Psa V spreads further | Rural

The vine disease Psa-V continues to take its toll in Te Puke where its spread has increased on several kiwifruit gold orchards which had looked likely to produce a crop this season.

Kiwifruit Vine Health general manager John Burke said wet weather over the Christmas period had increased the severity of the disease in infected orchards.

In the past week, 11 new infected orchards were identified, taking the total across all growing regions to 939. Of those, 777 are in the Te Puke region.

"It is a lot worse in Te Puke and appears to be a matter of the density of orchards, the high inoculum loading and the recent rainfall as well," Mr Burke said.

"Growers are cutting out infected fruit-bearing canes and in cases where the entire vine is badly infected, cutting it back to the stump."

KVH staff had been visiting growing regions to gain a snapshot of the disease in each area, he said.

"We are not seeing anything like the progression of the disease that we see in Te Puke in areas like Katikati and Opotiki."

Those regions were a year behind Te Puke in contracting the disease and while that could have an effect on its progression, Mr Burke said orchardists outside Te Puke had the advantage of 12 months' research and development and a range of new tools to help control it.

The focus is now on the 2012 crop with estimates expected to be available next month. Psa-V does not affect the fruit.