WTFRC

Lacewing Release Field Day

A few different opportunities to catch a WSU field day highlighting new research on how to effectively use lacewings for biocontrol in apples!

Wednesday, June 24th - Pateros, WA
Thursday, June 25th - Rock Island, WA
Thursday, June 25 - Royal City, WA

For more information and to register visit treefruit.wsu.edu/events

This past month, we had the opportunity to work with Dr. Zhu and her students on water sample collection for a project titled “Optimizing the Lifespan of Chlorinated Dump Tanks via Modeling.” The goal of this study was to develop and validate mathematical models assessing how free chlorine (FC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and initial contamination levels influence Listeria control in apple dump tank systems.

Using a pilot-scale setup with simulated processing water, results showed that higher free chlorine improved microbial reduction and reduced cross-contamination, while elevated COD levels decreased chlorine efficacy. Higher initial contamination levels also reduced sanitizer performance. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) models accurately predicted outcomes (R² = 0.91–0.98) and were further validated using commercial dump tank water collected from apple packing facilities in Washington State.

Overall, the findings highlight the importance of water quality management and chlorine control in reducing microbial cross-contamination risk during apple packing operations. A big thank you to our collaborators for their support on this project, and to our wonderful interns, Valentina and Geoff, for their hard work and assistance in sample collection and study support.

We want to congratulate Dr. Manoella Mendoza once again! A couple weeks ago, she traveled to Pullman to celebrate commencement and this incredible achievement. We are proud of all her hard work and dedication, and look forward to all she will continue to accomplish!