Farmers enlist surprising helpers in effort to save $300 million in lost crops: 'They have been extremely accurate'
Canine noses can sniff out everything from disease-carrying pests to ecologically damaging invasive species. Now, they could be the key to ensuring a popular summer fruit continues to burst with flavor while saving the Northwest's agricultural industry millions in lost revenue.
As reported by the Yakima Herald-Republic, cherry growers in Washington state may soon use dogs to help detect which fruit trees are infected with little cherry disease and similar X-disease pathogens, which can result in smaller, bitter-tasting cherries. All in all, these diseases cost the Northwest cherry industry around $300 million each year.
To combat this, Washington State University is helping to lead the charge with its Yakima-based little cherry disease program.
Early research and testing have discovered that dogs may provide a more comprehensive diagnosis than traditional and damaging PCR tests, helping teams identify which trees to target for removal to prevent disease spread. This may become increasingly important as the agricultural sector as a whole grapples with the impacts of a warming climate.
"PCR only tests a small part of the tree and is very destructive," Corina Serban, who heads the WSU initiative, told the Herald-Republic. "Dogs test the whole tree, and at this point they have been extremely accurate. They haven't alerted on a [non-infected] tree."
This year, the WSU team will test additional trees flagged by the dogs and gather data along with Jessica Kohntopp, an Idaho-based K9 owner who has a background in training canines to recognize citrus grove diseases in Florida. Kohntopp teamed up with WSU in 2023.
Now, researchers are seeking funding to extend the two-year project. If all goes well, canine detectors could make their way to orchard and nursery owners over the next few years.
"As a researcher, you really want to make sure you don't send these dogs into an orchard and they falsely alert," Serban told the Herald-Republic. "Jessica would like more data but she is really confident that the dogs are finding it."
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