46 episodes

Healthy plants are the foundation for life on our planet. They produce the oxygen we breathe and over 80% of the food we eat. The Plantopia podcast series explains how protecting plant health can ensure a sustainable future. Inspired by the United Nations declaration of 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health, the American Phytopathological Society created Plantopia so you can explore the world of plant health in company with plant pathologists—people on a mission to protect plants and our food supply.



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Plantopia The American Phytopathological Society (APS)

    • Science
    • 5.0 • 22 Ratings

Healthy plants are the foundation for life on our planet. They produce the oxygen we breathe and over 80% of the food we eat. The Plantopia podcast series explains how protecting plant health can ensure a sustainable future. Inspired by the United Nations declaration of 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health, the American Phytopathological Society created Plantopia so you can explore the world of plant health in company with plant pathologists—people on a mission to protect plants and our food supply.



Thank you, sponsors!








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    Soilborne in the U.S.A.

    Soilborne in the U.S.A.

    In this episode, join host Matt Kasson as he engages in a conversation with Dr. Megan McCaghey, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology in the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. McCaghey shares insights into her career journey shaped by agriculture, the deliberate choice to pursue a master's degree before a PhD, and her ongoing research on Southern blight and Phytophthora sojae. The discussion also explores her current and future teaching commitments, the transformative impact of the pandemic on her teaching methods, mentoring and networking approaches, and valuable advice for early-career scientists.


    Show notes


    UMN Department of Plant Pathology Faculty Profile here: https://plpa.cfans.umn.edu/people/megan-mccaghey


    McCaghey Lab Website: https://mccagheylab.cfans.umn.edu/


    Find Megan McCaghey on X (formerly Twitter): @MN_Soil_Fungi


    2023 Research Highlight on Dr. McCaghey’s work on Soybeans by the Soybean Research and Information Network: Improving Tools for Soybean Breeders to Fight White Mold


    Recent APS Press Publication: Webster, R.W., McCaghey, M., Mueller, B.D., Groves, C.L., Mathew, F.M., Singh, A.K., Kabbage, M. and Smith, D.L., 2023. Development of Glycine max Germplasm Highly Resistant to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. PhytoFrontiers™, 3(3), pp.629-638. https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/full/10.1094/PHYTOFR-01-23-0009-R


    This episode is produced by Association Briefings.
    Special Guest: Megan McCaghey.

    • 43 min
    Spurring Onward: Confessions of a Midwestern Plant Pathologist

    Spurring Onward: Confessions of a Midwestern Plant Pathologist

    In the season 4 premier of Plantopia, new host Matt Kasson, associate professor of forest pathology and mycology at West Virginia University, talks to Dr. Jim Bradeen, season 2 and 3 host of Plantopia, professor of plant pathology, and associate vice president at Colorado State University Spur Campus. The two discussed what interested Jim in plant sciences, what he's passionate about, the importance of pursuing a master's degree, his impact on the establishment of CSU's Spur Campus, advice for students and people in academia, leadership, and the future of Plantopia.


    Show notes


    The full transcript for this episode can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/5n8zrkfs


    Colorado State University Faculty Profile here: https://president.colostate.edu/presidents-office-team/


    CSU SPUR Profile: https://csuspur.org/profiles/jim-bradeen/


    Find Jim Bradeen on X (formerly Twitter): @JimBradeen


    Find Jim Bradeen on BlueSky: @jimbradeen.bsky.social


    This episode is produced by Association Briefings.
    Special Guest: Jim Bradeen.

    • 51 min
    A Perfect Trifecta: A Plant Health Career in Government, Academia and the Private Sector

    A Perfect Trifecta: A Plant Health Career in Government, Academia and the Private Sector

    In this episode, Dr. Rubella Goswami, director for the Plant Protection Division at USDA’s-National Institute of Food and Agriculture, joins host Jim Bradeen to talk about her vast career in plant pathology, how a global perspective influenced her career, transitioning from academia to industry, the challenges for women in science, and advice for young professionals in the field.


    Show notes


    The full transcript for this episode can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/3buv4jse


    This episode is produced by Association Briefings.
    Special Guest: Rubella Goswami.

    • 39 min
    Plant Health is a Global Affair

    Plant Health is a Global Affair

    In this episode, recorded live at the 12th International Congress of Plant Pathology in Lyon, France, Dr. Yong-Hwan Lee, president of the International Society for Plant Pathology, joins host Jim Bradeen to talk about global plant health, his career in plant pathology, opportunities and challenges facing the industry, academic leadership, international collaborations, and a preview of the next International Congress of Plant Pathology, held in Australia in 2028.


    Show notes


    The full transcript for this episode can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/yc7a5vfk


    For more information on that International Society for Plant Pathology: https://www.isppweb.org


    This episode is produced by Association Briefings.
    Special Guest: Yong-Hwan Lee.

    • 26 min
    Making a Big WAVE in Food Security

    Making a Big WAVE in Food Security

    In this episode, recorded live at the 12th International Congress Of Plant Pathology in Lyon, France, Dr. Justin Pita, Executive Director
    for the West African Virus Epidemiology (WAVE) for Food Security, joins host Jim Bradeen to talk about plant health opportunities and challenges throughout the 10 countries represented by the WAVE, his career in plant pathology, the need to build or equip facilities for viral diagnoses, the importance of cassava in Western and Central Africa, and moving beyond your comfort zone.
    Special Guest: Justin Pita.

    • 30 min
    Saying “Yes” to Mungbeans and Multi-disciplinarity

    Saying “Yes” to Mungbeans and Multi-disciplinarity

    In this episode, Evelyn Planter Heidt, a masters student in both plant pathology and entomology at Iowa State University, joins host Jim Bradeen for a conversation about her passions, goals and impact in plant pathology. The two chat about her career journey in the field; her involvement in the World Food Prize; her ongoing research on mung beans, its importance to the U.S., and its genetic diversity; and the use of AI in agriculture.


    Show notes


    The full transcript for this episode can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/2tdvyu5c


    You can find her on LinkedIn @Evelyn Planter Heidt


    Publication: Batzer, J.C., Sing, A., Platner, E., Kandel, Y. and Mueller, D.S. 2022. Screening Mungbean Accession for Susceptibility to Soybean Fungal Diseases in Iowa. Plant Health Progress Volume 23:456-465.


    This episode is produced by Association Briefings.
    Special Guest: Evelyn Planter Heidt.

    • 36 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
22 Ratings

22 Ratings

M.Borden ,

Original and well made!

It is to awesome to finally get a podcast devoted to plant pathology sciences, and even better that it is well-made and well-produced. Worth your time!

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