Zespri' general manager Psa innovation, David Tanner, told growers at Zespri's Momentum conference that to survive Psa they have to stop waiting for a ‘silver bullet miracle'.

'To survive this interim period, where it will appear Psa is gaining the upper hand despite our best efforts, will take patience, resilience and confidence.

'The patience to accept the miracle cure will not likely be coming; the resilience to work through the tough times ahead; and the confidence in the future of the industry to stay the distance.”

David was speaking to more than 400 growers and kiwifruit industry representatives about Zespri's initial reaction to finding Psa last year and the actions put in place hence.

'Last year we received that fateful call at 4.45pm on a Friday afternoon immediately after plant and food had made their necessary call to MAF to advise that an unwanted and previously unrecorded organism had been found in a Te Puke orchard.

'Those responsible for reporting the systems that were out of the ordinary must be commended.

'We now see that the rate of spread has been swift – and if we had not known that it was here in November we may be facing a more serious situation now than we do – and it's pretty serious.”

David says the initial plan to confine and eradicate the Psa was unsuccessful and the industry has had to change to a long-term strategy being headed by Kiwifruit Vine Health.

'In recognition that the management of Psa will be a permanent part of our landscape for some years to come”.

'It is also acknowledged by all that the research and development followed by well-executed implementation will be a key activity and we will initially learn to live and eventually breed our way out of this situation.”

There are more than 70 research and development projects underway, but the results don't always come overnight, says David.
'Tension always exists in that we, and you as growers, want answers more immediately.

'Scientists are more risk-averse, they want to be sure of their results; they want to double and triple check if necessary.”

David says he's confident the R&D projects are going as fast as possible.

'On a daily level out there it may feel that little is happening, particularly in the absence of a silver bullet cure to Psa; but we have to be realistic on what R&D will deliver – and in all likelihood, it will not deliver a silver bullet.

'What it will deliver is incremental knowledge and the occasional big step forward, which will help the industry develop a tool box that will allow it to live with Psa.

'The tool box will be a combination of orchard management techniques, products, supply chain changes and more resilient varieties.

'It is for this reason, that while I do have an underlying optimism that we will learn to live with Psa and prosper in a world with Psa, I temper this with the fact there is still some way to go.”