MSU Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab

FREE #nematode testing for Mississippi #soybean producers! Details are available online extension.msstate.edu/lawn-and-garde… Free testing expires March 31, 2026 #MSUext @MSUExtService #mscrops

Botryosphaeria cane canker is a devasting disease on thornless #blackberry, reducing fruit yields and killing canes. The orange to reddish-brown canker contains black, pimple-like fruiting structures of the fungus. Thorny blackberries are not seriously affected. #MSUext

Dewberries are ready, Mississippi! A great opportunity to get some fresh air, exercise, and a tasty snack! Worth every chigger bite!! #MSUext

🎥 What kind of algae do you have in your pond and what should you do about it? Dr. Wes Neal, MSU Extension fisheries specialist, shares how to identify and treat this aquatic weed. #MSUext

A few Sunday ‘shrooms celebrating the break in our drought.

🎥 One of the first signs of spring for a plant pathologist is cedar apple rust! Clarissa Balbalian explains how the orange tentacles you see in a juniper tree can infect other fruit trees. #MSUext

Go ahead and screenshot this! Here's a cheat sheet graphic of insects that could impact your vegetable garden. Read the Insects of the Home Vegetable Garden Extension publication here: extension.msstate.edu/publications/i… #MSUext

@BugStewart @baldpathologist Good to know, thanks for sharing.

@MSUextPlantLab @baldpathologist Really noticeable is west TN

Brown spot needle blight is hitting loblolly pine this spring in MS. The disease starts in the lower canopy and works its way up. Last year’s needles develop brown spots then turn brown and are cast from the tree, leaving tufts of new needles on the branch tips. #MSUext

Our native blue flag irises (Iris virginica) have peaked for the spring and are fading out. Learn more about this beautiful wetland plant at extension.msstate.edu/publications/i… #MSUext

Peggy Martin roses are showing off in Mississippi right now, as is Cercospora leaf spot. For more information on growing roses and combating insect and disease problems, check out extension.msstate.edu/publications/r… #MSUext

🎥Clarissa broke out of the @MSUextPlantLab and got some fresh air to explain all about oak leaf blister!🍃#MSUext

Mounding mulch directly against trunk of a young tree is harmful as it traps moisture causing bark decay, disease & oxygen deprivation of roots. Best to apply 2–4 inches of mulch in a donut shape appx. 1–3 inches away from trunk to allow for air circulation & root flare exposure

Heads up Mississippi! Large patch is here! The fungus is active in spring and fall. It attacks the crown of the plant, separating it from the root system. Learn more about the disease and how to manage it in Extension publication P3743 extension.msstate.edu/publications/t…

🎥Our plant diagnostic lab has been getting in a lot of vegetable seedling samples! Clarissa explains what she’s finding. #MSUext @MSUextPlantLab

Aaron Tucker and Wendell Hutchens outline the biology of Spring Dead Spot (SDS), key infection periods, and the latest cultural and chemical strategies for effective management in @MSTurfAssoc magazine > theturfzone.com/mta/?ascat=73&…

🎥Don’t mow down the daffodil leaves... At least not yet! Leave the leaves alone for at least SIX WEEKS after blooming. Next year’s flowers are being formed during this ratty looking stage. Thanks to MSU Extension agent Beau Varner for the reminder! #MSUext

🎥Our MSU Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab is ready and able to help diagnose what’s going on in your landscape. Lab Manager Clarissa Balbalian shares about a recent submission—a boxwood shrub in desperate need! @MSUextPlantLab #MSUext

Good news! 📣 #mscrops FREE #nematode testing has been extended another year for Mississippi #soybean producers! Details are available online extension.msstate.edu/lawn-and-garde… Free testing expires March 31, 2027 #MSUext @MSUExtService @changliunema @baldpathologist

My lab is recruiting a PhD student in Nematology. This fully funded position is focused on integrated management of plant-parasitic nematodes. Please help spread the words!📢📢📢

We’re excited to announce registration is OPEN for the 2025 Virtual Nematology Conference on November 13th & 14th! The conference is being organized by the Young Nematologists Network from Europe and the Student & Postdoc committee from our very own SON! 🪱