UCR Turf - UCR Turf Pathology Diagnostic Laboratory

UCR TURF UCR Turf Pathology Diagnostic Laboratory Updated February 2008 The Turf Pathology Diagnostic Laboratory provides detailed disease diagnostics, including identification, basic salinity, pH and nitrate testing, and control recommendations. Visit the Turf Pathology Laboratory for more detailed information and weekly reports on the management of disease of turf and landscape in California. Instructions Please enclose a Sample Submission Form and your business card with samples for disease diagnosis. Accurate information on the history and background of your potential disease problems can greatly assist in a more rapid diagnosis and response. Provide an information sheet for each sample. Samples
•	Samples should consist of 1 or 2 cup cutter sized plugs wrapped in newspaper or placed into a paper bag. Plastic bags will often suffocate turf and result in a misdiagnosis.
•	Samples should be from newly diseased areas and should be approximately 50% healthy and 50% diseased.
•	Samples should be untreated; please obtain disease samples before fungicide applications.
•	Package samples with enough padding to ensure that they don't break up during shipping.
•	Ship samples in sturdy, sealed containers such as heavy duty cardboard boxes.
•	Digital images of the disease will also aid in the diagnosis. Please enclose images on a disk or CD, or e-mail them to the pathology lab.
•	Special Notice for Out-of-State Samples According to official USDA-APHIS restrictions, samples from outside of California need special handling. In addition to the normal preparation, samples should be double sealed in paper bags and shipped in a sturdy shipping container to ensure that samples do not break open during transit.
Shipping Information Please call or e-mail the lab before shipping samples to let us know that samples are being shipped or if you have questions. Samples must be overnight mailed and should arrive before Friday of the week. UPS is the preferred carrier, but other carriers are acceptable. Samples typically take 24 to 48 hours to diagnose. Ship samples to: UCR Turf Diagnostic Laboratory 202 Fawcett Lab Department of Plant Pathology University of California Riverside, CA 92521 Fees Diagnostic fees are $95 per sample (up to 2 plugs) which includes a report detailing the disease diagnosis, basic salinity, pH and nitrate testing, and control recommendations. An invoice for payment will be sent along with the diagnostic report. Reports Reports will be sent preferably by e-mail in a standard Adobe Acrobat PDF file. If you do not have the latest version of Acrobat Reader, it can be downloaded from Adobe. If you do not have internet or e-mail access, please note this when submitting samples. Contact Information Please feel free to contact the Turf Diagnostic Laboratory by phone at (951) 827-2936, by fax at (951) 827-4294 or by e-mail (turfpathology@ucr.edu) if you have any questions regarding sample submission. *Back to UCR Turf Home Page*