About NPDN
The National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) is a nationally distributed system of plant diagnostic laboratories at land grant universities, plant industries, and state departments of agriculture (Fig. 1) (Cardwell and Hoffman, 2008; Stack, 2010; Stack and Baldwin, 2008). Over 100 NPDN laboratories within five regional networks execute diagnostics locally and upload diagnostic data records into the NPDN National Data Repository at Purdue University. NPDN facilitates early detection of plant pests and disease through operational laboratory services that reach almost every county in the U.S. Additionally, NPDN provides laboratory triage and surge support to regulatory and extension programs during plant disease outbreaks and arthropod pest infestations. NPDN has an established partnership with plant industries, extension and among federal, state, and local plant protection agencies (Stack et al., 2014).
Map of NPDN Regions
The NPDN is comprised of five regional networks and a national data repository. Each regional network has a regional center to provide administrative management, program coordination, and diagnostic support. NPDN Regional Centers are located at Cornell University (Northeast Plant Diagnostic Network), Kansas State University (Great Plains Diagnostic Network), Michigan State University (North Central Plant Diagnostic Network), Purdue University (NPDN Data Repository), the University of California/Davis (Western Plant Diagnostic Network), and the University of Florida (Southern Plant Diagnostic Network). Location and contact information for individual state diagnostic laboratories can be found on the Regional Center websites. This figure and legend were previously published in Plant Disease in a Feature Article (Stack et al. 2014).
