What is the diagnosis in plants?

What is the diagnosis in plants?

Sometimes you just won’t have the insight to ask the “What else?” question that starts your light bulb blinking. Second, even when you do ask the question, it may not result in an open-and-shut case. With emerald ash borer, diagnosticians in 2001 simply did not know that the borer should be added to the list of possible problems that could occur on ash trees.

Even if your diagnosis focuses on a well-known problem, the reality is that you are almost always somewhat uncertain as to your diagnosis. A more reasonable goal for diagnosis is to strive to come up with the best diagnosis possible while acknowledging the possibility of other factors. That being said, it is important to be clear about what you did diagnose and also, often just as importantly, about what you did not find. In reporting your diagnosis, remember to do the following:
1. Describe the symptoms you observed clearly and in detail.
2. Identify the problem or problems you think these symptoms signify.
3. Indicate how you made this connection (consulting with colleagues, references, and lab tests).
4. List what you did not find. As indicated above, what you did not find can often be critical. If you do not find Dutch elm disease or other infectious diseases, if there is no evidence of bronze birch borers or Asian long horned beetles, and if the symptoms and/or residue analysis is not suggestive of growth-regulator herbicide injury, this may go directly to the heart of your client’s greatest concerns.
5. Put diagnoses into perspective and provide recommendations.