Seen something unusual? MAKE A REPORT
Seen something unusual? MAKE A REPORT
There are eight organisms identified as the biggest biosecurity threat to New Zealand's kiwifruit industry.
05/06/2025
Recently KVH travelled to Pukekohe and linked with the Punchbowl team to host a workshop for members of Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ), to connect, network, and share an understanding of the industry’s infrastructure and past and potential forward impacts of biosecurity responses. The visiting group included principal scientists from New Zealand’s Plant Health and Environmental Laboratory (PHEL) and Incursion Investigation Plant Health teams; BNZ response managers, including members involved in the fruit fly responses earlier this this year and who also played a role through the Psa response; and relationship managers who hold a vital role in fostering ongoing connectivity between BNZ and industry in the readiness and response space. Rob Craig shared the history of Punchbowl and provided an insightful history of kiwifruit industry impacts related to economic and market challenges, and business impacts following the Psa incursion. He noted the heightened industry awareness of the very real implications of a fruit fly incursion, especially for businesses close to ports and airports. Rob also emphasised the willingness to support the industry KiwiNet network which coordinates the deployment of kiwifruit industry personnel into biosecurity responses. KVH highlighted the value, expansion, regionality and seasonality of the kiwifruit industry and reflected on industry’s keen awareness of the potential impacts of our most unwanted pest threats. The unusual symptoms surveillance programme was described and clearly showed the connectivity and support of the PHEL team in this space. Lalith Kumarasinghe, manager of the PHEL lab described the wide-ranging analytical roles of his team which provide ongoing support to New Zealand’s biosecurity processes. The visit wrapped up with a guided tour of the Punchbowl pack-house and cool stores, and an opportunity to get out in the sunshine and under a kiwifruit canopy to hear more about the growing side of our industry. This opportunity for BNZ/ PHEL and the kiwifruit industry/ KVH to connect was considered immensely valuable by all parties. KVH would like to sincerely thank the visitors for taking time away from their busy schedules, and the Punchbowl team for warmly opening their doors to share the industry story.
Read more05/06/2025
In the 2025 Agribusiness Leaders Priority Survey, biosecurity was once again ranked top (for the 16th year in a row) by leaders from across the food and fibre sector, who provided insights into the importance of peacetime planning, and putting the time and effort into regularly using and testing systems before a biosecurity crisis hits so that we can optimise response outcomes. This is a key priority for KVH, and we’ve got another response exercise coming up later in the year that we’ll share in more detail in upcoming Bulletins. The importance of good communication about biosecurity risks and response procedures was another noted insight and point made by leaders. Engagement with growers and those managing orchards is something the KVH team in sharply focused on – we do a huge amount of work in this space already and we’re ramping it up. We’ll be working with growers, post-harvest and orchard management teams (via Zespri and GAP audits, or sometimes directly) to provide everything needed for those managing orchards to meet regulatory requirements under the National Kiwifruit Pathway Management Plan, including having an on-orchard biosecurity plan. As the KPMG report states, “most people (in the sector and beyond) don’t have deep knowledge of biosecurity risks and response procedures” – this makes it critical that as a dedicated biosecurity organisation we provide helpful, concise, timely communication and tools, so people are clear on what they need to do and why. Biosecurity plans can be created online via the KVH website here. View the biosecurity page from the report here, or see the full report on the KPMG website here.
Read more05/06/2025
New Zealand’s border biosecurity campaign is reaching further afield, with targeted ads now running in the UK and soon in the US. The campaign reminds travellers that it only takes one risk item to do serious harm to New Zealand. It aims to get travellers thinking about biosecurity before they even pack – especially high-risk items for our industry like soiled boots, and food. In the UK, digital ads are now playing in the major airports of London, Manchester, and Birmingham, as well as online for people searching for travel to New Zealand. Advertising in the US will begin shortly and the campaign will then expand to China and India. Know someone visiting from overseas or visiting our orchards? KVH also has a specially designed poster for best biosecurity practice and what to expect at border control.
Read more05/06/2025
Another Brown Marmorated Stink bug (BMSB) season is done and dusted, and the number of live bugs has been down on previous years. There were 38 live detections between September 2024 and April 2025, compared with 111 in the 2023/24 season. The cargo pathway again saw high numbers of dead BMSB (642), highlighting the importance of offshore treatment and cleaning requirements for high-risk goods such as vehicles, parts, and machinery. Speaking of which, Biosecurity New Zealand is reviewing the vehicles, machinery and parts import health standard, which sets out the rules for bringing in a cargo type that is a favourite hiding place for BMSB. Changes being considered include updating the list of countries required to treat goods (likely adding Uzbekistan, where the pest is now established); strengthening biosecurity requirements for used boats imported as cargo; aligning import requirements for used parts and whole machinery (used parts from outdoor machinery, along with targeted indoor machinery, would require a cleaning certificate year-round, but only need to be treated during the BMSB risk season); and standardising import requirements for imported used parts across different sea cargo types so they are simpler and reduce unnecessary use of fumigants. The proposed changes will be published in full as part of consultation in August which KVH will be involved in. A significant development this season was the detection of BMSB in Argentina for the first time. Authorities reported the discovery of seven adult bugs in Buenos Aires in December. We import very little from Argentina and, to date, there has been no evidence of BMSB in imported cargo from that country. The UK is another “watchlist” country following recent detections. There is no imminent risk to New Zealand, as the known population is currently low and localised.
Read more05/06/2025
The KVH AGM takes place at 9am, Thursday 21 August, at Baypark. Presenting after voting formalities will be Mike Inglis, Northern Commissioner at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). Read more here. A new Incorporated Societies Act was passed in 2022 which brings in new rules and requirements for all societies incorporated in New Zealand, including KVH. The new Act is far more prescriptive than the 1908 Act and includes several new mandatory requirements which must be in place before April 2026. Accordingly, KVH has redrafted our Rules into a Constitution to meet the new Act requirements and is seeking your feedback on these ahead of our AGM, when we will seek approval from growers for proposed changes. Read more, including the changes made to draft the new Constitution here.
Read more05/06/2025
We look forward to seeing you at Mystery Creek next week. We’ll be in the Zespri stand (at site F49 as per previous years), taking part in midday presentations each day. Gates are open - and we’re on-site - daily from Wednesday to Friday, 8.00am to 5.00pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Fieldays website.
Read more05/06/2025
International flights are set to return to Hamilton in just over a week, and growers can be assured border agencies are ensuring smooth reintroduction of services. KVH understands Biosecurity New Zealand has been working with various partners to make sure the design, construction, and resourcing of the airport’s biosecurity area provides appropriate screening of passengers and their bags. A baggage screening x-ray unit, risk assessment podiums, and search benches are all in place; and detector dog teams from Auckland will be on-site when needed too. There’ll be an operational readiness exercise very shortly to ensure all systems are go. Image: Biosecurity New Zealand’s x-ray machine arrives at Hamilton Airport.
Read more05/06/2025
Bay of Plenty Regional Council (BOPRC), Toi Moana, is urging orchardists and contractors to remain vigilant with their biosecurity practices. Thorough machine hygiene is essential to help curb the spread of pest plants which pose a significant threat to the region's orchards, farmland, wetlands, native ecosystems, lakes, and waterways. Seeds and small fragments of unwanted vegetation can inadvertently spread through contaminated equipment and agricultural/horticultural machinery. As growers will be well aware, prevention is the most effective tool in minimising the potential impacts caused by the spread of pest plants. Orchard managers, workers, and contractors play a crucial role in preventing the spread of pest plants and diseases and ensuring that all vehicles, equipment and machinery coming in and out of a property are thoroughly cleaned and not hiding any soil or debris is critical to minimising biosecurity risks. Pest plants such as alligator weed, noogoora burr and Asiatic knotweed are already present in the Bay of Plenty but in limited distribution so are a top priority to find and control. Key tips for staying biosecurity safe and managing the risks of spreading pest plants and diseases: Visually inspect all machinery used on site for organic matter, even a small amount soil can contain seeds, roots or fragments. Ensure all tyres, tracks, undersides, grills and filters, and other machinery or equipment that has been used is thoroughly cleaned before leaving the site, and before entering new environments. Ideally, machinery wash-down should happen on the property before movement, which will contain any problems at the source. Include specific protocols for vehicles, machine and equipment hygiene in your biosecurity plan, including entry and exit procedures. Maintaining a log-book is a great way to demonstrate that you’re dedicated to good machine hygiene practices and can be useful if new incursions need to be traced back. View a template here. If you are concerned about identification of a plant, or if you wish to report an infestation, notify BOPRC on 0800 884 880. Image: Alligator weed. Credit Trevor James.
Read more05/06/2025
The KVH Board is calling for nominations for a grower director for a term of three years. Dermott Malley’s term as grower elected representative ends in August and he will be re-standing for this vacancy. Nomination forms are available here and must be returned to KVH at [email protected] along with a list of all interests in the kiwifruit industry by 5pm, Friday 4 July 2025.
Read more20/05/2025
This month KVH followed up an interesting find by an observant orchard worker completing vine training in a developing Red19 block. They had previously noticed unusual breakages where canes appeared to have been cut or snapped. On closer inspection they found an insect larva had taken up residence in at least one of the canes. Images shared with Plant & Food Research Te Puke entomologists suggested the larva was likely that of a longhorn beetle, a potential visitor from surrounding bushland. Forwarded samples showed the larva had classical features of longhorn beetles with a pale body, fatter head, small mandibles, and legs also present though not obvious. It was unknown whether longhorn beetles had previously been associated with kiwifruit, and as the larva was unlikely to be successfully reared to adulthood the sample was forwarded to the Plant Health and Environmental Laboratory (PHEL) for identification. The specimen was confirmed as Oemona Hirta, a native longhorn beetle known as “lemon tree borer”. Actinidia chinensis was recorded as a known host for this pest, which tunnels into live wood and has a broad range of hosts including native and fruit trees. Protection of fresh pruning wounds with a sealant to close off the wound and form a physical barrier against the larva boring into the plant was suggested, with removal of pruning off-cuts also recommended to avoid infestations. Follow-up of these finds are interesting and potentially important as some species of longhorn beetles are on the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) list of most unwanted as they could cause serious damage for the forestry industry and these investigations have the potential to support surveillance.
Read more19/05/2025
A researcher we network with because of her project dedicated to learning about Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death on Hawaii and its potential impact here, is representing New Zealand in an international video contest. Watch Luna from Plant & Food Research’s video and give it a thumbs up to show your support. The contest features 15 entries from around the globe and promotes the importance of plant health research through short, engaging videos. Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death is caused by two species of Ceratocystis and is having a devastating effect on native trees on Hawaii. As well as being a major threat to our own iconic natives, Ceratocystis pathogens are near the top of KVH’s Most Unwanted list as they have caused significant impact to kiwifruit production in Brazil. In fact, recent research funded by Zespri Innovation has demonstrated that it is not only these Brazilian strains we need to be worried about - other close relatives around the world, including the species affecting Hawaii, are also pathogenic to kiwifruit. Ceratocystis pathogens are a serious emerging threat. Supporting this kind of research helps build resilience and KVH is proud to support the Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death project and the important work being done in this space.
Read more19/05/2025
Winter is a key time for replanting or establishing new kiwifruit blocks. Whether you're replacing old vines or developing a new area, it's vital to stay on top of biosecurity requirements - especially when moving plants between properties. Following biosecurity requirements reduces the risk of spreading pests and diseases like Psa and helps ensure a rapid, effective response if a new organism is detected. Growers must only source kiwifruit plants from nurseries that meet the National Kiwifruit Pathway Management Plan requirements. This means certification through one of the following: KVH’s Kiwifruit Plant Certification Scheme (KPCS) Plant Pass, a broad nursery certification programme for all plant types You’ll find a list of certified nurseries on the KVH website. Two levels of certification are available: Full Certification: Plants are free from Psa and other target organisms. These nurseries operate in Psa-free environments and provide plants that have tested Psa Not Detected. Restricted Certification: Plants may carry the common New Zealand strain of Psa (Psa-V) but are tested to be free from more harmful, resistant, or offshore strains. Growers can produce their own plants on the property they’ll be used on, without certification. Additionally, up to 1,000 plants per year may be moved between properties under the same ownership (KPINs). While certification isn't needed in these cases, accurate traceability records must be kept. Important reminders: Do not move any plants showing disease symptoms. Both the supplying nursery and the receiving property must maintain traceability records in case symptoms appear later and tracing is required. For further guidance or to view certified nursery lists, visit the KVH nursery web page or contact us directly.
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Phytophthora is present around the world, including New Zealand, in a wide range of hosts. There are over 100 known species of Phytophthora, with thoughts there could be up to 500 more yet to be identified.
There are many reports of different Phytophthora damaging kiwifruit vines in different regions globally, such as P.drechsleri, which has caused significant impacts to the kiwifruit industry in Korea.
It is considered highly likely that under certain conditions (i.e. wet soils) kiwifruit would be susceptible to several Phytophthora species. Predicting which species will impact which cultivars, and under what conditions, is difficult if not impossible to predict. Because of this, KVH is undertaking readiness planning and research for invasive Phytophthora species as a whole, as opposed to focusing on one specific species.
Pest ranking based on the KVH risk matrix
View risk matrixThe biosecurity threat of Phytophthora to the New Zealand kiwifruit industry is largely unknown. It could come from the introduction of a new Phytophthora species, or from a species already here that may not yet have been exposed to kiwifruit.
Management practices, cultivar susceptibility and the environment may also play key roles in any future outbreaks. Phytophthora are Oomycetes (or water moulds), so wet, soggy soils are an ideal environment for them to thrive. As such, low-lying land, poorly drained orchards and additional irrigation are more susceptible to infection.
One of the difficulties with detecting Phytophthora disease symptoms is that they are variable and often are not distinct from those resulting from other plant pathogens (such as Armillaria root rot which can sometimes be misdiagnosed as Phytophthora root rot).
The other difficulty with Phytophthora symptom detection arises from asymptomatic plants, where the pathogen can lay dormant for long periods until conditions change and symptoms are expressed. There are many types of symptoms associated with Phytophthora species that may occur singly or in combination.
Phytophthora usually infects kiwifruit vines from root wounds or the root tips early in spring. During the warmer summer months, vines may rapidly decline or alternatively show gradual decline in productivity over several seasons. Symptoms include reduced shoot growth; small, chlorotic leaves; and an open canopy. Vines with the graft union below ground level or mechanically wounded trees are easily infected. Infected root and root crowns commonly show a red brown rot that is easily observed when cutting into the outer layer of tissue. Generally, there is observable margin where healthy, white tissue meets infected, discoloured tissue. Infected roots become dark and feeder roots are often black, decayed and few in number (see image below).
KVH investigates reports of unusual symptoms to identify and manage any biosecurity risks.
05 Jun 2025
Recently KVH travelled to Pukekohe and linked with the Punchbowl team to host a workshop for members of Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ), to connect, network, and share an understanding of the industry’s infrastructure and past and potential forward impacts of biosecurity responses. The visiting group included principal scientists from New Zealand’s Plant Health and Environmental Laboratory (PHEL) and Incursion Investigation Plant Health teams; BNZ response managers, including members involved in the fruit fly responses earlier this this year and who also played a role through the Psa response; and relationship managers who hold a vital role in fostering ongoing connectivity between BNZ and industry in the readiness and response space. Rob Craig shared the history of Punchbowl and provided an insightful history of kiwifruit industry impacts related to economic and market challenges, and business impacts following the Psa incursion. He noted the heightened industry awareness of the very real implications of a fruit fly incursion, especially for businesses close to ports and airports. Rob also emphasised the willingness to support the industry KiwiNet network which coordinates the deployment of kiwifruit industry personnel into biosecurity responses. KVH highlighted the value, expansion, regionality and seasonality of the kiwifruit industry and reflected on industry’s keen awareness of the potential impacts of our most unwanted pest threats. The unusual symptoms surveillance programme was described and clearly showed the connectivity and support of the PHEL team in this space. Lalith Kumarasinghe, manager of the PHEL lab described the wide-ranging analytical roles of his team which provide ongoing support to New Zealand’s biosecurity processes. The visit wrapped up with a guided tour of the Punchbowl pack-house and cool stores, and an opportunity to get out in the sunshine and under a kiwifruit canopy to hear more about the growing side of our industry. This opportunity for BNZ/ PHEL and the kiwifruit industry/ KVH to connect was considered immensely valuable by all parties. KVH would like to sincerely thank the visitors for taking time away from their busy schedules, and the Punchbowl team for warmly opening their doors to share the industry story.
Read more05 Jun 2025
In the 2025 Agribusiness Leaders Priority Survey, biosecurity was once again ranked top (for the 16th year in a row) by leaders from across the food and fibre sector, who provided insights into the importance of peacetime planning, and putting the time and effort into regularly using and testing systems before a biosecurity crisis hits so that we can optimise response outcomes. This is a key priority for KVH, and we’ve got another response exercise coming up later in the year that we’ll share in more detail in upcoming Bulletins. The importance of good communication about biosecurity risks and response procedures was another noted insight and point made by leaders. Engagement with growers and those managing orchards is something the KVH team in sharply focused on – we do a huge amount of work in this space already and we’re ramping it up. We’ll be working with growers, post-harvest and orchard management teams (via Zespri and GAP audits, or sometimes directly) to provide everything needed for those managing orchards to meet regulatory requirements under the National Kiwifruit Pathway Management Plan, including having an on-orchard biosecurity plan. As the KPMG report states, “most people (in the sector and beyond) don’t have deep knowledge of biosecurity risks and response procedures” – this makes it critical that as a dedicated biosecurity organisation we provide helpful, concise, timely communication and tools, so people are clear on what they need to do and why. Biosecurity plans can be created online via the KVH website here. View the biosecurity page from the report here, or see the full report on the KPMG website here.
Read more05 Jun 2025
New Zealand’s border biosecurity campaign is reaching further afield, with targeted ads now running in the UK and soon in the US. The campaign reminds travellers that it only takes one risk item to do serious harm to New Zealand. It aims to get travellers thinking about biosecurity before they even pack – especially high-risk items for our industry like soiled boots, and food. In the UK, digital ads are now playing in the major airports of London, Manchester, and Birmingham, as well as online for people searching for travel to New Zealand. Advertising in the US will begin shortly and the campaign will then expand to China and India. Know someone visiting from overseas or visiting our orchards? KVH also has a specially designed poster for best biosecurity practice and what to expect at border control.
Read more