In this episode Ed interviews Dr. Deb Samac of the USDA-ARS. They discuss the long-overlooked disease of alfalfa, bacterial stem blight.

Additional Resources

https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/PHYTO-02-23-0059-R?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed

Time Stamps

(0:00) Introductions

(4:06) Overview of alfalfa production

Skip to the main topic:

(16:30) Bacterial stem blight

(21:33) The role of frost

(25:00) Pathogen differentiation

(30:15) Pseudomonas and ice nucleation

(39:02) Disease management

(49:15) wrap-up

How to cite the podcast:

Zaworski, E. (Host)  Samac, D.(Interviewee). S4:E38 (Podcast). Blightmare on Stem Street: Alfalfa Bacterial Stem Blight. 10/22/2025. In I See Dead Plants. Crop Protection Network.

Transcript

In this episode Ed interviews Dr. Isaac Esquivel of the University of Florida and Dr. Phillip Roberts of the University of Georgia. They discuss a new pest of cotton, the cotton jassid or two-spot leaf hopper, that has very rapidly become a new concern for cotton growers.

Additional Resources

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/9/966

https://site.extension.uga.edu/colquittag/2025/08/cotton-jassid-two-spotted-cotton-leafhopper-in-georgia/

https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/crop-production/alabama-cotton-jassid-update/

Time Stamps

(0:00) Introducing Our Guests and Their Entomology Journeys

Skip to the main topic:

(5:33) Identifying the New Cotton Pest and Its Damage

(12:52) How the Cotton Jassid Rapidly Invaded the Southeast

(25:13) Managing the Jassid Across Multiple Crop Hosts

(33:13) Exploring Long-Term Solutions and Environmental Influences

(40:20) Essential Advice for Cotton Growers Facing the Jassid

(53:37) Highlighting Agricultural Importance and Team Contributions

How to cite the podcast:

Zaworski, E. (Host) Esquivel, I. and Roberts, P. (Interviewees). S4:E37 (Podcast). A New Threat to Cotton: The Cotton Jassid. 10/8/25. In I See Dead Plants. Crop Protection Network.

Transcript

In this episode Ed interviews Dr. Adam Ingrao. They discuss Adam's Heroes to hives program and his philosophy on implementing integrated pest management.

Additional Resources

https://miffs.org/heroes-to-hives/

https://miffs.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QvEc6_Hook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY80cEx15H0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1GuCEK1Hpk

Time Stamps

(0:45) Introductions  

(2:23) How did Adam get his start in Entomology

(4:50) Heroes to Hives program

(9:54) How do bees help veterans

(14:10) Do bees benefit from more beekeepers

Skip to the main topic:

(16:43) Integrated pest management discussion begins

(19:11) The IPM triangle

(23:57) Scouting and IPM

(30:50) The 5 Ws of IPM

(35:11) Making an IPM plan

(41:44) Insect damage thresholds

(47:29) Wrap-up

How to cite the podcast:

Zaworski, E. (Host) Ingrao, A. (Interviewee). S4:E36 (Podcast). The IPM Triangle: Making a Plan to Use Integrated Pest Management. 10/1/25. In I See Dead Plants. Crop Protection Network.

Transcript

In this episode Ed interviews the sustainable pest management lab from the university of Hawaii at Manoa, led by Dr. Koon-Hui Wang. Along with graduate students Roshan Paudel, Lauren Braley and Ben Wiseman they discuss various projects the lab is working on across several different crops.

Additional Resources

How to cite the podcast:

Zaworski, E. (Host) Wang, KH, Paudel, R., Braley L. and Wiseman, B.(Interviewees). S4:E35 (Podcast). Island IPM: CTAHR Sustainable Pest Management Part 2. 9/24/25. In I See Dead Plants. Crop Protection Network.

In this episode Ed interviews the sustainable pest management lab from the university of Hawaii at Manoa, led by Dr. Koon-Hui Wang. Along with graduate students Roshan Paudel, Lauren Braley and Ben Wiseman they discuss various projects the lab is working on across several different crops.

Additional Resources

How to cite the podcast:

Zaworski, E. (Host) Wang, KH, Paudel, R., Braley L. and Wiseman, B.(Interviewees). S4:E34 (Podcast). Island IPM: CTAHR Sustainable Pest Management Part 1. 9/17/25. In I See Dead Plants. Crop Protection Network.

In this episode Ed is joined by co-host Dr. Travis Faske of University of Arkansas to interview Dr. Tom Allen of Mississippi State University. They discuss curvularia leaf spot of corn, which has recently been showing up in some midwestern states.

Additional Resources

https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/encyclopedia/curvularia-leaf-spot-of-corn

https://plantpathology.ca.uky.edu/files/ppfs-ag-c-09.pdf

How to cite the podcast:

Zaworski, E. and Faske, T. (Hosts) Allen, T. (Interviewee). S4:E32 (Podcast). Wicked Corn Curveball: Insights on Curvularia Leafspot. 9/10/25. In I See Dead Plants. Crop Protection Network.

Transcript

In this episode Ed talks with Dr. Steve Hanson of New Mexico State University. They discuss chile (not chili ) pepper diseases.

Additional Resources

https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/epdf/10.1094/PHP-12-20-0112-BR

https://cpi.nmsu.edu/

How to cite the podcast:

Zaworski, E. (Host) Hanson, S. (Interviewee). S4:E32 (Podcast). Cursed Chiles: An Overview of Chile Pepper Diseases Part 2. 9/3/25. In I See Dead Plants. Crop Protection Network.

Transcript

In this episode Ed talks with Dr. Steve Hanson of New Mexico State University. They discuss chile (not chili ) pepper diseases.

Additional Resources

https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/epdf/10.1094/PHP-12-20-0112-BR

https://cpi.nmsu.edu/

How to cite the podcast:

Zaworski, E. (Host) Hanson, S. (Interviewee). S4:E31 (Podcast). Cursed Chiles: An Overview of Chile Pepper Diseases Part 1. 8/27/25. In I See Dead Plants. Crop Protection Network.

Transcript

In this episode Ed talks with Dr. Lina Quesada-Ocampo of North Carolina State University. They discuss Lina's work with the pathogen Phytophthora capsici and the damage it can do on various vegetable crops.

Additional Resources

https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-phyto-021622-103801

https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/epdf/10.1094/PDIS-02-12-0211-FE

https://veggiepathology.wordpress.ncsu.edu/

How to cite the podcast:

Zaworski, E. (Host) Quesada-Ocampo, L.M.(Interviewee). S4:E30 (Podcast). Drowned in Dread: Phytophthora capsici. 8/20/25. In I See Dead Plants. Crop Protection Network. https://sites.libsyn.com/416264/s4e30-drowned-in-dread-phytophthora-capsici

Transcript

In this episode Ed Interviews Dr. Carrie Harmon of the University of Florida plant diagnostic center. They discuss plant diagnostics, how they have evolved over time and how the National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) unites diagnosticians across the country.

Additional Resources

https://npdn.org/

https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/full/10.1094/PHYTOFR-11-24-0123-FI

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34432509/

https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/epdf/10.1094/PHP-08-20-0074-MR

How to cite the podcast:

Zaworski, E. (Host) Harmon, C. (Interviewee). S4:E29 (Podcast). Symp-tomb Check: Evolving Plant Disease Diagnostics. 8/13/25. In I See Dead Plants. Crop Protection Network. https://sites.libsyn.com/416264/s4e29-symp-tomb-check-evolving-plant-disease-diagnostics

Transcript