Thinking of supervising a student this summer? BSPP Vacation Bursaries = flexible projects + great student engagement 🌱 Deadline for proposals: 13 Feb www.bspp.org.uk/funds/vacati...

BSPP MSc/MRes Bursary, up to £4,000 to support postgraduate study in plant pathology. www.bspp.org.uk/funds/mscmres/ #PlantPathology #PostgradFunding #BSPP

BSPP Best Student Paper Prizes 2025 Plant Pathology: William J. W. Thomas, first genetic insights into resistance to white leaf spot in canola. Molecular Plant Pathology: Corrie V. Vincent, definitive evidence that concanamycins drive virulence in potato common scab. www.bspp.org.uk/369937-2/

Supervisors: BSPP’s Undergraduate Vacation Bursary is open for project proposals! Lab, field or remote projects welcome. Deadline: 13 Feb 2026 www.bspp.org.uk/funds/vacati...

Undertaking an MSc, MRes or MPhil in a plant pathology-related field? BSPP bursaries of up to £4,000 open on 3 February. www.bspp.org.uk/funds/mscmres/

Supervisor applications now open! Propose a project for the BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary and mentor an undergraduate researcher in plant pathology this summer. 🔗 www.bspp.org.uk/funds/underg... #PlantPathology #StudentFunding #BSPP #UndergradResearch

We’re delighted to welcome Prof. Saskia Hogenhout as the new BSPP President, whose pioneering research on plant-microbe-insect interactions is transforming our understanding of pathogen transmission and plant health. More about her work @johninnescentre.bsky.social www.jic.ac.uk/people/saski...

BSPP Presidential transition! A huge thank you to Prof. Matthew Dickinson, completing his term as BSPP President after decades of service (including 97 Board meetings!) His leadership has profoundly shaped the Society in numerous ways.

The UK has officially eradicated the Colorado potato beetle after two years of surveillance and control following its detection in Kent. A big win for UK plant health and biosecurity. More info: www.gov.uk/government/n...

Don't miss our #PlantHealth Series webinar: Cross-Sector Innovation in Microbiome-Based Protection Learn about sustainable crop protection, microbial solutions, and alternatives to conventional pesticides and fungicides. 📆 Tues 3 Feb, 14:00-15:00 Find out more: my.rsb.org.uk/item.php?eve...

Supervisors! Project proposals for the UG Vacation Bursary Scheme open on 5th January 2026. Submit your summer research project ideas and help support the next generation of plant pathologists. Opens: 5 Jan Deadline: 12 Feb www.bspp.org.uk/funds/vacati...

First report of Hoya tobamovirus 2 in Australia, detected across multiple Hoya species and confirmed via sequencing & RT-PCR. doi.org/10.1002/ndr2...

New NDR report: Diplodia seriata & Dothiorella viticola confirmed as causes of citrus dieback in Morocco through morphology, ITS sequencing and pathogenicity tests. doi.org/10.1002/ndr2... #PlantHealth #Citrus

First report: Meloidogyne javanica confirmed on Acalypha indica in Thailand, supported by morphology, PCR and pathogenicity tests. doi.org/10.1002/ndr2... #PlantHealth

New BSPP report: Ceratobasidium niltonsouzanum confirmed causing thread blight on coffee in Peru, supported by morphology, ITS sequencing and pathogenicity tests. doi.org/10.1002/ndr2... #PlantPathology #Coffee

This #NationalTreeWeek, we’re celebrating trees, and the science that protects them from diseases like ash dieback. Plant, protect, and plan for healthy forests! treecouncil.org.uk/seasonal-cam...

The RSB Plant Health Professional Development Award recognises professionals committed to protecting crops & ecosystems through high standards in biosecurity and plant science.

New BSPP blog: The search for black rot-resistant brassicas Researchers uncover promising genetic resistance to one of the most damaging brassica diseases, a key step toward sustainable crop protection. www.bspp.org.uk/the-search-f...

Delighted to share that James Brown has been awarded BSPP Honorary Membership 2025! A career spanning pioneering pathogen genetics, major advances in wheat disease resistance, and work to protect UK trees from ash dieback and Dutch elm disease. bsppjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Working in plant health and want showcase your achievements? Then why not apply for our new Plant Health Professional Development Award! Visit the award webpage to find out more: www.rsb.org.uk/plant-health... #PlantHealth

Call for PPATH 2026 Session/Workshop Proposals! Norwich | 8–11 Sept 2026 We’re looking for exciting themed sessions, including techniques, pathogens, crops, AI, surveillance, and resistance - anything related to plant pathology! www.bspp.org.uk/plant-pathol...

The FungiDB/VEuPathDB & Ensembl partnership is expanding resources for fungal & oomycete plant pathogen research, and they want community input. Help prioritise genomes, datasets & research tools: 👉 Take the survey: qualtricsxmpy46tq866.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Want good Bioinformatics resources for Phytopathogens? Plant pathology community at @bspp.bsky.social and @britmycolsoc.org.uk please take the time to complete the Phytopathogen Genomics Resources Survey:- 🔗 zurl.co/gKjC1 Your input is important for FungiDB/@veupathdb.org & Ensembl @ebi.embl.org.

When heat waves hit, citrus viruses throw a party! Rising temperatures supercharge citrus yellow mosaic virus, turning off the plant’s defences, allowing the virus to take over. But there’s hope: boosting “superhero genes” could help grow heat-resistant citrus trees. www.bspp.org.uk/when-heat-wa...

Student vlog: BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary Emily Snaddon talks about her time as a BSPP summer bursary student, asking: Does Zymoseptoria tritici hijack host hormone signalling? See her vlog here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-scN... #BSPP #PlantPathology #StudentVlog

BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary vlog Clementine Brannigan shares her bursary experience investigating how leaf surface properties influence microbial populations in the barley phyllosphere. Watch her vlog: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiH_... #BSPP #Microbiology #StudentResearch

BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary vlog What’s it like to be a summer bursary student? Grace Brookman takes us inside her project on Rhizoctonia cerealis, its prevalence, history, and fungicide sensitivity. Watch Grace’s story: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl7j... #BSPP #PlantPathology

Student vlog: BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary Lowri Wigley shares her summer research experience investigating the role of helitrons in the emergence of novel Fusarium oxysporum isolates. See her bursary journey here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w6R... #BSPP #StudentResearch #PlantHealth

Student vlog: BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary Edward Holtom reflects on his time as a BSPP summer bursary student, working on membrane trafficking of plant immune receptors. Discover his experience here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AgP... #BSPP #PlantPathology

BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary vlog: Lidija Basic reflects on her summer project, which explored how a unique iron acquisition system impacts the virulence of Pectobacterium atrosepticum. Watch her experience as a BSPP bursary student www.bspp.org.uk/funds/bspp-u... #BSPP #PlantPathology

Future plant pathologists in action! Our 2025 Summer Student Symposium showcased projects from undergraduates funded by the BSPP Undergraduate Vacation Bursary — from lab pathogens to AI & modelling. Read more: www.bspp.org.uk/summer-stude... #PlantPathology #BSPP

🎉 Congrats to our #PPATH2025 winners! 🏆 Athira Menon – Poster: RNA-binding proteins in plant immunity 🏆 Vanja Milenkovic – Talk: Drought & disease in Acute Oak Decline Inspiring plant pathology research! 🌱

We close with the RKS Wood Prize lecture from Prof Paul Birch on RXLR effectors, twenty years of discovery distilled into one talk.

Helen Cockerton explores host and tissue specific interactions in powdery mildew of hops, apples & strawberries. Genomics, QTL mapping & RNA-seq reveal resistance mechanisms, guiding disease management & breeding for resilient crops. #PPATH2025 #PlantPathology #PowderyMildew @kent.ac.uk

To control or not to control Botrytis, that is the question. Jan van Kan talks Botrytis, current controls, novel approach using mycoviruses and breeding to disable susceptibility genes. @w-u-r.bsky.social

AI in Agriculture: John Doonan showcases how high-throughput phenotyping and AI help decode crop stress responses, from drought to heat, linking traits to genetics and metabolism for resilient, climate-ready crops. #PPATH2025

Lamya Majeed explores how BABA-induced resistance creates long-lasting immunity in tomato via epigenetic and developmental mechanisms. Understanding these molecular pathways could transform sustainable crop protection. #PPATH2025 #PlantPathology

Diana Vinchira-Villarraga is discussing the battle between Oak and AOD-associated pathogens. Looking at the Metabolic Responses to Host-Derived Compounds. #PPATH2025

Srikanth Rupavatharam shows how AI is reaching farmers at the frontlines of crop protection at #PPATH2025. Tools like AgriLLM, Plantix & Plant Health Detector deliver real-time diagnoses and crop advice, helping smallholders tackle pests & diseases. #PlantPathology #AIinAg

Can Pseudomonas spp. Biocontrols help us to tackle Kiwi Canker? Isabella Frost is finding out! #PPATH2025

Our President Elect, Saskia Hogenhout, discusses her lab's work on aphid effectors, which are secreted during feeding and suppress plant immunity by recruiting defence proteins to processing bodies. #PPATH2025

The Induced Resistance and IPM parallel session kicks off with Hans Hoenicka from Germany, who talks about Alternative Approaches for Resistance Induction in Forest Tree Species, focusing on Ash Dieback and Dutch Elm Disease.

Kicking off the AI session at #PPATH2025! Adam Kleczkowski highlight how AI, ML & LLMs are transforming plant health research, turning decades of progress into years, but also raising new challenges. #PlantPathology #AI

End of Day2 #PPATH2025 dinner! Connecting with colleagues ahead of tomorrow's jam-packed programme: AI in Plant Health; farmer-level applications, 3D disease detection, leaf scale disease modelling, Induced Resistance & IPM and more!

It’s time for the P. H. Gregory session at #PPATH2025! Postgraduate students present cutting-edge research on plant pathology, from cereal rust surveillance to Fusarium and Botrytis interactions. The winner will be awarded the P. H. Gregory Prize, recognising excellence in presentations since 1991

Ziyue Zeng (Tracy) is using bacterial canker on Cherry to look at cross-habitat threats to agricultural crops and wild plants, and the importance of covering trees to prevent pathogen spread!

Apple canker is threatening our apple orchards! Matevz Papp-Rupar investigates how the apple microbiome influences susceptibility to Neonectria ditissima, offering new perspectives for managing apple canker #PPATH2025 @niab-uk.bsky.social

Ronnie de Jonge explores how root microbiomes assemble in Arabidopsis, Barley, and Lotus, identifying a functional backbone of plant-associated bacteria that could guide sustainable microbiome engineering. #PPATH2025

We are delighted to announce that Professor Nick Talbot, Executive Director of The Sainsbury Laboratory, has been awarded the BSPP RKS Wood Prize. He will deliver his prize lecture at #PPATH2026. Read more: www.bspp.org.uk/bspp-2026-rk... @thesainsburylab.bsky.social @TheSainsburyLab

Jens Tilsner shows how viral RNAs can be visualised in vivo, even inside plasmodesmata, revealing new insights into viral replication and transport. Work funded by the BSPP Small Project Fund. #PPATH2025