WSU Looking At How Fungi Could Protect NW Orchards

Researchers at Washington State University are growing fungi that could one day protect apple crops from parasitizing insect pests. The team of entomologists at the Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Wenatchee, is testing three different species of fungi as living pest control agents for codling moth.

We're Trying To Prevent Moths From Developing Resistance

Rob Curtiss, WSU Research Assistant Professor, said this research will provide growers with another tool.

“Right now, they have limited tools, especially for organic management," Curtiss said. "They're relying pretty much exclusively on a virus and oil. So, adding another tool into the toolbox will help them manage codling moth and will also help them not having codling moths develop resistance to the things that they're currently using.”

Photo: WSU

We're Looking For The Most Effective Strains

Codling month has been an issue for fruit growers in the Pacific Northwest since apples arrived here over three hundred years ago. Curtiss said researchers are looking for the most effective strain on fungi.

“We're able to expose healthy codling moths to these fungi to test their pathogenicity, so how effective they are," Curtiss said. "And in doing that, we can do genetic selections to select for a strain that's more effective. So, it's better at killing codling moths. So those two things, between understanding what the background level of the fungi are in our codding moth populations and doing selections to develop these into insecticides, those are the focuses of this research right now.”

Photo: Glenn Vaagen

Curtiss added his research has taken place in northcentral Washington since 2023.