Lexington, Kentucky, USA
March 31, 2020

We, the members of the University of Kentucky Extension Plant Pathology Team, appreciate the high regard Kentuckians have for our plant diagnostic services.  Year-round, we work hard to support our fellow citizens in their diverse plant production systems.

The COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020 has created extremely challenging circumstances for all Americans.  With consideration of both our responsibilities as plant doctors for the Commonwealth and our responsibilities to safeguard our own health and that of others, we have prepared guidelines for managing our responsibilities during this pandemic.

For your information, the Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratories (PDDL) at both Princeton and Lexington had been closed (for reasons unrelated to COVID-19) but reopened on  March 30, 2020.  We anticipate that the PDDL labs will operate as follows, until future notice:

• Only commercial samples delivered via postal mail or courier service, and originating from County Extension Offices, will be evaluated. (Exceptions will be made for hemp samples when there is agent involvement; guidelines can be found here and through your local Extension office.)
• Walk-in (drop-off) samples will NOT be received by either the PDDL in Lexington or the PDDL in Princeton.
• It is critically important that County Extension Agents/County Extension Offices receive the samples so they can then be mailed to the PDDL.
• Samples directly from the public will not be evaluated.
• No out-of-state samples will be received during this time.
• Of course, our circumstances are highly fluid, so the scenario under which we operate, and our operation guidelines, may change with little notice.

We appreciate your understanding in these most difficult times.

Carl Bradley, Extension Plant Pathologist;
Nicole Gauthier, Extension Plant Pathologist;  
Brenda Kennedy, Plant Diagnostician;
Sara Long, Plant Disease Diagnostic Assistant;
Emily Pfeufer, Extension Plant Pathologist;
Paul Vincelli, Extension Plant Pathologist;
iersten Wise, Extension Plant Pathologist

Website: http://www.uky.edu

Published: April 1, 2020