May is the time when vegetation is green and lush. Although arboretums are crowded and flower festivals are held all over the country, unfortunately, the prolonged COVID-19 has blocked communication between nature and humans. Perhaps because of this problem, the number of people who grow plants at home are increasing, mainly among young people. However, growing plants requires a lot of care and detailed attention, and it is greatly influenced by the environment. Therefore, plants are prone to wither and die quickly due to pests, etc. A plant hospital is a facility for those who are suffering from these worries. Just as an animal should go to an animal hospital when it sick, a plant should go to a plant hospital when it sick. Did you know that such a plant hospital is operated in Chungbuk Nation University?

  CBNU Plant Hospital, affiliated with the College of Agriculture, Life & Environment, is the first plant’s specialized hospital, and was established in April 1992 in Korea. Based on the expertise of professors working in the facility, it is operated for the purpose of identifying and treating plant’s diseases. In order to solve the difficulties faced by growing various kinds of plants, sixteen professors and four suburban experts are participating in the hospital, and it is providing a comprehensive service for everyone from ordinary citizens growing plants at home, to professional agricultural workers. When a request is received, professors in each field, such as bacteria, pests, soil, environment, and weather, accurately diagnose the condition of the plant and offer prescriptions. In principle, all services provided by the hospital are free of charge.

  To get more information about the CBNU Plant Hospital, the CBT reporters interviewed Lee In-jae, who is a manager and in charge of administrative affairs at the CBNU Plant Hospital.

Q1. Please tell me how to request a plant diagnosis
▶ A. Plant diagnosis can be requested in three ways at the hospital. In order to receive the correct diagnosis, you must carefully follow the steps introduced on the website. First, go to the official website of the Plant Hospital, download an application form and fill it out correctly. Then, take a sample showing the symptoms, and send it to the Plant Hospital along with the completed application form. If possible, sending a sample of the entire plant (including roots and soil) will be advantageous for producing detailed results. After sending a sample, you may visit the hospital if you want a quick and accurate diagnosis. If you don’t have time to visit in person, you can also submit an online request. Unlike the previous methods online requests don’t require sending mail. Simply write the name of the plant, symptoms, when the symptoms appeared, the surrounding environment, and take a picture of the area where the damage symptoms appeared and the overall surrounding environment. You can upload it to the diagnostic board of the official website with the application form and photos you’ve taken.

Q2. Most of the services provided by the hospital are free of charge, and we would like to know the reason and purpose.
▶A. The CBNU Plant Hospital is not just for profit. Our plant hospital has the character of a public service to contribute to the development of the community. In addition to serving as a window for plant growers to get expert opinions on various disasters, it is also a place to expand education by providing hands-on and field education opportunities to students majoring in this field at university. Plus, we hope that researchers who study this field will be able to identify problems in the field and get materials for research. The expenses incurred here are supported by the government. First of all, the Korea Forest Service selects a tree diagnosis center as a national project. The Korea Forest Service has opened tree diagnosis centers at all national universities across the country to support them. Our university was also selected as a tree diagnosis center in 2012 and receiving funding. Thanks to that, all services such as hospital work and diagnosis are free, and that’s the reason we maintain the character of public service.

Q3. Lastly, what would you like to say to CBNU students who will read the newspaper?
▶A. Our Plant Hospital is not well-promoted to CBNU students yet. Plant Hospital is located in Chungbuk National University S20 building. If you have any problems such as not growing well or getting sick while growing plants, please contact our plant general hospital. We will help you.

By Kim Jeong-min
 jmkin0522@cbnu.ac.kr
By Ahn Min-joo
 mj40@cbnu.ac.kr