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Kiwifruit's most unwanted

Kiwifruit's most unwanted

There are eight organisms identified as the biggest biosecurity threat to New Zealand's kiwifruit industry.

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 Kiwifruit's most unwanted

Kiwifruit's most unwanted

Ceratocystis fimbriata

Ceratocystis fimbriata is a soil-borne fungal pathogen that is causing significant damage to kiwifruit orchards in Brazil.

The first reports of a wilt disease in kiwifruit in Brazil appeared in 2010. In the following years, significant vine losses occurred, with some orchards losing 20 - 40% of vines. Over the last five years, some growers have reported 50% vine loss.

There are no efficacious control options available, and once the soil is contaminated, the replanting or re-grafting of new kiwifruit is not sustainable as the new vine will become infected. This pathogen is considered a serious biosecurity threat.

Threat Levels
Likelihood of entry
Medium
Likelihood of establishment
Medium
Production impacts
High
Market access impacts
Very Low

Pest ranking based on the KVH risk matrix

View risk matrix

KVH and Zespri are funding a number of research programmes to better understand this pathogen and reduce the likelihood and consequence of impacts to the New Zealand industry.

Read a report following a visit to Brazil to investigate Ceratocystis fimbriata.

Read about pathogenicity screening of isolates on kiwifruit cultivars.

Research proposals are currently being considered to sequence a number of Ceratocystis strains, including the kiwifruit and sweet potato strains. This will significantly advance our knowledge of the pathogen and enable primers to be developed for rapid and accurate detection.


Further Ceratocystis fimbriata resources

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LATEST NEWS

03 Jul 2025

Support for Tasman growers

We acknowledge the resilience of our Tasman growers in the face of recent severe rain and flooding. While the most significant impacts have so far been contained to a few specific areas, there has been notable water damage to assets, including essential machinery and outbuildings. Overall, vine health is expected to recover in the short term however the situation continues to evolve with more rain forecast today. Although this event has not met the criteria for a formal industry emergency response management (ERM) activation, we’re in touch with the community behind the scenes, closely monitoring the situation, and will adjust our level of response if necessary – the industry’s priority is making sure every grower is supported.

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03 Jul 2025

Dates to remember

Friday 4 July (tomorrow): KVH Director nominations close The KVH Board is calling for nominations for a grower director for a term of three years. Dermott Malley is retiring by rotation and seeking re-election this year. Nomination forms and more here. Wednesday 21 August: The KVH AGM All are welcome. Grower voting information will be emailed soon. Special guest Mike Inglis, Northern Commissioner at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will join us to speak about recent fruit fly responses. More here. Tuesday 15 – Wednesday 16 July: B3 conference This year’s Better Border Biosecurity (B3) conference brings the science and research community together to celebrate 20 years of collaboration - you can register here. KVH will be attending and we’ll share what we see and hear in a future Bulletin.

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03 Jul 2025

Grower roadshows: we’re coming to you

You’re invited to join NZKGI and KVH roadshows in all growing regions to hear about our latest priorities and activities. Hosted by Chief Executives Colin Bond (NZKGI) and Leanne Stewart (KVH), these presentations will cover various aspects - NZKGI will present on their Maturity Clearance and Commercial Incentives reviews as well as their upcoming Kiwifruit Industry Performance report. There will also be updates on water and labour. Likewise, KVH will provide an overview of our current priorities including the importance of being prepared for responses by having an on-orchard biosecurity plan in place, the latest emerging biosecurity threats, recent biosecurity innovation projects and the work we’ve been doing to prepare for other emergencies that impact the kiwifruit industry, such as cyclones and volcanic eruptions. We encourage you to join us, participate, and share your thoughts and ask questions. Look out for an email from NZKGI or KVH with details of the roadshow schedule, also available to view here so you can save the date now. For any questions, feel free to contact KVH at 0800 665 825.

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