Burning of vines may start today

Photo / Steven McNicholl

The Government could learn today whether diseased kiwifruit vines will need to be destroyed, as leaves begin to wilt on the first properties reported.

Biosecurity officials said yesterday that the Te Puke orchard that was first confirmed to have the Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae (Psa) bacterium had seen the disease progress further.

It was one of three orchards with the disease, but that figure could rise as more laboratory tests return today.

Two other orchards are quarantined, and 20 are being actively investigated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Zespri, New Zealand's biggest exporter of kiwifruit.

MAF Biosecurity deputy director-general Barry O'Neil said test results of samples from nine orchard sites would be returned today, and by tomorrow that would have increased to 40.

Agriculture Minister David Carter said he would know by this afternoon the best way to proceed, as the tests would give an idea of how far the bacteria had spread and how severe the outbreak was.

The disease, which could be spread by wind, bees and poor agricultural hygiene, was at present limited to a 10km radius. Authorities said the No 1 goal was to eradicate Psa from New Zealand. If that wasn't possible, the second option was to try to contain it.

Zespri chief executive Lain Jager said yesterday that "if eradication is an option, we are under enormous pressure to make very challenging decisions".

MAF was still discussing treatment options but eradication could include burning vines, or deep burial. Copper spraying, used to control the disease, would begin this afternoon.

Mr O'Neil said the Psa strain might be different from those identified overseas. "It may be that this organism in New Zealand is a far more mild situation, and if we are not able to eradicate, it may be that orchardists will be able to manage this problem relatively easily within normal orchard practice methods."

It was also possible Psa had been dormant in New Zealand for years.

Te Puke growers were "tentatively optimistic" yesterday that it was not an aggressive strain of the disease.

Mr Carter said the find was a huge wake-up call for all New Zealanders about the importance of biosecurity.

The bacteria could threaten New Zealand's $1.4 billion kiwifruit industry, which employs 25,000 people in the Bay of Plenty alone.

The US and Australia have banned imports of nursery plants and cuttings from New Zealand, but they and Japan confirmed yesterday that they would continue to accept the fruit.

VIGILANCE NEEDED

* 3 orchards confirmed

* 2 others quarantined

* 20 orchards being investigated

* 78 orchards showing signs of Psa disease