David Cooke
@llewelyn68.bsky.social
Plant pathologist (all things oomycete - especially potato late blight); eDNA enthusiast; climber; runner; cyclist; views/opinions my own
Ditto with final talk #AAB_IPPM by @sejarnold.bsky.social NIAB surveying parasitoid wasp diversity on aphids from strawberry crops in Kent. 4 main species found plus hyperparasitoids. eDNA barcoding showed more. Little relationship to local vegetation. Sadly missed rest or risk missing train.
November 12, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Ditto with final talk #AAB_IPPM by @sejarnold.bsky.social NIAB surveying parasitoid wasp diversity on aphids from strawberry crops in Kent. 4 main species found plus hyperparasitoids. eDNA barcoding showed more. Little relationship to local vegetation. Sadly missed rest or risk missing train.
Plus truly gorgeous confocal microscopy images of AA7 accumulation (pink) around the haustoria of hyphae (green) during plant cell infection. @hutton.ac.uk
October 21, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Plus truly gorgeous confocal microscopy images of AA7 accumulation (pink) around the haustoria of hyphae (green) during plant cell infection. @hutton.ac.uk
Woodpecker feast in Fife today
October 18, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Woodpecker feast in Fife today
And the sound when they arrived to roost on River Tay near Dundee. Sound up. Something must have freaked them as skeins all broken up.
Cracking picture BTW
Cracking picture BTW
October 14, 2025 at 9:27 PM
And the sound when they arrived to roost on River Tay near Dundee. Sound up. Something must have freaked them as skeins all broken up.
Cracking picture BTW
Cracking picture BTW
Ian Toth speaking at the www.planthealthcentre.scot annual conference on summary of the years activities. Thanking Gerry Sadler and welcoming David Kenyon as Chief Plant Health Officer for Scotland.
October 7, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Ian Toth speaking at the www.planthealthcentre.scot annual conference on summary of the years activities. Thanking Gerry Sadler and welcoming David Kenyon as Chief Plant Health Officer for Scotland.
Like this May on Skye. Know what you mean. It pays to be prepared.
September 21, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Like this May on Skye. Know what you mean. It pays to be prepared.
It's that #potato harvest time of year again. Wishing the UK industry good yields and, more importantly, decent prices. At least the #lateblight pressure has been generally low in 2025.
September 20, 2025 at 2:37 PM
It's that #potato harvest time of year again. Wishing the UK industry good yields and, more importantly, decent prices. At least the #lateblight pressure has been generally low in 2025.
Excellent presentations today from Ingo Hein (Molecular breeding) and Rob Hancock (Gene editing) at #PotatoesInPractice2025 @hutton.ac.uk the future of potato breeding...
August 7, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Excellent presentations today from Ingo Hein (Molecular breeding) and Rob Hancock (Gene editing) at #PotatoesInPractice2025 @hutton.ac.uk the future of potato breeding...
As I loaded my breakfast with Scottish grown blueberries heard @hutton.ac.uk Susan McCallum on BBCR4 Today singing their praises and encouraging future cropping with our new varieties.
July 29, 2025 at 6:05 AM
As I loaded my breakfast with Scottish grown blueberries heard @hutton.ac.uk Susan McCallum on BBCR4 Today singing their praises and encouraging future cropping with our new varieties.
A very welcome Scottish berry campaign supported by @hutton.ac.uk alongside releases of our blackberry, raspberry and blueberry varieties. Berry berry good.
foodanddrink.scot/our-industry...
foodanddrink.scot/our-industry...
July 25, 2025 at 9:18 AM
A very welcome Scottish berry campaign supported by @hutton.ac.uk alongside releases of our blackberry, raspberry and blueberry varieties. Berry berry good.
foodanddrink.scot/our-industry...
foodanddrink.scot/our-industry...
Pleased to publish a @phytopathology.bsky.social paper with West Bengal State University demonstrating seed tubers as source of #lateblight #phytophthora epidemics in the Indian plains.
apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/epdf/10....
apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/epdf/10....
July 23, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Pleased to publish a @phytopathology.bsky.social paper with West Bengal State University demonstrating seed tubers as source of #lateblight #phytophthora epidemics in the Indian plains.
apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/epdf/10....
apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/epdf/10....
Formatted pdf now available. Over 100 authors from across the world agree to protecting the genus Phytophthora against burdensome and unnecessary taxonomic change apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/...
July 23, 2025 at 9:22 AM
Formatted pdf now available. Over 100 authors from across the world agree to protecting the genus Phytophthora against burdensome and unnecessary taxonomic change apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/...
Interesting to see one of the other insect sampling suction towers. This one at @rothamsted.bsky.social Research
June 3, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Interesting to see one of the other insect sampling suction towers. This one at @rothamsted.bsky.social Research
A @hutton.ac.uk blog shows our contribution to the meeting of the UK Defra 2025 Pesticides National Action Plan to keep Integrated Pest Management at the heart of UK crop production
sefari.scot/blog/2025/05...
sefari.scot/blog/2025/05...
May 29, 2025 at 6:24 AM
A @hutton.ac.uk blog shows our contribution to the meeting of the UK Defra 2025 Pesticides National Action Plan to keep Integrated Pest Management at the heart of UK crop production
sefari.scot/blog/2025/05...
sefari.scot/blog/2025/05...
Great and challenging talk from Prof Bridget Emmett @ukceh.bsky.social on the urgent need to standardise soil sampling metrics. Lack of harmonisation impedes progress.
Day 2 #UKDNAWG25
Day 2 #UKDNAWG25
May 14, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Great and challenging talk from Prof Bridget Emmett @ukceh.bsky.social on the urgent need to standardise soil sampling metrics. Lack of harmonisation impedes progress.
Day 2 #UKDNAWG25
Day 2 #UKDNAWG25
#UKDNAWG25 panel discussion thought provoking end to the day. @ukdnawg.bsky.social
May 13, 2025 at 4:12 PM
#UKDNAWG25 panel discussion thought provoking end to the day. @ukdnawg.bsky.social
Applications of eDNA in forensics and separation of mixed samples presented by Lorna Dawson of @hutton.ac.uk at #UKDNAWG25
May 13, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Applications of eDNA in forensics and separation of mixed samples presented by Lorna Dawson of @hutton.ac.uk at #UKDNAWG25
10th meeting since 2014. Intro by Andy Nisbet @ukdna.bsky.social @ukdnawg.bsky.social summary of progress and goals of linking, engaging, supporting and translating eDNA applications to end users
May 13, 2025 at 9:22 AM
10th meeting since 2014. Intro by Andy Nisbet @ukdna.bsky.social @ukdnawg.bsky.social summary of progress and goals of linking, engaging, supporting and translating eDNA applications to end users
Excited to be at @royalsociety.org for UK DNA Working Group meeting. First up hearing about RS eDNA report from Sarah Giles
May 13, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Excited to be at @royalsociety.org for UK DNA Working Group meeting. First up hearing about RS eDNA report from Sarah Giles
Pleased to see #Phytophthora #lateblight work from @hutton.ac.uk & @au.dk is getting attention in @wiley.com Plant Pathology #TopCitedArticle
This problematic EU43 clonal lineage needs careful management. #Euroblight results for 2024 coming soon
This problematic EU43 clonal lineage needs careful management. #Euroblight results for 2024 coming soon
April 1, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Pleased to see #Phytophthora #lateblight work from @hutton.ac.uk & @au.dk is getting attention in @wiley.com Plant Pathology #TopCitedArticle
This problematic EU43 clonal lineage needs careful management. #Euroblight results for 2024 coming soon
This problematic EU43 clonal lineage needs careful management. #Euroblight results for 2024 coming soon
I know it's traditional to moan about British trains but credit where it's due. @lner.co.uk from Dundee went like clockwork, bang on time & very comfortable. York with it's town walls, Minster and Yorkshire beer always a pleasure.
January 29, 2025 at 3:27 PM
I know it's traditional to moan about British trains but credit where it's due. @lner.co.uk from Dundee went like clockwork, bang on time & very comfortable. York with it's town walls, Minster and Yorkshire beer always a pleasure.