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Digital
distance diagnostics, or DDD for short, is a new technology that
will fit somewhere between a local staff identification and sending
specimens to the plant clinic located on campus.
DDD refers more to the method than the equipment for
analyzing samples.
Patterned
after a University of Georgia program, Illinois has now equipped
local offices, including Logan County, with a dissecting microscope,
a digital camera and an interface that allows us to take digital
pictures through the microscope.
The interface will also allow for classroom teaching using
projection equipment or television to show groups what is under the
’scope.
People
interested in using the DDD program need to fill out information
sheets that would then be uploaded to a Web site at the University
of Illinois with up to five digital pictures.
This information is then relayed to an Extension educator or
university specialist who will attempt to “problem solve,” using
the information provided and the digital pictures.
An e-mail response is then delivered to the County Extension
Office.
Illinois
had 10 sites as pilot locations last year during the summer months.
Generally the response times averaged 48 hours for samples
that had sufficient information and good quality photos. About 20 percent of the samples lacked the proper information
or the photos didn’t show necessary items for a diagnosis, but
almost all were diagnosed with additional submissions.
Samples
may be submitted by both homeowners and commercial growers.
There is no cost for access to the service, but it will be
used at the discretion of local staff to avoid clogging the system
with problems that can be diagnosed at the local office.
Some examples of submissions would include weed
identification, insect identification, turf grass disease
identification, herbicide injury to crops and about anything else
that can be thought of.
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According
to staff that used the system in the pilot project last year, one of
the biggest challenges was “getting insects to stay still” long
enough to get good photos to transmit.
As a good pilot does, this one provided some answers, such as
“chilling the insects in the freezer first, or a piece of
well-placed Scotch tape” to make the photo shoot possible.
One
of the interesting aspects that this type of program offers is
“the virtual county agent” (or farm adviser, for some who go
back a few years). One
example would be a homeowner taking his own digital pictures and
e-mailing them with a good description to the local Extension
Office. The office can
then send them on and e-mail a response back to the grower within a
reasonable period of time. The
keys to this type of submission would be good-quality photos and
good information. Due
to the transmit time, it is recommended to use the small pixel
setting on cameras with an option.
Those
interested in more information or in trying a DDD entry may e-mail
me at fultonj@mail.aces.uiuc.edu.
If you would prefer the old-fashioned way, call 732-8289 and
ask for John. Either
way, the goal is still to try and help area residents put knowledge
to work.
[John
Fulton]
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