Using UNL's Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic

Using UNL's Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic

June 8, 2007

Did you know?

Each year UNL's Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic processes about 1,200 samples, 60% crops and 40% horticulture.

It's that time of year when landscape and crop plant problems become more visible. If you have plant or insect problems, remember that the UNL Extension Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic (P&PDC) and your local extension educators are here to help. The clinic offers services related to the identification of plant diseases, insects, horticultural plants, weeds and herbicide injury. The charge for service is the same as in previous years.

You also may want to consult with your local County Extension Educator who can often help with a diagnosis and may already be aware of similar problems in the area.

Costs for Services

Standard Sample. The standard sample fee of $10 is applied to all samples that can be diagnosed with visual and/or microscopic examination.

Additional Services. Culturing for pathogen identification costs an additional $10. This fee helps cover the cost of media plates and the time involved in identifying the causal agent. Other additional fees include:

 

SCN Assay – $10
Plant Parasitic Nematode Assay – $15
Goss's Culture – $10
Stewart's Elisa – $15
Misc. Elisa Test -$15
Bacterial ID - Biolog System – $20
Virus Screen - (Protein based) – $15
Rare Species ID – $10
Insect Culture – $10

Submitting Samples

Following guidelines when collecting and sending samples can help ensure that your plants and insects arrive in good condition for an accurate diagnosis. Samples should be sent to the following address:

 

University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Plant & Pest Diagnostic Clinic
448 Plant Sciences
P.O. Box 830722
Lincoln, NE 68583-0722

If you have used the P&PDC recently, you may have noticed that the diagnostic report that you received in the mail looks a bit different than the usual Specimen ID Form. We are using a new sample database and reporting system known as Plant Diagnostic Information System (PDIS). Sample information can still be sent on one of our old forms and entered by UNL staff. Please contact you local Extension office or the Extension Plant Pathology office at (402) 472-2559 for a sample form.

Tips for Collecting Samples 

  1. Collect sample representative of symptoms, and also include healthy tissue for comparison. For turf samples, collect a portion that includes a margin between healthy and diseased areas.
  2. Send as much of the sample as possible. This means send the entire plant including the root ball if feasible. Also send multiple plants or multiple branches from a tree or shrub showing a range from healthy to unhealthy for identification.
  3. Provide as much information about the sample as possible (age and variety of plant, moisture availability, soil type, disease history of site, chemical history of site, description of symptoms, plant part(s) affected, time of symptom development, distribution of symptoms, occurrence of severe weather, and any other information that may be helpful in diagnosing the problem).
  4. Include a picture of the distribution of symptoms, as this can be very helpful.
  5. Plants submitted for horticultural and weed identification should include flowers and/or fruit, leaves and roots.

Tips for Sending Samples

 

  1. Keep samples cool before sending them to the P&PDC.
  2. Place sample in a plastic bag and include a dry towel if the sample is damp. If the roots are in soil, enclose them in a separate plastic bag with the soil intact. Place the sample into a sturdy box with packing material to take up excess space. A padded envelope can be used for relatively small and flat samples, such as some tree branches.
  3. Do not mail samples late in the week, as the sample can deteriorate if the package sits in the post office over the weekend.
  4. Include all sample information (see Tips for Collecting Samples), photographs if possible, and contact information such as phone numbers and mailing address.

Insect samples that are sent for identification are handled differently than plant samples. If you are sending an insect specimen, it should be sent in a rigid container. Soft-bodied insects, such as insect larvae and small insects should be placed into a tight sealing bottle with a liquid preservative such as alcohol or vinegar. Rubbing alcohol works well because it is 70% alcohol. Hard-bodied insects, such as beetles, ants and flies should be wrapped in tissue and placed in a crush-proof container. For living insects, place the host plant or damaged material along with some loose tissue into a ventilated container.

By following these guidelines, samples will arrive in good condition. All of us at the P&PDC look forward to serving you this summer for your diagnostic needs. We hope that your plant and insect problems are minimal and your harvest is plentiful.

Jennifer Chaky
Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic Coordinator

Note: Ms. Chaky will be leaving the Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic June 22 and Amy Ziems will become interim coordinator. Ms. Ziem's email is aziems2@unl.edu

 

 

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