KVH has amended its best practice guidelines for orchard hygiene to include a more practical approach in Recovery regions where infection is widespread.

The revised guidelines also recognise the lower risk of some vehicle movements onto orchards, such as harvest machinery, quad bikes used for maturity clearance, and fertiliser spreaders. These should be checked and have all visible plant material removed. However they no longer require sanitising between orchards in the same Recovery region. Higher-risk vehicles which come into direct contact with kiwifruit plant material (such as mulchers, root pruners etc) should continue to be cleaned and sanitised between orchards.

All vehicles should be cleaned and sanitised between Recovery regions. The requirements for Containment and Exclusion regions remain unaltered.

• Click here to view the amended orchard hygiene best practice document.