Friday, 24 May 2013
Theme Research and Imagery
Kiwifruit Psa
What is Psa?
Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is a bacterial disease of
kiwifruit vines, first identified on New Zealand kiwifruit orchards in November
2010. Psa carries no risks associated with human or animal health, and it does
not affect plants other than kiwifruit vines.
What effect does it have on kiwifruit plants?
Early symptoms of the disease are brown, angular leaf spots, sometimes surrounded by a yellow halo, and leaf curl. In some cases in Italy, the bacteria has entered the cane of the vine causing visible cankers and can result in vine dieback or death of the plant.
Early symptoms of the disease are brown, angular leaf spots, sometimes surrounded by a yellow halo, and leaf curl. In some cases in Italy, the bacteria has entered the cane of the vine causing visible cankers and can result in vine dieback or death of the plant.
How
does Psa spread?
Psa is
a transmittable bacteria, which means it can be carried via heavy rain, strong
winds, on equipment, machinery, people and plant material.
What effects has it had on kiwifruit markets?
The disease was first seen on green kiwifruit vines (Hayward) in Japan about 25 years ago and on green kiwifruit vines in Italy in 1992. In recent years, outbreaks of Psa have devastated the industry in the northern Italian region of Lazio, including wiping out a New Zealand-owned gold kiwifruit orchard in the region. The disease has been estimated to have cost Italy around two million euros. The disease has had different impacts in different environments - Psa is present in Japan and Korea, however the disease is controlled. New Zealand Plant and Food Research say the impact Psa has depends on the environment and also how it is managed.
The disease was first seen on green kiwifruit vines (Hayward) in Japan about 25 years ago and on green kiwifruit vines in Italy in 1992. In recent years, outbreaks of Psa have devastated the industry in the northern Italian region of Lazio, including wiping out a New Zealand-owned gold kiwifruit orchard in the region. The disease has been estimated to have cost Italy around two million euros. The disease has had different impacts in different environments - Psa is present in Japan and Korea, however the disease is controlled. New Zealand Plant and Food Research say the impact Psa has depends on the environment and also how it is managed.
What does it mean for New Zealand?
This week's discovery of Psa at a Te Puke orchard is the first time the disease has been found in New Zealand. The strain of the case found is yet to be determined, as is how it got into the country or what sort of effect it will have on the plants here. Kiwifruit exports are worth more than $1.5 billion to the New Zealand economy.
Here are some images I could use to show this information:
This week's discovery of Psa at a Te Puke orchard is the first time the disease has been found in New Zealand. The strain of the case found is yet to be determined, as is how it got into the country or what sort of effect it will have on the plants here. Kiwifruit exports are worth more than $1.5 billion to the New Zealand economy.
Here are some images I could use to show this information:
Monday, 6 May 2013
Chosen Theme
My Chosen Theme For An Infographic:
From my brainstorm, I have chosen the strongest idea/theme of PSA. I believe that this is a good topic for this assignment as PSA has not only occurred on the news and in the papers around the world, but I also have personal source of information- my dad. My dad is the orchard manager for the Plant And Food Research in TePuke. He has witness this bacteria in the orchard and has faced many struggles with it. I thought this was a good way to show people just how serious this is- even though some think "it's just fruit".
PSA is short for Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, which is a bacteria that can result in the death of kiwifruit vines. Psa carries no risks associated with human or animal health and does not affect plants other than kiwifruit vines. Psa is believed to be spread by weather events, mainly wind and rain, and plant material. It is also believed to be spread by footwear, vehicles and orchard tools.
In an orchard it can exist as:
- an Epiphyte, living on plant surfaces without causing high levels of infection
- as an Endophyte, living within the vine, having entered through natural plant openings or man made wounds—resulting in severe infection.
My Own Personal Take On PSA:
I think of it as a house fire. Fire spreads through the house at a fast and hard-to-control pace, destroying everything it touches. PSA is very similar to this, as it spreads through rows, blocks and even other orchards before anyone has a good chance of stopping it. Sure, fire fighters come and put the fire out, but they can't save everything. Just like PSA, it's either save all, or save nothing, because it will just keep growing and get worse otherwise.
So maybe this idea of comparing it to a house fire -as serious as a house fire is- it might get people's attention.
Research:
Although this is quite a large topic, I think that there is a decent amount of information to focus on. In saying that, my research will consist of:
- What PSA is
- What it looks like
- What causes it
- How is it spread?
- How is it prevented?
- What are the consequences of PSA?
- How much fruit is lost in a year due to PSA?
*There are many more discussions/ideas that could be addressed, but I will leave it at that for now.
REFs:
http://www.kvh.org.nz/about_psa
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