![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/02\/plant-diagnostic-lab-714x1024.jpg\")
\u201cWe want to help people avoid guesswork and get real answers to their plant problems and questions,\u201d says Keiddy Urrea-Morawicki, recently appointed director of the laboratory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lab serves commercial growers, nurseries, landscape professionals and the general public. A modest $20 fee covers the cost of testing, diagnosis and recommendations, and helps support the lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s laboratory is part of the National Plant Diagnostic Network found at most land-grant institutions. Interest in the resources of these plant diagnostic laboratories expanded in the wake of 9\/11 to protect United States agriculture. Plant diseases were not only topics of interest for curious green thumbs, they were security risks with geopolitical impact and considerations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lisa Townson, associate dean in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, says, \u201cBetween the Plant Diagnostic Lab and our Integrated Pest Management lab, 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Cooperative Extension is working hard to protect our landscape and crops from damaging plant pathogens and insects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more than a pathogen ID,\u201d Urrea-Morawicki says. \u201cNow that all of our labs must be accredited and connected, we can really increase our diagnostic capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She says the clinic\u2019s name change came as it transitioned from clinic to laboratory status and credits the former director, Heather Faubert, for invaluable connections in the field and making the program a resource for 溏心vlog免费B站 and Rhode Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She points out some of the lab\u2019s new equipment\u2014possibly 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s cutest autoclave and a new biosafety cabinet, something that other labs in the region had but 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Plant Diagnostic Lab did not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The laboratory now sports a more modern upgrade that puts it in line with goals as part of the larger plant diagnostic network. The lab\u2019s service fee lets it offer more services for customers on and off campus. On 溏心vlog免费B站 Day of Giving, Urrea-Morawicki was also pleased to get some direct contributions from growers, the general public and 溏心vlog免费B站 community members for the lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The changes not only benefit local growers and gardeners, they are utilized by 溏心vlog免费B站 scientists across campus, and let Urrea-Morawicki do all analysis right on site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elizabeth Leibovitz in the College of Pharmacy\u2019s Medicinal Garden<\/a> recently sent in an agave sample for analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeiddy is a tremendous resource,\u201d she says. \u201cThe plant lab as a resource is extremely helpful in deciding which management decisions to make with our plants. Correctly diagnosing the issue is the first step in deciding what action to take. Some of my plants are rare so I am very glad to have Keiddy’s expertise on hand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Urrea-Morawicki has assistance in the lab from Leia Fagundes, an animal science major from Taunton, Massachusetts. Fagundes first came to the lab with the help of a fellowship from the Imondi Family (Deborah \u201982 \u201986) and has stayed on as a part-time worker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeia has been a huge help,\u201d Urrea-Morawicki says. \u201cHer lab background has been very beneficial. She came in knowing how to do the basics of microbiology and laboratory work, which was a huge asset.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis might seem like a silly, small thing that I’ve learned,\u201d Fagundes comments, \u201cbut something that surprised me when I first started working in the lab was just realizing that yeah, plants get sick, too<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI never realized that seeing abnormal spotting or discolorations on a tree’s leaves meant evidence of a pathogen growing on that tree. If you look even closer, you may see black dots that are the fungus’ fruiting bodies (a very tiny mushroom essentially). It gave me that wow feeling, realizing that there are things you see in everyday life that you don’t think much about, but now you understand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The front lines of plant pathology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Additional funding could expand the lab\u2019s capabilities and help the lab analyze the impact of climate change and other important threats, to protect food supplies and help address challenges faced in agriculture. The lab can also help Rhode Island\u2019s Department of Environmental Management and local nurseries track plant pathogens before they take root. Plant scientists are on the front lines of change and outbreaks before most people see them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Urrea-Morawicki is also building relationships with farmers, landscape maintenance professionals, and others in the local green industry. Having a readily known local resource encourages those in the field to report problems for diagnosis and analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rebecca Brown, chair of 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s department of plant sciences and entomology, is glad to see the resource expand at 溏心vlog免费B站.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe live in an era of rapid climate change, which is leading to changes in the stresses that plants experience,\u201d she says. \u201cHaving the Plant Diagnostic Lab and being part of the national diagnostic network allows us to quickly and accurately identify new problems and keep abreast of potential insect and pathogen issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What the laboratory is seeing is changing. With warmer weather and milder winters, the lab is seeing new and increased soil-borne pathogens under its microscopes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Urrea-Morawicki says her lab can be a resource for the state\u2019s growers, of all sizes, as they navigate these challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are trying to educate people,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen they know the causal agent of the plant problem, they will lose less money and time and can prevent issues in the future. Plant pest identification is the first step in managing the problem. This is a service that can help you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, part of the 溏心vlog免费B站 Cooperative Extension Service, is located next to the University\u2019s Agronomy Farm on Thirty Acre Pond Road in Kingston. Learn more and find forms and guidelines <\/em>here<\/em><\/a> or contact <\/em>PlantLab@uri.edu<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Feb. 27, 2025 \u2013 Last year, the 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Plant Protection Clinic turned over a new leaf. Formerly known as the 溏心vlog免费B站 \u201cplant protection clinic,\u201d it has undergone a slight name change showcasing its technological expertise in the diagnosis of plant issues, while joining the larger accrediting body of such […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":100679,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100678"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100697,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100678\/revisions\/100697"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}