This week KVH visited twelve orchards in the Whanganui region and also held a meeting with local growers to discuss best practice Psa-V management strategies and to provide latest research information.

All growers in the region had good monitoring programmes in place. Results from these show some spring progression within previously affected orchards. Levels of infected male vines remain below 10 percent with cane dieback and exudate being the symptoms observed. Minimal numbers of female vines are showing any infection.

Severe spring wind, and for some, recent hail events, have provided challenging growing conditions and proactive spray programmes, cut out of infection as it is found and good orchard hygiene procedures is likely to have minimised infection spread to date.

No leaf spot was evident. However, some bud browning was seen on one Psa-V positive site.

Shelter and adequate pollination are seen as challenges in this region. Notch-grafting of older male varieties has begun. Successful results from December 2013-grafted males, has resulted in growth which will contribute to pollination this year.

This region previously had two unmanaged sites recorded, and each of these sites were visited. One of these blocks has now been removed and the other has been returned to management.