Continuing wet weather is delaying pruning and increasing concerns that the vine disease Psa-V may become more evident again this spring, says Neil Trebilco- president of NZ Kiwifruit Growers Inc.

'Ideally grower should not prune their orchards if they know it is going to rain, and protect their vines (from Psa) with copper sprays.

'The continued wet weather means growers are pushing the boundaries and the concern is around what impact that will have on the amount of Psa we see this spring.”

The serious bacterial disease Psa-V prefers wet cold conditions and 'wounds” caused by pruning the plant are one of the ways it enters vines.

Neil says timing of pruning is crucial to the next season's crop and ideally should be done before bud movement.

'With gold fruit you really want pruning done by the end of July or the middle of August. With green crops it can go on as late as September.”

There was not been spell of long dry weather since harvest and Neil says the inability to work in orchards is adversely affecting the pruners too.

'Growers can't afford to pay people while they are not working and if they can't get into the orchards to prune, it is affecting the pruners' income.”