UF/IFAS Department of Plant Pathology

Name

UF/IFAS Department of Plant Pathology

Legal name

University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - Department of Plant Pathology

Website

https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant Disease Diagnostic and Research Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Support Activities for Crop Production (1151), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Pathogen & Disease Diagnostics Services (Plant, Soil, Water) (AFACAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plant Tissue & Sap Testing Services (AFACAKAB), Plant Tissue, Soil & Water Sampling Coordination (Agronomy-Focused) (AFACABAH)

Keywords

• Plant disease diagnostics
• Agricultural extension services
• Plant pathology research
• Graduate plant science education
• Crop disease management

Headquarters

HQ city

Gainesville, FL

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Diagnostic Services Fees: Fee-for-service diagnostic testing for plant samples. Sample fees are co-pays partially subsidized by state and federal grants. International samples have higher fees.
2. State/Federal Funding: Primary funding from University of Florida, State of Florida, and federal grants including USDA-NIFA and NSF for research and extension activities.
3. Research Grants: Externally funded research through NSF (DEB grants), USDA-NIFA, National Geographic, and other agencies supporting specific research projects.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The UF/IFAS Department of Plant Pathology is a public academic department within the University of Florida that delivers plant disease diagnostic services, applied plant pathology research, graduate education (MS/PhD), and statewide extension/outreach programs. Core activities include operating the UF/IFAS Plant Diagnostic Center and regional diagnostic labs, conducting research across multiple crop and pathogen areas, training graduate students, and providing educational resources to Florida growers, extension agents, and homeowners.

Product overview

The UF/IFAS Department of Plant Pathology is an academic department offering a coordinated portfolio of diagnostic, research, and educational services. The core offerings include the UF/IFAS Plant Diagnostic Center (main hub in Gainesville plus five regional labs), Fungal ID Services for mushroom and wood decay identification, Rapid Turf Diagnostic Service, and the UF Fungal Herbarium (FLAS) housing 58,000+ specimens. The department also provides graduate education (MS/PhD programs), extension outreach, and research across eight specialized areas including disease diagnostics, epidemiology, and plant-microbe interactions. These services support Florida agriculture, homeowners, and the scientific community through integrated diagnostic capabilities and educational programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UF/IFAS Plant Diagnostic Center Main diagnostic clinic providing plant disease identification services, located in Gainesville, FL. Serves as the hub for the Florida Plant Diagnostic Network and Southern Plant Diagnostic Network, processing samples from commercial growers, homeowners, and government agencies.
• Fungal ID Services Laboratory identification services for mushrooms including human poisoning cases, veterinary poisoning cases, wood decay fungi consultation, and indoor mold guidance provided by the department's fungal specialists.
• Rapid Turf Diagnostic Service Expedited diagnostic service for turfgrass diseases operated by Dr. Phil Harmon at the Gainesville location, providing rapid disease identification and management recommendations for the turfgrass industry.
• Regional Diagnostic Labs Network Network of diagnostic laboratories across Florida including Quincy, Apopka, Wimauma, Immokalee, Homestead, and Belle Glade RECs, serving regional plant disease diagnosis needs for commercial growers, homeowners, and extension agents across the state.
• UF Fungal Herbarium (FLAS) The University of Florida Fungal Collection housing over 58,000 fungal specimens including macrofungal fruiting bodies, infected plant specimens, and microfungi isolates, managed by the Plant Pathology Department and the Florida Museum of Natural History.
• Graduate Programs (MS/PhD) Graduate studies leading to Master of Science (thesis and nonthesis) and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, with specialization in molecular biology, genomics, fungal systematics, disease resistance genetics, and disease management.
• Extension Outreach Programs Educational programs providing plant pathology expertise to agricultural service personnel, educators, crop advisors, and producers, covering integrated pest management for various crops including vegetables, citrus, ornamentals, turf, and fruits across Florida.
• Research Programs Research programs covering bacteriology, cropping systems, disease diagnostics, epidemiology, fungal biology, microbial bioinformatics, plant disease resistance, and virology, conducted by faculty across multiple research and education centers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 agents and individuals served by mushroom specialist since 2012
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Florida Museum of Natural HistorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-management of the UF Fungal Collection (FLAS fungarium) with the Florida Museum of Natural History. The collection holds 58,000+ specimens and is one of the largest mycological collections in the US.
• Florida Poison ControlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination with Florida Poison Control Centers for free mushroom identification anytime human health is potentially at risk from mushroom consumption.
• National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredited member and hub lab for the NPDN, providing diagnostic training and leadership in plant disease detection across the US.
• Southern Plant Diagnostic Network (SPDN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-director role in the SPDN, part of the National Plant Diagnostic Network connecting diagnostic laboratories across the southeastern US.
• International Research Collaborators (Argentina, Chile, Australia)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaborations with researchers in Argentina (Dr. Eduardo Nouhra, Universidad de Córdoba), Chile (Giuliana Furci, Foundacion Fungi; Francisco Kuhar), and Australia (Camille Truong, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria) for southern South America ectomycorrhizal fungi research.
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for indoor mold consultation services with the Florida Indoor Air Program and Randy Cantrell from UF Housing & Community Development.
• UF-IFAS Plant Breeding Working GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on plant breeding research and development of genetically improved disease-resistant plants.
• Crop Transformation CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on crop transformation and genetic improvement of plants for disease resistance.
• Global Food Systems InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on global food security and sustainable crop production systems.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Frontier Agricultural Sciences / Eurofins BioDiagnostics: Private commercial diagnostics providers offering plant pathogen testing services. Compares as an emerging commercial alternative to extension-based diagnostics, particularly for large commercial growers seeking rapid turnaround.

Direct peers

• UC Davis Department of Plant Pathology: Land-grant university plant pathology department offering parallel diagnostic, research, and graduate education services. Compares directly on academic structure, extension mission, and diagnostic lab operations serving California agriculture.
• Purdue University Department of Botany and Plant Pathology: Land-grant department providing plant pathology research, diagnostic services (Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory), and graduate education with similar land-grant extension mission serving Indiana agriculture.
• Penn State Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology: Penn State's department offers parallel research, diagnostic, and graduate programs with a similar faculty-led extension and diagnostic service mission supported by the Pennsylvania Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory.
• Michigan State University Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences: MSU's plant pathology program provides analogous research, extension, and diagnostic services, including a Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab, with comparable faculty research on crop diseases.
• Cornell School of Integrative Plant Science - Plant Pathology Section: Cornell's plant pathology section conducts disease diagnostics, research, and extension with comparable faculty expertise and graduate programs, serving Northeast agriculture through the New York State Integrated Pest Management program.

Broad incumbents

• USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine: Federal agency conducting plant disease diagnostics, regulatory testing, and biosecurity monitoring. Compares on plant pathogen identification and regulatory diagnostics scope, but operates federally rather than as a state extension service.
• Agdia, Inc. Leading private diagnostics company providing molecular and immunological plant pathogen test kits and lab services. Compares on commercial plant disease diagnostics, but as a private for-profit entity offering broader industry coverage rather than a public extension service.

Regional players

• Texas A&M Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology: Land-grant department offering parallel research and extension in plant pathology, but serving Texas agriculture with different crop focus (cotton, sorghum) rather than Florida's subtropical crops.

Others

• National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN): Federally-coordinated network of diagnostic labs in which UF serves as a hub. Compares as an enabling/partner organization that channels federal biosecurity funding and standardizes diagnostics protocols across member institutions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/UFPlantPath
• Facebookfacebook.com/UFPlantPathology
• Instagraminstagram.com/ufplantpath
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uf-plant-pathology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UF/IFAS Department of Plant Pathology