Mike Chapman NZKGI Chief Executive

As spring approaches, many conventional kiwifruit growers will apply hydrogen cyanamide in preparation for the new growing season.

This product plays a very important part in promoting bud break and assists with Psa control.
It is an essential tool, ensuring economically viable levels of production on kiwifruit orchards.
As an industry, we fully recognise our responsibility to the community and the environment.
Therefore, best practice spray guidelines have been developed with input from many different experts and organisations.
A Spray Action Group was established in 2009 with representatives from Zespri, NZ Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, spray contractors, community groups and other interested parties, including rural posties. Since then, the group has met regularly to develop a number of key action points for the coming spray season, these include:
• Best practice education for growers and spray contractors.
• Improved neighbour notification, and better placement and greater use of spray notification signage.
• Minimal spray drift using low spray drift technol- ogy.
• Enhancement of spray complaint and non-com pliance investigation and action.
• Proactive relationships between the kiwifruit industry, rural posties and community spray action groups.
NZKGI acts as a spray complaints hotline for growers, affected neighbours and members of the public.
Wherever possible, an NZKGI forum member gets in touch with the grower/applicator and affected neighbour to address concerns, establish key facts and ascertain whether a complaint is to be laid.
All complaints received by NZKGI are also forwarded to the regional council for action.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council also operates a Pollution Hotline 0800 884 883 and receives complaints directly.
Each year there are more than 2000 applications of hydrogen cyanamide in the Bay of Plenty. Notably, less than one per cent of these applications result in a complaint.
These complaints could have been avoided by following best practice advice which includes:
• Notify neighbours of spraying operations at least 12 hours prior to spraying.
• Check wind conditions before spraying. Do not spray if wind conditions are more than a light breeze (wind felt on exposed skin, leaves rustle).
• Use low spray drift technology – use air inclusion (AI) nozzles and Driftstop (or equivalent) to minimise drift.
• Use prominently-displayed signage to indicate spraying is taking place. Signs must be in place no less than 24 hours before spraying.
• Plant evergreen shelter on boundaries, especially road frontages. If there is no shelter, or the shelter is incomplete, a no-spray buffer of 30 metres is recom- mended to minimise drift onto neighbouring properties, including roads.
• Use bee-safe products.
Pedestrians and motorists are warned when spraying is underway by yellow bags on letterboxes. Yellow spray cones on roads also mark where spraying is underway.
These voluntary measures are a highly visible and effective way to warn road users that spraying is taking place.
If you have any concerns about spraying, ring either the NZKGI or Bay of Plenty Regional Council hot lines:
NZKGI's hotline 0800 232 505 and Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Pollution Hotline 0800 884 883.