Distance Diagnostics through Digital Imaging changes name to Plant and Pest Diagnostic eNetwork (PPDEN)

On the evening of December 3rd University of Georgia is scheduled to install several minor system upgrades and switch the name DDDI to PPDEN. The WSU PPDEN program homepage has already been switched over. (http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/ppden/index.html)

Please update your bookmarks...

Aquatic Plant Specialist Joins WSU Plant and Pest Diagnostic eNetwork

Several PPDEN members have expressed the need for assistance with aquatic plant id in the past so I wanted to get the word out that Jenifer Parsons from the Washington Department of Ecology has joined the network and now receives all samples marked as “Aquatic Plants and Weeds” on the PPDEN electronic submission form. Below this message is the current list of all PPDEN evaluators who are currently assigned a commodity. Email any commodity assignment /reassignment requests as well as evaluator recruitment suggestions to normdart@wsu.edu.

_________________________________________________________________

WSU Plant and Pest Diagnostic eNetwork Evaluators (11/30/07)

Insect Identification
Todd Murray/WSU King County/Ornamentals, Home & garden (western Washington), Other
Mike Bush/WSU Yakima/ Tree fruits, Fruit and nut trees
Gwen Hoheisel/WSU Prosser/ Small fruits & grapes
Dave Bragg/Pomeroy/ Field crops, Vegetables, Home & garden (eastern Washington)
Jenny Glass/WSU Puyallup/Christmas trees
Eric LaGasa/WSDA Olympia/ Not formally assigned any commodities but frequently consulted

Plant/Weed Samples
Phil Petersen/WSU Pasco/ Weed or plant identification (eastern Washington)
Tim Miller/WSU Mount Vernon/ Weed or plant identification (western Washington)
Jenifer Parsons/WSDOE Yakima/ Aquatic weed or plant identification
Jenny Glass/WSU Puyallup/Other

Commercial Plant Disease Identification Discipline Management
Jenny Glass/WSU Puyallup/ Field crops, Herbaceous ornamentals, Fruit or nut trees, Small fruits, Vegetables, Woody ornamentals, Other

Ornamental Landscapes and Home Gardens Plant Problem Discipline Management
Jenny Glass/WSU Puyallup/ Herbaceous ornamentals, Fruit or nut trees, Small fruits, Vegetables, Woody ornamentals, Other

Lawn and Turfgrass Problem Discipline Management
Jenny Glass/WSU Puyallup/All

viewing picture thumbnails while submitting photos via DDDI

QUESTION "Hi Norm,Thank you for answering our question, they were very helpful. I forgot to ask you one more....as we enter a sample and attach a picture, we are unable to preview our picture. We thought it might be our computer settings but several of us have tried on various computers and are unable to view the photo. Thank you for your help,"

ANSWER: Hi Kris, the secret is to choose “thumbnails” in the choose file window as you browse for the picture. See the attached "screen shot" picture for guidance and let me know if this works on your computers…

Norm

Viewing host names and submitting samples into database

Hello Norm, Who knew diagnostics could be this much fun.?We are really having a fun time with DDDI—and the turnaround time for responses to samples that we can’t diagnose is really amazing! We have a few questions for you.....

The first question is when we log into our account and click on ‘samples submitted by San Juan County’ it lists samples by a sample number. Is there are way we can change this to include a sample number as well as the name if the plant such as "956 Beet plant problem diagnosis."

Our second question is how do we correctly upload samples into the system that WE have diagnosed. We submitted a sample and chose the option ‘NO’ (do not send to be evaluated) and that particular sample is listed separately waiting for review. Thanks for your help,Kris

ANSWERS:
Question 1- veiwing host names of recently submitted samples
Unfortunately there is no way to accomplish this right now, you are limited to either doing a free text search and putting the host in you want or building your own report to summarize the information. This is something we defiantly need to fix and will be something I request this year that the programmers in Georgia fix. Maybe it is something they can do for in the short term I’ll check. Preferably we just change how the samples are displayed and show the sample number, date submitted, date collected, type of problem, host, and diagnosis (if available). Then one could have the data sorted by sample number, collection date, host, and diagnosis (this space will say undiagnosed until it has been diagnosed). If you will attend the statewide conference call on Thursday please bring these issues up.

Question 2: Submitting samples into statwide database
You need to check “yes” to the question “has the sample been evaluated” this question is towards the bottom of the main sample for- by checking this you will be sent to directly to the evaluation console when you press submit. Make sure to choose digital if you plan to upload a picture and just physical if you don’t want to upload a picture when using this feature.

Taking Clearer Photos

I have noticed some of your pictures are a bit out of focus. I recommend two things when using the SONY Cybershot to take non-microscopic photos to aid with distance diagnostics:

1)Make sure the shaky hand stabilizer is pressed (directly to left of power button)

2)Make sure “macro” is enabled (Press “flower” icon button to right of view finder)


Keep up the good work!

Guide for submitting DDDI samples for arthropod identification

Click on the link above to find a nice tutorial on how to choose and take appropriate images for submitting DDDI samples for arthropod identification.

Viewing insects after enlarging images in DDDI

When I attempted to enlarge an insect shown on the Submitted Samples, the size of the view exceded the view screen. Since there was no right side bar, it was not possible to scroll down to see the insect body. Can you provide assistance so that viewers in our office can see all parts of the enlarged view.