Tagging an observation of plant disease with the host plant

[trscavo]

I’ve been tagging observations of Trillium with symptoms of phytoplasma infection for at least a year now. Although I can’t tag an observation as having multiple symptoms, just being able to tag an observation at all is useful.

On the flip side, I’ve just started looking at observations of Phytoplasma but I’m not sure how best to tag them. In the end, I want to be able to list all observations of Phytoplasma (any species) on any Trillium host (any species). To do that, it seems I have to create yet another observation field for the plant host. I can’t use one of the existing fields since I can’t change what’s already there (if it’s wrong).

Does that sound right or am I missing something?

[thomaseverest]

@trscavo

Although I can’t tag an observation as having multiple symptoms,

Yeah I wish you could have a sort of checklist within a single observation field.
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/observation-field-checklist/12837

My workaround has been to have several observation fields with “visible”/“not visible” options (basically “yes”/“no”) and when I add observations to a project I just select add for all the fields I want to add. It defaults to “visible” (the first option) so that’s easy. I don’t really use “not visible” but it could be used.

@trscavo

I can’t use one of the existing fields since I can’t change what’s already there (if it’s wrong).

Do you mean that the observations already have a host plant observation field that’s incorrect? There’s lots of similar fields so you could pick a different one, say, that doesn’t have any Trillium observations.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observation_fields?utf8=✓&q=host+plant&commit=Search

But I’d think asking the user to correct the observation field would be better. Also, if it’s a field associated with a project you manage, you should be able to edit the fields.

[trscavo]

@thomaseverest

Do you mean that the observations already have a host plant observation field that’s incorrect?

Yes.

@thomaseverest

But I’d think asking the user to correct the observation field would be better.

Well, that’s a lot of work with no guaranteed rate of return. It would be easier to create a new observation field, I think.

@thomaseverest

Also, if it’s a field associated with a project you manage, you should be able to edit the fields.

I think I may be missing something here. I’m just using observation fields to track observations. There is no project.

[thomaseverest]

@trscavo

I’m just using observation fields to track observations. There is no project.

I know, but observation fields go hand in hand with projects. You don’t have to use them that way, but it’s one possible way to edit observation fields.