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 Livestock and Poultry Commission 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) 575-7317
Email: awrcwql@uark.edu
Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences
1371 W Altheimer Drive Room 133
Fayetteville, AR 72704

 

aerial photograph of Arkansas fish ponds

Lonoke Agricultural Center

Contact Dr. Hugh Thomforde:
(501) 676-3124
2001 Highway 70 East
Lonoke AR 72086

 

 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

Fish Diagnostic Laboratory - Lonoke 

Contact: (501) 676-3124
Lonoke Agricultural Center
2001 Highway 70 East 
Lonoke, AR 72086

 

farm worker holding a catfish

Fish Diagnostic Laboratory - Lake Village

Catfish
Contact Larry Dorman: (870) 265-5440
404 Suite A Highway 65
Lake Village, AR 71653

                                                

Arkansas-grown baitfish

Fish Diagnostic Laboratory - Jonesboro

Catfish and Baitfish
Contact George Selden: (870) 540-7805
611 E. Washington Suite A 
Jonesboro AR 72401 

 

fish suffering from disease

Fish Diagnostic Laboratory - Pine Bluff

Contact: (870) 543-8034
UAPB Warehouse
1200 N. University Dr.
Pine Bluff, AR  71601

 

two soil sample boxes sent to the testing lab

Soil Testing Laboratory - Marianna

Contact Dr. Morteza Mazaffari:
(870) 295-2851
008 Lee 214
Marianna, AR  72360

 

 

rice seedlings with zinc deficiency

Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory - Fayetteville

Contact Nancy Wolf: (479) 575-3911
ALTH 313 University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701

 

leaves of soybean plant suffering from stem canker disease

Plant Health Clinic - Fayetteville

Contact Sherrie Smith: (479) 575-3189
2601 N. Young Ave.
Fayetteville, AR  72704

 

dead grass patches in a golf course damaged from nematodes

Arkansas Nematode Diagnostic Laboratory - Hope

Contact Ronnie Bateman:
(870) 777-9702 ext. 119
ANDL-SWREC
362 Highway 174 N. Hope, AR  71801

 

Young cattle grazing in a pasture

Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory - Little Rock

Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission
Contact: (501) 907-2430

1 Natural Resources Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205

 

image description

Public Health Laboratory - Little Rock

Arkansas Department of Health
Contact: (501) 671-1429

201 South Monroe
Little Rock, AR 72205 

 

 

What happens to your soil sample?

Watch this virtual tour of the Soil Testing Laboratory in Marianna to find out the process of delivering your soil test results and recommendations. 

 


 How do I collect a pond water sample?

 Staff from the Arkansas Water Resources Center take you through the process in the video below.



 

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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