Despite the cold and nasty conditions, the majority of the Extension plant pathologists and program specialists made it to Kingsville for the 2011 Extension Plant Pathology Retreat.  Current and pressing issues that will impact this unit of the Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology were discussed, and in case you missed what has been going on, Texas is going through (like many other states) some budgetary issues.  As a result, there is fear that state funding for the Extension program (and others too) will be affected adversely.  This situation has prompted many people in Extension to reconsider how we go about running our programs for the benefit of our state’s population.  One that would impact the Plant Clinic is the partial cost recovery effort.  Briefly, an additional portion of the fees collected for the diagnostic services will be recovered for AgriLife Extension.  What does this mean to TPDDL clientele?  At this point, I will be considering an increase in fees for the services that are rendered by the TPDDL. We will post additional news when a decision is made on the increased fee structure.