Optimising PSA control
With kiwifruit returns looking promising for the upcoming season, growers will want the right product mix for their Psa management programme and grow a great crop for maximum returns.
Pieter Van Der Westhuizen, Upper North Island Regional Sales Manager for UPL NZ Ltd, has useful insights for vine health and protection against Psa-V Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa).
“Spearhead your Psa programme with the hard-hitting bactericide Kasumin® and add robustness by combining Kasumin with the protectant bio-bactericide Aureo Gold.
“Kasumin’s targeted action works by inhibiting the protein synthesis of Psa. Kasumin’s active ingredient kasugamycin features a unique site of activity and is absorbed rapidly to provide excellent control. It’s the only bactericide in Group 24 which makes it useful for your resistance management strategies.”
Pieter says Kasumin should be applied before, or as soon as possible after events that favour Psa infection, such as hail and high winds that could damage vines, and winter pruning.
“Remember to clean spray tanks, lines and nozzles thoroughly using All Clear® 2X after application to reduce the potential for residues in subsequent sprays.”
A companion product to Kasumin is Aureo Gold®, a natural, New Zealand-discovered, solution with outstanding flexibility within kiwifruit spray programmes.
“Staff from New Zealand Plant & Food Research were responsible for the breakthrough discovery of Aureo Gold’s active ingredient. Then Plant & Food partnered with UPL NZ to develop Aureo Gold for commercial use.
“It was a major success for the industry, not just in this country, but globally for several reasons such as Aureo Gold’s excellent compatibility with a wide range of bactericides, fungicides, insecticides and adjuvants. These include Kasumin®, Actigard®, Proclaim Opti®, Luna Privilege®, Movento®, Du-Wett®, DriftStop® and Timorex Gold®. Mixing compatible actives saves a lot of time, labour and fuel, and delivers greater efficacy against Psa from fewer passes and that just makes commercial sense.”
Certified for organic growing systems and friendly for bees and beneficial insects Aureo Gold is used by conventional and organic growers alike as a contact protectant. “Thorough coverage is essential, and we recommend the addition of Du-Wett® or Du-Wett® Organic, depending on your system, to the tank mix.”
Another recommendation from Pieter to support vine health is to apply Calibra®, a premium, seaweed-based biostimulant. “It benefits the vines through stimulating leaf growth and that means a more vigorous canopy, especially in the early stages of canopy development.”
Derived from Ascophyllum nodosum, a seaweed species known for its extraordinary benefits for crop production, Calibra has been used here since the late 1990s. “The sustainable management of the Ascophyllum nodosum beds includes hand-harvesting to leave 30 cm of the seaweed intact to regrow and no less than two years between harvests.”
More information about Kasumin, Aureo Gold and Calibra for your kiwifruit crop protection programme is available from your local Fruitfed Supplies Technical Horticultural Representative.
