Grant Information
| Knowledge Area | Subject of Investigation | Field of Science | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants | 2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops | 1102 - Mycology | 16% |
| 211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants | 2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops | 1130 - Entomology and acarology | 14% |
| 212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants | 2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops | 1101 - Virology | 14% |
| 212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants | 2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops | 1110 - Parasitology | 14% |
| 212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants | 2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops | 1120 - Nematology | 14% |
| 213 - Weeds Affecting Plants | 2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops | 1140 - Weed science | 14% |
| 214 - Vertebrates, Mollusks, and Other Pests Affecting Plants | 2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops | 1060 - Biology (whole systems) | 14% |
The University of California, Davis serves as host of the western regional center for the National Plant Diagnostics Network (NPDN). The NPDN, working together with various federal and state agencies, has the overall goal of enhancing national agricultural security by safeguarding plants in agricultural and natural ecosystems. The mission of the network is to quickly detect high consequence pests and pathogens that have been introduced intentionally or accidentally, identify them, and report them to appropriate responders and decision makers. The Western Plant Diagnostics Network (WPDN) includes representatives from land grant institutions, state departments of agriculture, and the USDA/APHIS from ten western states (AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NM, NV, OR, UT, and WA) and U.S. island territories in the Pacific (American Samoa and Guam). With the current proposal, we seek funds to ensure that service provided by the Network is of the highest quality by (1) providing continuing support to plant diagnostic laboratories in the region to enable them to receive, process, and safely dispose of plant samples and make accurate diagnoses thereof; (2) participating in lab accreditation efforts in the NPDN, to the extent that is appropriate; 3) continuing communication to inform first detector audiences and foster cohesion among regional network members; and (4) providing resources for diagnostic lab management and continued submission of diagnostic data to the NPDN National Repository. The plan focuses on resources and needs in the western region, and reinforces interagency partnerships that are critically important for building a strong national network.
1. Detection: We will continue to support, encourage, and guide the WPDN partner laboratories and staff in maintaining and, when possible, increasing capacity for diagnostics and identification as well as within the First Detector network. We will continue outreach and education about the network to state and federal decision makers, university leadership, first detectors, and major stakeholders. The WPDN training and education programs will inform WPDN collaborators on the use of content related to exotic pests and pathogens. We will continue interactions with Protect US and the Sentinel Plant Network, an effort spearheaded by the NEPDN at Cornell in partnership with the American Public Gardens Association. We will maintain the national First Detector framework and e-learning distance education platform (firstdetector.org), which has served as a basis for leveraging funds and projects in support of NPDN's mission. We will continue to publish the WPDN First Detector quarterly newsletter and, together with other regional members, will contribute to the preparation of the monthly NPDN Newsletter. We will also continue electronic delivery of information to our existing registries of first detectors to keep them engaged and updated. We will coordinate sample movement and surge, and provide all updated SOPs and protocols on a timely basis. WPDN staff and members will participate in regional and national network conference calls.2. Diagnosis: STAR-D Lab Accreditation: Although the scope of work for 2016-2017 is limited, the WPDN remains committed to supporting the continued development and application of STAR-D. The regional NVDOA lab achieved accreditation May 2015. The WPDN Associate Director will continue to disseminate the STAR-D manual and auditing checklist, and will support WPDN state laboratories by sharing documentation and guidance.Diagnostician professional development and training. At least one representative from each participating laboratory in the WPDN is expected to use Farm Bill funds, if available, to attend one professional development opportunity, when possible. Attendance for on-line training webinars is also encouraged.3. Reporting: We will collaborate with colleagues at the National Repository at CERIS as needed. All states will continue to submit their data directly to the NPDN Repository in 2016-2017. We will continue to ensure that NPDN web resources and information flow to the data repository are sustained. PDIS, DDDI data/lab management systems, and other database management systems will continue to be supported, and any technical issues related to these 3rd party systems will be supported through our licensing agreements with the vendors. Pest alerts and regional news will be disseminated via email to the regional lists.
Target Audience
The Western Plant Diagnostic Network (WPDN) reaches out to different target audiences involved in plant health. The WPDN main audience are the plant disease diagnostic laboratories that are members of the network. WPDN also reaches out to state and federal officials that respond/regulate, organisms of concern. WPDN members are laboratories at land-grant Universities (LGU) and State Departments of Agriculture (SDA) that conduct plant disease diagnostics in the Western Region of the National Plant Diagnostic Network. The western region includes ten western states (AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NM, NV, OR, UT, and WA) and two U.S. island territories in the Pacific (American Samoa and Guam). States and territories are represented by plant pathologists, entomologists, and weed specialists at their respective LGU's and/or SDAs. WPDN reaches out to member laboratories to provide funding, professional advancement opportunities, and to coordinate network efforts in data reporting, detection, diagnostics, and communication. Another target audience are scientists and specialists associated with other state and federal agencies that regulate organisms of concern or that respond to plant disease epidemics. WPDN reaches out to them on a need to know basis, in order to report the detection of organisms of concern.
Changes / Problems
Nothing Reported
Training & Professional Development
One of the goals of NPDN is to provide training opportunities and experiential learning that accelerate the learning curve and enhance diagnostic capabilities of current and future diagnosticians. WPDN continuously encouraged diagnostician professional development and training. Since 2018, WPDN has also been providing additional funds for travel to trainings. When the project started in 2016, WPDN had not being able to have an in-person Regional Meeting since 2008 due to budget constraints. But thanks to changes in the regional center structure and budgeting goals since 2018, it was possible to resume Regional meetings. A WPDN Regional meeting was hosted by the University of Arizona, in March 2020. The WPDN meeting was attended by WPDN diagnosticians from all states and territories, including WPDN partner labs in State Departments of Agriculture throughout the region. Diagnosticians from the WPDN region have been actively participating in Beltsville training organized by NPDN and AHPHIS since 2016. More recently, 15 diagnosticians from WPDN labs and from SDA partner labs registered to USDA-APHIS sponsored training sessions in the Spring of 2020. Unfortunately, 5 of the 9 workshops were cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation. At the end, only three diagnosticians were able to participate before the trainings were postponed due to COVID related cancellations. In March 2021, Beltsville trainings were resumed in an online format. 23 diagnosticians from the WPDN region participated in 9 of the training modules. WPDN diagnosticians continued participating in professional conferences and workshops through the project period. Many participate annually in meetings of the American Phytopathological Society (APS); Entomological Society of American (ESA); the Western Society of Weed Science; APS Pacific Division; the Governor's Conference on Agriculture; the Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association; the British Columbia Structural Pest Association; the International Congress of Plant Pathology; Regional, National and International IPM symposiums; and the International Society for Plant Protection. Despite COVID related cancellation of most meetings and conferences during 2020, WPDN diagnosticians attended a total of 36 other conferences and professional development activities. The 2022 NPDN National Meeting will be held in Davis, California, hosted by the WPDN Regional Center. The NPDN National Meeting is one of the major professional development activities coordinated by NPDN. In hosting this meeting, the WPDN will have additional responsibilities to develop relevant workshops and coordinate the event.
Dissemination Streams
One of the goals of NPDN is to ensure effective and timely communications and productive collaborations with regulatory partners, diagnostic labs, and the plant health communities. Curate and communicate quality diagnostic information that benefits plant health. Summary of diagnostic sample submission: Since 2016, WPDN took successful steps aimed at increasing the number of samples uploaded to the national repository, and remedying the problems resulting from the outdated LIMS systems and reduction in IT staffing. The implementation of the direct upload tool and discontinuing the use of DDDI, not only reduced costs, but facilitated sample upload for some labs in the network. The excel upload tool was especially useful for labs that kept a different sample tracking system and did not use the reporting or invoicing tools of the LIMS (before they had to do double entry), and for labs that submit mostly survey samples. As a result, during 2020, WPDN labs processed over 460,000 samples, and submitted over 190,000 diagnoses to the NPDN National Data Repository (NDR). A majority of the samples processed consisted of survey and screening analysis (352,897), the rest were identification analysis (108,623). WPDN labs submitted 194,939 diagnoses during 2020 including 193,555 pathogens, 407 arthropods, 140 nematodes, 36 plants/seeds/weeds, and 375 abiotic disorders (Table 2). Of these, 188,290 diagnoses come from the biosecurity lab in the University of Hawaii. They are responsible for the potato certification program in their state. Summary of first detections: WPDN labs continued reporting first occurrences since 2016. For example, during 2020, eight laboratories in the WPDN reported 91 first occurrences. This number is similar to the annual number of reports since 2016. Since 2019 NPDN increased its efforts to improve communication with regulatory partners. Many channels of communication had been lost since NPDN inception in 2003 due to staff turnover and decreased funding. Reflecting these efforts, non-regulatory WPDN labs reported 13 diagnoses to regulatory stakeholders during 2020. These diagnoses were brought to the attention of USDA-APHIS or their respective State Department of Agriculture. They may have resulted in a regulatory action or not, but the labs felt notification was important. Summary of Training and Outreach: Since 2016, NPDN had been decreasing funding for first detector training due to budget constraints. In line with these national policies, since 2017, WPDN stopped requiring that WPDN labs conduct first detector training. Some WPDN members continue to be active in first detector training as part of their outreach and extension programs. However, WPDN stopped coordinating or recording first detector training metrics in 2019. Now days, most Outreach and Extension training conducted by WPDN labs is not related to first detector. All labs continue to maintain an active extension program. For instance, despite the COVID restrictions of 2020, WPDN labs prepared 87 publications and 142 presentations related to Outreach & Extension. There were also six appearances in radio/TV related to extension. All presentations by WPDN labs reached an estimated audience of 6481. Most of these (5176) was from Outreach & Extension presentations. The rest of the audience represented a scientific audience and coursework. This is only a slight reduction of the average 190 presentations pre year, conducted by WPDN diagnosticians in previous years. Dr. Brenes-Arguedas has been a member of the NPDN Training & Education committee since 2018. In early 2020, the NPDN Training & Education Committee was replaced by the Outreach & Extension committee with new goals beyond First Detector programming. The goals of the Outreach & Extension committee focus less on providing training curriculum and more on providing resources to support the different states according to their needs. Dr. Brenes-Arguedas continues to be involved in these efforts. Summary of Publications and Products During the funding period, WPDN diagnosticians have produced an average of about 100 publications per year related to their diagnostic work. These include refereed publications such as Books, Book Chapters, Conference Abstracts, Journal Articles, fact sheets, and extension publications among others. During 2020, WPDN diagnosticians produced 83 refereed publications related to NPDN or their diagnostic work. In addition, WPDN diagnosticians gave 34 presentations in scientific conferences, and led 12 courses and workshops related to diagnostic training.
Next Reporting Steps
Nothing Reported
Target Audience
The Western Plant Diagnostic Network (WPDN) reaches out to different target audiences involved in plant health. The WPDN main audience are the plant disease diagnostic laboratories that are members of the network. WPDN also reaches out to other professionals and members of the public interested in plant health, and to state and federal officials that respond/regulate, organisms of concern. WPDN members are laboratories at land-grant Universities (LGU) and State Departments of Agriculture (SDA) that conduct plant disease diagnostics in the Western Region of the National Plant Diagnostic Network. The western region includes ten western states (AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NM, NV, OR, UT, and WA) and two U.S. island territories in the Pacific (American Samoa and Guam). States and territories are represented by plant pathologists, entomologists, and weed specialists at their respective LGU's and/or SDAs. WPDN reaches out to member laboratories to provide funding, professional advancement opportunities, and to coordinate network efforts in data reporting, detection, diagnostics, and extension. Another target audience are scientists and specialists associated with other state and federal agencies that regulate organisms of concern or that respond to plant disease epidemics. WPDN reaches out to them on a need to know basis, in order to report the detection of organisms of concern. A broader target audience of the WPDN includes First Detectors and members of the public interested in plant health. WPDN does not actively conduct first detector training any more, but WPDN members are active in outreach and education reaching out to biologists, agronomists, university extension personnel, students (elementary to college), nurseries, seed industry, master gardeners, pest inspectors, growers, grower organizations, home gardeners, public garden association members, pesticide applicators, foresters, crop consultants, horticultural society members, native plant society members, plant pathologists/entomologists, and other plant health scientists.
Changes / Problems
Nothing Reported
Training & Professional Development
WPDN diagnosticians attended a total of 78 professional activities. In many instances, diagnosticians also presented during these activities, thus, they also contributed to the professional development of the plant health community in the region. Activities included attending national conferences and meetings by the American Phytopathological Society (APS); APS Pacific Division; and the Entomological Society of America. WPDN diagnosticians from all states and territories also attended the NPDN National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, April 15-18, 2019; and the WPDN Regional Meeting, Tucson, AZ, March 2-6, 2020. In total, 15 diagnosticians from WPDN labs and from partner SDA labs registered to USDA-APHIS sponsored training sessions. They were from the AK DNR, CDFA, NVDOA, NMSU, OSU, UH, UI, and WSDA. Unfortunately, 5 of the 9 workshops were cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation.
Dissemination Streams
Since the retirement of Richard Hoenisch in March 2018, first detector training efforts in the WPDN region were considerably reduced. Due to funding cuts over the years, WPDN does not require that WPDN labs conduct first detector training. While some WPDN members continue to be active in first detector training or conduction Outreach and Extension, WPDN has stopped recording first detector training metrics. The National First Detector program has been active during this reporting period. The national program has been led by Cornell University's Rachel McCarthy, with support from the Training & Education committee. WPDN member Rachel Bomberger and Dr. Brenes-Arguedas were members of that committee. Over the last few years, the program has been functioning mostly with APHIS Farm Bill for development of online content. NPDN investment in the program has been reduced to a minimum.
Next Reporting Steps
Detection: During 2019 NPDN restructured its outreach and extension goals following the 2019 Strategic Plan. NPDN determined that outreach education and extension activities are still important to the NPDN mission as they raise the visibility of the network and are often key to the day-to-day responsibilities of our members. However, NPDN regional centers will not directly engage in regional outreach and extension activities other than those required by their own institutions at the state level. Instead, NPDN is committed to support efforts by diagnosticians to improve communications and education in their states within the mission and goals or their own institutions. In October 2019, NPDN restructured the Training & Education committee, into a more broadly defined Outreach & Extension committee. The mission of the new NPDN Outreach & Extension Committee is to support plant health promotion and outreach. Outreach education and extension involves the knowledge transfer of key information relevant to plant health and its safeguarding. These activities are facilitated by NPDN members, who interact with audiences in the agriculture and green industries, the public, and higher education. This committee will support outreach and extension activities of NPDN members by providing resources to reduce the burden associated with information gathering and dissemination. WPDN member Rachel Bomberger is the chair of this committee, and Dr. Brenes-Arguedas is the champion. Diagnosis: WPDN encourages diagnostician professional development and training and when possible provides additional funds for equipment improvements. During the 2020-2021 funding year, WPDN members will continue participating in NPDN committees that are developing programs for professional development, proficiency testing, protocol development and validation, and lab accreditation. In addition, provided the COVID-19 situation allows it, the 2021 NPDN National Meeting will be held in Davis, California, hosted by the WPDN Regional Center. The NPDN National Meeting is one of the major professional development activities coordinated by NPDN. In hosting this meeting, the WPDN will have additional responsibilities to develop relevant workshops and coordinate the event. Reporting: In their work plans, all states have committed to continue to submit data to the NPDN Repository. The WPDN regional center will continue to collaborate with colleagues at CERIS as needed to maintain and improve tools for data submission. In addition, Dr. Brenes-Arguedas and Mike Hill (CERIS) have obtained funding from APHIS FY20 PPA 7721 to continue working on making non-sensitive NDR data more available to stakeholders. <br><br>
<br>What was accomplished under these goals? From April 1, 2019 to April 1, 2020, nine laboratories in the WPDN reported 90 first occurrences. Non-regulatory WPDN labs also reported 32 diagnoses to regulatory stakeholders. These diagnoses were brought to the attention of USDA-APHIS or their respective State Department of Agriculture. They may have resulted in a regulatory action or not, but the labs felt notification was important. This count does not include diagnosis made by NVDOA or CDFA, since most diagnosis by these two labs are conducted for regulatory purposes. CDFA does conduct non-regulatory diagnosis (household samples) as a service to the public, but that number is a very small percentage of their sample load. Diagnostics: Between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020, WPDN labs reported 37 accomplishments in the diagnostic capacity and capability of their labs. These included things such as new methods developed or adopted, new instruments or equipment acquired, or adapted to lab methods, and new SOPs developed for the lab. Reporting: From April 1, 2019 to April 1, 2020, WPDN labs processed over 630,000 samples, and submitted 22,541 sample records to the NPDN National Data Repository (NDR). The numbers of uploaded samples is lower than the number of samples processed by some labs (Table 2) for a number of reasons: 1) some labs do not upload samples considered sensitive by their state regulatory partners until they are allowed to do so; 2) some labs chose not to upload survey data (from unpublished research or regulatory surveys), or upload their survey data to NAPIS or other federal databases; 3) some labs do not upload data from household or human pests, samples that were not fully processed, samples that were inconclusive or un-diagnosed; or samples that were intercepted at border stations. During the last couple of years, WPDN took successful steps aimed at increasing the number of samples uploaded to the national repository, and remedying the problems resulting from the outdated LIMS systems and reduction in IT staffing. This period's number of samples uploaded to the NDR was twice as high as the number submitted in the previous reporting year (11,000), showing that the Regional center efforts have proved successful in the region. The implementation of the direct upload tool and discontinuing the use of DDDI, not only reduced costs, but facilitated sample upload for some labs in the network; especially, for labs that kept a different sample tracking system and did not use the reporting or invoicing tools of the LIMS (they had to do double entry), and for labs that submit survey samples. WPDN labs submitted 6340 confirmed and suspected diagnosis including 3046 pathogens, 1756 arthropods, 20 nematodes, 64 plants/seeds/weeds, and 664 abiotic disorders (Table 2). These numbers do not include undetermined or not detected diagnosis that bring the regional total uploaded diagnoses up to 25,870 submitted diagnoses. Of these, 16,844 come from the biosecurity lab in the University of Hawaii. They are responsible for the potato certification program in their state. <br><br><b>Publications</b><br>
Target Audience
The Western Plant Diagnostic Network (WPDN) reaches out to different target audiences involved in plant health. The WPDN main audience are the plant disease diagnostic laboratories that are members of the network. WPDN also reaches out to other professionals and members of the public interested in plant health, and to state and federal officials that respond/regulate, organisms of concern. WPDN members are laboratories at land-grant Universities (LGU) and State Departments of Agriculture (SDA) that conduct plant disease diagnostics in the Western Region of the National Plant Diagnostic Network. The western region includes ten western states (AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NM, NV, OR, UT, and WA) and two U.S. island territories in the Pacific (American Samoa and Guam). States and territories are represented by plant pathologists, entomologists, and weed specialists at their respective LGU's and/or SDAs. WPDN reaches out to member laboratories to provide funding, professional advancement opportunities, and to coordinate network efforts in data reporting, detection, diagnostics, and extension. Another target audience are scientists and specialists associated with other state and federal agencies that regulate organisms of concern or that respond to plant disease epidemics. WPDN reaches out to them on a need to know basis, in order to report the detection of organisms of concern. A broader target audience of the WPDN includes First Detectors and members of the public interested in plant health. WPDN reaches out to more than 7,000 NPDN First Detectors in the Western region. First detectors are agricultural professionals in industry, government, and the university as well as members of the public who receive training to submit samples and identify pests of concern. In addition, there is a broader target audience that receives information from extension programs conducted by WPDN member laboratories. WPDN members' outreach and education reaches out to biologists, agronomists, university extension personnel, students (elementary to college), nurseries, seed industry, master gardeners, pest inspectors, growers, grower organizations, home gardeners, public garden association members, pesticide applicators, foresters, crop consultants, horticultural society members, native plant society members, plant pathologists/entomologists, and other plant health scientists.
Changes / Problems
Nothing Reported
Training & Professional Development
WPDN diagnosticians attended a total of 32 professional activities. These included attending conferences and meetings by: the Western Society of Weed Science, the American Phytopathological Society (APS); APS Pacific Division; the National Plant Diagnostic Network; the Governor's Conference on Agriculture; the Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association; the British Columbia Structural Pest Association; the International Congress of Plant Pathology; and the International Society for Plant Protection. They also attended workshops on invasive species, Executive Leadership; Virus Detection by High-Throughput Sequencing; Pesticide Certification; Fruit & Veg High Tunnel; Pest Identification; and Soil Health. Also, 14 WPDN members attended USDA-APHIS sponsored training sessions, with three of them attending more than one workshop: Bioinformatics Workshop (3); Citrus Greening - HLB (6); Phytophthora Workshop (2); Phytoplasmas Workshop (3); and Seed Testing Workshop GCMMV (3). All these efforts by WPDN members have increased the diagnostic capabilities of our regional members. In addition, 18 diagnosticians in the WPDN are currently NPPLAP certified. CDFA (11), UHI (3), UAZ (2), WSDA (2). Nevada Department of Agriculture (2015) and NMSU (2016) are Star-D Phase accredited. Three diagnosticians from OR, AZ, and ID received STAR-D training in 2018. Most WPDN labs have received the STAR-D Quality Management System Training workshop. Four WPDN diagnosticians are currently accredited Star-D external auditors, and one diagnostician is currently in training.
Dissemination Streams
WPDN members published peer-review articles, journals, books, online articles, and factsheets. Information was presented in 122 publications and 165 presentations or events. Presentations reached over 20,000 people, not including audiences that reached via online materials and outreach done via Radio, TV, and YouTube that probably reached a much larger audience. WPDN members published or presented material included work on exotic plant diseases; phylogenetics; molecular characterization; Plant identification; Taxonomic papers including genus revisions, and the description of a number of new species; First Reports (listed in Table 3); biocontrol agents; Soil Management for Disease Free Production; Seed identification and testing; plant Parasitic Nematodes and entomoparasitic nematodes; Invasive Plants; IPM; Weeds; Arthropod-transmitted viruses; Diagnosis of citrus diseases; and Agrosecurity. Publications involved organisms such as: spruce beetles; the little fire ant; paloverde broom emeravirus; cotton leafroll dwarf virus; HLB citrus greening; Ralstonia solanacearum; Hemipterans; Botryosphaeriaceae Fungi; Phytophthora; Papaya ringspot virus; Jasmine virus H; Coconut rhinoceros beetle; Banana viruses; Virus of air potatos (Dioscorea bulbifera); Bean common mosaic virus; Alternaria leaf spot species; Fungal Pathogens in Pecan Orchards; Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Peanut; Rathayibacter toxicus; Rhodococcus; Balsam Woolly Adelgid; Codling moth; Root Weevils; Small hive beetle (Aethina tumida); Brown marmorated stink bug; Tomato spotted wilt virus; Redberry Mite; Spotted lanternfly; Velvet longhorned beetle; Tomato and tobacco hornworm; Parasitoid wasps of the brown marmorated stink bug; and skeletonizers. Members have given presentations to Master Gardeners; land managers; Rural villages/resource managers; General public; National Park staff; grade school students; nursery workers; ag industry producers and growers; regulatory agencies; Biologists/entomologists/botanists; County, State and Federal personnel; University students; Forest professionals; Seed technologists; Western IPM leaders; Plant pathologists and scientists; field inspectors; Pesticide Applicators; 4H Leaders; Golf Course Superintendents; Customs and Border Protection Agents; Congressional Staffers; Extension professionals; Arborists; Landscape professionals; and Home Gardeners/Urban Farmers.
Next Reporting Steps
Detection: Due to funding cuts, WPDN is supporting minimal First Detector programming. Member states are encouraged to deliver First Detector training, but there will be no requirement to provide this training until new sources of funds can be found. The preparation, updating, and publication of training modules is now centralized for the NPDN in the newly re-released First Detector Website (firstdetector.org). As member of the Education & Training committee, Dr. Brenes-Arguedas will contribute to the development and marketing of the website as needed. Dr. Brenes-Arguedas will continue to support, encourage, and guide the WPDN partner laboratories and staff in maintaining and, when possible, increasing capacity and training of First Detectors by using the Firstdetector.org website. Training and Outreach: Dr. McRoberts will continue to incorporate information on regulatory biology and diagnostics in his undergraduate and graduate classes. We will continue outreach and education about the network to state and federal decision makers, university leadership, first detectors, and major stakeholders. The Associate Director will continue to publish the WPDN First Detector quarterly newsletter and, together with other regional members, will contribute to the monthly NPDN Newsletter. We will also continue electronic delivery of information to our existing registries of first detectors to keep them engaged and updated. Diagnosis: WPDN encourages diagnostician professional development and training. Representatives from each participating laboratory in the WPDN are encouraged to participate in professional development opportunities and attend on-line training webinars organized by NPDN nationwide. This year, WPDN also allocated funds to offer additional professional development opportunities in our region: The WPDN regional meetings had been discontinued in 2012 due to low funding levels. This year we have allocated funds to reinstate the WPDN Regional Meetings. The 2020 WPDN meeting will be hosted by the University of Arizona, Tucson in February-March 2020. WPDN members indicated that a diagnostician exchange program would be of great training value for the network. To that end, we have allocated funds in the regional center to cover two $5000 grants. These grants will be given to students, technicians, or new diagnosticians to spend a few weeks in another diagnostic lab, training in particular techniques or diagnostic skills. STAR-D lab Accreditation: The WPDN will continue supporting the continued development and application of lab accreditation. The WPDN Associate Director will continue to disseminate the STAR-D manual and support WPDN state laboratories by sharing documentation and guidance. Shouhua Wang (NVDOA), and Rachel Bomberger (WSU) will continue to serve as a trained auditors and will attend further training and/or gap/accreditation audits when funds are available. ODA, and CDFA labs will continue to pursue STAR-D accreditation. Dr. Brenes-Arguedas will continue Star-D training in order to become an auditor. She will continue to serve with counterparts from other regional hubs (including the WPDN hub lab) as peer laboratories undergo limited gap/preliminary audits. Reporting: WPDN will continue to collaborate with colleagues at the National Repository at CERIS as needed. All states will continue to submit their data directly to the NPDN Repository in 2018-2019. Pest alerts and regional news will continue to be disseminated via email to the regional lists. IT and Data Management: WPDN will continue to ensure that NPDN web resources and information flow to the data repository are sustained. During the 2019-20 funding year, the region will continue its transition away from DDDI. Labs will be offered the possibility of use the free repository data upload tool developed by CERIS, if they prefer to manage their data outside the standard NPDN sponsored LIMS systems. Dr. Brenes-Arguedas will continue working closely with CERIS, PDIS, and the labs that were using DDDI, in order to assist them in their transition. In addition, Dr. Brenes-Arguedas will continue working with CERIS to test new repository tools, and to train new and existing diagnosticians in the use of the existing tools. <br><br>
<br>What was accomplished under these goals? DETECTION WPDN members continue to be active in first detector training as part of their outreach and extension programs. WPDN members published 17 titles, and conducted 28 presentations aimed for first detector training. Presentations reached over 1700 potential first detectors. WPDN members and UCDavis conducted 28 formal First Detector training sessions that were attended by over 1700 participants. In addition, 13 participants registered as First Detectors in the firstdetector.org website. The U of AK, Fairbanks conducted four presentations on invasive species and weeds for master gardeners, land managers, and rural public. Three of those were formal first detector presentations. American Samoa conducted four outreach presentations on the little fire ant for the general public, National Park staff, and grade school students. U of AZ conducted 10 presentations for the general public, nurseries, growers, and farmers. Topics included; Witches broom, bedding plant diseases, lettuce diseases, citrus diseases, vector transmitted viruses, and diseases of landscape plants. CDFA conducted 9 trainings and presentations to land managers, county staff, university students, grade school students, nurseries, and foresters. Topics included: alligator weed, common pests in export shipments, entomology, and Phytophthora biology. The U of Guam conducted 9 extension presentations about the Asian Cycad Scale, the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle, biological invasions on Guam, biodiversity, and one formal first detector training. U of HI conducted 2 extension presentations to master gardeners and fruit growers and agrosecurity in Hawaii. The U of ID conducted 7 extension presentations and trainings about early detection and plant disease diagnosis to growers and ag field inspectors. NMSU conducted 20 presentations to growers, H4 leaders, master gardeners, general public, university students, producers, golf course superintendents, and pesticide applicators. Topics included: plant disease diagnostics, fungal identification, weed identification and management, insect pests, and specific local pest topics. The NV Dept. of Ag. conducted 6 presentations on plant diseases to the agricultural industry, university students, pest applicators, and crop industry. OSU conducted four extension presentations about plant disease diagnosis, fungal pests, fruit tree and vegetable diseases to growers and other public. The USU conducted 33 outreach presentations to growers, landscape professionals, students, pesticide applicators, home owners, arborists, and extension staff. Topics included the emerald ash borer, ants, pests of ash, invasive insects, brown marmorated stink bug, fire blight, insect pests, and specific pests for a number of commodities. WSU conducted 12 presentations, to master gardeners, pesticide applicators, green industry, inspectors, growers, and graduate students. Topics included sudden oak death, first detector training, plant disease diagnostics, and invasive plant diseases. DIAGNOSIS WPDN members processed 537,857 samples. These included 48 first occurrences: American Samoa (1); California (17); Guam (2); Idaho (3); New Mexico (1); Nevada (2); Oregon (17); and Utah (5). HI processed 250,512 samples for the potato certification program. And members reported contributing diagnostic work to 45 surveys: UT (2), OR (1), NV (4), ID (3), HI (5), CA (27), AZ (3). AZ identified mite-transmitted emaravirus-(associated ) causal agent of paloverde witches broom; Cotton leafroll dwarf polerovirus; Phomitopsis spp, trunk rot, in citrus; and confirmed Xylella fastidiosa in pecan. ID developed new qPCR assays for S. terrestris and F. oxysporum f. sp. Cepae. OR worked with an engineer on a prototype of hand-held LAMP assay device and tissue disrupter with no moving parts. REPORTING Laboratories associated with eighteen state institutions or agencies within our region submit data to the NPDN National Repository. Between April 1, 2018 and April 1, 2019, the WPDN members submitted 11,203 sample records to the NPDN National Data Repository: UAF (266), ASCC (7), UAZ (1802), CDFA (4195), UHI (1), UID (166), NMSU (1386), OSU (2148); USU (276), WSU (615). <br><br><b>Publications</b><br>
Target Audience
The Western Plant Diagnostic Network (WPDN) reaches out to different target audiences involved in plant health. The WPDN main audience are the plant disease diagnostic laboratories that are members of the network. WPDN also reaches out to other professionals and members of the public interested in plant health, and to state and federal officials that respond/regulate, organisms of concern. WPDN members are laboratories at land-grant Universities (LGU) and State Departments of Agriculture (SDA) that conduct plant disease diagnostics in the Western Region of the National Plant Diagnostic Network. The western region includes ten western states (AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NM, NV, OR, UT, and WA) and two U.S. island territories in the Pacific (American Samoa and Guam). States and territories are represented by plant pathologists, entomologists, and weed specialists at their respective LGU's and/or SDAs. WPDN reaches out to member laboratories to provide funding, professional advancement opportunities, and to coordinate network efforts in data reporting, detection, diagnostics, and extension. Another target audience are scientists and specialists associated with other state and federal agencies that regulate organisms of concern or that respond to plant disease epidemics. WPDN reaches out to them on a need to know basis, in order to report the detection of organisms of concern. A broader target audience of the WPDN includes First Detectors and members of the public interested in plant health. WPDN reaches out to more than 7,000 NPDN First Detectors in the Western region. First detectors are agricultural professionals in industry, government, and the university as well as members of the public who receive training to submit samples and identify pests of concern. In addition, there is a broader target audience that receives information from extension programs conducted by WPDN member laboratories. WPDN members' outreach and education reaches out to biologists, agronomists, university extension personnel, students (elementary to college), nurseries, seed industry, master gardeners, pest inspectors, growers, grower organizations, home gardeners, public garden association members, pesticide applicators, foresters, crop consultants, horticultural society members, native plant society members, plant pathologists/entomologists, and other plant health scientists.
Changes / Problems
Nothing Reported
Training & Professional Development
NPDN has secured USDA-APHIS Farm Bill funding to run a number of professional development workshops concerning molecular and morphological identification techniques of significant pathogens. Fourteen WPDN members attended these sponsored training sessions. Three diagnosticians attended the potato cyst nematode training, two attended the bioinformatics training, five attended the Phytophthora training, and six attended phytoplasmas training. Overall, WPDN diagnosticians attended a total of 52 professional development conferences and workshops on topics including weed science, entomology, pathology, invasive species, molecular techniques, bioinformatics, seed sampling, and quarantine pests; and on specific disorders including crown gall, bark beetle, rhinoceros beetle, conifer diseases, and identification of abiotic injuries. In addition, 25 diagnosticians in the WPDN are NPPLAP certified. CDFA (11), ODA (3), UHI (3), UAZ (2), WSDA (5) WSU (1). Nevada Department of Agriculture (2015) and NMSU (2016) are Star-D Phase accredited. Four diagnosticians, three from SDAs in NV, WS, and OR, and one from WSU, received STAR-D training in 2017. Most WPDN labs have received the STAR-D Quality Management System Training workshop. Four WPDN diagnosticians are currently accredited Star-D external auditors, and one diagnostician is currently in training.
Dissemination Streams
WPDN members presented and published material in professional refereed and extension publications and presentations. Material included topics in plant pathology, disease etiology, nematology, epidemiology, entomology, genome sequencing, diagnosis of plant problems, the NPDN, early detection, invasive species, grape, pecan, potato, and citrus diseases, invasive fruit pests and diseases, common insects and diseases of fruits and vegetables, new diagnostic methods, turf diseases and insects, pests and diseases of ornamentals, and master gardener training. WPDN members presented information in over 100 publications including peer reviewed journals, trade magazines, books, book chapters, and online. In addition, they conducted over 150 presentations that reached over 10 thousand people in person; and other outreach efforts that reached larger audiences including radio and podcast, and in on line materials. Information was presented in oral presentations, posters, trainings and workshops, handouts and brochures, classes and lab sections, radio and podcasts, Youtube videos, Websites, online modules, field days and facility tours. Attendees at presentations included biologists, agronomists, university extension personnel, students (elementary to college), nurseries, seed industry, master gardeners, pest inspectors, growers and individuals from grower organizations, gardeners, pesticide applicators, foresters, crop consultants, first detectors, horticultural society members, native plant society members, plant pathologists/entomologists, and other plant health scientists.
Next Reporting Steps
Detection: WPDN will continue encouraging member states to deliver First Detector training. Due to funding cuts, WPDN can financially support only minimal First Detector programming. However, many WPDN labs conduct this task without requiring additional NPDN funds, as it increases the visibility of their labs, and the quality and quantity of samples submitted to their labs. WPDN staff will continue to support, encourage, and guide the WPDN partner laboratories and staff in maintaining and, when possible, increasing capacity and training of First Detectors. While WPDN as a region does not fund first detector training, NPDN collaborations with the Sentinel Plant Network and the American Public Gardens Association has obtained funding to develop online modules for first detector training. WPDN will contribute to the development and marketing of the NPDN First Detector website as needed, and will continue to inform WPDN collaborators on availability and use of content related to first detector training. WPDN director will continue to incorporate information on regulatory biology and diagnostics in his undergraduate and graduate classes. We will continue outreach and education about the network to state and federal decision makers, university leadership, first detectors, and major stakeholders. The Associate Director will continue to publish the WPDN First Detector quarterly newsletter and, together with other regional members, will contribute to the monthly NPDN Newsletter. We will also continue electronic delivery of information to our existing registries of first detectors to keep them engaged and updated. Diagnosis: WPDN encourages diagnostician professional development and training. Representatives from each participating laboratory in the WPDN are expected to use Farm Bill or other funds secured by the NPDN, to attend professional development opportunity, when possible. Attendance to on-line training webinars is also encouraged. This year, WPDN has allocated funds for at least one representative from each WPDN member lab to attend the NPDN National Conference. The WPDN remains committed to supporting the continued development and application of STAR-D. The NPDN has coordinated Farm Bill funds to support travel for diagnosticians to attend STAR-D training opportunities. The WPDN Associate Director will continue to disseminate the STAR-D manual and auditing checklist, and will support WPDN state laboratories by sharing documentation and guidance. WPDN diagnosticians from NVDOA, NMSU, WSU will continue to serve as a trained auditors and will attend further training and/or gap/accreditation audits with available funds. ODA, and CDFA labs will continue to pursue STARD accreditation. WPDN associate director will participate in Star-D training, and will continue to serve with counterparts from other regional hubs (including the WPDN hub lab) as peer laboratories undergo limited gap/preliminary audits. Reporting: WPDN will continue to ensure that NPDN web resources and information flow to the data repository are sustained. PDIS, DDDI data/lab management systems, and other database management systems will continue to be supported. This year WPDN allocated additional funds to pay a higher rate for the DDDI licensing agreement with the University of Georgia. This increased allocation will bring DDDI payments closer to the original cost before the funding cuts. The goal of this increase is to ensure a return to the level of support and customization provided to the labs before the funding cuts. All states will continue to submit their data directly to the NPDN Repository in 2018-2019. WPDN will continue to collaborate with colleagues at the National Repository at CERIS to improve data entry and analysis in the National Repository. Pest alerts and regional news will continue to be disseminated via email to the regional lists. <br><br>
<br>What was accomplished under these goals? DETECTION WPDN members and UCDavis conducted 28 formal First Detector training sessions that were attended by over 2500 participants. 113 participants registered as First Detectors, making a total registration of 6489 First Detectors trained within the WPDN since the inception of the program. NMSU actively promoted the Plant Diagnostic Clinic through exposure at Farmer's Markets and through blog posts, also provided timely pest outbreak information through social media. Outreach and public awareness in NM expanded from just over 3,000 to over 100,000. NMSU conducted 8 outreach presentations about NPDN, the clinic, tree diseases, and diagnostics (change in knowledge). The U of AK, Fairbanks conducted 18 extension classes about forest health, IPM, and invasive insects and weeds in Alaska such as: Spruce Beetle, Gypsy Moth, Elodea, and Asian Defoliating Moths; presentations included training in insect trapping and sorting (change in action). The U of Guam conducted 9 extension presentations about forest insect pests, biological control, and identification and control of invasive species in Micronesia, such as the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (change in knowledge). The U of ID conducted 10 extension presentations about plant diseases such as fungal cranker, sugar beet powdery mildew, rhizoctonia, and bacterial ring rot, and about sampling using spore trapping for early detection, and molecular diagnostics (change in knowledge). The USU conducted 24 outreach presentations about pests such as Codling Moth, Balsam Woolly Adelgid, Emerald Ash Borer, Elm seed bug, Sequoia Pitch Moth, and powdery mildew; fungicide resistance, invasive species in Utah, IPM, pest identification for urban and small farms (change in knowledge). DIAGNOSIS American Samoa Com. College - Mark Schmaedick worked with Dr. Melzer (U of Hawaii) to assess Taro Virus presence in American Samoa and Samoa to help resolve a trade dispute (change in action); provided support to the community and local agencies in the identification and management of plant and house pests such as disease carrying mosquitoes; and worked with ASDA to conduct CAPS surveys for early detection of exotic pests and pathogens (ants, citrus greening, fruit flies). The ID SDA conducted diagnostics to differentiate between OYDV and Garlic Mosaic infections (change in knowledge). The U of ID reported 4 first detections: new plant-host interactions for Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium myriotylum, and a Cylindrocarpon like anamorph in the state (change in knowledge). NMSU added a quarter nematologist to the Plant Diagnostic Clinic, increasing the clinic's diagnostics capabilities in nematodes and processing 38% more samples than the previous year (change in action). MNSU identified 7 new pathogen-host combinations, broadening the known pathogen-host database which provides support to the NM SDA for phytosanitary certificates (change in knowledge); Jason French provided expertise to the American Association of Public Garden (SPN workshop) through delivery of education programs for small public gardens employees. This effort shows recognition for the expertise of the NMSU-PDC and provided an opportunity to promote this accredited laboratory outside the state of New Mexico (change in knowledge). The NMSU diagnosed two first detections: Stem and Bulb Nematode, Ditylenchus dipsaci, on Garlic in New Mexico, and Xylella fastidiosa in Carya illinoinenesis in Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Texas (change in knowledge) NV SDA diagnosed several important diseases from special new crops in Nevada, including powdery mildew, root rot, crown rot, and Fusarium wilt diseases (change in knowledge). NV SDA diagnosed 4 first detections: Phytophthora nicotiana on banana yucca; Phytoplasma trifolii on ox-eye sunflower plant (Heliopsis helianthoides); Golovinomyces ambrosiae and Pythium aphanidermatum on Cannabis sativa, first in Nevada. OSU diagnosed alfalfa mosaic virus in cilantro seed imported from another state. This disease is causing significant losses in many fields across Oregon. As a result of the diagnosis, the extension field faculty involved held a special meeting for cilantro growers regarding this disease and management options (change in action). OSU showed that a diagnosis of Rhodococcus in pistachio was a misinterpretation of fact, which resulted in the needless removal of entire pistachio orchards (https://elifesciences.org/articles/30925). These findings add clarity to a situation that has resulted in the destruction of approximately 2.5 million trees, and should prevent the destruction of additional trees (change in action). OSU aided other NPDN laboratories in the diagnosis of crown gall, caused by Agrobacterium spp. These bacteria causes growers losses of at least $58 million annually in nursery crops. Melodie Putnam leverage other funds, including $3 million SCRI grant, to work on the epidemiology and management of Agrobacterium and Rhodococcus diseases in nursery crops. Much of the nursery material received into the US arrives from off-shore, and this work is helping multinational companies to recognize, destroy, and work to prevent diseased material from being shipped to the US. (change in action). OSU is a resource laboratory for the grape industry in Oregon, which overall contributes $3 billion to Oregon's economy. OSU diagnosed 21 first detections: 12 new host-pest interactions, including 7 new hosts for Rhodococcus fascians, 5 new diseases for OR and 4 new diseases to the US. UAZ conducted molecular diagnostics to support HLB psyllid sentinel monitoring in CA and AZ; and conducted plant virus diagnostics in Nature Sweet greenhouses, vegetables, and cotton. U of Guam diagnosed a first detection of Doleschallia tongana (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) for Guam Island (change in knowledge) U of HI added New York to their potato certification program, and hosted a BioReba Diagnostic Workshop. UHI diagnosed 6 first detections: 3 new viruses for the state of HI, 1 for the Territory of American Samoa, and 2 new occurrences for the US (Taro bacillifrom China virus, and Tuberose mild mottle virus) (change in knowledge). HI SDA reported 5 first detections, involving new pest-hosts occurrences for powdery mildews and rusts. WSU conducted testing of soil for Metalaxyl fungicide resistance, which is increasing prevalent in region (change in knowledge). WSU diagnosed 1 first detection: Verticillium wilt on Goji Berry (change in knowledge) CDFA diagnosed 32 first detections - 14 new to different CA counties, 8 new hosts, 5 new occurrences in CA, 4 new occurrences in the US (Phytophtora parvispora, Erwinia aphidicola, Colletotrichum aracearum, and C. henanense), and identified one new species of Colletotrichum, yet undescribed (change in knowledge). The University of Guam diagnosed one first detection - Doleschallia tongana (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) for Guam Island (change in knowledge). USU diagnosed 4 first detections: Liriomyze sp. on onion, Curly top on amaranth, Redberry mite on blackberry, and Balsam Wooly Adelgid on fir, all new diseases for the state. REPORTING Laboratories associated with eighteen state institutions or agencies within our region submit data to the NPDN National Repository, although the recent severe budget cuts have hampered full participation of some of our reporting entities in this process. From April 1st 2017 to April 1st 2018, WPDN members uploaded 10,338 samples to the National repository: ASCC (12), UAZ (244), CDFA (5344), UHI (1), UID (52), NMSU (1288), OSU (2512); USU (160), WSU (725). The NMSU plant/weed diagnostics became fully integrated into the NMSU-PDC with 100% of samples processed uploaded to the NPDN repository. <br><br><b>Publications</b><br>
Target Audience
The WPDN target audience includes all laboratories at State Departments of Agriculture and Universities that conduct plant diagnostics in the Western Region of the National Plant Diagnostic Network, particularly the 13 laboratories that we have supported directly through subcontracts. These states are the ten western states (AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NM, NV, OR, UT, and WA) and U.S. island territories in the Pacific (American Samoa and Guam). Additionally, we will continue to reach out to the more than 7,000 NPDN First Detectors in our region, who are agricultural professionals in industry, government, and the university as well as members of the public. We also serve local, state and federal plant health protection agencies.
Changes / Problems
Nothing Reported
Training & Professional Development
NPDN members present information in more than 536 presentations and publications to 165,364 people. WPDN members conducted 120 First Detector training sessions that were attended by 150,482 participants, including 6 formal First Detector training sessions that were attended by 925 participants. Between April 1, 2016 and March 30, 2017, 203 participants registered as First Detectors. In addition, 73 people participated in first detector on-line training. WPDN registered 276 new First Detectors between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017, making a total registration of 5996 First Detectors within the WPDN since the inception of the program, making a total registration of 7,000 First Detectors within the WPDN since the inception of the program. Fifteen WPDN members attended NPDN and USDA-APHIS sponsored training sessions concerning molecular and morphological identification techniques of significant pathogens. One diagnostician attended the potato cyst nematode training and nine attended the bioinformatics training, two attended the Phytophthora training, and one person attended the plum pox training. Two attended the citrus greening HLB training. WPDN diagnosticians attended a total of 65 professional development conferences and workshops on topics including weed science, entomology, pathology, invasive species, malacology, primer design and on specific disorders including bacterial leaf streak of corn, Pythium, forest diseases, seedborne plant pathogens, and joint criminal investigations in epidemiology. These workshops, along with other training opportunities, have increased the diagnostic capabilities of our regional members. NPPLAP Certification:The California Department of Food and Agriculture has 8 diagnosticians who are USDA NPPLAP certified. Three of these individuals are NPPLAP certified for the HLB bacterium, Phytophthora ramorum and plum pox virus, one is certified for HLB only, one is certified for HLB and P. ramorum, two for PPV only and one for PPV and HLB. The Nevada Department of Agriculture has one NPPLAP certified diagnostician for HLB and P. ramorum. The Oregon Department of Agriculture has two diagnosticians NPPLAP certified for P. ramorum. The University of Hawaii has 4 diagnosticians NPPLAP certified for the HLB bacterium and the University of Arizona has 1 diagnostician NPPLAP certified for the HLB bacterium. STAR D: Nevada Department of Agriculture (2015) and NMSU (2016) are Star-D Phase accredited. Two diagnosticians attended Star-D quality management workshops. Most of the remaining WPDN labs received this workshop as well as attended at least one phase 2 practice audit in the previous year and are now preparing for an accreditation audit during the next several years.
Dissemination Streams
NPDN members present information in more than 536 presentations and publications to 165,364 people. WPDN members conducted 120 First Detector training sessions that were attended by 150,482 participants, including 6 formal First Detector training sessions that were attended by 925 participants. Between April 1, 2016 and March 30, 2017, 203 participants registered as First Detectors. In addition, 73 people participated in first detector on-line training. WPDN registered 276 new First Detectors between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017, making a total registration of 5996 First Detectors within the WPDN since the inception of the program, making a total registration of 7,000 First Detectors within the WPDN since the inception of the program. WPDN members also attended the 4th NPDN National Meeting in Washington, D.C., March 8-12. The meeting included symposia and workshops. The presentations are posted for anyone to see and hear online http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/npdn/presentations.html
Next Reporting Steps
The WPDN will continue to strengthen its relationships with participating institutions and provide resources for diagnostic infrastructure to fund equipment, training and personnel. The funds requested for 2017-18 will continue to support salaries and training for technical staff, materials, supplies, and communications programs to foster regional goals. Staff at the WPDN regional center facilitate activities within the region by developing and overseeing administration of the regional budget including solicitation of proposals; distribution of funds; diagnostics, communications, and data-base management training; and coordination of regional meetings either in person or via teleconference. They also serve an important role for communication with state and federal agencies and the western regional state partners. Additionally, we will reduce operating costs by merging two senior positions, Associate Director and Training and Education Coordinator into one position of Associate Director, as the incumbents will be retiring in 2018. We have transitioned to a new Regional Director Dr. Neil McRoberts as the outgoing Regional Director will be retiring., Salary savings will be passed on to the subcontractor budgets. <br><br>
<br>What was accomplished under these goals? The Western Plant Diagnostic Network is comprised of plant pest and pathogen detection specialists in the ten-state western region of the United States, including U.S. territories in the Pacific. States and territories are represented by plant pathologists, entomologists, and weed specialists at their respective land grant universities (LGU's) and/or state departments of agriculture (SDA). The WPDN also works closely with specialists in the allied disciplines of plant pathology, entomology and weed science associated with other state and federal agencies. As the region covered by WPDN is perhaps the most diverse in the nation with respect to climate and agricultural, nursery and forest production systems, a network structure was created that is comprised of three sub-regional expert/sentinel laboratories working together when necessary with the various triage laboratories at LGU's and state departments in the individual states and territories. The three expert laboratories - California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA, Sacramento, also serves as WPDN Regional Center lab), Oregon State University (Corvallis), and University of Hawaii/Hawaii Department of Agriculture (Honolulu) - are supported so that they have capabilities to handle most or all types of samples and can conduct collaborative diagnostics with other member laboratories. The WPDN regional center staff at UC Davis has developed working relationships with staff at each of the state agriculture department labs, and all the participating labs in the region are now equipped to perform plant diagnostics and to communicate findings. Laboratories associated with eighteen state institutions or agencies within our region submit data to the NPDN National Repository, although the recent severe budget cuts have hampered full participation of some of our reporting entities in this process. <br><br><b>Publications</b><br>