Industry biosecurity day a success
This morning KVH and Zespri jointly hosted a Kiwifruit Grower Biosecurity Day, providing the opportunity for everyone to learn more about work underway to protect the industry from unwanted pests and diseases.
Key research findings, and practical examples of research the industry has been taking part in were discussed, particularly around one of our highest risk threats, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB).
Long-term management of BMSB (in the event the pest was to establish here, and response efforts were unsuccessful in eradicating it) was discussed in-depth by Matt Dyck and Yanika Reiter from KVH, as well as Shane Max from Zespri, who talked about what has been learnt from research and overseas experiences with tools like netting, chemical control, and trapping for example. Factoring these control measures into future planning was worked through by growers in the room during an interactive session where groups discussed what might be barriers or uncertainties when considering investing in such ‘future tools’.
We recorded a new podcast covering this with Yanika and Shane, which you can listen to here.
Biosecurity responses to BMSB and other high-risk threats were discussed at a national level by several speakers, including Brendan Gould from the New Zealand Forest Owners Association and Dave Teulon from Better Border Biosecurity (B3), who both spoke about the different parts of the New Zealand biosecurity system and explained how they all fit together to ensure there are numerous intervention points that either stop biosecurity risk getting here, or capture and manage the risk that does make it to our shores and past our borders and what different industries can learn from each other.
Important industry research and development programmes were delved into in more detail during presentations by Zespri and Plant & Food Research, with discussions focussed on new learnings about the biosecurity risk of compost and Phytophthora diversity.
The event was recorded and videos from the day will be available shortly – we’ll keep you updated.
