This month KVH will be consulting with kiwifruit nurseries and growers on several proposed changes to the Kiwifruit Plant Certification Scheme (KPCS).

These changes are based on feedback received from growers and nurseries over the past 18 months since the scheme was introduced in May 2014.

Key proposed changes and amendments include:

Alternative Psa-V monitoring and testing requirements
This will open up options for nurseries supplying outdoor-grown plants to local growers within their growing region. There would be no requirement to test for the ‘common’ NZ strain of Psa-V, however additional requirements would exist to test for other strains of Psa (non-NZ, streptomycin resistant and copper tolerant).

Definition and controls for ‘growing for own use’
From 1 October 2016, kiwifruit plants being moved between properties must either be KPCS certified, or for a grower’s use on properties they own within the same kiwifruit growing region. The consultation paper will provide clarity on the definition of ‘growing for own use’, the number of plants that can be moved under this mechanism and the controls associated with these movements.

Additional target organisms for the scheme
Additional biosecurity threats will be added as target organisms to the Scheme. Technical advice is being provided to ensure nurseries providing certified plants have the ability to control, or detect, these other target organisms within their operation.

Details of all the proposed changes and amendments to the Scheme are available in a consultation paper which has been released to nurseries and is available to growers on the KVH website.