b"Sending samples to NDSU is a little trickier. Whenever you're sitting across the border you need to get proper permits to make sure that everything is accounted for and done properly, and is approved by the various governmental agencies, Gibson says. To send a sample to the NDSU lab, it must have a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) permit. It then must be inspected at the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service lab in New Jersey before being sent to NDSU for testing. When you're trying to send tissue samples in a timely manner, and it's got to be inspected on the Eastern Seaboard, it takes a lot of timeso it can compromise the samples, Gibson says. Adding that while the lab is physically located only a few hours away from him, the regulatory process adds days and even weeks onto the transportation timeline. The NDSU potato pathology lab, run by Julie Pasche, is a research not diagnostic lab, although theres another located on campus which is a plant diagnostics lab. Pasches lab, which Gaia works with for fungicide resistance soil testing, provides testing for local growers in special instances. Gaia Consulting arent the only Canadians Pasches lab works with, as theyve also done research work with Vikram Bisht in Manitoba and Eugenia Banks in Ontario. A cell culture test at Phyto Diagnostics Company in North Saanich, We do not typically receive routine diagnostic samples fromB.C.PHOTO: MEGHAN ELLIS, PHYTO DIAGNOSTICSgrowers, but can provide a second opinion or conduct testing that is more specific or specialized including the identification of mutations responsible for fungicide resistance, among other things, Pasche, aWhile diagnostic testing services may not be geographically NDSU associate professor and Neil C. Gudmestad endowed chairlocated close to everyone in the potato industry in Western Canada, of potato pathology, says in a phone interview. We are happy tothose using these services feel theyre adequate. The Alberta potato support our colleagues to the north when feasible. industry is one of the main groups using Phyto Diagnostics servicesboth seed and commercial growers.For us here in Alberta, it's very important to have access to the expertise. Peter being a private lab, he bends over backwards for the growers. He understands timelines, he understands the marketing demand. He works very closely with us with regards to our post-harvest testing programs and what we do in Hawaii we rely on him a great deal, Stacey Bajema, seed coordinator with Potato Growers of Alberta (PGA), explains in a phone interview.Alberta growers also use their provincial lab, the Alberta Plant Health Lab in Edmonton, Alta. which services the whole provincial agricultural industry. Bajema says provincially theyve been working to boost their testing capacity with the Alberta Plant Health Lab and the University of Lethbridge. The PGA has been doing a research project to update diagnostic protocols for every known potato disease and expanding their culture collection of pathogens. Despite Alberta having one of the largest potato industries in the country, running a potato only diagnostic lab in the province wouldnt be feasible. Many private Canadian diagnostic labs dont only service the potato industry but also other industries, such as Phyto Diagnostics which provides diagnostic tests for the fruit industry, such as berry growers.If we can support private business that wants to do more diagnostic testing, we will. But in the meantime, we've had tremendous support from the Alberta government and the growers have identified rapid diagnostics as a priority. Keeping our commercial and seed crops as clean as possible is always a priority, Bajema says.Despite local support for Canadian labs, some labs also receive business from the States. Phyto Diagnostics Services provides testing services to Washington State seed potato growers. During 12SPUDSMART.COMSummer 2023"