Field days highlight biosecurity

KVH has been at the recent Zespri OPC spring field days talking to growers about on-orchard biosecurity and Psa management, particularly over the current high-risk spring and summer season.

Attendance at field day events has been strong, with many growers sharing their thoughts and learnings with peers in small group get togethers, which have worked well.

KVH has enjoyed detailed discussions with growers about biosecurity risks and the range of resources available on the KVH website including fact sheets and videos that demonstrate the impacts of unwanted pests. We were pleased to hear that many growers have already watched our Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) videos and are prompting others to do the same. The importance of immediately reporting unusual symptoms was also highlighted – the sooner we are alerted, the more we can do to help. Early detection is key to eradication.

Timely discussions were also had about Psa. We know from our talks with growers that the weather has been difficult and we expect to see more symptoms over the coming weeks. The key points from the field days are:

· A few sites are reporting more incidence of Psa in blocks, particularly younger blocks and those on more difficult sites. Growers are being proactive in getting on sprays when possible.

· Field days have highlighted the rapid development of canopy through the spring period, emphasising the need to continue with protective sprays to ensure new leaf area is protected.

· For some Gold3 sites M91 males are showing Psa signs and infection is being cut out. Hayward sites historically hit with Psa are also reporting some infection in males, particularly if less tolerant varieties like Matua are still in the canopy.

· The recommendation is to cut and remove infected material from the canopy to avoid wet and windy periods spreading inoculum through the canopy.

· Some early Te Puke Hayward sites are reporting leaf spotting and flowerbud infection as vines come under load. The caution here is for growers to monitor to understand what is happening and get protection on as weather allows. Psa sprays should be in place prior to high-risk weather.

· Some orchards have been identified with Psa this week for the first time – see the latest statistics on the KVH website.

Read more about the importance of spring weather Psa protection.