Help needed collecting weed samples for CDFA

The CCGP is collaborating with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to include pests and agriculture species of interest in the project. The CDFA is currently encouraging any interested parties to participate in landscape sampling.

How can I contribute? You can contribute by submitting samples of weeds for genomic sequencing. All six weeds included (Yellow starthistle, Cheatgrass, Field bindweed, Common reed, Artichoke thistle and Italian thistle) have broad ranges in California. We want to see your region well represented. Just collect a leaf or a few flower buds of a target species (2”x2” is sufficient leaf tissue for DNA extraction, but a whole leaf is preferred for identification). Pop your collection in a paper bag or envelope, label it with the specific locality, collector, and date, and mail it to Dean Kelch, CDFA Plant Health, 1220 N St, Sacramento, CA 95814. 

An easy and quick way to record your samples is to use iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/). Download the free iNaturalist application, sign up as an identifier, then join the “Weeds of the CCGP” project. You can photograph each specimen and the field location is automatically recorded. Include your unique field number/identifier in the notes field and write it on the specimen bag. Then, send the specimen to the above address. You can use INaturalist to record records of any species, not just plants. INaturalist’s AI algorithm helps you identify species from your survey area and then crowd-sources knowledgeable naturalists to confirm or improve your tentative identifications. 

You don’t need to make voucher specimens, but if you would like to have a permanent, physical record of the plant you collected, information on how to make a dry plant specimen to deposit in an herbarium can be found at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/PPD/botany_sampling.html.