Horticulture Disease Assessments

What we do

GreenGuard Crop Assessments can provide bespoke disease identification assessments for the horticultural research sector. Plant samples can be either sent to us for visual assessment using microscopes and hand lenses. We are also happy to do in an in-person site visit to assess your field trials. For onsite field assessments it will be up to you to notify us when your crop has reached the growth stage you want the assessments to start.

We have experience of assessing a variety of horticulture crops: including lettuces, fruit crops such as apples, strawberries and blackberries, brassicas, potatoes and legumes. 

We are happy to carry out independent evaluations of plant protection products (PPP) designed for the horticultural industry or those being evaluated for use as EMUs.

Protocols and procedures

As a customer you can chose how we assess your plot trials. We are happy to use your protocols to ensure that data is collected in accordance with your methodologies. We are also happy to work with you if you need to establish a working protocol.

How we can assess your trials

You are welcome to send plant samples here to us for assessment or we are happy to travel to your trial sites to do in person assessments. A sixty-plot trial for example will usually take a day to assess depending on the type of horticultural crop you are researching.

If you opt for a field visit, it will be your responsibility to notify us when your trial has reached the appropriate growth stage.

Diseases we assess:

Lettuce 

  • Various species 
  • Grey Moulds
  • Bottom Rots
  • Sclerotinia Rots
  • Downy mildew
  • Lettuce Big Vein associated Virus (LBVaV)
  • Lettuce Mosaic Virus (LMV)
  • Ring spot
  • Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMW)
  • Turnip Yellows Virus (TuYV)

Fusarium wilt

If we suspect that your lettuces have Fusarium wilt, we can send these samples off to be analysed by one of the research organisations, or you can choose to send the samples to your seed company.

Potatoes 

  • Alternaria
  • Black dot
  • Blackleg and bacterial soft rot
  • Black scurf and stem canker
  • Dry rot
  • Brown rot
  • Common scab
  • Gangrene
  • Late blight
  • Latent and mild mosaic viruses
  • Pink rot
  • Potato Leafroll Virus (PLRV)
  • Potato Virus Y (PVY)
  • Powdery scab
  • Ring rot
  • Silver scurf
  • Skin spot
  • Potato Mop Top Virus (PMTV)
  • Tabacco Rattle Virus (TRV)
  • Tabacco Necrosis Virus (TNV)
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Violet root rot
  • Wart disease
  • Watery wound rot

Fruit 

  • Apple canker
  • Apple scab
  • Bacterial canker
  • Blossom wilt
  • Brown rot
  • Coral spot 
  • Fireblight
  • Grape shanking
  • Grey mould
  • Peach leaf curl
  • Phytophthora root rots
  • Pocket plum
  • Powdery mildews
  • Silver leaf
  • Verticillium wilt.

Other crops

Here at GreenGurard Crop Assessments we are happy to assess any crop you may have. From beans and peas to brassicas. Feel free to contact us with your requests. 

Extra services:

If we suspect that your trial plants have been infected by a virus, we are happy to send off your plant material for DNA analysis to verify any visual assessment that we do. This will incur an extra cost of between £100 to £160. We will always consult you if we think that this is the best course of action.

Assessment costs

Prices are from £350 per day.

There is an additional charge of 40p per mile for in person field trial assessments and overnight costs may also apply.