Tamarillo update

By Helena O’Neill

Tamarillo growers Robyn Wickenden and Aaron Davies have successfully managed to cover their one-hectare orchard with psyllid netting in an effort to protect their trees from infestation.

After an aborted effort in January due to windy conditions, the couple finally managed to get the huge sheet lifted up over the orchard and tensioned off. It is hoped the netting will prevent the crop-attacking pest, Tomato Potato Psyllid (TPP) and the Liberibacter it carries, from infecting their tamarillo trees.

The Maungatapere orchard had 2200 trees of the Laird’s Large variety but the couple had to remove about 200 trees in order to install supporting poles for the protective sheet. The netting manufacturer was not able to stitch the netting together, so Robyn and Aaron tested various means of attaching netting to itself to make that one sheet. They found the answer in a modified silicone glue, spending the better part of a week gluing sections of netting together. Robyn says after two years of heavy fruit losses, this is the only possible solution to keep the tamarillo orchard viable.

After two years of heavy fruit losses, this is the only possible solution to keep the tamarillo orchard viable