Kiwifruit Vine Health chairman John Burke says confirmation of Psa-V on a Waihi orchard this week has initiated a forensic investigation worthy of the CSI television programme.

Psa-V was confirmed on a Hayward orchard south of the township on Tuesday.

Kiwifruit Vine Health chairman John Burke.

KVH has established a new priority zone south of Waihi and has extended the high risk area to include the entire Waihi region.

The adjustments encompass 30 orchards in the new Waihi priority zone and 19 kiwifruit orchards in the Waihi high risk area – covering about 190ha of kiwifruit orchards.

Priority zones now encompass Te Puke, Papamoa, Matapihi and Welcome Bay to Ohauiti Road.

All Waihi orchards are now deemed high risk areas except those in the new priority zone, as is the whole Katikati region, Tauranga, and Whakatane/Edgecumbe.

The Waihi disease was discovered by a vigilant orchardist doing his regular checks, says KVH chairman John Burke.

'It could have sat there quite a long time if they weren't looking,” says John.

Orchardists are being urged to regularly monitor their orchards.

Medium risk areas once a month, every two weeks in high risk areas and every week in priority zones.

As well as monitoring the vines, orchardists are urged to make sure all orchard equipment and vehicles are clean.

KVH is now going back over the Waihi orchard's history; who the contractors were and where they also worked to see if they can link the Waihi orchard with any other infected orchards.

'I think what's possibly happened is prior to us identifying Psa-V in Te Puke, there's been inadvertent movement of plant material to that orchard, which has meant it has become infected.”

'It is the only thing we can really see – so what we are doing is tracing studies.

'It's only in a few vines at this stage. We are just working though out standard process.

'It does give us an opportunity to see what kind of links there have been. It's the biggest outlyer orchard that we have had.

'It might also give us some clues as to timing, because a really solid link two or three years ago would tell us the disease has been around longer than we currently think.”

It will be a week or two before the data is compiled and examined.

Surrounding Waihi orchards are also being checked.

'Waihi's quite good in that the orchards are far apart.”

Meanwhile orchardists are not rushing to use the recently approved antibiotic spray KeyStrepto.

'It's not as if the phone has been ringing off the hook,” says John.

'There's been a small volume of calls giving notice that they intend to use the spay.

'It's not going to be a huge uptake by growers. It will depend on individual circumstances, how they choose to protect their orchards.”

The antibiotic spray means there are now about ten for orchardists to choose from, with the antibiotic use having more protocols involving its use.

Grower Meeting

Waihi growers are meeting at 1.30pm at the Waihi War Memorial Hall to discuss the Psa confirmation in their area.