Tests conducted by Grow Help Australia
Diagnosing plant health problems can be complex and often requires a range of tests to determine the underlying cause. We aim for as few tests as required to accurately diagnose the problem as quickly as possible. This helps keep costs down and get results quickly.
Changes to fees and charges
On 1 July 2023 most of our fees and charges increased by 3.4% in line with the government's indexation policy.
All prices include GST and are subject to change without notice.
How we calculate fees
The fees and charges have been reviewed to include a wider range of tests, each charged on an individual basis. For example, if 3 fungal isolations are completed, the fee will be charged 3 times.
These fees have been scaled to reflect staff time required to complete the test and cost for its completion.
On average, each sample takes 5 to 6 hours to complete over 1 to 4 weeks, and includes:
- entering details into our database
- assessing what needs to be tested
- completing the testing and getting results
- entering results
- completing the final report.
Samples that are very large, complicated or inappropriately packaged can take longer and may cost more.
Bulk indexing may be charged at a discounted rate. Contact us for a quote as required.
Production nursery industry
All production nursery businesses in Australia receive 6 free samples a year.
Additional samples can be submitted and receive a 50% discount (for most tests). The discount does not apply to:
- nematology count
- quarantine sample administration
- pest freedom statement
- bulk indexing.
Free and discounted samples are available until the end of December 2025.
Email growhelp@daf.qld.gov.au for more details.
Traditional pest and disease tests
What this covers
- Inspection for insects, mites, bacterial ooze, fungal fruiting bodies and growth on the surface of plant tissue.
- Where a whole plant is submitted, we assess the health of foliage, stem vascular tissue and roots.
How it's calculated
- Charged per 20 minutes needed to assess the sample.
- Production nursery discount available.
Standard time required
- 20 to 40 minutes.
- Depends on the size of the sample and ease of determining what tissues need further testing.
What this covers
- Growing fungal or bacterial pathogens from the margin of symptomatic tissue.
- Detects general fungal pathogens, bacterial pathogens, oomycetes (Phytophthora, Phytopythium and Pythium), Phellinus and others.
- Also can be used to detect certain fungal pathogens in water—contact us if you intend to submit water samples for testing.
- Many pathogens can be identified to a general group (often genus or family)—confirmation of the genus and species require molecular tests.
How it's calculated
- Charged per test.
- Many samples need multiple tests from the same tissue to detect different types of pathogens.
- Production nursery discount available.
Standard time required
- 5 to 10 days to incubate plates and make an initial identification.
- It may take longer for slow growing species or those requiring incubation under a black light to produce spores.
What this covers
- Primarily used to detect Phytophthora but also detects other oomycetes (e.g. Pythium and Phytopythium) in certain cases.
- Soil or roots are incubated in water with newly germinated, susceptible blue lupins at 2 temperatures for 5 to 7 days.
- Oomycetes produce swimming 'spores' that infect the lupins and may cause symptoms.
- Lupin radicles are then plated onto oomycete-specific media and grown at both temperatures.
- When a suspect oomycete is detected the culture identity is confirmed by PCR.
How it's calculated
- Production nursery discount available.
Standard time required
- 2 weeks (started Wednesday of each week).
What this covers
- Where there is taxonomic expertise held by a team member we may be able to identify an insect or mite using morphological means (slide mounting and consulting taxonomic keys).
How it's calculated
- Charged per hour.
- Production nursery discount available.
Standard time required
- Variable.
- Depends on the organism and level of identification required.
What this covers
- Extracting and counting the number of plant pathogenic nematodes from soil or leaves.
- These tests are completed by the nematology team.
- Samples requiring nematology testing only should be submitted directly to the nematology team—email growhelp@daf.qld.gov.au.
Standard time required
- 3 to 5 days.
Molecular tests
What this covers
- Many molecular tests need a DNA or RNA extraction prior to completion of additional tests.
How it's calculated
- Multiple extractions completed simultaneously take less time and are charged at a lower rate.
- Production nursery discount available.
Standard time required
- Completed on same day started, unless there are many samples.
- Fungal and bacterial cultures often require several days to grow before extraction.
What this covers
- Amplifies particular regions of DNA that can be used to either identify a pathogen or complete additional tests (e.g. sequencing).
- We have PCRs validated to detect many groups or species of fungi, bacteria and viruses.
- We regularly run PCRs to identify oomycete genera, Fusarium species complex, Lettuce wilt Race 1/4, Xanthomonas sp., Pseudomonas sp., TSWV, TYLCV, TRSV, PRSV, CGMMV, and many others.
How it's calculated
- Production nursery discount available.
Standard time required
- 1 or more days.
- Depends on staff availability and the number of tests completed.
What this covers
- Detects particular species of pathogens.
- Most are on viruses, most commonly CGMMV.
How it's calculated
- Production nursery discount available.
Standard time required
- 2 consecutive days to complete after sample extraction.
What this covers
- Some pathogens have immunostrip tests developed (like those commonly used to detect COVID-19).
- These tests are purchased in bulk from Agdia.
- Owing to their limited life and potential for false negatives and positives, these tests are usually only used to provide an indicative result.
How it's calculated
- Production nursery discount available.
Standard time required
- 1 hour or less.
What this covers
- Identifies many insects, mites, snails and pathogens.
- DNA of particular gene regions of your sample are compared to those that have been identified and are available in online databases.
- For certain groups of pathogens, multiple gene regions must be sequenced to obtain an accurate identification and therefore may incur multiple charges.
How it's calculated
- This test includes preparation of the sample, submission to an external laboratory that completes the sequencing (AGRF) and analysis of the results.
- Production nursery discount available.
Standard time required
- 5 to 10 days.
- Depends on how quickly results are obtained by the external provider.
What this covers
- Detects the presence of many virus particles.
- In most cases, only the type of virus can be identified based on the size and shape of the particles.
- This is a general test that can detect many viruses but will rarely detect virus particles that are very small or are present at very low concentrations.
How it's calculated
- Production nursery discount available.
Standard time required
- Several hours
Administration fees
What this covers
- Opening the sample, entering the sample into the database and overheads.
- Multiple fees may be applied if many samples are submitted that are different or if samples are inappropriately identified (causing it to take longer to process them).
How it's calculated
- Production nursery discount available.
What this covers
- Quarantine samples have additional administration associated with keeping the sample contained under quarantine conditions, waste disposal and record keeping.
How it's calculated
- Charged in addition to the sample administration—for quarantine samples only.
What this covers
Export samples often need a letter that:
- outlines how the export sample meets specific criteria
- may help you to achieve a phytosanitary certificate—please note, we cannot issue phytosanitary certificates.
How it's calculated
- Fee charged to complete this letter.
Receiving your test results
Many samples require 2 to 4 weeks to complete the testing and final report. In some cases testing is not required and the results may be known on the same day as it is received (this occurs infrequently). Where PCRs and sequencing are required, samples rarely take less than 3 to 4 weeks and may take longer.
We make every effort to provide preliminary results whenever possible. Contact us if you need an update.
In most cases, your final report will include:
- all tests completed and the results of each test
- a list of pathogens and pests detected
- a diagnosis (synthesising the results).
We do our best to complete recommendations for samples whenever possible.
Tests and services we do not offer
We do not:
- test any samples that have been submitted without appropriate client identification—these samples are discarded into clinical waste
- identify plant species, variety or cultivar
- detect chemicals such as insecticides, fungicides or herbicides on or in the plant, growing media, soil or water
- analyse nutrient levels in the plant, growing media, soil or water
- detect bacteria in seeds, soil or growing media
- investigate cases suspected to be exotic plant pests and diseases
- diagnose pests and diseases of cotton, forage and grain crops, pasture or mushrooms
- accept submissions from home gardeners—because most homeowners have very few plants of any 1 type, testing for the exact species of pest or pathogen present is expensive. In these situations, it is often more economical to remove the plant and start again
- undertake home or on-site visits.
Contact us
- Email growhelp@daf.qld.gov.au
- Phone 13 25 23
- Last reviewed: 23 Aug 2023
- Last updated: 28 Nov 2023