What is Distance Diagnostics?
Distance Diagnostics is a method of identifying and diagnosing
diseases or pests through digital imaging. Digital
pictures from the field and under the microscope are
taken of the subject (plant, insect, and weed) and are then
submitted through the Internet to specialists for identification
and diagnosis.
What is the purpose of the Distance Diagnostics project?
Distance Diagnostics provides rapid identification and
diagnosis for many plant disease, insect, and weed
samples. Diagnosis can be reduced from 2 to 4 days to
1 to 2 days or less by eliminating time spent in transit. A
quick diagnosis can reduce crop loss of crops due to
disease, insects, or weeds and also reduce treatment costs.
Distance Diagnostics also provides an educational tool
in teaching county agents and other field staff in the
plant sciences, including agronomy, horticulture and
plant pathology, and entomology. County Extension agents
will become more familiar with plant disease recognition
through more direct interaction with the diagnostic
process.
Distance Diagnostics reduces the need for specialists
to travel to remote locations to identify and diagnose
problems; thus, reducing travel costs and loss of productivity
while specialists are traveling.
Distance diagnostics may allow for quicker and more accurate
diagnosis. Samples examined are fresher than
those that have spent two days in transit.
How does Distance Diagnostics work?
County or field offices are equipped with digital imaging
equipment and software. County agents and/or
specialists will obtain digital images of the subjects
with digital cameras and specialized microscopes equipped
with video capturing features. These images are submitted
through the World Wide Web to a database. The
database will create web pages including information
about the subject as well as the images. The database will
also forward an email message to the appropriate specialist(s)
informing them of the disease or pest for
identification and diagnosis. The specialists may be
able to diagnose the problem within a couple of days or
possibly minutes, depending upon availability of the
specialists and the problem being diagnosed.
The Distance Diagnostics Project in Alabama will utilize
the University of Georgia’s database for creating web
pages depicting problem descriptions and images, and
routing disease and pests problem data to the specific
specialist(s). In the first year of the year implementation
period, seven field offices will be equipped with
stand-a-lone digital cameras, digital video cameras made
specifically for mounting on microscopes, computer
systems, and color printers.
Agents in surrounding county offices will be trained to
use the equipment and will also be able to submit images.
What Distance Diagnostics will not do.
Distance Diagnostics will not reduce costs for field staff and county agents.
Distance Diagnostics will not fully replace lab diagnostics.
Distance Diagnostics will not be used with certain problems
that require lab tests, such as cultures or serology
testing.
Distance Diagnostics Through Digital Imaging
For more information on Distance Diagnostics in Alabama, email Anne Adrian.