From the Field
Leafroller and Codling Moth Movement During the Season
Wednesday Apr 22, 2026
Movement of codling moth and leafrollers into your orchard can be the start of serious damage. Both CM and leafrollers can easily fly 5-7 miles in a single night and their reproduction is as high as those that do not fly. Although 5-7 mile flights are common, the likelihood of the moths coming to your orchard in high numbers is directly related to wind speed, distance from the source, and the environment in between the source and your orchard.
Preserving Biocontrol Agents
Wednesday Apr 22, 2026
Natural enemies (NE) are crucial to the long-term stability of management programs. Pesticides need to be chosen not only on the basis of efficacy against the pests, but also by minimizing their effect on natural enemies. DAS provides both the effects on pests and on the key natural enemies.
Factors Affecting Bee Pollination of Tree Fruits
Wednesday Apr 15, 2026
Nearly 1,000 species of bees occur in the Pacific Northwest, but only a small number of species are useful in the pollination of orchard crops. Pesticide use and loss of appropriate nesting habitat have reduced the numbers of wild bee pollinators, leaving most of the pollination for commercial orchards dependent on honeybees. The success of honeybee pollination in tree fruits is affected by a number of factors, which in part can be manipulated by orchardists and beekeepers.
What is DAS?
The Decision Aid System (DAS) is a collaborative project between WSU Extension, the WSU Agricultural Research Center, and partners in agricultural industries. The DAS is a web-based platform designed to transfer time-sensitive information to decision makers. We run insect, disease, disorder, and horticultural models to predict on-farm conditions in real time, and link these site-specific forecasts to appropriate management and pesticide guidelines.
