Kiwifruit buds are breaking and with this – a new season for the kiwifruit industry begins. This week, the Kiwifruit Protection Programme (KPP) team @FABI (Prof. Irene Barnes and Cheyenne Theron) set off to set up trials for the upcoming season. These trials, taking place in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, are for the PhD study of Cheyenne, who is conducting epidemiological studies, including spore trapping, to determine when infection of the fungus causing Pseudocercospora spot and rot disease takes place. Results from these trials will identify periods of infection, which will guide farmers on chemical applications for effective control of the pathogen.

We are grateful to the farmers for not only providing us with space in their orchards but also for running these trials throughout the season.