A New Approach to Reducing Cold Damage in Fruit Crops

When:               8 November, 10 am – 1 pm (lunch provided)

Where:              Student Union Building at Washington State University TriCities Campus, 2770 University Drive, Richland, WA.

Video conference link available upon request

New research at WSU has shown great potential for reducing cold damage in fruit crops using Plant-Based Dispersions (PBDS), sprayable insulating coatings comprised largely of cellulose nanocrystals and nanofibrils.  These coatings have been effective at reducing frost damage in all crops evaluated including grapes, sweet cherries, and apples.  Treatments with PBDs have improved crop resistance to frost by more than 5 F.

This meeting is being organized as this technology is moving toward commercialization.  Researchers will provide updates on field trials, and commercialization partners will have an opportunity to get input from growers.  We are also looking for partners interested in on-farm testing this winter/spring.

All are welcome to attend.  Feel free to share this invitation with others who may be interested.

Please contact Matthew Whiting with any questions mdwhiting@wsu.edu.

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