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Plantopia: Daily Summaries Delivered
by The American Phytopathological Society (APS)
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.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 1 weeks ago55 min
The Doctor who chose plant health over human medicine
In this episode, Dr. Melanie Medina López, postdoctoral researcher in the Roman-Reyna Lab in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology at Penn State University, joins host Matt Kasson to discuss phytobiomes, soybean cyst nematode, and biocontrol. She also discusses growing up in Puerto Rico, her time working on vaccine development, and her love of science. *Show Notes * Dr. Melanie Medina López PSU profile: https://plantpath.psu.edu/directory/mkm6528 Dr. Melanie Medina López google scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=tegwxa8AAAAJ&hl=en This episode is produced by Association Briefings. Special Guest: Melanie Medina López.
- Apr 30, 202642 min
Searching for Plantopia's New Host / Co-Host
In this episode, former Plantopia host, Jim Bradeen, joins host Matt Kasson to discuss the origins and current state of APS's Plant Health podcast. In addition to providing a behind the scenes look of putting together a single episode, they also discuss some of their favorite memories and where they see the podcast headed as the search for a new host / co-host gets underway. *show notes * Featured episodes Going Viral: https://www.plantopiapodcast.org/64 Plant Pathology 101: https://www.plantopiapodcast.org/47 Of Peeps and People…and Plant Pathology: https://www.plantopiapodcast.org/25 Arms Race Part 1: Ug99: https://www.plantopiapodcast.org/1 This episode is produced by Association Briefings. Special Guest: Jim Bradeen.
- Mar 30, 202648 min
Lobbying for Plant Health: A conversation with D.C. lobbyist Madeline Wade
In this episode, D.C. lobbyist Madeline Wade, M.P.P., partner and founder of Brumidi Group, joins host Matt Kasson to discuss all things lobbying including her firm’s role in working on behalf of APS to advance their policy priorities and implement meaningful policy actions. She also discusses her time on The Hill working under U.S. Representative Greg Walden, navigating the crowded D.C. political ecosystem, and the role of social media and its influence on political discourse. *Show Notes * Madeline Wade’s Brumidi Group profile: https://www.brumidigroup.com/madeline-wade Madeline Wade’s Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeline-wade-a2419639 This episode is produced by Association Briefings. Special Guest: Madeline Wade.
- Feb 27, 202656 min
A Conversation With Four Clinic Directors Behind The National Plant Diagnostic Network
In this episode, Dr. Carrie Harmon (University of Florida), Dr. Matt Bertone (North Carolina State University), Dr. Alicyn Smart (University of Maine), and Dr. Peng Tian (University of Missouri) join host Matt Kasson to discuss the history and importance of National Plant Diagnostic Network, their various roles in the NPDN and the regional diagnostic networks, and their responsibilities as Directors of their University’s Plant Disease and Pest Diagnostic Clinics. They also discuss some of the misconceptions of diagnostics and share some of the craziest samples they’ve encountered. *Show Notes * NPDN Website: https://www.npdn.org/ Dr. Carrie Harmon’s University profile: https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/people/faculty-pages/carrie-harmon/ UF/IFAS Plant Diagnostic Center: https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/plant-diagnostic-center/ Dr. Matt Bertone’s University profile: https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/profile/matt-bertone/ NC State Plant Disease and Insect Clinic: https://pdic.ces.ncsu.edu/ Dr. Alicyn Smart’s University profile: https://extension.umaine.edu/about/staff-directory/alicyn-smart/ The University of Maine Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab: https://extension.umaine.edu/ipm/plant-disease/ Dr. Peng Tian’s University profile: https://cafnr.missouri.edu/directory/peng-tian-phd/ University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic: https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/plant-diagnostic-clinic This episode is produced by Association Briefings. Special Guests: Peng Tian, Alicyn Smart, Carrie Harmon, and Matt Bertone.
- Jan 29, 202646 min
Field of Dreams: Plant Pathology in the Corn State
In this episode, Dr. Alejandro Olmedo-Velarde, Assistant Professor of Host-Microbe Interactions in the Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa joins host Matt Kasson to discuss his lab’s research program on multi-trophic interactions in vector-borne diseases in corn, soybean, and other crops. He also discusses growing up in Ecuador, his time working on numerous tropical plant viruses in Hawaii and transitioning to working with fastidious prokaryotes and diverse disease vectors. *show notes * Dr. Olmedo-Velarde’s Iowa State University profile: https://www.ppem.iastate.edu/people/alejandro-olmedo-velarde Dr. Olmedo-Velarde's lab website: https://faculty.sites.iastate.edu/aolmedov/ Dr. Olmedo-Velarde’s google scholar page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=rBzKiKQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao This episode is produced by Association Briefings. Special Guest: Alejandro Olmedo-Velarde.
- Dec 22, 202551 min
The Accidental Plant Pathologist That Stayed
In this episode, Dr. Tiffany Lowe-Power, Associate Professor Plant Pathology at the University of California, Davis joins host Matt Kasson to discuss her lab’s research program on Ralstonia, her NSF CAREER Award, and her cohort based undergraduate research experience (CURE) focused on integrating the next generation of novel investigations of toxin ecology and evolution (IGNITE) in Ralstonia. She also discusses the importance of good mentorship and navigating academia with a unique phenotype. Show Notes Dr. Lowe-Power’s UC Davis profile: https://plantpathology.ucdavis.edu/people/tiffany-lowe-power Dr. Lowe-Power’s lab website: http://lowepowerlab.ucdavis.edu/ Dr. Lowe-Power’s google scholar page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=aMxz2moAAAAJ&hl=en This episode is produced by Association Briefings.Special Guest: Tiffany Lowe-Power.
- Nov 24, 202554 min
Standing Sentry for Sweetpotato and Squash
In this episode, Dr. Lina Quesada, William Neil Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Vegetable Pathology at North Carolina State University joins host Matt Kasson to discuss her lab’s research program on downy mildews and sweet potato diseases. She also discusses her love of extension and how she connects her basic science research with growers’ needs. *Show Notes * Dr. Quesada’s NC State University profile: https://cals.ncsu.edu/entomology-and-plant-pathology/people/lmquesad/ Dr. Quesada’s google scholar page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=im2J9VIAAAAJ 2023 APS Syngenta Award write-up: https://www.apsnet.org/members/give-awards/awards/Syngenta/Pages/2023-Syngenta_Quesada.aspx This episode is produced by Association Briefings.Special Guest: Lina Quesada.
- Oct 29, 202541 min
Vampire Plants, Witchweeds, and Other Sinister Parasitic Plants
In this episode, Dr. Jim Westwood, Professor of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University joins host Matt Kasson to discuss parasitic plants and his lab’s work on their novel structures and mechanisms for information exchange with their hosts. He also discusses his time in the Peace Corps in Mauritania and as a Fulbright Scholar in France along with management strategies used against parasitic plants both in the U.S. and abroad. Show Notes Dr. Westwood’s Virginia Tech profile: https://spes.vt.edu/faculty-staff/faculty/westwood-james.html Dr. Westwood’s lab website: https://spes.vt.edu/faculty-staff/faculty/westwood-james/westwood-lab.html Dr. Westwood’s google scholar page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=_Q1dozYAAAAJ&hl=en Virginia Tech write-up on Dr. Westwood’s NSF Plant Genome Grant using parasitic plants to edit host plant genomes: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/12/parasitic-weeds-tool-for-altering-plant-genomics-collaboration-nsf.html This episode is produced by Association Briefings.Special Guest: Jim Westwood.
About Plantopia
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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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's Plantopia daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Plantopia as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the Plantopia podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official Plantopia product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by The American Phytopathological Society (APS).
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How often does Plantopia release new episodes?
Plantopia publishes monthly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does Plantopia cover?
Plantopia covers topics including Science, Life Sciences, Earth Sciences. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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