Sick Plant Resources

Thanks to the Internet and the World Wide Web, we have many resources for identifying plant diseases available at the click of a button. Following are some of my favorites.

American Phytopathological Society

The APS is a nonprofit professional, scientific organization dedicated to the study and control of plant diseases. Search their online database for symptoms such as “leaf spot” or “leaf spot on roses.” Their online store offers many scientific books related to plant diseases. Visit: www.apsnet.org

Integrated Pest Management

The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources provides the statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, hosted by U.C. Davis. IPM is a process for solving pest problems, while minimizing risks to people and the environment, in urban, agricultural, and wild land or natural areas. Find out about all kinds of pests and how to combat them (or co-exist with them). Visit: www.ipm.ucdavis.edu

Forest and Shade Tree Pathology

This site is described as an online textbook for those learning forest and shade tree pathology, and is hosted by the University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Even though it is “East Coast”, it is a great resource for “West Coast” and San Francisco Bay Area plant diseases. Visit: www.forestpathology.org

Tom Volk’s Fungus of the Month

This site is a treasure from Tom Volk, hosted by the Department of Biology at University of Wisconsin at La Crosse. The last post is August 2010, but the site is full of great pictures and information about fungi. The presentation is old school HTML, but the photos are useful, and the information is engaging. Visit: http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/

Online Glossary at Cornell University

This site provides a glossary of technical terms in plant pathology and is hosted by Cornell University. Search alphabetically to access the definition, pronunciation, and a drawing or photograph. For example, navigate to the C section to look up “canker” and see a picture and hear it pronounced. Visit: www.plantpath.cornell.edu/glossary/