About Psa (kiwifruit vine canker)
Psa is damaging kiwifruit industries throughout the world. Thousands of hectares of orchards have been destroyed, especially of gold kiwifruit. The disease became a worldwide problem in only a few years and it is still spreading.
In New Zealand, the kiwifruit industry has largely recovered, due to the planting of gold kiwifruit varieties that are more tolerant of the strains of Psa present here.
Global distribution of Psa
Why we're concerned
Psa is one of the most important diseases of kiwifruit. It causes bacterial canker of green and gold kiwifruit, and kiwiberry.
If new strains of Psa come into New Zealand from other parts of the world, they could cause further losses.
How could it get here?
While one type of Psa (biovar 3) is already here, we want to keep other types out. They could get here on infected planting material. MPI has strict measures in place to limit the chances of them making it through the border.
How to identify Psa
Psa infections can cause:
- leaf blotches with straight edges
- leaf and plant wilting
- twig and cane dieback and cracking
- cankers (lesions) on canes, leaders, and trunks
- red or white ooze to form on the undersides of leaves, canes, buds, joints of branches, forks, leaf scars, and pruning scars
- infected flowers to turn brown and wither without opening
- affected fruit to be small and misshapen
- fruit to collapse because the branch has wilted and the fruit is not getting the fluid it needs.
Learn more about Psa on the Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH) website
What to do if you think you've found Psa
If you are an orchardist and disease symptoms are worse, different, or unexpected from current Psa symptoms:
- photograph it
- call 0800 80 99 66
Note: This information is a summary of Psa's global distribution and potential impacts to New Zealand.
