Author: Jonathan Green
Planning Unit: Plant and Soil Sciences
Major Program: Integrated Plant Pest Management
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
The University of Kentucky Weed Science Herbarium and Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab function to assist county Extension offices with proper identification of weedy plants and to diagnosis crop and plant injury cases. Undesirable plants growing in grain crops, pasture and hay fields, home landscapes, and other sites are either submitted digitally or mailed to the Herbarium for identification. In most cases, a specific weed control recommendation is provided back to clientele who submit samples. Approximately 150 plant specimens each year are mailed to the weed science Herbarium plus over 400 requests direct to me as digital images submitted through Email and text messages. Digital submissions often allow county ANR agents to obtain an immediate diagnosis, particularly when in the field meeting with a crop producer or home owner troubleshooting a weed management issue. I also interact with the Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab on cases of suspected herbicide injury [approximately 30 cases per year]. In some situations site visits are conducted to assess weed problems, herbicide injury concerns, and to evaluate other weed management problems which are critical to crop management decisions by producers. Misidentified weed problems or crop injury associated with herbicide exposure can cost producers $20 to $30 per acre, significant crop yield losses, and in some cases the entire production of an impacted field.
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