YAKIMA — Whether it’s tariffs or trees infected with pathogens, Northwest cherry growers will continue to face serious challenges. Several dozen growers gathered at the Yakima Convention Center for a full day of informational seminars and networking Friday at the Northwest Cherry Growers’ annual Cherry Institute. During the event, participants received information from industry officials and academic researchers about the issues and opportunities the industry is facing and actions they can take to continue producing a high-quality crop. The event covered an array of issues, including domestic and international marketing and promotions, how to identify and tackle pests and viruses infecting cherry orchards, and the importance of academic research for the industry’s success. Here are a few takeaways from Friday’s event: • The most recent cherry crop was a big one: Final numbers for the 2018 Northwest cherry crop — 25.4 million 20-pound boxes — was not only above the initial projection of 23.2 million, but second only to the 26.4 million-box crop from 2017. • Rainiers saw a record crop: A record 2.52 million 15-pound boxes of the popular yellow-fleshed cherry were harvested and shipped in 2018.