Welcome to the new format of the KVH Bulletin.  This new format allows readers to view content at a glance and choose to read specific articles most relevant or of interest to them.

By clicking on the ‘read more’ button under each summary, users will be linked to the full article on the KVH website.

A full, print-friendly copy of the KVH Bulletin remains available to those who prefer a printable version on the KVH website here.

KVH Bulletin articles and latest news will also automatically appear on the KVH website homepage. This way, the latest news and updates will be available to website users as soon as they arrive on the KVH website.
 

KVH continues to work with Zespri and ACVM to confirm label claims and use conditions for KeyStrepto™ and Kasumin® post 15 June 2014. Currently both products cannot be used before 15 June unless a Justified Approval (JA) is issued by Zespri, and only under extenuating circumstances.

Unless we receive confirmation from ACVM as to the use condition, this date is likely to be extended.

KVH will advise growers of progress through the KVH Bulletin.
 

Psa-V infection has been confirmed in Japan.

The disease was first found last month in the Ehime Prefecture, Japan’s largest kiwifruit production area; and soon after was confirmed in the Southern area of the Fukuoka Prefectural.

Growers in both regions have cut out all infected vines.

The Prefectural Governments together with agricultural officials and advisors are investigating the extent of the spread; and advising growers of best-practice control measures including monitoring for early detection, cutting out infected material and tool sterilisation.

Emergency financial assistance has been offered to kiwifruit growers’ for disease prevention measures.
 

Coromandel harvest is now complete and most crops have achieved close to their estimate. Growers have been actively applying copper and Actigard™ post-harvest.

Psa-V symptoms have recently increased, particularly in Hort16A and Gold9 orchards.  One of the original Psa-V Gold9 sites is described as 95 percent clear of Psa-V symptoms. This follows an aggressive copper programme.

M33 males in a Gold9 orchard are expressing cane and shoot dieback. However M91 males in the same block appear to be clear of symptoms.

Growers are reporting Gold3 as clear of symptoms, except for those that were grafted onto heavily infected rootstock.

Conversion of Hort16A orchards will continue this winter. Some Hort16A growers whose orchards are not showing symptoms will continue for a 2015 crop.

A Coromandel kiwifruit grower recently received an email from California-based company Pollen Technologies, offering to supply kiwifruit pollen for artificial pollination.  It appears the pollen is sourced from either the United States or China with samples available upon request.

KVH immediately alerted MPI Imports and Exports Group (plants) of the email and contacted the Californian company to inform them that: importation of any pollen into New Zealand for plant breeding purposes is currently prohibited; the company should not solicit enquires from New Zealand; and to immediately stop all promotion of their pollen products and services in New Zealand. 

KVH included information regarding the National Psa-V Risk Management Plan’s rules and risk management around artificial pollination within New Zealand. 

MPI also contacted the supplier to confirm pollen imports are strictly prohibited. 

The company has confirmed it has not sent pollen to New Zealand and it will abide with KVH requests and not seek orders or offer samples of pollen to New Zealand kiwifruit growers.

If any growers receive any further offers of pollen or samples of pollen from a Californian, Chinese, or any overseas based company, then please alert KVH and MPI immediately.  The MPI contact should be made through the MPI exotic pest and disease hotline: 0800 80 99 66. 
 

The KVH Protocol—Budwood has been updated and is available on the KVH website.

This now allows the movement of budwood from Psa-V positive orchards to other Psa-V positive orchards for all Recovery regions subject to meeting requirements of the Protocol. These changes apply to all kiwifruit varietal budwood. Plant variety movement approval will still be required from variety owners.

Click here to view the updated Protocol.

2014 Zespri / KVH Potted Plant Field Trial Report—Hort16A trial

This trial was established to determine the most effective time to apply Kasumin, at label rate from 14 days prior to, and up to seven days post, a Psa-V infection event. Additionally, a number of other products were tested including a copper product Ag Copp 75 and Nanospada 500. Two seaweed extracts in rotation with copper were also tested to determine if seaweed extracts could reduce phytotoxicity and Psa symptoms.

A number of conclusions were made from this trial:

• Kasumin applied at the label rate of 100ppm one day prior to an infection event produces the greatest protection against Psa-V in Hort16A kiwifruit potted plants for up to four weeks compared with all the other application times of Kasumin tested in the trial.
   
• Multiple applications of Nordox provided greater protection than a single application, supporting the current method of use of copper products.
   
• Alternating applications of Nordox with seaweed extracts did not have any effect on Psa-V symptoms. The effect of the seaweed extracts in reducing phytotoxicity caused by copper was unable to be assessed as phytotoxicity was not observed during the trial.
   
• Nanospada 500, a QAC product showed a level of Psa disease control similar to that observed with bactericides Kasumin and KeyStrepto.

Click here to read the full report on the KVH website.
 

KVH recently reviewed the boundaries of existing Recovery regions within the Bay of Plenty.

After consultation with grower groups and the KVH Board, it was decided to combine Tauranga East and Tauranga West into one region: Tauranga.

Tauranga was originally one region when Psa-V was first establishing in the Bay of Plenty. As Psa-V progression differed across the Bay of Plenty, and progression control was better managed in smaller geographical areas, a decision was made in 2012 to split Tauranga into two regions.

However, now that more than 75 percent of orchards across these two regions are Psa-V positive it has been combined once again into one region.

• Click here to view the new Tauranga regional boundary