SCOUTING REPORT | SDSU's plant lab, new S.D. wheat, Japanese bear attacks, Canton Lutheran window grant

A weekly digest of interesting local, state, national and even international developments

South Dakota State University brings news about plants — an appropriate subject for the state’s land-grant university — and a revelation about the role of foliage in international safety.

First, SDSU’s Plant Diagnostic Clinic earned accreditation as a Core Accredited Lab from the National Plant Diagnostics Network, making SDSU one of only four accredited land-grant universities in the country.

The National Plant Diagnostic Network is a consortium of labs established in 2002 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of Homeland Security to enhance agriculture biosecurity. The core program was established to strengthen readiness and ensure timely and accurate diagnostics.