Report of the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory at North Dakota State
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2017 Annual Report for the North Dakota State University Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab January 1 through December 31, 2017 Available on-line at http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pdl Compiled by Jesse Ostrander, Alexander Knudson, and Presley Mosher NDSU Plant Diagnostic Lab Department of Plant Pathology College of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Natural Resources Table of Contents About the Lab ................................................................................................................ 3 PERSONNEL ........................................................................................................................................................ 3 NATIONAL PLANT DIAGNOSTIC NETWORK AND NPDN FIRST DETECTOR TRAINING ........................................ 3 ACTIVITIES OF THE NDSU PLANT DIAGNOSTIC LAB ......................................................................................... 4 2017 ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS ...................................................................................................... 4 Services and Fees ......................................................................................................... 5 Fee Waivers for Extension Personnel ......................................................................... 5 Turn-Around Time ......................................................................................................... 6 Lab Statistics ................................................................................................................. 7 TOTAL SAMPLES RECEIVED BY YEAR, 1991 THROUGH 2017 .............................................................................. 7 MONTHLY SAMPLE SUBMISSION 2013 THROUGH 2017 ...................................................................................... 8 NORTH DAKOTA SAMPLES BY COUNTY 2017 .................................................................................................... 9 OUT-OF-STATE SAMPLES 2017 ........................................................................................................................... 9 TOTAL NUMBER OF SAMPLES RECEIVED BY SAMPLE CATEGORY, 2017.......................................................... 10 ROUTINE DIAGNOSES RECEIVED IN 2017 ......................................................................................................... 11 DUTCH ELM DISEASE IN ND AND MN ............................................................................................................. 12 SEED HEALTH AND PHYTOSANITARY SAMPLES OF 2017 ................................................................................. 13 2017 Sample Details .................................................................................................... 13 Specialists consulted .................................................................................................. 26 Page 2 of 27 NDSU Plant Diagnostic Lab Annual Report 2017 About the Lab Since 1962, the NDSU Plant Diagnostic Lab has helped individuals and professionals in agriculture and horticulture identify plant pests, diseases, cultural and environmental problems. While the majority of our samples come from the local community, samples originated from 27 different states and Canada in 2017. Before submitting a sample to the NDSU Plant Diagnostic Lab, consider calling or emailing us. In many cases we are able to offer assistance without receiving a physical sample. In other instances, it might be necessary to aide in sample collection. For more information, please visit our webpage: https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pdl If you submit a sample to the NDSU Plant Diagnostic Lab for seed health testing or phytosanitary testing, a modest fee may apply to offset the costs of lab technicians and supplies. Routine diagnostic fees are waived for some services for some clients. Commercial entities are not exempt from fees; homeowners may be in the event that no third-party supplies are used and samples are not received in bulk. For more information, please refer to page 5 or contact the lab directly. Current fee rates for commonly requested services are available online at https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pdl/services-and-fees. Other services not listed or bulk pricing may be available on request. We consider it our mission to serve the agricultural/horticultural/forestry community on all levels. Doing so requires a flexible and responsive work ethic. Personnel The lab supports a lead diagnostician/director and up to three full-time support personnel. The lab also employs several hourly students at various times throughout the year. Lab technicians and hourly help (as well as supplies and equipment) are supported with funds generated by the lab. Since 2016, Jesse Ostrander (MS, Plant Pathology) is the current director of the lab and previously, plant diagnostician (since 2013). Aimee Thapa (BS, Horticulture) is the extension administrative assistant who supports the lab. Christine Ngoan (MS, Botany) joined the lab as the Seed Health Technician in 2017. Alex Knudson (MS, Entomology) is the acting entomological diagnostician. The assistant diagnostician position was vacant for all of 2017. National Plant Diagnostic Network and NPDN First Detector Training The National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) was established in 2002 and consists of five regions. The NDSU Plant Diagnostic Lab is a member of the Great Plains Diagnostic Network (GPDN), a 9-state region of the NPDN. The NPDN provides critical diagnostic training for plant diagnosticians around the country as well as a means of secure communication among plant diagnosticians and regulatory personnel if high risk plant pest threats occur. Its mission stresses the importance of early detection of pests that can negatively impact our agricultural, forestry, natural, or horticultural resources, and to this end the NPDN, via the NDSU PDL, offers NPDN First Detector training in North Dakota through face-to-face training events or online training. NPDN website: https://www.npdn.org/ GPDN website: https://www.npdn.org/gpdn County extension agents: For a programming idea for your county, consider offering NPDN First Detector training. Learn how by contacting the Plant Diagnostic Lab. A registered NPDN First Detector is any individual in agriculture, horticulture, or forestry who has undergone NPDN First Detector training and who has volunteered to become registered with the NPDN. Professionals and master gardeners who are involved in some way with agriculture, forestry, or horticulture are especially encouraged to consider becoming registered NPDN First Detectors. Self-directed training, via on-line training modules, is available at http://firstdetector.org/. After successfully completing three or more of the online modules, Page 3 of 27 individuals may call the NDSU Plant Diagnostic Lab to become registered in the NPDN First Detector national database, although registration is optional/not required. Face-to-face NPDN First Detector training is an option, and it may be possible to arrange a session near you if interest exists. Contact the lab if you would like to become a registered NPDN First Detector (phone: 701-231-7854; email: [email protected]). Activities of the NDSU Plant Diagnostic Lab Our goal is to provide economical, unbiased plant and pest diagnostic services to agricultural professionals, the horticulture/turf/forestry industries, homeowners, and individuals in North Dakota. We can accept samples of plants, soil, and insects from throughout the United States including Alaska and Hawaii. 2017 Accomplishments and Highlights • The lab once again processed a higher-than average number of samples in 2017. • The lab maintained USDA certification to test for bacterial ring rot to fulfill requirements of the Canadian Seed Potato Certification Program, for seed destined to be sold as certified seed in Canada. • We continued to support the Master Gardener program and other horticultural community programs. • Christine Ngoan (MS, Botany) joined the lab as the Seed Health Technician this year. • The lab expanded its seed health testing to include Dickeya spp. and PMTV/TRV screening services. • In addition to offering routine diagnostic services, we continued to provide: o seed health testing for seed growers o phytosanitary testing to support the efforts of the North Dakota Department of Agriculture to facilitate exportation of ND crops o research support services for faculty and private entities Page 4 of 27 NDSU Plant Diagnostic Lab Annual Report 2017 Services and Fees By nature we are flexible and adaptable, and it is not possible to list everything we can do. For a list of our most common services and their current fee rates, please visit our webpage at: https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pdl/services-and-fees or contact us by phone. Please contact the lab (phone: 701.231.7854; email [email protected]) for information on special tests, bulk pricing, or research/survey support options not listed – we are flexible and may be able to offer the services necessary to fulfill your needs. Fee Waivers for Extension Personnel The lab offers fee waivers for Extension Personnel. In 2017, samples referred (or submitted) to the lab by Extension Personnel for non-commercial clients usually qualified for a fee waiver. The purpose of these waivers is to help foster relationships between extension personnel and their stakeholders. These waivers were used to waive the following fees: • routine diagnosis • culture (including the Dutch elm disease culture test) • herbicide injury evaluation (visual