Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab earns national accreditation
Texas A&M AgriLife lab is first in Texas to meet National Plant Diagnostic Network’s new standards
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A Texas A&M AgriLife laboratory that helps protect Texas crops, nurseries and exports from disease has become one of about 20 labs nationwide — and the first in Texas — to earn Core Accreditation from the National Plant Diagnostic Network.
The Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab, TPDDL, managed by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and located on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, achieved the designation under the leadership of lab manager Hannah Ayala.
The distinction recognizes years of meticulous work already underway at the facility.
“Our lab has been at this standard for a while, and this just further confirms we were already one of the best in the world,” said Kevin Ong, Ph.D., professor and associate department head for AgriLife Extension in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology.
A national network born from a national threat
The National Plant Diagnostic Network was formed in 2002 in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. The network connects plant diagnostic laboratories across the country and strengthens the nation’s ability to detect pests, diseases and potential agricultural threats before they spread.
However, coordinating dozens of independent labs made it difficult to ensure every facility met a consistent standard of quality. The core accreditation process was designed to fix that.
Ong said accreditation itself doesn’t change the lab’s day-to-day diagnostic work. What it does is formalize outside recognition of that work and unlock new opportunities for the lab.
“It just gives a stamp of approval, recognizing the good work that we do,” Ong said. “On the administrative side, accreditation opens the door to network-funding support.”
What it means for Texas producers and trade
For Texas growers, nurseries and exporters, the accreditation carries real weight. Because the lab is affiliated with a land-grant university, its diagnostic results are often accepted by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and its Plant Protection and Quarantine priority area when issuing phytosanitary recommendations and certificates. This documentation is required for importing and exporting plant material.
Core accreditation reinforces that trust, domestically and with the National Plant Protection Organizations of other countries, Ong said.
“This accreditation provides our clients confidence,” Ong said, “Saying, hey, in Texas we also follow these rigorous standards.”
TPDDL is one of three network-affiliated diagnostic labs in Texas, alongside the Texas High Plains Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab in Canyon and the Texas Plant Virus Diagnostic Lab in Weslaco.
Ong said he expects both of those labs to achieve core accreditation by the end of 2027, part of the network’s broader goal of accrediting every state’s primary hub laboratory.
