Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab-
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Category Archives: PLANT HOST
In our email box – galls on live oak
Recently, I received an email via our PlantClinic email with a couple of photo wondering if the pea-sized “balls” on their Texas live oaks might be “fatal” to the trees. This is one of the few times that I get to give a happy reply. Those galls on the oak leaves are caused by insects… gall-making insects. This is quite typical on oaks in Texas. Rarely, do these galls ever kill an established tree. I say rarely, because I remember a situation about 8 years ago when we… 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 →
Diplodia blight (Training at the Plant Clinic part2)
Blog article #2 by Marissa McCarthy (for partial fulfillment of BESC 484 requirement) Diplodia is most often parasitic fungus, can be found to be saprophytic, that is extremely host specific on pine hosts or other conifer species. This Diplodia was found on a Juniper from a private residence that was submitted to the lab. Chief complaint was new growth and tip yellowing and necrosis. Diplodia is found across the vast majority of the United States including Hawaii and California, and affects most species of pine or conifer…. Read More →
Training at the Plant Clinic
One of the functions that the Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab is to be a training ground for our students at Texas A&M University. We have had a somewhat open-door policy for student from the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology and the associated undergraduate BioEnvironmental Science (BESC) program. In addition to that, we have hosted an international Borlaug Fellow who came for short term training in plant pathology & diagnostics. This summer, a undergraduate student worker is parlaying her work at the Plant Clinic into an internship to… Read More →
