UACES Facebook Diagnostic Services: Diagnostic and testing services for Arkansas agriculture
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Diagnostic and testing services in Arkansas

Strawberry disease sampling
Arkansas offers many diagnostic and testing services which provide helpful information to aid farmers with decision-making in their daily operations.

Arkansas offers many testing and diagnostic services to its residents and farmers, some free of charge. 

Soil sample testing 

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's Fayetteville campus is home to the Water Quality Laboratory, which processes samples from irrigation sources and reservoirs, the Plant Health Clinic, which provides diagnosis of plant diseases, and the Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory, which provides diagnosis of nutrient toxicity or deficiency in plants and soil.

We also provide water quality testing for aquaculture at the Lonoke Agricultural Center, nematode testing at the Arkansas Nematode Diagnostic Laboratory at the Southwest Research and Extension Center in Hope,  and has several locations throughout the state for diagnosing diseases in fish.  

The Arkansas Department of Health offers testing for harmful bacteria which can be found in drinking water or irrigation water to be used in horticultural crops and rabies testing for animals suspected of being infected with the rabies virus.  

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is home to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which is used primarily by veterinarians and producers to obtain cause of death in animals.  

Below, you will find contact information for each of these services provided in our state.  Additional services may be available. Contact your local county extension agent for more information.  

Person fills a water bottle for sample

Water Quality Laboratory-Fayetteville

Phone: (479) 502-9843
Email: awrcwql@uark.edu
Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences
1371 W Altheimer Drive Room 133
Fayetteville, AR 72704

 

 laboratory worker uses microscope to check water sample for bacteria

 

Arkansas Public Health Laboratory - Little Rock

Arkansas Department of Health
Contact: (501) 661-2220
201 S. Monroe Street
Little Rock, AR 72205 

 

two baitfish golden shiners

Arkansas Department of Agriculture Aquaculture Laboratory 

Contact: Dr. Nilima N. Renukda (501) 823-1730
nilima.renukdas@agriculture.arkansas.gov

1 Natural Resources Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205 

 

two soil sample boxes sent to the testing lab

Soil Testing Laboratory - Marianna

Contact Cindy Herron and Ashley Morris
(870) 295-2851
008 Lee 214
Marianna, AR  72360

 

 

rice seedlings with zinc deficiency

Fayetteville Agricultural Diagnostic Laboratory

Contact Cheri G. Villines: (479) 575-3908
1366 West Altheimer Drive
Fayetteville, AR 72701

 

leaves of soybean plant suffering from stem canker disease

Plant Health Clinic - Fayetteville

Contact Taylor Klass: (479) 502-9713
2601 N. Young Ave.
Fayetteville, AR  72704

 

dead grass patches in a golf course damaged from nematodes

Arkansas Nematode Diagnostic Laboratory - Hope

Contact Cathy Howard:
(870) 899-4199
ANDL-SWREC
362 Highway 174 N. Hope, AR  71801

 

Young cattle grazing in a pasture

Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory - Little Rock

Arkansas Department of Agriculture
Contact: (501) 823-1730

1 Natural Resources Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205

Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory - Fayetteville 

Contact: James T. Barton
(479) 575-5044
2200 W Deane St.
Fayetteville, AR 72703

 

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Public Health Laboratory - Little Rock

Arkansas Department of Health
Contact: (501) 661-2840

201 South Monroe
Little Rock, AR 72205 

 

 

Publications

  • MP154 Arkansas Plant Disease Control Products Guide

    The MP154 is an annual publication that contains the latest in product options for plant diseases and nematodes.

  • Fact Sheets for Aquaculture

    The Southern Regional Aquaculture maintains a collection of over 150 fact sheets on aquaculture-related topics ranging from alligator culture to freshwater prawns, indoor recirculating systems to water gardens, and pond construction to leaky ponds.

Have questions or issues and don't know where to turn?  Your county extension office can point you in the right direction. Find your county office.   

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