbonate content of irrigation water affect tree physiology?
    • water use efficiency especially when dealing with drought/less available water
      • differentiate productive and newly planted trees
      • example scenarios:
        • 14 days no irrigation (document water savings and all physiological ramifications), how do trees survive, crop, develop color, mature
        • Too much/too little/waiting too long
        • Past research to consider: https://treefruitresearch.org/report/towards-a-better-understanding-of-soil-moisture-deficits-on-shoot-root-physiology/
    • Determining BMPs for pesticide efficacy under prolonged evaporative cooling and/or shading considering water quality (see Byron Phillips study). Explore cycling, fogging, shade net, and preharvest fungicide timing. Determine microclimate implications. Develop an early alert system for reduced pesticide efficacy (especially for decay management) and integration with autonomous controls. Integrate with postharvest performance data. Varieties of special interest: WA 38, Honeycrisp.

 

Crop Load Management

  • Extension:
    • Up-to-date information on the evolution and utility of commercial vision systems (Vivid, Aurea, Orchard Robotics etc.)
    • How does a grower know what an optimal crop load is for maximum revenue in a particular growing system?
    • BMP for best color development by variety x rootstock (leaf to fruit ration, fruit/TCSA, anthocyanin synthesis, leaf nitrogen content, novel methods)
    • Documents integrating Hort 101 and up-to-date information on plant hormones, cost effective bitterpit management, fruit quality variability esp. related to bloom timing (ID early and respond)
    • Develop a matrix of tree physiology combining all factors and effects together
  • Research:
    • Pruning: develop a tree physiology-based pruning timeline for robotic pruning integration (consider tip-bearing vs. other apple varieties). Investigate hedging (timing in fall/winter) and leaf removal for maximum color and reduced pruning cost (40-60% less than hand pruning).
    • Biannual bearing: understand mechanisms that regulate floral initiation/development and biannual bearing in a tree and develop steps to take on an individual tree basis to alleviate biannual bearing
    • Pollination: Understanding pollination biology/fertility and developing Best Management Practices (BMPs) (including new pollinizer performance, using pollination to optimize crop load, and weather integration).
    • Fruit Abscission: Understanding fruit abscission physiology for precision harvest management (cross-link with cherry and stone fruit RFP).
    • Sanitation/floral initiation: Reduce decay pressure postharvest by preharvest orchard management and optimize floral initiation and flower quality.
      • Establish which orchard sanitation measurements lead to reduced decay pressure (taking off fruit not harvested, mulching orchard floor etc.) and establish clear economic numbers to use for benefit analysis.
      • Based on most effective sanitation measures, seek to automate that task while providing ROI numbers.

Consideration in all projects should be given to fruit overcolor development optimization (esp. if that can lead to the reduction in the amounts of picks) and management of bitterpit. The effect of seasonal weather extremes needs to be considered also (keeping in mind the current SCRI led by Kalcsits).

Novel Ideas and Assistance during the Proposal Process:

We encourage novel ideas beyond the listed priorities. For projects outside the 2027 Request for Proposals (RFP) priorities, please contact Ines Hanrahan (hanrahan@treefruitresearch.com) for a discussion before submitting a pre-proposal. WTFRC staff are also available at any time to discuss your ideas, provide feedback, and offer guidance to help you craft a successful proposal.

 

There is currently no active request for Pear.