Changing pest control on New Zealand kiwifruit

Pests have had a greater impact on kiwifruit production in New Zealand than in other countries. In New Zealand kiwifruit was initially seen as being attacked by few insects and mites, but as production grew and intensified so did the spray schedule, as the need for pest control increased. Now consumer pressure against pesticide residues has led to the development of new, better control options and an integrated pest management (IPM) programme is being developed. A prototype IPM system called the Kiwigreen programme has been rapidly taken up by the kiwifruit industry in New Zealand. The key elements of this are monitoring to determine whether populations of armored scale insects require spraying, while the other main pests, various leafroller species, are controlled using a combination of monitoring and timing. The use of sprays of mineral oil and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which do not leave unacceptable residues, is another critical factor. This paper briefly reviews the origin of current practices. An analysis of the spray materials applied and their pattern of use in Kiwigreen orchards is presented, and compared to conventional practices.