Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/283151
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER APRIL 1, 2014 15 SMITH HONORED for work T im Smith, Washington State University exten- sion specialist, has received some of the Wash- ington tree fruit industry's greatest honors in recognition of his accomplishments. At this year's Okanogan Hort Day, the Okano- gan Horticultural Association honored Smith for more than 30 years of service to the area's growers by contributing $1,000 to the Washington Apple Education Foundation to establish a scholarship in his name. "Anything you ask of him, he's right there and available, and we very much appreciated all his knowledge," said Dan McCarthy, association sec- retary. "He's brought Extension to our county, and that's been a great resource." Smith received the Washington State Horticul- tural Association's Silver Pear Award in 2002 for exceptional services to the state's pear industry. Presenting the award, grower and packer Barclay Crane said Smith had single-handedly saved the state's Bartlett pear industry when he developed the CougarBlight model. Four years ago, the university recognized Smith's effort with the seldom-awarded Sah- lin Faculty Excellence Award for Outreach and Engagement. Chelan County Extension Director Ray Faini declared that "with time, perseverance, and brilliant work," Smith had changed the culture of an entire industry. In 2010, when Smith was named Apple Citizen of the Year by the Washington State Apple Blossom Festival, Kirk Mayer, manager of the Washington Growers Clearing House Association, commented on his outstanding rapport with growers. "I think there'd be a lot of growers in this area who would not be in business without his educa- tion, research, and outreach efforts," Mayer said. The impact of his work extends beyond Wash- ington. In 2011, Smith was named the Northwest Cherry Institute's Cherry King. He was crowned by the previous recipient John Carter of The Dalles, Oregon. "Personally, on my farm, I've gained much from the work that Tim has done, including his ground- breaking research on how to control western cherry fruit fly," Carter said. —G. Warner "Spotted wing drosophila put the skids on this real fast because it doesn't work very well on that insect," Smith said. Weeds Smith has also been the go-to person on weed con- trol. As the industry adopted microsprinklers in place of the old solid-set irrigation systems, weed control became important not just for reducing competition with the tree, but for making sure they didn't interfere with irri- gation. When Smith began working in Extension, few her- bicides were available. Roundup (glyphosate), which became available in the late 1970s, was revolutionary in controlling some difficult perennial weeds and grasses. It has since been so widely used that plants are developing resistance to it, and the effort now is to encourage peo- ple to use other products and use glyphosate only once a year. Smith is testing new combinations of herbicide and trying to come up with a range of effective programs so the new products don't wear out. •