The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDOA) provides plant disease diagnosis services for nurseries, landscapers, growers and homeowners. Below are some suggestions to help you collect and submit good plant specimens for disease diagnosis. Please double check all of the following before samples are sent out. Samples cannot be processed without filling a "Plant Disease Diagnosis Form" and sending it with a sample. You can obtain and fill this form from any local NDOA offices if you send samples in person. If you mail your samples, you can click PLANT DISEASE DIAGNOSIS FORM (pdf) and print it out. The form can also be faxed to you if requested.

    1. Submit intact plants with root system if possible, especially for small plants that may be systemically infected. Intact plants can be obtained by digging (not pulling!) the whole plant out from soil with a small amount of soil attached to the roots.
    2. If plants are too big to be submitted, collect various parts of the plant  with different symptoms. The more you collected, the better the samples are.
    3. Whenever possible, include a healthy plant, or healthy parts of the plant. This is known as a "blank" and provides a comparative sample.
    4. Leaves and/or stem should be placed between dry (not wet) paper towels and enclosed in a plastic bag without added moisture. Do not seal the bag.
    5. Roots should always be submitted with some natural soil around them, and placed in a plastic bag. Do not seal the bag.
    6. Fruits or fleshy specimens should be wrapped in paper towels separately and placed in an unsealed plastic bag without added moisture.
    7. Turf grass samples should be collected at the disease-developing stage and must be from the marginal zone of the affected area, or the edge of the disease spot (patch). Include both healthy and diseased plants. Samples should be about three inches wide, six inches long and about 3 inches deep, and wrapped in foil.
    8. Tree samples should be submitted with a written description of the disease history.
    9. Collect samples from several plants to obtain representative samples of the disease. Be sure that each sample is large enough to show the symptom.
    10. Each sample should be labeled with your name, sample number and collecting information, your phone number and address.
    11. Collect samples immediately before shipping or sending, or keep them in a refrigerator until sending.
    12. Provide information such as plant name (species, variety), affected parts (flowers, leaves, stems, root, bark, etc.), symptom description (leaf mosaic, roll, spot, mold, rot, canker, yellow, wilt, drooping, etc.). If you are not familiar with the definitions of the symptoms or for more information, click THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS ON PLANTS.
     13. If you send samples by mail, mail them no later than Tuesday to avoid weekend arrival.

Tips: The most important aid in correctly diagnosing a disease problem is the written information you provide. The more information you supply, the more accurate the diagnosis will be. Complete the plant disease diagnosis from with as much history about the specimen as you can obtain, including soil type; location, shade condition, usage of pesticide, herbicide and fertilizer; and any information you think useful. Send samples to Plant Pathology Laboratory, Nevada Department of Agriculture, 350 Capitol Hill Avenue, Reno, NV 89502.