Sick crops: P.E.I. plant disease lab now accepting samples to test

Do you have sick crops?

The Prince Edward Island Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory is now accepting sample for this year's season so you can find out.

The free service is designed to help gardeners, farmers and greenhouse operators identify potential plant diseases and manage or prevent them.

Alan McIsaac, minister of agriculture and fisheries, said identifying diseases takes away the guesswork and confirms the disease early on.

"Our goal is to help the agriculture industry and recreational farmers combat plant diseases that could be potentially impactful to our crops," he said in a newsrelease.

Results in report

Crops that can be tested include potatoes, fruit crops, and Cole crops including broccoli, cabbage, and kale. Cereals, such as wheat, corn, barley, and rice, can also be tested.

After a sample is tested, clients will receive a personalized report with the results, information about the potential disease, and contact information for plant specialists in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Samples can be submitted to the laboratory in Charlottetown or to Access PEI locations outside the area. The service is available until November.

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