In this episode of The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Jan Leach from Colorado State University shares her research on strategies to make plants resilient to climate change-imposed stress. She discusses how plant disease resistance is shaped by microbial interactions, climate stress, and pathogen adaptation. Dr. Leach also explored her work on rice and how the Russian wheat aphid microbiome influences the insects’ aggressiveness to plants. Tune in now on all major platforms!

"The microbiome of the Russian wheat aphid is essential for its ability to cause symptoms on wheat."

Meet the guest: Dr. Jan Leach is a University Distinguished Professor in Agricultural Biology at Colorado State University, specializing in plant disease resistance and the phytobiome. An internationally recognized plant pathologist, she is the Immediate Past President of the International Society of Plant Pathology and a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society. Dr. Leach earned her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and both her BS and MS from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, with postdoctoral research at East Malling Research in the UK.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:55) Introduction
• (02:18) Pathway to plant pathology
• (05:11) Rice disease resistance
• (13:08) High temperature effects
• (14:36) Russian wheat aphid microbiome
• (21:56) Breeding for microbial resistance
• (23:57) Final three questions

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- KWS

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