Plant Diagnostic Services
Plant Diagnostic Services
University of Idaho’s Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology offers diagnostic services for plants at the Parma and Idaho Falls Research and Extension centers. State of the art labs offer a range of diagnostic tests from culturing to molecular diagnostics. Scientists are also available to investigate the cause of various plant problems on a range of hosts and provide advice for disease management. Both labs are part of the National Plant Diagnostics Network (NPDN) and adhere to the procedures and reporting requirements required of member labs.
Parma services
The Parma laboratory is the NPDN hub lab for the state of Idaho and focuses on developing and delivering new molecular diagnostic methods across a range of crop, forestry and landscape plants. Services include:
- General diagnosis
- Molecular test — plant sample
- Molecular test — soil sample
- Bait testing for soil
- Potato leaf screen
- Potatoes – 200 tuber visual disease assessment
- Potato cores – 200 tuber core testing
- General diagnosis + LFD test
- Isolation, culturing and identification
- Isolation, DNA extraction and DNA sequencing
Submit a digital sample or print and mail a sample.
Idaho Falls services
The Idaho Falls laboratory focuses on potato and small grain cereals. Services include:
- General diagnosis
- General diagnosis + LFD test
- Nematode
Submit a digital sample or print and mail a sample.
Submitting samples
Samples can be submitted digitally or by printing and mailing a form with your physical sample.
To submit a physical sample to the Parma lab, please send by mail (overnight) to the Parma lab or make arrangements by phone. To send samples to the Idaho Falls lab please call 208-497-5312 to make arrangements for sample receipt or collection, as they are not currently accepting samples by mail.
Guide for submitting physical samples
Plant
Select tissue containing disease affected and unaffected areas. Avoid sending plant tissue that is completely dead or rotten.
- Whole plant: Collect entire plant, when possible. Dig plant, rather than pull, from the ground to avoid damaging the roots. Place roots in plastic bag containing all roots from the base of the plant and below.
- If you cannot collect the entire plant, collect diseased tissue and healthy tissue of similar plant part (i.e. leaves, stems, roots). For foliage, wrap in dry paper towel and place in sealed plastic bag. For root samples, keep some soil with roots place in sealed plastic bag.
Soil
Sampling soil, pre-planting, can provide knowledge on the effectiveness of crop rotation strategies and enable accurate judgments as to whether in furrow or fumigation treatments are required. Grid sampling is usually most appropriate. At least 10 cores per acre is recommended. Sampling should be to a depth of 12 inches, using a hand trowel or soil probe.
Cores should be collected in a bucket or a large bag and thoroughly homogenized before taking a 500 g (approx. one pound) subsample from the bucket and placed in a labeled Ziplock bag. If samples are not shipped or delivered immediately, they should be kept in a refrigerator.
Guide for taking photos
- Take several pictures including closeups of damage especially if there are multiple symptoms.
- Include pictures of the whole plant and broader field damage.
- Make sure photos are in focus and, if possible, include size reference next to plant or symptoms.
- If you need to submit more than five photos, please email us at plantdiagnostics@uidaho.edu.
Related links
- Idaho Crop Alerts Network
- Idaho Potato Conference
- National Plant Diagnostic Network
- Pacific Northwest Pest Alert Network
- Plant Disease Management handbook
- South Central and Southeast Idaho Cereals
Contact us
Parma Research and Extension Center
29603 U of I Lane
Parma, ID 83660
208-722-6701
James Woodhall
Parma diagnostic lab director
jwoodhall@uidaho.edu
208-722-6701
Ben Wood
Diagnostician (molecular diagnostics)
bwood@uidaho.edu
208-722-6701
Christian Joseph Cumagun
Postdoctoral research scientist — plant pathologist
ccumagun@uidaho.edu
208-291-6213
Idaho Falls Research and Extension Center
1776 Science Center Dr. Suite 205
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
208-757-5476
Juliet Marshall
Idaho Falls lab director
jmarshall@uidaho.edu
208-529-8376
Sample submission form
Submit a digital sample or print and mail a sample.
Onion diseases
Onions are an important part of Idaho’s agricultural economy. The Treasure Valley of southwest Idaho and eastern Oregon produces nearly 30% of the nation’s onion crop. While growing conditions are ideal and considerable effort is made to produce high quality onions, diseases can still present in the crop. Below are photos and descriptions of common onion pathogens that lead to production problems.