Outside Resources

There are many online tools that can be used to identify specific pests and diseases, including identification and diagnostic keys, images and databases. Here we have listed some of what we consider to be the best resources:

  1. Grahame Jackson's pest fact sheets
  2. PestNet
    PestNet is an email network that helps people worldwide obtain rapid advice and information on crop protection, including the identification and management of plant pests.
  3. IAPPS (International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences)
    IAPPS provides a global forum for the purpose of identifying, evaluating, integrating, and promoting plant protection concepts, technologies, and policies.
  4. Global Horticulture Knowledge Bank
    The Global Horticulture Knowledge Bank provides practical crop information on fruits, nuts, flowers, and vegetables to help extension and development workers improve the lives of people in developing countries.
  5. The AIS World Pest Database
    The AIS World Pest Database was started in 1988 to improve, quantify and make accessible information on weeds, insects, diseases and other pests of agricultural and horticultural crops.
  6. National Invasive Species Information Center
    This is the USDA's general database for invasive species, pest management and agricultural-related information.
  7. TNAU Agritech Portal: Crop Protection
    The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) Crop Protection Portal is a database for Agricultural and Horticultural crop pests, diseases, and IPM practices.
  8. ID Tools
    This site, developed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Identification Technology Program (ITP), lists a series of online and app-based identification and diagnostic tools.
  9. LucidCentral
    A number of Lucid pest identification and crop diagnostic keys developed by various agencies have now been “published” as smartphone apps. This support site for the Lucid matrix key software includes a key search facility.
  10. HortHospital
    Developed at UC Davis with part funding from USAID, this site provides online tools for the diagnosis of horticultural crop problems, including Flowers, fruit, and vegetable crops.
  11.  USDA APHIS ITP Node
    This searchable database of images contains pests found in a wide range of field crops, vegetable, fruit and nut crops, ornamentals and other crops. It can be searched by country, type of pest, and damage characteristics.  
  12. European Plant Protection Organisation
    This site lists the pests recommended for regulation as quarantine pests.
  13. The African Postharvet Losses Information System
    APHLIS is a source of information on the postharvest losses of cereals. It integrates a network of local experts who supply data, a shared database, and a "Losses Calculator". 
  14. Cooperative extension search
    This service allows you to search resources that provide objective and research-based information and learning opportunities provided by over 1090 cooperative extension services in the US.
  15. EU Pesticides database
    This site provides access to a pesticide database that allows you to search for active ingredients, products, pesticide residues, and data on maximum residue levels.
  16. The Pherobase
    This site converts scientific data and knowledge from the literature and published peer-reviewed information about behavioral modifying chemicals into electronically searchable database entries.