The deadly kiwifruit vine disease Psa-V has now been detected in New Zealand’s Coromandel region just two weeks after being found in the Waikato.
Biosecurity agency Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH) has reported provisional tests for the disease on four gold kiwifruit vines in the region have turned in positive results.
The news comes just two weeks after the disease was discovered in the Waikato region. Prior to this it had been confined to the country’s main growing area in the Bay of Plenty.
KVH has established a ‘controlled area’ within a 10km radius of the orchard where the discovery was made and has spoken to Coromandel growers.
KVH chairman Barry O’Neil told New Zealand’s Fairfax Media the detection had not come as a surprise.
'As the sap starts to flow in early spring, Psa-V symptoms become more obvious. There was a marked increase in Psa-V identifications at this time last year. We also received the first Psa-V positive results from orchards in the Waikato region only two weeks ago. The Coromandel has been identified as a high-risk region for a Psa-V incursion, given its close proximity to Psa-V infected areas in the Bay of Plenty,' he said.
'To find an incursion in another region is very disappointing. However, growers have learnt a great deal over the past 18 months and have responded swiftly and responsibly. Since being identified with Psa-V, the affected, and adjoining vines, in this Gold9 orchard have been removed and disposed of.'
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