03/06/08 Weed Diagnostic Lab still up and running

The Weed Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Idaho will continue to operate to help private citizens and public employees combat invasive species. Uncertainty about the lab's services arose early in the year when its traditional funding lapsed. The change worried those who rely on its expertise to identify plants. JOHNSON "It is obviously an important endeavor. It is our first line of defense against the spread of noxious weeds and even more importantly against new invaders." Ding Johnson, the Plant, Soil and Entomological Department head says the search for outside funding is underway. Johnson says more Idahoans are becoming aware of the noxious weed problems facing the state. JOHNSON "But it is not yet universal. We have made progress but we have not achieved our ultimate goal." The weed lab received about 580 requests last year to identify plants found throughout the state. The laboratory has identified more than seven thousand weed specimens since the department formally established the herbarium and identification service in 1984. The herbarium contains more than two thousand plant and 14 hundred seed specimens in various growth stages including 456 non-native plant specimens that encompass Idaho's noxious weeds. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott