Seen something unusual? MAKE A REPORT
Seen something unusual? MAKE A REPORT
KVH works collaboratively with regional councils and landowners to manage wild kiwifruit populations and unmanaged orchards to reduce biosecurity risk to the New Zealand kiwifruit industry.
13/03/2025
The world’s largest hornet, an invasive breed dubbed the “murder hornet” for its dangerous sting and ability to quickly destroy a hive, has been declared eradicated in the United States, five years after being spotted for the first time in Washington state near the Canadian border. It’s thought the invasive hornets could have travelled to North America in plant pots or shipping containers and have posed significant threats to pollinators and native insects during the five-year response. They can wipe out a honeybee hive in as little as 90 minutes, decapitating the bees and then defending the hive as their own, taking the brood to feed their own young. The hornet features in our 2025 calendar of pests to keep a look out for, especially as it isn’t like anything we already have here in New Zealand already and will look new and unusual.
Read more13/03/2025
KVH is pleased to welcome Scott Wilson as the new regional coordinator for Poverty Bay, strengthening connection between local growers and biosecurity efforts. While this role in Poverty Bay was initially established during the Psa response period, it was later phased out as the disease became increasingly well managed. However, with the rapid growth of the kiwifruit sector in the region, KVH recognises the value of reintroducing a dedicated representative. The role enhances local biosecurity monitoring, facilitates communication about emerging threats, and supports the development of the regional emergency response network. Scott brings decades of experience to the position, having been involved in the kiwifruit industry since the mid-1980s. He was heavily involved during the Psa incursion and has recently stepped down as GM of Kaiaponi Farms after 24 years, allowing him to dedicate more time to industry support. His firsthand experience with events like Cyclone Gabrielle further strengthens his ability to help growers build resilience against future challenges. Scott is eager to connect with growers and encourages anyone with biosecurity concerns or regional interests to reach out. KVH thanks all those who expressed interest in the role, with responses reflecting an awareness of the importance of Poverty Bay growers remaining well connected in the biosecurity and emergency response space.
Read more13/03/2025
Legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in Birkdale 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 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 Thursday 10 April. 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. To date, no other Oriental fruit flies have been found. Full details are available on the KVH website here.
Read more13/03/2025
Kylie McHannigan joined us last week as our new Senior Administrator. Kylie assists the KVH Chief Executive and Board of Directors with governance, as well as managing operational and office functions for the KVH office. She also provides accounting and administrative support for NZKGI. She looks after the 0800 numbers for both KVH and NZKGI too, so if you give us a ring, please have a chat and welcome her to the industry.
Read more13/03/2025
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Read more13/03/2025
Agri-Technovation has been completing soil maps for kiwifruit, avocado, citrus, and viticulture orchards in New Zealand for the past two and a half years, with this representing a further extension of their services worldwide. This mapping provides growers with insights into the underlying soil composition, plant available water capacity, soil restricting layers, depths for potential root development and risk areas for anaerobic root diseases for different orchard areas. Visualisation of these features via informative map layers has allowed growers to improve their management strategies for optimising orchard performance and vine health. Extensive sampling in the Poverty Bay region has shown that poor vine and tree health often links back to water management challenges which are resultant of the orchard soil profile and drainage capacity. In some cases, less suitable irrigation scheduling has also caused problems through under or over-watering of vines. Gisborne region growers are now often additionally facing new issues due to soil impacts from Cyclone Gabrielle. This includes deposition of sand and silt, which can create significant changes in soil pH and soil drainage characteristics, and which will require different management practices going forward. The Agri-Technovation team is inviting growers from all sectors to a field day at 401 Kirkpatrick Road, Patutahi, Thursday 27 March (12.30 pm start) where they will demonstrate through profile pits how the soil conditions are impacting orchard performance. This is a great chance for kiwifruit growers to learn from the mapping work and ask questions about how together the region can build back their vine health and productivity. Lessons learnt will also help inform good practice advice for orchard recovery following emergency weather events. Read more, including how to RSVP, here.
Read more07/03/2025
Legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables on Auckland’s North Shore will remain in place for the next few weeks as part of the response to the discovery of a single male Oriental fruit fly last month. Sector groups, including KVH staff and industry personnel from 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 Thursday 10 April. 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, based on scientific advice about the fly’s life cycle. To date, no other Oriental fruit flies have been found. As well as the movement controls in place, fruit fly traps will continue to be regularly checked over the coming weeks 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. For more information: Biosecurity New Zealand website for detailed movement restriction information and fact sheets.KVH Oriental fruit fly fact sheet.KVH Oriental fruit fly identification guide.
Read more27/02/2025
After seven years of dedication to keeping the South Island free of Psa and other biosecurity threats, Steve Thomas stands down from the KVH regional coordinator role for the South Island at the end of February. Steve continues his industry connection and strong representation of the local region as NZKGI representative and will no doubt continue his linkages to the biosecurity and emergency response networks for the Tasman region. KVH sincerely thanks Steve for his efforts and strong engagement in and support of the industry Pathway Management Plan, managing risk item movements across the Cook Strait, help in identifying potential regional biosecurity issues, fielding unusual symptoms and unmanaged kiwifruit reports, and his help in lifting biosecurity awareness amongst young growing professionals via the biosecurity module included in the Tasman Young Fruit growers’ competition. KVH now looks forward to connecting to the Tasman region via Paige van Vught, who is based in Motueka and is already a known face for many growers and the KVH team. Paige moved to the Tasman region three years ago, beginning her role as a horticultural consultant with AgFirst Consultants Nelson. This provided a hands-on opportunity to develop a strong technical understanding of kiwifruit production and build relationships within the sector. She has previously connected with KVH, supporting unusual symptoms follow-up for growers and participated in the Neonectria research project. Paige also leads the annual Tasman region Psa monitoring rounds, which support area freedom from Psa. These experiences have deepened her understanding of biosecurity challenges and reinforced the importance of early detection and proactive management. In her spare time, Paige enjoys getting outdoors and making the most of having both the beach and the mountains at her doorstep. KVH looks forward to supporting Paige in this new role and urges growers to also touch base for a chat. A full list of KVH regional coordinator contact details can be found here.
Read more27/02/2025
Harvest season presents a high-risk period for spreading biosecurity risks between blocks, orchards, and regions because of the numbers of vehicles, machinery and people movements involved. Growers are responsible for protecting their orchards, and others, by ensuring the risk of moving harvest equipment and bins onto and around their orchard is minimised. Make sure contractors and staff understand your hygiene requirements,Check all equipment (harvest bins, harvest machinery, picking bags etc) coming on to your orchard is free of plant and soil material.Ensure any harvest bins arriving on the orchard have been sanitised by the pack-house between orchards and are clear of any kiwifruit plant material and soil.Ensure people check that clothing (particularly headwear and footwear) is free of plant material and soil on entry and exit.Do not allow workers to bring imported fruit onto the orchard.Clear loadout areas of weeds before harvest.Clearly mark parking and hygiene areas such as wash down facilities and footbaths (for sites where vine health challenges have been identified). Allow only essential vehicles into the production area.Ensure unpicked fruit is dropped and mulched to prevent bird feeding and wild kiwifruit establishment, and limit access to only established roads and tracks. Growers should communicate their requirements (as per their On-Orchard Biosecurity Plan) to all coming onto their orchards. Contractors also need to have a biosecurity plan. Those who are part of Zespri GAP/CAV will have one included in their CAV requirements. Those who are not currently required to hold a Zespri CAV need to complete one of the Non-CAV Contractors Biosecurity Plan forms available on our website. Also, Onside can be a useful digital tool to help improve harvest operations and keep track of people, machinery, and plant material. KVH biosecurity functionality is included in the app.
Read more27/02/2025
Growers are asked to look out for and report unusual symptoms at this time of the year, as sick or stressed vines are more easily identified as they come under load. Symptoms may include vine collapse, early yellowing or stunting of the canopy, fruit that has not sized, and explosive fruit or vines with significant fruit drop. Tag and map stressed vines to establish the presence, location, and extent of the problem. Understanding numbers will help inform harvest and future management decisions. Tags will also alert harvest teams to check for fruit which may be softening or explosive so they can be excluded from harvest bins – see images from a recent report here. Check new development blocks, as unusual patterns of vine death or stress may flag underlying soil or water management issues or presence of disease. KVH can support growers by taking soil and root samples for diagnostic testing to help determine whether pathogens are present and inform next steps for management of vines. Capturing data at orchard level helps industry gain a better understanding of causes of premature fruit softening, and post-harvest fruit rots A list of KPCS nurseries is available online for ordering replacement plants.
Read more27/02/2025
The biosecurity response to the find of a single male Oriental fruit fly in Birkdale on Auckland’s North Shore is making good progress with extra traps in place, stepped up checks and legal controls introduced. Industry personnel from the kiwifruit industry are also taking part, helping protect our industry and the horticultural sector. Special bins have been delivered for fruit and vegetable waste disposal, and a mobile laboratory to check fruit and vegetables is in place. There were already over 60 Oriental fruit fly surveillance traps in the North Shore area, and nearly 700 traps aimed at other fruit fly species. Around 100 extra Oriental fruit fly traps are also now in place within a 1500-metre area of the original find. Legal controls have been introduced to restrict the movement of fruit and vegetables around the location where the Oriental fruit fly was found to stop the spread of any others that may be out there. Information has been delivered to residential letterboxes about the two zones affected by restrictions and people can also find full information about what they need to do here. Significant response updates will continue to be posted on the KVH website as they occur.
Read more27/02/2025
We’re always keeping an eye on happenings around the world that could change biosecurity risk here in New Zealand, for the kiwifruit industry. It’s important we keep pace with change. There is also a lot that happens in the biosecurity space that we can learn from, even if kiwifruit isn’t directly affected. In this section of the Bulletin, we’ll cover snippets of interest that have caught our attention as part of our ongoing scanning of events and developments within the biosecurity world. This week, it’s a reminder of risk close to home. In northern Tasmania, routine surveillance detected a Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) in a trap at Bell Bay port. This single detection doesn’t represent an outbreak, but Biosecurity Tasmania have implemented immediate precautionary measures – read more here. BMSB is a well-known hitchhiker and one of our Most Unwanted. Read more about its potential impacts and what we’re doing to keep it out of New Zealand on our website here. Image: Bell Bay port. Credit TasPorts.
Read moreIn October 2020, KVH and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (BOPRC) signed an agreement to continue to work together to manage this pest plant over the next 10 years. Under the new agreement, KVH will manage the administration involved in the running of the programme while also contributing $150,000 annually towards control costs and surveillance costs. BOPRC will contribute $100,000 per annum and support KVH in gathering landowner contributions.
KVH has also partnered with Zespri and the Kiwifruit Breeding Centre. Through their significant contributions, the programme has been able to expand and control wild kiwifruit infestations previously left unchecked.
If you know the location of any unrecorded wild kiwifruit infestations, contact your local regional council or unitary authority with details so the infestation can be assessed and programmed for control.
Why control the wild population? The reason wild kiwifruit vines are a biosecurity risk to New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry is that they act as a vector for Psa and other kiwifruit pests and diseases. The wild population can act as a reservoir for biosecurity threats, undermining eradication, and control efforts on commercially productive vines.
They are also a threat to our environment. Wild kiwifruit vines are vigorous climbers, and if left uncontrolled, it can form dense heavy blankets of vines that strangle trees, causing them to die or collapse. Vines can also smother forestry plantations and New Zealand’s native bush.
GROWERS
Remove unpicked fruit from vines and mulch as soon as possible. This prevents mass feeding by birds and allows the fruit to compost as quickly as possible.
POST-HARVEST OPERATORS
Cover bins of reject fruit to prevent birds feeding on ripening fruit.
FARMERS
Cover stockpiles of fruit with shade cloth, windbreak netting or something similar to prevent birds from getting to any fruit. Feed out only what will be eaten by stock at one time to prevent birds from eating leftovers.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
Be very careful with the disposal of kiwifruit, particularly while out in the bush.
KILL WILD KIWIFRUIT PLANTS
Cut vines at ground level. Apply Vigilant Gel® herbicide to the top and sides of the cut stump or any exposed roots. Ring-bark stumps or large roots with a machete or pruning saw to assist absorption of the herbicide gel. Carefully trace all vine stems to find where they may have taken root. Cut any rooted stems at ground level and apply Vigilant Gel®. Never apply Vigilant Gel to stumps within a kiwifruit orchard. For controlling kiwifruit stumps within an orchard, please refer here.
KVH investigates reports of unusual symptoms to identify and manage any biosecurity risks.
13 Mar 2025
The world’s largest hornet, an invasive breed dubbed the “murder hornet” for its dangerous sting and ability to quickly destroy a hive, has been declared eradicated in the United States, five years after being spotted for the first time in Washington state near the Canadian border. It’s thought the invasive hornets could have travelled to North America in plant pots or shipping containers and have posed significant threats to pollinators and native insects during the five-year response. They can wipe out a honeybee hive in as little as 90 minutes, decapitating the bees and then defending the hive as their own, taking the brood to feed their own young. The hornet features in our 2025 calendar of pests to keep a look out for, especially as it isn’t like anything we already have here in New Zealand already and will look new and unusual.
Read more13 Mar 2025
KVH is pleased to welcome Scott Wilson as the new regional coordinator for Poverty Bay, strengthening connection between local growers and biosecurity efforts. While this role in Poverty Bay was initially established during the Psa response period, it was later phased out as the disease became increasingly well managed. However, with the rapid growth of the kiwifruit sector in the region, KVH recognises the value of reintroducing a dedicated representative. The role enhances local biosecurity monitoring, facilitates communication about emerging threats, and supports the development of the regional emergency response network. Scott brings decades of experience to the position, having been involved in the kiwifruit industry since the mid-1980s. He was heavily involved during the Psa incursion and has recently stepped down as GM of Kaiaponi Farms after 24 years, allowing him to dedicate more time to industry support. His firsthand experience with events like Cyclone Gabrielle further strengthens his ability to help growers build resilience against future challenges. Scott is eager to connect with growers and encourages anyone with biosecurity concerns or regional interests to reach out. KVH thanks all those who expressed interest in the role, with responses reflecting an awareness of the importance of Poverty Bay growers remaining well connected in the biosecurity and emergency response space.
Read more13 Mar 2025
Legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in Birkdale 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 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 Thursday 10 April. 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. To date, no other Oriental fruit flies have been found. Full details are available on the KVH website here.
Read more