LONDON, Ohio -- Got an insect or a disease plaguing your landscape plants or garden crops and don't know what it is? Bring a sample to Farm Science Review to be analyzed by Ohio State University specialists of the C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic (CWEPPDC).
CWEPPDC, located on Ohio State's campus of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences in Columbus, Ohio, is a state-of-the-art facility that specializes in diagnosing a myriad of pest and plant health problems. Clinic diagnosticians test over 2,500 plant samples a year, and they are bringing their expertise to Farm Science Review Sept. 19-21 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio. They will be located in the Plant Diagnostics Tent, located on Friday Avenue.
"The C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic will return to Farm Science Review to answer questions on garden plants and insects, especially problems with fruit and vegetable plants," said Barbara Bloetscher a CWEPPDC entomology diagnostician. "An entomologist and plant pathologist will be available to diagnose insect and disease damage to plants and answer general questions on related subjects."
A new topic to the CWEPPDC exhibit will be digitally assisted diagnostics -- information that focuses specifically on landscape and urban audiences and homeowners.
"Instead of bringing in actual samples, visitors have the opportunity to bring a digital camera with images of pests and plant diseases and allow experts to identify the pest or disease just by looking at the pictures," said Nathan Watermeier, an Ohio State University Extension technology specialist. "The exhibit will also include examples of good and bad digital images so visitors can learn how to properly take digital photos."
The accuracy of any diagnosis depends upon the information supplied, the sample or specimen selected and the condition in which it arrives. CWEPPDC specialists encourage those submitted samples for analysis during Farm Science Review to pay attention to submission details regarding specific samples. For example, for plant disorders bring an entire plant, including the roots, and several samples that show the different stages of the disease in question. For insect identification, bring information that describes where the insects were found and when they were first noticed, as well as including a description or picture of any damage done.
For more information on CWEPPDC and how to properly submit samples, log on to http:/ppdc.osu.edu.
Farm Science Review is sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and the academic units of the university's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Tickets are $8 at the gate or $5 in advance when purchased from county offices of OSU Extension or participating agribusinesses. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept 19-20 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 21. For more information, log on to http://fsr.osu.edu.