THE SOUTHERN PLANT DIAGNOSTIC NETWORK

The Southern Plant Diagnostic Network (SPDN) is one of five regional networks primarily comprised of land-grant institution plant diagnostic laboratories and associated personnel, plus one national private plant diagnostic laboratory that focuses on ornamentals. The objective of this network is to safeguard US agriculture and natural systems by enhancing the early detection, accurate diagnosis, and efficient reporting of new, emerging, important, and high-risk plant problems. This network accomplishes this objective through enhancement of laboratory capabilities, capacities, and personnel, as well as through the training of First Detectors in monitoring and secure sample submission. The Southern Plant Diagnostic Network comprises a partnership between USDA-NIFA and 14 land-grant institutions in the following states and U.S. territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All five regional networks function as a hub-and-spoke system, whereby one institution takes the lead and serves as the expert and backup laboratory and financial and organizational hub for the entire region. The SPDN hub is at the University of Florida. The other four regions have their hubs at the following institutions: Northeast Plant Diagnostic Network, Cornell University; Great Plains Diagnostic Network, Kansas State University; North Central Plant Diagnostic Network, Michigan State University; and Western Plant Diagnostic Network, University of California, Davis.The charge of the SPDN is the diagnosis of and assistance with detection of select agents, high-risk pathogens and pests, and routine clinical samples in the region. In addition, the SPDN requires that all member labs submit diagnostic data to the NPDN national repository at CERIS/Purdue. Additionally, the SPDN continues to support regional communication and limited training of First Detectors, a program heavily leveraged with other federal and non-federal funding. And recently, the regional center is heavily involved in development and adoption of the STARD laboratory accreditation system, providing personnel time as well as funding for this effort. The SPDN partners with other disease detection and identification agencies such as APHIS, the IPM Centers, the National Plant Board, the Sentinel Plant Network (APGA), and others. These objectives support the national goals for the NPDN in diagnostics capability and capacity to increase early detection of high-impact plant problems.