The Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab (P&PDL) had an eventful year. During 2001, the staff of the P&PDL, along with a team of others from School of Agriculture, diagnosed 1606 samples, which does not include 325 digital samples submitted as part of a pilot project. As in other years, the majority of samples were received May through August (Figure 1). Forty-four percent of the samples received during 2001 were completed in three days or less; 75% of the samples were diagnosed within five working days (Figure 2).

The most common commodities submitted to the P&PDL were woody ornamentals (32%), followed by flowers (23%), and agronomic crops (14%); the remaining 31% were distributed among various commodity groups. Noninfectious disorders (41%), infectious diseases (34%) and arthropod-related problems (14%) were the most common primary diagnoses in 2001 (Figure 3).

The P&PDL was represented by its staff at a number of extension activities including, but not limited to the Indiana Horticulture Congress, the Indiana Flower and Patio Show, the Indiana State Fair, the Tri-State Farm Progress Show, Purdue University's events such as the Turf Field Day, Garden Day, and Spring Fest, and educational programs including Master Gardeners, Turf and Ornamentals Workshops, Pesticide Applicator Training, Plant Science Workshop, 4-H Round-Up, Diagnostic Training Center, and Certified Crop Advisor Training.

A pilot project on digital diagnostics, funded by Purdue's 21st Century Extension Initiative, is nearing completion. This project was initiated to enhance the diagnostic capabilities of the P&PDL so the staff of the P&PDL can continue to respond to the needs of the citizens of Indiana effectively. A standard web-based method of submitting digital samples to the Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab has been developed, tested, and is being used by county Extension Educators. During 2001, county Educators submitted 325 digital samples via our web-based system. We anticipate that digital diagnostics capabilities will be made available to the general public during 2002.