Tree Fruit
Application of genetic solutions toward increasing tree fruit production efficiency has emerged as a major research and educational focus area.  WSU Yakima County Extension faculty have been at the forefront of communicating ongoing research, product developments and the potential benefits of sweet cherry variety and rootstock breeding that has led to new plantings on more than 35,000 acres in Washington.  This expansion is primarily due to both the adoption of new varieties that extend the harvest season and access to high-value domestic and export markets.

WSU Yakima County Extension faculty are currently involved in the development and evaluation of sweet cherry varieties that will be resistant to powdery mildew; that resistance has the potential to save over $7 million per year in Washington State.  Additional projects include evaluating the potential of new cherry rootstocks, describing flavor and aroma profiles in cherry and apple varieties and the application of genetic technologies in crop improvement programs highlighting efforts to expand the knowledge and product-base that producers can draw upon when deciding what to plant for a sustainable future. 

Apples
Yakima County is leading the nation in apple production with over 52,000 acres of apple orchards scattered along the slopes of the Yakima and other Valleys.  Horticulturally, Washinton State's apple industry is rapidly changing to meet the expanding demands of the global consumer market.  In 1986, Red Delicious apples constituted 75% of the apples produced in Washington.  Today, Red Delicious plantings account for only 26% of the mix with newer varieties like Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Honeycrisp that add unique color, flavor and texture to consumer's palette.  Other changes include high density plantings on trellis systems, adoption of new mechanization and technology, more environmentally sustainable production systems and an emphasis on growing quality fruit for the fresh market.
                                                                    Photo by M. Bush, WSU Extension Yakima County

Pears
Yakima County is a leading producer of pears in Washington with over 6,700 acres including the Bartlett pear varieties as well as the winter pear varieties like D'Anjou, Bosc and Concorde.  The mix of pear varieties in Washington has not changed much over the past couple decades, but the industry's emphasis on producing quality fruit and sustainable, environmentally-friendly operations, and postharvest ripening techniques is vastly improved.     
                                                                    Photo by M. Bush, WSU Extension Yakima County

Top 4 Resources for Educational & Horticultural Information in Pome Fruits:
WSU Wenatchee Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center & Sunrise Orchard at http://www.tfrec.wsu.edu/
WSU Dept of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture at http://www.hortla.wsu.edu/
WA State Tree Fruit Research Commission at http://www.treefruitresearch.com/
WA State Horticultural Association (& Annual Meeting) at http://www.wahort.org/

Sweet Cherries
Yakima County is the number one producer of sweet cherries in Washington State with 2,500 acres of trees and growing.  The Bing cherry may be the perfect eating variety, but WSU's contribution of the Rainier variety adds some sweet, colorful variation in cherry consumption.  The Washington cherry industry continues to add new varieties to extend the harvest and availability of cherries at the market place.  Horticultural research has focused on devising new cropping systems, smaller "pedestrian" orchards and growing a bigger, sweeter cherry. 
                                                   Photo by M. Bush, WSU Extension Yakima County

Soft Fruits
Other tree fruits grown in Yakima County include plums/prunes (>400 acres), nectarines (>600 acres), and peaches (>1,00 acres).  In your travels through our County, you may also come across apricots, tart cherries, pluots (plums crossed with apricots) and even pecotums (peach X apricot X plums) at the local fruit stands.                  
                                                                     Photo by M. Bush, WSU Extension Yakima County

Top 4 resources for educational &horticultural information in soft fruits:
WSU Prosser Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center at http://www.hortla.wsu.edu/index.html
WSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at http://www.hortla.wsu.edu/
WA State Tree Fruit Research Commission at http://www.treefruitresearch.com/
The Good Fruit Grower Magazine at http://www.goodfruit.com/index.php