Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab-
WHAT Wednesday Videos
Category Archives: GENERAL
New school year and more meeting still to come
Today is the start of the new school (2013/2014) year here. Texas A&M University students are back – new students are looking for their way around campus. The past few weeks has been extremely busy for all at the Plant Clinic with meetings to attend, samples to process and plant disease surveys to complete. I may tell you more about our summer activities in the future. You can always check out Clinic calendar to see what folks at the Plant Clinic are up to. Earlier this month, I… Read More →
In our email box – live oak leaf drop….NOT
About a week ago, I got an email in our PlantClinic box about live oak. The gentleman had read my blog post on the annual texas live oak leaf drop (March 2011). He had a very interesting question based on his observation of this tree. Below is the email he sent: After many years of watching my live oak trees lose their leaves every April – this year, one of them did not lose its leaves. Is this something to be concerned about? Was it last years drought… Read More →
Algal leaf spots on Magnolia (Training at the Plant Clinic part 4)
Blog article #4 by Marissa McCarthy (for partial fulfillment of BESC 484 requirement) Algal leaf spot is caused by the subcuticular leaf parasite from the genus Cephaleuros. This specific algal leaf spot is C. virescens and was sent into the lab on a magnolia from a private residence. Cephaleuros thrives in environments that are warm with high humidity, or poorly aerated soils. Characteristically this algae is harmless, causing only minor leaf spots on the upper surface of leafs that are raised, textured, orange to brown in color, with… Read More →
Tar spots on oaks (Training at the Plant Clinic part3)
Blog article #3 by Marissa McCarthy (for partial fulfillment of BESC 484 requirement) Trabutia quercina is an ascomycete fungus that specifically targets species of oak trees, creating a disease commonly known as Tar spot on the leaves. The Tar spot was found on a live oak sample that was sent into the lab from a private residence. This fungus is characterized by the formation of black, blotchy lesions on the upper side of oak leaves, especially along the veins of the leaves. The lesions gradually expand and… Read More →
Today in history – 150 years ago.
What does Abraham Lincoln and 30,000 acres have to do about this day in history? July 2, 1862: 150 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant College Act into law. It was this act that donated 30,000 acres of public land to “several States and Territories which may provide Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts”. It was this act that provided for the establishment of colleges such as Texas A&M College (now Texas A&M University). Now you know what the A… Read More →
