Grant Information
| Knowledge Area | Subject of Investigation | Field of Science | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants | 2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops | 1060 - Biology (whole systems) | 50% |
| 211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants | 2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops | 1060 - Biology (whole systems) | 30% |
| 903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery | 2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops | 1060 - Biology (whole systems) | 20% |
The Southern Regional Center for the National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) is at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Other participating laboratories are at Auburn University, University of Arkansas, University of Georgia, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, University of Puerto Rico, Clemson University, University of Tennessee, Texas A&M University, Virginia Polytechnical and State University, and the University of the Virgin Islands. The state partners are the functional "gatekeepers" in protecting the region's agricultural interests. They conduct routine diagnoses, reporting their results to the National Repository, and they are trained to alert regional hub staff or regulatory officials in the event that an agent of high consequence is suspected. They also conduct First Detector training and contribute to the First Detector registry maintained at the University of Florida. State partners serve on regional and national committees as requested, especially when a committee is engaged in developing policy that may affect state lab function or obligations. Staff at the SPDN regional center facilitate activities within the region by developing and overseeing administration of the budget for region including solicitation of proposals; distribution of funds; diagnostics, communications, and database management training; and coordination of regional meetings either in person or via teleconference. They also serve an important role as centers for communication between state and federal agencies and the southern regional state partners.
As per the NPDN Matrix that guides our project, we will utilize the following methods and means of verification: Diagnostics: We will continue to support, encourage, and guide the SPDN partner laboratories and staff in maintaining and, when possible, increasing capacity for diagnostics and ID with current funding. Production of a STAR-D manual is now underway with a testable prototype due in 2012 to be used as the basis for a "practice" audit of the Northeast Region hub lab at Cornell in summer 2012, assuming funds are available for travel. The SPDN associate director (reduced to 0.5 FTE in 2012-2013) or hub lab manager will also serve with counterparts from other regional hubs (including the SPDN hub lab) as the first team of auditors as peer laboratories also undergo the accreditation process. Experience gained from this process will allow the NPDN Executive Committee to prepare a final accreditation document and prepare other laboratories in the region for participation in the process. Further progress on refinement of the STAR-D program will be dictated by availability of funds from APHIS; there is no budget for further development of STAR-D beyond beta-testing of materials completed by June 30, 2012. At least one representative from each participating laboratory in the SPDN is expected to use NPDN funds to attend one professional development opportunity. For most diagnosticians in the SPDN, this is the national APS meeting, the Southern Division meeting of APS, the Caribbean Division meeting of APS, or the bi-annual ornamentals workshop at Kanuga, WV. The SPDN Associate Director (Harmon, 0.5 FTE in 2012-2013) will revise two SOPs (HLB and Laurel Wilt) to reflect new diagnostic methods and will complete one new SOP (UG99) when the diagnostic protocol has been vetted and released by the Szabo laboratory. Any revisions to SOPs will be distributed to all SPDN member laboratories for use in the NPDN SOP notebooks. The surge capacity survey was completed Spring 2012 and will guide surge distribution. The Southern Region will continue employ a specialist who focuses solely on IT issues, but only at .25 FTE and only focused on the diagnostic and training databases and tools. We will collaborate with colleagues at the National Repository at CERIS as needed. Minimum standards for regional hub security will be maintained by college-based IT staff. More complicated issues may have to be solved via independent contract. We will investigate redirecting data that currently goes into the SPDN database, then to the NPDN database to cut out the SPDN database entirely. All states will need to redirect their data directly to the NPDN Repository in 2012, as continued support at the regional level will not be financially possible. Additionally, the Florida laboratories and those in two other states are investigating moving from PDIS or their current system to a lower-cost option in 2012. The SPDN PD and Diagnostics Coordinator will continue to serve as the webmaster for the regional website.
Target Audience
SPDN member laboratory personnel enter their diagnostic data into a number of different database interfaces, all tied to the NPDN national database through XML coding. Each diagnosis represents at least one target audience contact with extension clientele. In the time period of April 1, 2015 through December 31, 2016, member states diagnosed 56,309 samples. As part of our network communications, SPDN continued to participate in the NPDN First Detector training and education program. SPDN members conducted 205 FD training sessions for First Detectors for a total of approximately 15,195 First Detectors. SPDN members presented and published material focusing on introductory and advanced plant pathology, plant diagnostics, communication during detection events, the NPDN, and specific plant problems including the select and significant agents listed by APHIS, laurel wilt, boxwood blight, and insect pests in 192 publications/presentations viewed or attended by over 70,700 attendees. These attendees represented grower groups, Master gardeners, crop consultants, pesticide applicators, graduate students, agricultural education teachers, first detectors, and colleagues in plant pathology, entomology, and other related fields. Diagnosticians are an additional target audience, and through trainings and standard operating procedures published or funded by this project, we reached trained diagnosticians from countries as far away as Australia and New Zealand.
Changes / Problems
Nothing Reported
Training & Professional Development
The SPDN hub laboratory's Laboratory Manager and two other assistant diagnosticians obtained citrus greening and sudden oak death NPLAPP certification for another year, supporting our mission to be prepared for surge samples from the SPDN or other states. Several states utilized the regional center's surge capacity during the 2015-2016 year. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service had diagnosticians that obtained certification for citrus greening detection. Alabama obtained/maintained NPPLAP certification for testing of Phytophthora ramorum, HLB, and PPV. Additionally, the SPDN regional center was able to send the region's diagnosticians to seven APHIS-sponsored, thanks to travel funds made available through an agreement between APHIS and NIFA. These trainings included topics such as Phytophthora, plum pox virus (PPV), phytoplasmas, citrus greening, laboratory accreditation, etc. Diagnosticians also attended other training sessions concerning molecular techniques and diseases of local significance. Many of the region's diagnosticians are heavily involved in training efforts for extension clientele, Master Gardeners, and other diagnosticians, here in the US and abroad. SPDN held a regional meeting at the National NPDN Meeting March 2016, including discussion of diagnostic and funding priorities and training needs. Additionally, the SPDN regional hub lab retained the STARD accreditation by completing successful internal audits within the 2-year timeframe. Harmon and several other SPDN diagnostic staff attended QMS and STARD auditor training in spring 2015. SPDN laboratories made steps toward STAR-D accreditation by completing STAR-D Phase 2 Training Workshop (Louisiana, Puerto Rico, and South Carolina). The Disease and Insect Clinic in Puerto Rico held the STAR-D training and Gap Audit in February, 2016. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service completed STAR-D laboratory audit (Provisional STAR-D accreditation).
Dissemination Streams
SPDN member states directly benefit from the professional development of the region's diagnosticians. Reporting of these trainings, however, are often informal or through client contact mechanisms such as newsletters and grower meetings. Our websites, social media, and presentations during extension meetings disseminate our information to a wide variety of plant professionals. Additionally, each and every sample our labs process represents a point of contact with the public, plant industry, or other community of interest.
Next Reporting Steps
Diagnostics: Submission of all plant pathology laboratory data will continue. Additionally, several states will contribute data from secondary pathology laboratories and entomology/nematology laboratories. Data submission is required for member laboratories in the NPDN. (see the Policies section, Section E, below) Florida has subscribed to PClinic beginning in 2012 to reduce diagnostic database costs (four UF labs are supported at a total cost of $1,800 per year). We will support and encourage diagnosticians to attend all training available from APHIS, universities and others, as funding permits. We will coordinate sample movement and surge, and provide all updated SOPs and protocols on a timely basis. SPDN members and the SPDN Associate Director will update and/or author new SOPs as needed. Bec will participate in NPDN Diagnostics Subcommittee conference calls, representing the SPDN hub lab. The UG-99 SOP (Harmon) is in final approval stages, awaiting communication plan approval with APHIS. IT and Data management: Harmon will continue to support a SPDN Facebook presence (https://www.facebook.com/SouthernPlantDiagnosticNetwork) for managing communication of pest alerts and workshops. The SPDN web portal (www.sepdn.org) was moved to a sub-page of the national portal and has been updated by Harmon. First Detector workshop registrations, the Crop Biosecurity Curriculum web site, and the eLearning database will continue to be hosted on a server block maintained by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Information Technologies Office (operating on Microsoft SQL Server DBMS). Each state maintains its own diagnostics data connections to point directly from each state to the NPDN Repository, bypassing the SPDN regional database in an effort to cut costs. This has reduced the server support and maintenance to just those needed for the training systems. Reduced funding has forced us to minimally support the databases for training and education; development of any new modules will continue to be through other sources of funds. Diagnostic data entry may be slightly slower due to reduced staff at most of the diagnostic laboratories. Communications: SPDN Regional Center staff (Harmon and Jones) will continue to serve in present roles on Program Area Committees with NPDN and the region. Jones will continue to serve as SPDN Regional Director and as such, will serve on the NPDN Executive and Operations Committees and the STARD Board. Harmon will continue to serve as Secretary for the NPDN Executive Committee and PI of the SPDN project, and will continue to coordinate surge, survey, funding, and other coordination of regional members as needed. Harmon will continue to serve as the project PI and will coordinate funding requests, allocations, and reporting. The SPDN will serve on various committees for planning the next national NPDN meeting in spring 2016. Rachel McCarthy will continue to provide support on a part-time basis as the NPDN Training and Education Program Area Manager. McCarthy will coordinate updates and information technology issues associated with the NPDN Training and Education website (www.firstdetector.org) and will continue to seek external sources for further grant support of the NPDN Training program. McCarthy will serve as the lead contact for CEU and website questions in regards to the NPDN training site. The regional budget will support the database servers, IT support through UF/IFAS IT to keep the scaffolding of the NPDN First Detector training program in place, however, development of new modules or content will continue to be supported externally. Harmon will coordinate training activities for the SPDN diagnosticians. STAR-D Lab Accreditation: Although the scope of work for 2016-2017 is limited, the SPDN remains committed to supporting the continued development and application of STAR-D. We will encourage the adoption of the STAR-D, pending appropriate funding. The regional hub lab will continue to utilize the STARD management system as part of its accreditation, and pending availability of funds, will assist with performing two more audits within the NPDN. The SPDN Associate Director will continue to update and disseminate the current draft STAR-D manual and auditing checklist, and will support SPDN state laboratories by sharing documentation and guidance. Harmon will continue to serve as a trained auditor and will attend further training and/or gap/accreditation audits with available funds. Jones will serve on the temporary STAR-D accreditation board (comprising the current regional directors until funding can be identified to broaden the group's representation).