An Otago University researcher says kiwifruit growers in all regions outside Bay of Plenty, can rest easy in the knowledge they don't have the PSA vine disease in their orchards.
Dr Russell Poulter was part of a team from the biochemistry department, determining the genomic sequence of PSA.
The research has been funded by Seeka and East Pack.
Dr Poulter says it was originally thought there were two distinct types of PSA in New Zealand, the Italian or virulent strain known as PSA V and an Asian strain known as PSA LV.
But he says the team has found there's only one strain of the bacteria which is truly PSA - the virulent one called PSA V.
Only one strain of PSA leads to virulent kiwifruit disease
Dr Poulter says he's shown the two strains are not closely related to each other and it is not helpful to call them both PSA.
He says the one formerly known as PSA LV, which gives a positive response to the PSA test, has been renamed PSD.
Dr Poulter says PSD has only ever been found in New Zealand and it's quite possibly a native bacteria which doesn't lead onto virulent disease in kiwifruit.
He says because PSA V has still only been found in Bay of Plenty, there's a possibility of eradicating the disease.
Seeka kiwifruit company's chief executive Michael Franks says the team at Otago University has made a stunning discovery.
He says the fact they have identified that the virulent strain is confined to Bay of Plenty is a useful finding which will focus researchers on the virulent PSA V strain.
He says Seeka is already servicing the kiwifruit industry in terms of testing, but it's keen to invest in new technology which will assist that.
A laboratory service that's involved in testing for PSA says it's planning to invest in advances in testing technology that will help in efforts to control the disease.
Hill Laboratories, the country's largest privately owned independent testing laboratory, has received a $1.5 million Technology Development Grant from the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
It was awarded the grant to expand and improve scientific testing of products for the wine, timber and honey industries.
But managing director, Dr Roger Hill, says the grant will also help it to improve disease testing for the kiwifruit industry.
He says kiwifruit is suffering a major crisis with the PSA disease and rapid technological advances are occurring in terms of testing.
