MU Plant Diagnostic Clinic earns national accreditation

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic has earned national accreditation from the National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN).

The four-year accreditation, which began March 1, 2026, recognizes the clinic’s continued commitment to high-quality diagnostic services, said Peng Tian, lab director and an MU assistant extension professor.

Tian and his team developed and implemented a lab management system that meets requirements of NPDN’s core accreditation program. With this achievement, MU’s clinic becomes part of an elite group of Core Accredited Labs at land-grant universities, Tian said.

“Becoming the 11th lab in the nation to achieve this prestigious accreditation is a major milestone,” Tian said. “It validates our commitment to providing elite plant diagnostic services for MU Extension and strengthens our role in the NPDN mission to protect the health and security of U.S. agricultural and natural ecosystems.”

NPDN is a consortium of plant diagnostic laboratories supporting plant health and biosecurity in U.S. agricultural and natural ecosystems by providing expert diagnostic capacity, communication, coordination and quality pest and disease diagnostic information. Its national data repository holds the most comprehensive diagnostic information in the United States. In 2024, NPDN laboratories reported 193 detections of organisms found for the first time in a state.

Since 1965, the MU Plant Diagnostic Clinic has assisted county extension specialists, commercial businesses, private farmers and growers, and homeowners with plant health issues. The clinic began accepting digital submissions in 2025 and is open year-round for drop-off submissions at Mumford Hall on the MU campus in Columbia.

In 2025, the clinic processed 522 physical samples and 259 digital samples, Tian said. Field crops remain the dominant category for diagnostic services, followed by woody ornamental plants, small fruits and vegetables. Because of the center’s work, Missourians can identify and respond to plant diseases quickly and accurately so they can be assured that their crops are safe, he said.