2015 Season at the University of Illinois Plant Clinic
What pests will the 2015 growing season feature? Let the Plant Clinic help you diagnose them. Samples havePreview been gradually filling up the lab here at the Clinic in our 40th year of operation. On the field front, there have been concerns with root and virus disease diagnosis in wheat. On the home landscape front, there has been a steady influx of fungal disease.
The University of Illinois Plant Clinic accepts samples year-round. We are located in the Jonathan Baldwin Turner Hall building on the south end of the Urbana campus. Plant Clinic services include plant and insect identification, diagnosis of disease, insect, weed and chemical injury observation (chemical injury on field crops only), nematode assays, herbicide resistance testing for glyphosate and PPO inhibitors in pigweed, and help with nutrient related problems, as well as management recommendations involving these diagnoses. Microscopic examinations, laboratory culturing, virus assays, and nematode assays are some of the techniques used in the clinic. Many samples can be diagnosed within a day or two. Should culturing be necessary, isolates may not be ready to make a final reading for as much as two weeks. Nematode processing also requires about 1-2 weeks depending on the procedure. We send your final diagnoses and invoices to you through both the US mail and email. If you provide your email address on the sample form you will get your information earlier.
Please refer to our website http://web.extension.illinois.edu/plantclinic/ for additional details on sampling, sample forms, fees and services offered. If you have questions about what, where, or how to sample call us at 217-333-0519, leave a voicemail if you can’t get through. Whenever submitting a sample, provide as much information as possible on the pattern of injury in the planting, the pattern on individual affected plants, and details describing how symptoms have changed over time to cause you concern.
Our fees vary depending on the procedure necessary. General diagnosis including culturing is $15, ELISA and immunostrip testing is $25, Nematode analysis for SCN or PWN is $20, Specialty Nematode testing (such as corn) is $40. Please include payment with the sample for diagnosis to be initiated. Checks should be made payable to the University of Illinois or to the Plant Clinic. Companies can setup an account, call and we will accommodate you. Call if uncertain of which test is needed.
Sending a sample thru US mail or delivery service address to:
University of Illinois Plant Clinic
1102 S. Goodwin, S-417 Turner Hall
Urbana, IL 61801
Email: We have a new email address plantclinic@illinois.edu. Use this address to send .jpg pictures to accompany your samples or to contact a diagnostician.
Drop off a sample:
You can also drop off a sample at S-417 Turner Hall. Park in the metered lot F 28 on the east side of Turner Hall or at the ACES library metered lot on the west side of Turner. Come in the South door. Take the elevator located in the SE corner of the building. Turn left when exiting the elevator; we are located along the SE corridor of the 4th floor. Please use the green drop box located just outside S-417 if we are temporarily out of the office.
Suzanne Bissonnette