Myrtle Rust Room 20 ALJ Report📷
Written By Tony Lu
tonyl17@student.somint.school.nz
📷
29th of May, 2018
Myrtle Rust is a fungus disease that inflicts serious damage on the Myrtle Family, which consists of the pohutukawa, manuka, and the rata plants. It has now invaded New Zealand.
Myrtle Rust belongs to South America, the disease was first found on the Kermadec pohutukawa trees, on Raoul Island. In early May 2017, it was found on the New Zealand mainland.
Myrtle Rust is a wind-blown spore that flew across the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand in the summer of 2017. If you see Myrtle Rust, DO...
Not touch the Myrtle Rust.
Take photos of it, and confirm what plant it is growing on.
Call the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). They have an exotic pest and disease hotline - 0800 80 99 66.
How to Identify Myrtle Rust
If You See Any of The Following, it is Most Likely Myrtle Rust...
Orange powdery patches on vegetation.
Grey rust spores on plant leaves.
Twisted leaves that are dying away.
The Government spent $9 million in attempt to eradicate all Myrtle Rust, though they are no closer to the goal.