Vine Sluicing

Armillaria is a wood rotting fungus which creates serious problems for the kiwifruit industry in New Zealand.  It causes root rot, dieback and the death of many vines, and once established in an orchard, it spreads through the soil geometrically and is difficult to control.

According to a four year trial by HortResearch, there is one solution:  ‘Without doubt, water-blasting/sluicing was the most effective of the treatments tried and is recommended to aid control of Armillaria in kiwifruit orchards.” *
 
Wormtech’s associate company Bay Sluicing Limited has experience of applying this technique to thousands of kiwifruit vines dating back to 2000.  The Bay Sluicing process of water-blasting, sluicing and surgery is as follows:

1. Identify the infected vines – including those adjacent to the one showing visible symptoms above ground
2. Waterblast the soil around the roots of the affected vines to liquefy the soil for removal
3. Suck away the correct amount of soil around the roots to expose them to air and sunlight
4. Chop out severely infected roots to prevent infection spreading back into the vine
5. Remove loose bark on remaining roots which may harbour infection
6. Scrape down active lesions on those roots to expose healthy stock
7. Hand spray wounds with Wormtech Canopy to assist in healing.
8. Leave the roots exposed for the long term.

Bay Sluicing has the experience to ensure that this process is done once and done properly.   Whereas diseased vines left untreated will invariably die, treated vines recover and will produce again in an estimated 80% of cases.  More importantly, treating infected vines and the soil around (by Ground Probe Aeration with injected Trichoderma sp) them will reduce the risk of spread of the infection to healthy vines.

For more information and quotes, call Kevin Massey on 0800 877 566 or email kevin@wormtech.co.nz.

For information on treatment of the soil see the Aeration page on this website.