Growers are asked to look out for and report unusual symptoms at this time of the year, as sick or stressed vines are more easily identified as they come under load.

Symptoms may include vine collapse, early yellowing or stunting of the canopy, fruit that has not sized, and explosive fruit or vines with significant fruit drop.

Tag and map stressed vines to establish the presence, location, and extent of the problem. Understanding numbers will help inform harvest and future management decisions. Tags will also alert harvest teams to check for fruit which may be softening or explosive so they can be excluded from harvest bins – see images from a recent report here.

Check new development blocks, as unusual patterns of vine death or stress may flag underlying soil or water management issues or presence of disease.

KVH can support growers by taking soil and root samples for diagnostic testing to help determine whether pathogens are present and inform next steps for management of vines.

Capturing data at orchard level helps industry gain a better understanding of causes of premature fruit softening, and post-harvest fruit rots

A list of KPCS nurseries is available online for ordering replacement plants.