Barbara Shew with NC State University and the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic (PDIC) presents about online diagnosis of plant diseases.

There are 40 million tons of agricultural products from U.S. imports, but only 2 percent are inspected. PDIC at North Carolina State University promotes and safeguards plant health by diagnosing plant disease and insect problems, educating clientele about plant diseases, insect pests, diagnostic methods, and training first responders to recognize plant diseases and insects.

Images show the problem in context so digital imaging can be used for diagnosis. The PDIC database allows online entry of sample information and is searchable by many criteria such as host or pathogen genus or code, location, date, and client. Regulatory agencies are notified in the event of finds of regulatory significance and the National Plant Diagnostic Network is notified of new records.