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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

Invasive Phytophthora

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.

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

The 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.

Symptoms

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).


phytophthora photos and videos

Infected roots become dark and feeder roots are often black, decayed and few in number.

phytophthora reference material

  • Kiwifruit Phytophthora survey on New Zealand orchards - KVH, Zespri and Plant & Food Research are working together on a survey of Phytophthora pathogens in kiwifruit orchards throughout New Zealand. This project will support New Zealand’s biosecurity by better understanding our current baseline of Phytophthora species associated with kiwifruit.
  • Potential impacts on kiwifruit and kiwiberry - a literature review presenting detailed information on the potential threat posed by Phytophthora, and three case studies highlighting principles of spread, management and control.

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LATEST NEWS

13 Jan 2025

Welcome back

We hope you all had a merry Christmas and were able to enjoy the holiday season with family and friends. We look forward to working with you throughout the year ahead, ensuring our biosecurity system remains strong and we keep damaging exotic pests and diseases from our orchards.

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16 Jan 2025

South Auckland fruit fly controls to remain in place

Legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in Papatoetoe will remain in place for the next few weeks as part of the response to the discovery of a single male Oriental fruit fly earlier this month. Sector groups, including KVH staff and industry personnel from Punchbowl and APAC, have been providing support for heightened operational activities, which are continuing a little longer as a precautionary approach. It’s anticipated the restrictions will remain in place until mid-February. This is vital to success in keeping fruit fly out of New Zealand and protecting kiwifruit growers, and horticultural exports. It also ensures we can be confident there is no breeding population – this timeframe is based on scientific advice about the life cycle of the Oriental fruit fly. To date, no other Oriental fruit flies have been found. Fruit fly traps will continue to be regularly checked, and specialist staff in the mobile field laboratory will cut up and inspect fruit and vegetables collected in the area for any signs of larvae. So far more than 200kg of produce has been examined. There is no change to the current movement rules that are in place. The A and B Zone areas in Papatoetoe will remain the same and the instructions on the disposal of produce waste remain unchanged. Significant response updates will continue to be posted on the KVH website as they occur. Useful resources Biosecurity New Zealand website for detailed response maps, information, and resources, in many languages. KVH Oriental fruit fly fact sheet. KVH Oriental fruit fly identification guide.

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14 Jan 2025

Meet the team

Next in our series of team member introductions is Linda Peacock, our Industry Liaison & Technical Specialist. We started this series to share more about the roles we have, and how each of us interact with you, our readers and growers, in our day-to-day activities. I’ve been with KVH since its earliest days in 2011, working with growers and technical teams from all growing regions to build knowledge around best practice, particularly in terms of management of Psa. I was a long-term member of the Psa Steering Group and now am part of the Technical Working Group in the crop protection and market access innovation space where Psa related projects are considered alongside the wider scope of crop protection risks. I enjoy connecting industry players with researchers, to support projects and surveys which underpin both the crop protection and biosecurity industry space. My role has expanded over time to focus more on wider biosecurity, including managing and looking into reports of unusual symptoms seen on vines and fruit, and coordinating KiwiNet members as well as regional coordinators who all help growers and KVH build biosecurity awareness and preparedness. Meeting and sharing knowledge with a wide range of great people across the industry is the best part of my job, especially on-orchard and at field days and workshops where I can help turn technical advice into practical, easy, day-to-day activities for all growers and contractors. When I’m not working, I enjoy gardening and cycling, kayaking, and walking adventures in the great outdoors.

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