Earlier this year Plant Diagnostics Ltd hosted an Australian nematologist for a four-day training programme focused on nematode identification and diagnostics.

KVH worked alongside other agriculture and horticulture sectors to support the training by providing samples from kiwifruit orchards with a history of nematode issues, along with representative orchard block samples where no known issues were present.

Samples were also contributed from a range of other production systems including citrus, vineyards, berryfruit, potato, spinach and onion crops.

The training provided valuable exposure to a wide range of plant-parasitic nematodes and helped strengthen diagnostic capability across New Zealand’s plant health network.

Plant-parasitic nematodes are an often overlooked but important group of organisms that can impact root health, plant vigour, and crop performance. Having skilled diagnosticians and diagnostic capability across industries plays an important role in supporting early identification, investigation and management of emerging plant health issues.

KVH thanks industry partners who supported the submission of samples and contributed to building this important capability.

Image: On the left, Uykim Lim, Lewis Braithwaite (Plant Diagnostics) Graham and Marcelle Stirling (Australian nematode experts), and Sandy Hammond (Lincoln University). On the right, a spiral nematode, Helicotylenchus spp.