Plant diagnostic lab re-opens for season
The PEI Analytical Laboratories (PEIAL) plant diagnostic section has re-opened for the 2018 season and is currently accepting samples.
The PEIAL serves all commodity farmers, agricultural representatives and greenhouse producers. Crop types accepted include potatoes, cereals, fruit crops and cole crops. Common potato diseases identified routinely include late blight, Fusarium dry rot, leak, pink rot and bacterial blackleg.
The lab will provide a summary report at no charge containing information on the disease in question along with relevant fact sheets and referrals to specialists from the Prince Edward Island Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
The diagnostic request form can be found at www.princeedwardisland.ca/labservices.
Samples can be submitted directly to the PEIAL located at 23 Innovation Way, Charlottetown, or to the Access PEI sites outside of Charlottetown.
Please check with the Access PEI site in your area for courier pickup days and times.
When submitting a sample for diagnostic work, please include a diagnostic request form with the sample.
The sample collected for submission should be fresh and representative of the problem. For plant material, the sample should be submitted in a plastic bag with a moist paper towel to help keep the integrity of the sample. Potato tuber samples should be submitted in paper bags. For more information on the proper collection of a sample for testing, please review the information at https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/agriculture-and-land/how-collect-plant-samples-plant-disease-identification.
For more information on this service, contact Marleen Clark at 902-368-5261 or 902-620-3300 or by email at mmclark@gov.pe.ca
Media contact:
Wayne MacKinnon
(902) 314-3407