Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab-
WHAT Wednesday Videos
Author Archives: kevo
More gene-for-gene theory demystification.
As promised, today I get to share with you the works of plant pathologists from University of Georgia. A fun way to explain gene-for-gene theory. I guess there may be a couple of jokes that only a plant geek can appreciate, but (wow!) the educational value of the video – priceless. Hopefully, the funny looks at some complex theories will give you some insights into how a plant pathologist thinks and how they(we) act. There are so many aspects in the world of plant pathology. Enjoy…. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDwhr1mTO5s[/youtube]
R (resistance) gene theory
Ever wondered why some plants get sick and others don’t? For example, there are many varieties of roses but they do not all get affected by the blackspot fungus similarly. The Peace rose is highly susceptible while Knock-out rose is quite resistant. What is the basis for this diverse interaction between the pathogen and the plant. Today, I am sharing with you the Grand prize winner of the APS Office of Public Relations and Outreach 2011 Video contest. The “bright” folks at North Dakota State University explains the resistance… Read More →
Why do plants get sick?
Plants get sick because they respond poorly to a pathogen. In other words, there is some interaction between the pathogen and the host plant. In light of this long week, I remembered fondly of a task that I have as a part of the American Phytopathological Society Office of Public Relations and Outreach. For the past few years we had encouraged APS member to submit videos on different topics. One was on presenting a central concept in plant pathology. I wanted to share with you the winner of… Read More →
Reflecting the past week.
This week has been a doozy. Problems with heating and then getting lots of plant samples with problems someway associated with the heat and drought. At College Station, we did get some rain on Thursday – but still not enough to overcome the current drought conditions. The drought (and heat) is expected to continue on… On a different level, we are experiencing another drought. This year we have seen the effects of shrinking state and federal budgets affecting our programs. Most recently, the increase of fees at the… Read More →
More hot stuff!
Yesterday, I was lamenting about the heat and how even in the heat we can still see plant diseases occurring. Well, I got an email from Dr. Todd Watson – arborist extraordinaire and the current president of the Texas chapter International Society of Arboriculture (ISAT). The email began with ” TEXAS IN EPIC DROUGHT – WATER TREES NOW!”. In case you are not from Texas, it has been hot and DRY in most parts of Texas. It is so dry that it is affecting establish trees. Back in… Read More →
