Info needed on myrtle rust says affected owner

Myrtle rust has been found in Te Puke.

After discovering myrtle rust on a shrub in her garden, one Te Puke resident wants more to be done to to let the public know about the fungus.

The resident, who does not wish to be named, says she was pretty sure it was myrtle rust when she saw small yellow dots on the leaves of a Lophomyrtus [ramarama tree].

"I was fairly sure when saw it - I've seen the warnings of it and I've gardened for a long time. I looked at it on the tree and I thought, yeah. [The dots] were on the leaves first, then under the leaves, then it spread to the stalks - it's only on the new growth."

She reported her suspicions to the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) but was unable to immediately send a photograph for verification. The shrub has now been removed and there are restrictions on what can be taken from the property.

MPI incident controller, myrtle rust response, David Yard, says any delay did not compromise the response of management of the site.

"Before a positive identification we need two things: Submission of a visual identification usually in the form of a photo. This will be assessed by our scientific experts to determine the likelihood that the symptoms found are indeed myrtle rust.

If this threshold is fully met, we will arrange for a trained sampler to visit the premise, take the appropriate sample and submit this to our labs in Auckland for testing and positive ID.

Only when both these criteria have been met will we be able to confirm the presence of myrtle rust on the premise."

In the Te Puke case, a staff member from the regional council photographed the plant.
"Once the photo had been received, an assessment was made that the symptoms were suspicious and a follow up sample would be required.

As soon as an investigator could be made available they were dispatched from Auckland to collect and submit a sample to the lab.

"The lab confirmed the presence of myrtle rust in the sample and MPI dispatched a team of operatives to treat the premise.

"In this specific case the affected ramarama tree was sprayed with a sealant to prevent further spread of spores and the tree dismantled and safely removed.

The garden was surveyed for the presence of further infection (of which none was found) and sprayed with a systemic fungicide to treat any remaining spores."