Nick Barrowman
Kiwistart Orchards, Waikato

Psa

“Psa in this spring was the worst i’ve seen it, and many Waikato Orchards had a lot of PSA bleeding, male flowers were non-existent, and plenty of Psa induced leaf spots were all over the new spring leaves.”

(Barrowman stopped using copper sprays and sprayed Botryzen only during the 2016 kiwifruit season)

“ We harvested a month earlier than it ever has been since planting in 1984 and we generated 1000 more trays per hectare compared to the national average”

Location:
Matamata Waikato

Kiwifruit Target variety:
Cultivar Hayward (organic)
Application dates:
November 8, 2017, November 18, 2017, and November 27, 2017

Application rates:
8kg/ hectare, 533g/ 100L

Weather conditions during application:
Dry, cool evenings (5pm-6pm) after heat has gone

Before Botry Zen Application: Waikato orchards (spring time) experienced immense Psa symptoms such as (1) release of red/orange exudates (2) absence of male flowers and (3) leaf spotting. Used copper sprays from after harvest up until bud break (May 17- October 17) but symptoms (mentioned above) still continued and becoming worse.

After Botryzen application: Botryzen was then applied thrice; November of 2017 ,at the start of flowering and just before fruit set. The orchard “turned around again” and no more copper sprays have been applied since October 2017. The grower believes that the stop of copper sprays coupled with Botryzen application during such a critical time (e.g. start of flowering and before fruit set) allows the plant to successfully set fruit, whereas the use of copper stops fruit set completely without stopping any of the Psa symptoms.

During the 2016 growing season, Kiwistart orchard stopped copper spraying but continued with Botryzen. This resulted in earlier fruit onset relative to first planting in 1984 and 1000 more trays per hectare than the national average.

Ross and Trudy Hart
Biogro Certified Organic Kiwifruit Katikati,
Bay of Plenty

Psa and Sclerotinia

“We have used Botryzen on our 2.5 hectare kiwifruit orchard to meet MPI and KVH protocols for Psa control and believe that Botryzen has made a strong contribution to the health of our orchard and Psa prevention. Using Botryzen, we have no concerns about heavy metal contamination and destruction of our healthy microbial soil life”

“It is extremely disappointing that this product [Botryzen] isn’t being used on all other orchards”

Richard Russel
Manaia Orchard Trust

Psa

“Botryzen has given us great control over Psa. It’s a very important tool in our tool box to fight Psa. We spray Botryzen in 25 organic orchards with great success. We also spray Botryzen at Sclerotinia rates which we believe also helps the fight against Psa.”