Psa Orchard Management Strategy Update

Psa Orchard Management Strategy Update:

· Since Psa was first identified on a Te Puke orchard in early November 2010, Kiwifruit Vine Health Inc. (the non-profit entity established to manage the Psa response) has been implementing the industry-agreed Psa Management Strategy.

· There are now 147 orchards affected by Psa, with 41 orchards near Te Puke being identified as having an Italian-like isolate of Psa. The majority of Psa-affected orchards (approx 74%) are within a 23 km area south of Te Puke township.

· Kiwifruit Vine Health case managers are working directly with affected growers, with 29ha of vines (approx. 0.2% of industry area) removed to date.

· An important aspect of the Psa Management Strategy is to determine with some certainty where the perimeter of more serious infection is, to allow a focused containment effort by growers, post-harvest, ZESPRI, MAF and KVH. A Psa Priority Zone has been established near Te Puke, surrounding an area of more severe infection.

· At a meeting with KVH members and the Industry Advisory Council (IAC) on Friday 11 February 2011, it was agreed that the existing Psa Management Strategy should be amended to focus vine removal activities on GOLD orchards with the Italian-like isolate and any orchard with secondary symptoms (currently no GREEN orchards have been identified as having secondary symptoms). This amendment recognises that the infection appears to be moving more quickly through GOLD vines and orchards, leading to an increasing amount of secondary symptoms and, in extreme cases, release of exudates loaded with innoculum.

· The Psa Management Strategy and KVH's resources continue to be focused heavily on identifying the perimeter of infection and reducing innoculum levels by urgently removing vines from severely-infected orchards and utilising a protective spray programme.

· KVH is communicating this latest update to all growers and will be discussed during ZESPRI grower meetings around the country scheduled for early March 2011.

· KVH is also working on a long-term Pest Management Strategy, which will be discussed with the industry, to ensure that Psa can be managed into the future.

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