A Wisconsin doctor who diagnoses unusual patients

Have you heard of a doctor who only diagnoses diseases after getting his hands really dirty? How about a doctor who wears shorts and flip-flops while working?

Dr. Brian Hudelson, affectionately known as Dr. Death, is not your typical doctor. His patients are plants and his prescriptions usually include advice on how to control rather than cure their diseases.

As a doctor of plants, Hudelson spends his time working for the Plant Disease Diagnostics Clinic where he thrives on discovering what causes the death of plants. Hudelson earned his professional title after receiving a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The clinic, a part of UW-Extension, which connects university resources to communities and organizations across the state, is what Hudelson describes as a university without borders that serves as a resource of information for the public.

“A lot of agricultural farmers will send samples to be tested, but a lot of people with, for example, big trees in their front yard that are dying, will use the clinic’s services too,” Adam Greene, an undergraduate student working in the clinic, said.

Samples are mailed to the clinic from all over the state. Those who send the samples range from gardeners concerned about their shrubs to farmers preparing for the planting season.

At the clinic, Hudelson and the clinic’s team of experts provide plant disease identification and control recommendations to homeowners, businesses and agricultural producers throughout the year by performing tests on samples brought in.

When the clinic first receives the samples, the team decides what kinds of tests would be most effective in diagnosing the disease.

For example, in the winter time, many pea planters send in samples of their soil to have it tested for certain bacteria that prevent successful pea growth. The clinic plants peas in the different soils and compares the success of the plant to recommend which soils the crop is most likely to thrive in.

The clinic also accepts walk-ins. For a small fee, the clinic performs tests to diagnose the problem and provides a personal letter and fact sheet explaining the disease and how to control it.

For farmers and pea plant companies who have used the clinic’s services, Hudelson said their soil recommendations have improved farm’s profits per acre.

In previous years, the soil diagnosed as good for pea plants was twice as profitable as soil diagnosed as poor, he said.

Hudelson estimates the clinic will test almost 1,200 samples by the end of this year, almost all of which Hudelson examines himself, making sure accurate tests are performed.

“There is an art to it,” he said. "I’m pretty adamant while I am here. I want to look at every sample that comes in.” 

If your plant looks like it may need a trip to the doctor, contact Dr. Hudelson at the Plant Disease Diagnostics Clinic.