Hortgro PSHB action plan

by Hortgro PHBS Team

TThe polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle is one of the top priorities at Hortgro given the serious impact it could have on the future viability of the pome and stone fruit industries. A PSHB Focus Group was formed last year and meets regularly to monitor development and agree on industry priorities in mitigating the risk.

The strategy to address the risk posed by PSHB should be built on three pillars:

1. Monitoring

2. Preventing the spread

Polyphagous shot-hole borer beetle (Euwallacea fornicatus).

With respect to the progress made on the PSHB programme, the following points are relevant.

3. Eradicating on-farm infestations A

A total of 300 PSHB traps (approximately 50 traps per area) were placed in six major production areas over the past three months. The areas are:

• Stellenbosch

• Berg River

• Ceres (WB)

• Wolseley

• Elgin, Villiersdorp and Grabouw

• Langkloof

• Klein Karoo

The Hortgro Pome and Stone Boards have made additional funding available to increase research capacity, expand the monitoring programme, and develop technology for faster identification of trapped insects.

A further 200 to 300 traps were commissioned and will be placed in the coming season. The pheromone lures are produced by a Canadian company and currently only have an experimental registration in South Africa. We will do whatever we can to fast-track the registration of the lure. This will enable more commercial companies to supply the lure in future when a higher level of monitoring might be needed.

Hortgro has contracted FruitFly Africa to service the traps in the areas where they are active while additional monitoring capacity will be established in regions that FruitFly Africa does not cover. This will ensure that an industry-wide surveillance blanket is established. Growers in regions who want to scout for the presence of PSHB on the borders of their farms, in orchards or in gardens on the farm can follow the guidelines set out in the additional links on page 23.

Risk mitigation to prevent the spread of the insect has been flagged at the provincial and national government level to motivate funding and to provide controls and institute regulations to prevent the spread of the insect between production regions. The provincial government will assist with communication with municipalities.

Feedback regarding the existing traps is as follows:

Apart from the well-reported infestation in Somerset West and recently in the Newlands-Mowbray-Claremont corridor in Cape Town, significant infestation has been observed in the Stellenbosch region. High levels of infestation are reported in specifically oak trees in the town centre.

Locations around Stellenbosch where PSHB was found since monitoring commenced during January 2023 are: Bergkelder, Asara, Nietvoorbij, Devon Valley, Weltevrede Nursery, Vlottenburg, Welgevonden, Central Stellenbosch, Onder Papegaaiberg and Die Boord. A meeting was arranged with Stellenbosch producers to discuss the management of PSHB. Training of orchard monitors has taken place and more training sessions are envisioned.

Awareness campaigns have been initiated to inform industry stakeholders and the public of material that can spread PSHB. Growers have been alerted to look out for and report any symptoms of potential infestations. Training videos are also planned. Access to suitable fruit orchards for field trials was finalised by the end of the third quarter of 2022. Various experimental chemical, biological and mechanical treatments will be evaluated in these orchards. Trees will be independently monitored, and the results will be published as soon as it becomes available.

Two industry-funded research projects on PSHB commenced in January 2023. Various other research projects will be initiated during the year. Additional field days are being planned, following the two well-attended field days held at Lourensford in August 2022.

The legislative status of PSHB will continue to be raised on several platforms, and lobbying actions are taking place with various national government departments.

While legislation is not yet in place, great care should be taken in not allowing potentially infested material (firewood and green waste) onto farms and into regions where PSHB does not occur. Treated pine and eucalyptus pallets do not present a risk.

PSHB does not present a market-access risk since fruit is not infested and does not serve as a pathway.

Apart from the natural spread from tree to tree, human-assisted PSHB distribution primarily occurs through the movement of infested wood and green waste. AP

Additional Links

PSHB reproductive host trees

A list of PSHB reproductive host trees can be down-loaded from the FABI PSHB website: www.fabinet.up.ac.za/pshb

Grower-focused PSHB

Hortgro has developed a grower-focused PSHB website: https://bit.ly/3IVsqr9 The site will include all relevant information regarding the management of the insect, monitoring and action plans.

Additional documents

Go to https://bit.ly/3NaGpvK to download additional documents on PSHB identification, management and deposing of infected material, and how to confirm identification and submit a sample.

Integrated Pest Management Group

The classification of the pest is pending, which will allow local authorities, provincial government and disaster management structures at the provincial and national levels to deal with the threat. Hortgro will also proactively engage with government to assist the worst-affected producers in case mitigation regulations require removing infested orchards.

Please join the Integrated Pest Management Group (IPM) that meets the last Friday of every month to keep up to date with the latest information. Contact to join.

Additional documents

Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/Qf35FfwDPHg to watch the video presentation by Prof Francois Roets, Stellenbosch University.

To report possible sightings and for more information, contact pshb@hortgro.co.za