Extension Search / Diagnostic Labs / Alabama

Auburn University Plant Diagnostic Lab

The Plant Diagnostic Lab at Auburn University is Alabama’s university plant diagnostic lab. Send it a sick plant, an insect or a weed and it tells you what it is and what to do about it, usually for a small fee.

Lab Details

Auburn University

Auburn, Alabama

Disease diagnosis
Nematodes
Insect ID
Plant ID

Open the lab's site for fees, forms and the mailing address.

Services

Disease diagnosis. Finds what is making a plant sick, from fungi and bacteria to cold, drought or chemical injury.
Nematodes. Extracts and counts plant-parasitic nematodes from soil or roots.
Insect ID. Identifies insects, mites and spiders and whether they are a threat to the plant.
Plant ID. Identifies plants and weeds.

Samples are first examined by a plant pathologist and passed to entomology, agronomy or horticulture specialists when needed.
Out-of-state samples are charged double the in-state rate.

Not Accepted

Pesticide residue and soil nutrient tests (other Auburn labs do these)

Out of State

This lab takes samples from other states. Out-of-state fees are usually higher.

Sample Tips

Call or email the lab before you send anything. What a lab accepts, and what it charges, changes.
Send a plant that is still sick, not one that has died. Include the edge where sick tissue meets healthy tissue.
Bag the roots and soil and tie the bag off at the stem, so soil stays off the leaves. Wrap leaves in dry paper and don’t add water.
Mail early in the week so the box doesn’t sit in a warehouse over the weekend.
Fill in the lab’s form completely: the plant, what you see, when it started and what has been sprayed or applied.

Not sure it’s worth a lab fee? The plant health key narrows a problem down from what you see, and your county Alabama Extension office can often look at a sample free first.

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