Services provided: Plant Disease Diagnosis Insect Identification Plant and Weed Identification Evaluation of Environmental Damage Chemical Injury Symptom Diagnosis Pest and Plant Health Recommendations Examples of Technology and Diagnostic Procedures used by the Clinic are: Culturing of Pathogens Plant Parasitic Nematode Identification Microscopic Evaluation Visual Identification Bacterial or Virus Identification dsRNA for VirusesELISA for Fungi, Bacteria and Viruses Fatty Acid Analysis for Bacteria The Clinic serves as a valuable resource for many different groups such as: OSU Extension Staff Crop Managers Private Consultants Greenhouse Operators Golf Course Superintendents Athletic Field Managers Homeowners Researchers Garden Centers Nursery Producers Arborists Landscapers Food Producers and Processors

History of the C. Wayne Ellett
Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic

The Clinic was named for Professor Emeritus in Plant Pathology,
C. Wayne Ellet

The C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic (CWEPPDC) is located at the The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. It is one of a few diagnostic facilities in the United States which integrates expertise from plant pathology, entomology, agronomy, horticulture and natural resources into a comprehensive program of plant disease and pest identification. Services available through the Clinic include plant disease diagnosis, insect and mite identification, plant and weed identification, and nematode extractions.

A part-time Plant Disease Clinic was established in 1963 by Extension Plant Pathologists Robert Partyka and Blair Jansen in the Botany and Zoology Building on Ohio State's main campus. The clinic operated as a part-time clinic until 1970 when the Department of Plant Pathology was established. C. Wayne Ellett, with a 25% Extension appointment at the time, was appointed as the full-time director and supervisor of the Clinic, which resulted in the Clinic becoming recognized as part of Extension Plant Pathology.

During the growing seasons between 1970 and 1980, the number of samples submitted to the clinic were as many as 60 per day and 900 a month. Over the 10-year period, annual sample volume ranged from 2,200 in 1970 to 4,540 in 1973. Several of these earlier samples resulted in published papers in the The Plant Disease Reporter or Plant Disease. In some instances, many of the diseases reported in Ohio for the first time alerted research faculty to problems requiring further investigation. During this time, insect samples were referred to Extension Entomologists, and other samples were referred to the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture.

Coinciding with the move of the Department of Plant Pathology to a new location and the retirement of C. Wayne Ellett in 1981, the Clinic was moved to a building on Ohio State's agricultural campus (later named Kottman Hall). Richard M. Riedel became the new clinic supervisor. Under his leadership the clinic continued to provide farmers and homeowners with timely diagnosis and understanding of plant disease problems.

In 1985, the multidisciplinary Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic (PPDC) was established. Stephen T. Nameth was appointed as the new director with the primary goal of establishing a single centralized facility offering the diagnostic expertice of five disciplines in the College of Agriculture: agronomy, entomology, horticulture, plant pathology, and natural resources. This allowed for cross-disciplinary examination of plant problems, not easily diagnosed by individual specialists. At that time, the Clinic was diagnosing over 4,000 samples annually. In 1988 a decision was made to charge a nominal fee per sample to allow the Clinic to support itself while continuing to provide the public with a professional, yet inexpensive way to help with plant diseases and disorders. This resulted in a slight decline in the number of samples over subsequent years.

By 1990, under the direction of Stephen Nameth, more accurate biotechnical diagnosis of plant health problems was incorporated into the traditional methods of diagnosis. These new methods of biotechnology include the dsRNA analysis technique for virus identification, immunoassays (ELISA), and fatty acid analysis. Under Nameth's direction, the PPDC became one of the best labs in the United States. Upon Nameth's resignation as director of the PPDC in 1993, Nancy J. Taylor was appointed as acting coordinator, and Clinic coordinator in 1994.

In early 1996, the Clinic was renamed the C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic in honor of Ellett's many contributions to the Clinic and the University. The Clinic's reputation is one of the best labs in the United States. A microscopic digital imaging system was implemented with support from Ohio State University Extension. Funding was obtained via OSUE and OARDC to install a sink which could handle soil samples to perform Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) screening. The SCN program was initiated in 1998, concluded in 2000, and resulted in over 7,000 soil samples. The Clinic established several partnerships with industry organizations, allowing members of the organizations to access diagnostic assistance free or at reduced costs. Clinic diagnosticians increased their activity with various commodity teams such as the Extension Nursery, Landscape and Turf Team, the Floriculture Industry Roundtable of Ohio, and the Vegetable Team.