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Southwest Florida Research & Education Center

Southwest Florida Research & Education Center

Plant Diagnostic Clinic

Welcome to the UF/IFAS SWFREC Plant Diagnostic Clinic in Immokalee. We are a branch of the Florida Plant Diagnostic Network. We are open Monday through Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (except state and UF holidays). We can be reached at 239-658-3431 or kemh@ufl.edu.

We serve the state and region by offering disease, insect, and weed identification services for commercial, homeowner, and extension plant samples. We are accepting in-state samples.  The clinic does not test soil samples.

We offer weed identification services, including weed and invasive plant ID, herbicide phytotoxicity diagnosis, and herbicide residue management. 

Samples of palm trees, turf grass, and tropical fruit trees are best sent to the following labs that have specialized testing available.

Palm samples to the UF/IFAS Plant Diagnostic Center in Gainesville,
Palm - Sample Submission Form

Turf samples to the Rapid Turf Diagnostics Service in Gainesville, 
Turf - Sample Submission Form

Tropical fruit samples to the Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) Plant Diagnostic Clinic in Homestead

Clinic invoices can now be paid online! Look for the link in your emailed sample report, or contact us for more info.

 

Sending Samples for Diagnosis

All samples must include a completed sample submission form. Please include as much detail as possible to help us with diagnosing plant problems.  Forms may be submitted electronically (via fax or emailed to kemh@ufl.edu) or printed and included with the physical sample.  Be sure to select the correct form for the service requested, either disease diagnosis or weed identification.  Both forms include detailed sample submission instructions on the second page of the form.

 

 

The samples, including the sample submission form, can be mailed or submitted in person at the following address:

Mailing Address

UF-SWFREC Plant Diagnostic Clinic
2685 State Road 29 North
Immokalee, Florida 34142
Phone: (239) 658-3431
Fax: (239) 658-3403
E-mail: kemh@ufl.edu

 

Weed identification can be made either by submitting a fresh plant sample to the clinic using one of the methods listed above, or by emailing a high-quality photo to rkanissery@ufl.edu.  

For more information about weed identification services, contact Dr. Ramdas Kanissery at rkanissery@ufl.edu or 239-658-3455.

 

 

Links and Resources

  • Find Your Local Extension Office by Region
  • UF/IFAS Plant Diagnostic Center, Gainesville, Florida
  • Rapid Turf Diagnostics Service, Gainesville, Florida
  • Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) Plant Diagnostic Clinic in Homestead, Florida
  • Southern Plant Disease Network
  • National Plant Disease Network

 

Contact

SWFREC Plant Diagnostic Clinic

2685 State Road 29 North
Immokalee, Florida 34142
Phone: (239) 658-3431
Fax: (239) 658-3403
e-mail: kemh@ufl.edu

Dr. Pamela D Roberts, Professor

Pamela D Roberts

Associate Director & Professor, Ph.D.

Plant Pathology

pdr@ufl.edu

UF / IFAS SWFREC - Immokalee 
2685 SR 29 N | Immokalee, FL 34142
(239) 658-3430

Dr. Ramdas Kanissery

Ramdas Kanissery

Associate Professor, Ph.D.

Weed Science

rkanissery@ufl.edu

UF / IFAS SWFREC - Immokalee 
2685 SR 29 N | Immokalee, FL 34142
(239) 658-3455

Dr. Jawwad Qureshi, Associate Professor

Jawwad Qureshi

Associate Professor, Ph.D.

Entomology

JawwadQ@ufl.edu

UF / IFAS SWFREC - Immokalee 
2685 SR 29 N | Immokalee, FL 34142
(239) 658-3458

  • Plant Diagnostic Clinic
  • Weed Science Services
  • Invoices and Payment

Plant Diagnostic Clinic

What is the cost to have a sample tested?

  • The Plant Diagnostic Clinic charges $40.00 per sample and $80.00 for Molecular Identification by PCR.

What types of plants are tested?

  • Any agricultural crop in the South Florida region can be submitted for testing. The most common plants tested are tomatoes, watermelons, bell peppers, squash, and citrus.

What type of disorders can be tested?

  • The clinic will run diagnostic tests to determine if there is a plant disease. If no pathogens are detected, then the symptoms may be caused by other problems such as phytotoxicity or nutritional disorder.
  • The clinic does not test soil samples.

What type of sample should be sent?

  • Leaves, fruit, roots, or the entire plant will be accepted for testing.
  • Sample should be of sufficient quantity and quality for testing.
  • Details can be found on Diagnostic Clinic submission forms.

How long does it take to receive the results?

  • The length of time to make a diagnosis will vary depending on the testing required for each sample submission.

What weed science services are available?

  • Identification of weeds
  • Identification of invasive plants
  • Diagnosis of herbicide phytotoxicity
  • Herbicide residue management. 

What types of plants are tested?

  • Any agricultural crop in the South Florida region, as well as any weed or plant affecting them, can be submitted for testing.

Weed identification can be made by one of the following options:

  • Submit a fresh plant sample to the clinic, via mail or dropped off in-person.
  • Email a high-quality photo along with a completed Weed Identification form to rkanissery@ufl.edu.

What type of sample should be sent?

  • Submit adequate plant material representing a range of symptoms. This may include leaves, fruit, roots, or the entire plant.
  • Whole plant(s), including roots, are preferred for weed identification.
  • Sample should be of sufficient quantity and quality for testing.
  • If submitting photos, ensure they are of high resolution, clear, and with good lighting to show symptoms and growing location. Where possible, include a photograph of the whole plant with roots. A contrasting background is recommended for visualizing plant characteristics.
  • More details can be found on the Plant Diagnostic Clinic—Weed Identification form.

For more information about weed identification services, contact Dr. Ramdas Kanissery at rkanissery@ufl.edu or 239-658-3455

Clinic Invoices can be paid online. Please look for the link in the emailed Sample Report or Contact us for more information.

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Southwest Florida Research & Education Center
2685 State Road 29 North | Immokalee, FL 34142
239-658-3400

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