A collaborative effort recently introduced "idsource", a specialized search tool for identifying the global maze of over 1,400 vetted websites that focus on identification of plant pest insects, diseases and weeds. The objective of the project is to help users rapidly find trustworthy websites for screening, detecting, and identifying one or more species among the multitude that exist.

Users of idsource, can access the massive database by alphabetical order, specific class of disease/pest, or key words. An interactive link is listed for each item, along with the originating organization, the site's contents, the nature of the material included (for example, fact sheets, screening aid, images), individualized notes about the site, and any user reviews to date.

This "gateway to disease/pest identification" was the joint work of the United States Department of Agriculture and Colorado State University. The original concept for idsource arose in 2006, and work was 1st launched at Australia's University of Queensland. To obtain more information concerning idsource, you may visit the website at:idsource.

This is a very useful tool for both plant pathologists and general users. Resources specific to nematodes need to be accessed as a separate list from the other pathogens. For both lists, subsets according to, for example, region, pathogen or crop groups can be selected at idsource subset search.

A Tool for Turfgrass Disease Identification NCSU

Fungi found on Wood

Weed Identification and Herbicide Injury Recognition

UT's Lawn Weed Identification Tool

Herbicide Injury A gallery of photos

Oklahoma State University - Plant Sciences Dept. Weed ID., etc.

Iowa State Digital Weed ID iPad plugin available as well

Poisonous Plants

http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0975 Posted @ Alabama

http://www.caf.wvu.edu/~forage/library/poisonous a Tennessee publication housed @ another site

http://pub.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubs/PDF/C957 @ University of Georgia

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/index.html @ Cornell

Oklahoma State University - Plant Sciences Dept.

Photography

How to get a high-resolution image from a low-resolution camera posted at zdnet.com

Notes from Underground Creating the perfect macro images

In the NPDN newsletter an article concerning proper lighting of images located at the end of the newsletter

Microscopes and Magnification: sources

Martin Microscope Our labs have purchased several (Meiji and Motic) scopes from this company.

Fisher Scientific

Fisher Scientific - Before you Buy Guide in PDF format

Carolina Biological Supply

Great Scopes

Spectrum Technologies, Inc. inexpensive scopes (IPM Scope and Macroscope) and other field tools.

iLoupe

Aven Five pocket-sized microscopes provide internal light for bright, clear examination of small objects. A clear acrylic base lets ambient light reach examined objects. Aven’s flip-open illuminated model, with an angled viewing tube, has 40x magnification and a measuring range of up to 4 mm. Three other battery-operated illuminated pocket scopes have 20x, 30x, and 50x magnification, respectively. The product line also includes a pen-sized 25x scope with a pocket clip and a metric-measurement glass reticle.

Regulatory

Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking System For Extension Specialists and Researchers Only

Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Regulatory Services TDA

Movement of Plant Pests, Biological Control Organisms, and Associated Articles

Alerts and Alert Tools

Pest Alerts

What's Happening Newsletter

Outbreaks Near Me for the iPhone

Download "Outbreaks Near Me" directly from the iPhone Store

Outbreaks Near Me for other Smart phones - Just use your Smartphone browser

Other Sites

SPDN Southern Plant Diagnostic Network

NPDN National Plant Diagnostic Network

First Detector Training sponsored by NPDN

Assistance with Control

www.invasiveplantcontrol.com Invasive Plant Control Inc. (615) 385-4319.

New GPS App for BlackBerry, WinMo Locates Kidnapped Execs--and Wayward Staffers Executrac Mobile GPS Tracker from BrickHouse Security lets the office track your movements. This could be used to track your movement through the field to let you know where you have been in the event you run across some type of invasive pest.

Reference Sources

Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms

Insect Pest Handbooks several books for sale of possible interest at the site.

Common Names of Plant Diseases @ APSnet

APSnet The American Phytopathological Society has various compedia for sale concerning many plant diseases and their control.

Japanese Apple Rust - Gymnosporangium yamadae

Other Pests of Interest

GPS Coordinates and Mapping tools

Google Lattitude for your phone, computer, or both.

Bing Maps Maps and driving directions

MapQuest Maps and driving directions

MSN Maps and Directions

Maps.com

Digital Topo Maps Free printouts

Mytopo Topography

GPS Visualizer is a free, easy-to-use online utility that creates maps and profiles from GPS data (tracks and waypoints, including GPX files), street addresses, or simple coordinates. Use it to see where you've been, plan where you're going, or visualize geographic data (business locations, scientific observations, events, customers, real estate, geotagged photos, etc.).

Connectivity on the Road

Wi-Fi Hot Spots for PDA and Notebooks

Wi-Finder

Sharing Digital Images

(various websites for sharing your images)

Anitomo

Pros - Free, slide show, music
Cons -

Facebook a social network, which allows you to share images within the network, as well as outside the network.

Pros - person viewing does not have to have an account (images must be sent to them via facebook), FREE, allows comments/descriptions.
Cons - image size may be reduced in size by facebook, images have been known to be removed from site without warning, no image altering tools.

Flickr

Pros - FREE, allows 90-seconds of video uploads
Cons - difficult to learn, default setting is public, limited storage and image size.

Fotki Free but cost $2.00 for some services

Pros - FREE, 50MB of storage, visitor statistics, geotagging, slideshows.
Cons - no editing software, no face recognition, no video uploads.

Phanfare

Pros - FREE, allows short-video clips along side of photos, unlimited archive of high-res original photos, slideshows with music.
Cons - disconnect between online app and download app.

Photobucket Free

Pros - FREE, lots of storage, unlimited video uploads within storage limit, sales sites, blogs, editing tool.
Cons - many ads, no drag and drop uploading, no face or geotagging, no straighten toos, bulk upload tool downsizes pictures, video, limited video editing, no full-scree view for slideshows and/or movies.

Picasa Free

Pros - FREE, geotagging in web albums, new blemish removal tool, improved red-eye removal, support for RAW camera files, syncs local edits with online images.
Cons - atypical interface may confuse users

Webshots has much stock photography for use in your own projects for a modiest price.

Pros - FREE, lots of storage space.
Cons - Ads in free accounts, no real image editing/optimizing, no face or geo-tagging, No image editing beyond rotate and crop.

Windows Live Photo Gallery

Pros - FREE, excellent organization of photos, easy uploading, automatic face tagging, excellent panorama creation.
Cons - no geotagging, no help with screen capture, people tagging trails, limited slideshow and special photo-effect options, no blemish remover, unsupported camera RAW formats.

Specimen Storage for Display and Preservation

Ralstonia solanacearum / Culture Preservation

Insect preparation and storage

Fisher Scientific slides, coverslips, insect observation, boxes

Carolina Biological Supply

Other Useful Equipment

pH meter @ Pasco, SPARK Science Learning System PS-2008 and Earth Science Starter Sensor Bundle PS-2922

Lab Safety Supply

For more information concerning the diagnositic clinic, contact:

Dr. Frank Hale
Soil, Plant, and Pest Center
5201 Marchant Dr.
Nashville, TN 37211-5112
Phone = (615) 835-4571
email = fahale@utk.edu

Frequently Used Tools:

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Additional Educational Resources

Insect Identification

Plant Disease and Insect Identification

Aids for Plant Disease Identification