Red delicious apples hang from a tree at a Manson Hill orchard. Near Lake Chelan, Washington, USA. (Photo: Joel W. Rogers/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) MyNorthwest Content Editor Climate change is hurting the apple industry and Yakima County is taking the brunt of it, Washington State University (WSU) researchers assessed in a recent study . Researchers analyzed more than 40 years of climate conditions that impact apple growth and found apple production across the country is at an increased climate risk, a Monday news release from WSU stated. The study noted the top three largest apple-producing counties in the U.S. — Yakima, Washington, Kent, Michigan and Wayne, New York — are among the most impacted. According to WSU, Yakima County, the largest apple producer in the country with more than 48,800 apple orchards, saw harmful trends in five of the six metrics analyzed. Other news : Data shows Washington food insecurity rising as food bank visits exceed 13 million WSU climate scientist and the study’s corresponding author Dr. Deepti Singh told KIRO Newsradio fewer cooler days can make it harder for buds to properly form and bloom and when it gets too hot, the apples can get sunburnt, which appears like browning on the apples’ surface. Because of these changes, Singh said apple growers are already adapting. For instance, some are using netting to shield apples from too much sun. But the added steps cost more. There are also indirect impacts of climate change on the crop. “These climate conditions can affect pests diseases and affect pathogens that can also adversely impact crops as well,” Singh explained. According to WSU, Co-author Lee Kalcsits, a WSU tree physiologist who leads programming at the Wenatchee Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, is leading a project funded by a $6.75 million grant from […]