NZ: Seeka 'encouraged' by Psa taskforce results
New Zealand kiwifruit companies Seeka and EastPack have launched their own Psa solution taskforce to add to the efforts underway across the industry.
Seeka chief executive Michael Franks told www.freshfruitportal.com the project called Taskforce Green would 'augment' the research already undertaken by Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH), Zespri and Plant & Food Research.
"That taskforce is meant to augment KVHās research program and involves leading professors, domestic experts and scientist going into Te Puke to view the outbreak and brainstorm solutions," says Franks.
"I think both of us would say weāre surprised by the momentum of the taskforce.Ā We've been intimate with what theyāre doing in understanding the genomic sequence of Psa-V, and the differences in the genomic sequences in different strains of Psa.
"Iām encouraged weāre going to find a solution."
He says the nature of the solution is still uncertain, but there are several short-term options underway.
"Over the range of the short term thereās solutions weāre involved in including antibiotic remedies. Thereās new antibiotics in Japan for the outbreak of Psa that you can use topically like with spraying, or you can inject it.
"I canāt tell you thereās a light at the end of the tunnel because we donāt know which technology is going to work. We are confident we will yield a technology, I donāt think itāll be too far away before we know which one.
"Our first goal is to find a solution. Weāre not overly worried about how it gets commercialized."
The taskforce has also developed a 48-hour diagnosis test to determine the existence and strain of Psa.
EastPack deputy chairman and former Kiwifruit Growers Inc (KGI) president Grant Eydon, said it was unprecedented for two competitors in the post harvest sector to join forces to find a solution.
"The need is such that the commercial operators shoould combine efforts and launch an initiative to find a common solution to augment the industry response. It will take significant investment but I am encouraged by the momentum already achieved by Taskforce Green. In many ways we represent the growers and the industry."
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Photo: Seeka