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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.