Using a Plant Diagnostic Lab
The best way to identify insects, plants, and plant diseases, or to diagnose plant and pest problems, is to send a sample to a diagnostic laboratory. The National Plant Diagnostic Network website (www.npdn. org) lists diagnostic laboratories by state and region. Contact individual laboratories for specific submission and fee information (see pages 4-5). To ensure an accurate diagnosis, it’s important to collect and ship your specimens properly. Here are a few guidelines for collecting and shipping specimens to a diagnostic lab. Your state will have specific instructions for collecting and shipping samples — check your local clinic’s website for details.
1. Collect fresh specimens. Send a generous amount of material, if available.
2. Ship specimens in a crush-proof container immediately after collecting. If holdover periods are encountered, keep specimen cool. Ship packages to arrive on weekdays.
3. Incomplete information or poorly selected specimens may result in an inaccurate diagnosis or inappropriate control recommendations. Badly damaged specimens are often unidentifiable and additional sample requests can cause delays.
Vine Planting Information
