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umnplantpath.bsky.social
UMN Plant Pathology
@umnplantpath.bsky.social
330 followers 230 following 50 posts
University of Minnesota, Department of Plant Pathology: a world leader in the area of plant health. plpa.cfans.umn.edu
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umnplantpath.bsky.social
We can't resist celebrating Witches' Cauldrons in spooky season, even though this unique little cup fungus appears in spring when the snow melts. Read Bob Blanchette and Nick Rajtar in FUNGI on Witches' Cauldrons: fungimag.com/v18i1/v18i1-...
Nick points to witches cauldron fungus growing off moss on decaying spruce two witches cauldron fungus with water inside witches cauldron fungus from the side, filled with water
October 31, 2025 at 3:30 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
If you've found a Stinkhorn Mushroom in the wild before, did you see it or smell it first? 🍄 These funky fungi can be found in lawns or mulch as well as in the wild near wood decay. extension.umn.edu/lawn-care/co... #mycology #fungifriends #fungi
September 17, 2025 at 7:38 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Having an unBEETable time today at #PlantHealth2025 with UMN’s Chanda Lab @beetpath.bsky.social — Ashok and Austin brought excellent research on sugarbeet health @plantdisease.bsky.social
Ashok points to and describes a graph on a research poster (contents of graph not visible at this scale) Austin presents from a podium
August 5, 2025 at 5:00 AM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
As #planthealth2025 starts, just wanted to share some fungi we’ve seen in and near Honolulu! #mycology #fungifriends @plantdisease.bsky.social
Shelf fungus on tree stump Orange fungus on downed log Small conks on living tree trunk Fungi on living tree trunk
August 3, 2025 at 8:13 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Heading to Honolulu next week? Come find us at APS Plant Health: plpa.cfans.umn.edu/news/planthe... @plantdisease.bsky.social
hibiscus flower with label (umn at plant health 2025)
July 25, 2025 at 7:59 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Miss seeing elm trees in Minnesota's metros? Research into resistance and resilience in elm is working to bring them back: mitppc.umn.edu/news/revivin...
green elm leaves
July 16, 2025 at 8:00 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Everyone welcome Dr Ashok Chanda, UMN-PLPA Extension faculty and beet health researcher extraordinaire, to Bluesky! 🦋 @beetpath.bsky.social
Ashok Chanda in a field of beet plants in a UMN polo holding up a beet plant
July 15, 2025 at 4:29 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Charmed by coral crowns 👑 Crown-tipped coral fungus, or Artomyces pyxidatus, has tiny, jiggly arms topped with cute "crowns" #fungifriends #mycology
Crown tipped coral in a hand Crown tipped coral fungus on a piece of paper reading "Artomyces pyxidatus, Crown tipped coral fungus, edible, look closely at the tips to see the crown-like shape"
July 7, 2025 at 7:22 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Professor Linda Kinkel has been selected as a World Food Prize Top Agri-Food Pioneer! 🌱 Kinkel's work at Jord BioScience harnesses the strengths of microbial diversity as a sustainable agriculture solution.
June 24, 2025 at 5:22 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Celebrating PI Megan McCaghey and grad student Jasper Tao, who won the Lafayette Frederick Diversity in Mentoring Award! @plantdisease.bsky.social @mnsoilfungi.bsky.social
Megan McCaghey and Jasper Tao on a tractor in a field
June 10, 2025 at 2:53 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Looking for a Postdoctoral Research role in plant health? Apply to join the Ranjan Lab at UMN-PLPA:

UMN Internal: hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/int/367704
External: hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/367704
Ashish Ranjan's hands holding potato leaves with text Plant Pathology Career Opportunity: Postdoctoral Researcher, Ranjan Lab UMN Job #367704
April 24, 2025 at 10:05 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Bacterial Leaf Streak Meeting 2025 is over! Thank you so much to the organizers, attendees, presenters, staff, and volunteers who made it a success!
BLS Meeting committee left to right: Andy Read, Thomas Baldwin, Robyn Roberts, Jonathan Jacobs, Rebecca Curland, Liz Brauer, Gazala Ameen Gazala presents to a full room Mug that says "I delivered an outstanding talk at the 4th Annual Bacterial Leaf Streak Initiative Conferene in Saint Paul Minnesota 2025" photo of all BLS researchers, shot from above, all smiling with hands up
April 11, 2025 at 5:41 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
The 2025 Bacterial Leaf Streak Initiative Meeting has already led to so much learning and synergy, and we're only halfway through! Thank you to our visiting colleagues from Ohio State, @ndsuplantpathology.bsky.social, @sdstate.bsky.social, Colorado State, USDA, Manitoba, and INIA Uruguay 🌾
Around 40 researchers stand in the lobby of UMN Cargill Hall in front of a large window and large agave plant. Yoonjung Lee presents a slide on barley disease resistance evaluations. Organizers Jonathan and Rebecca pose with attendees Felipe and Lucia, all holding their traditional Uruguayan maté cups with bombilla straws
April 10, 2025 at 7:55 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Welcoming Assistant Professor Megan McCaghey and her Soilborne Fungi and Oomycetes Lab team to Bluesky! 🦋 Follow the lab for updates: @mnsoilfungi.bsky.social
Group photo in the UMN conservatory of McCaghey lab, from left to right: Linnea, Hsuan Fu, Peter, Megan, Kat, Suma, Hunter, Jasper
April 9, 2025 at 7:23 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
From Petri dish to main dish 🍽️

Students in "Diseases of Forest and Shade Trees" (taught by @forestmycology.bsky.social) get to grow and harvest their own culinary mushrooms. An educational treat!

#mycology #fungifriends #umnproud
Culture dish labeled "annie pink oysters" with white fungus growing inside pink and white oyster mushrooms peek out of large plastic bags oyster mushrooms cooking in a frying pan
April 1, 2025 at 7:52 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
It's what's on the inside that counts! Unfortunately for this aspen sample, what's on the inside is Phellinus tremulae, also known as white trunk rot of aspen. Sample from @forestmycology.bsky.social #fungifriends #mycology
halved piece of aspen wood with visible rotten wood inside the trunk two rotting pieces of aspen wood with sign reading "phellinus tremulae: white trunk rot of aspen. a parasitic fungus that is one of the most damaging fungi on aspen"
March 18, 2025 at 7:45 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
This #FungiFriday, let's look at a hefty Agarikon (Laricifomes officinalis). This wood-decaying conk is sometimes known as "bread of ghosts"! #fungifriends @forestmycology.bsky.social
Agarikon fungus on a table on a piece of paper that says "Agarikon, Laricifomes officinalis, This rare fungus was salvaged from a logging operation. Agarikon has a long history of use as a traditional medicine by the Indigenous People of the Pacific Northeast Coast of N America" Large agarikon fungus about 3 times the size of the hand holding it, growing off a piece of a log
February 28, 2025 at 9:51 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Dreaming about finding Huitlacoche (corn smut) in the summer even though it's 3 degrees Farenheit on campus today ❄️ #fungifriends
ear of corn with large grey fungal growths emerging from it, held in a person's hand ear of corn with corn smut on a piece of paper reading "corn smut (huitlacoche) caused by Mycosarcoma maydis. Edible and considered a delicacy"
February 12, 2025 at 5:12 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
White Jelly Fungus! Found on decaying logs at a local park last summer (left) and displayed on campus (right). #fungifriends
white jelly fungus on a wet decaying log on the ground dish containing white jelly fungus, sitting on a white piece of paper reading "white jelly fungus ductifera pululchuana"
February 6, 2025 at 3:49 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Happy Lunar New Year! 🧧 @forestmycology.bsky.social found us these celebratory Reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma)
A large and small reishi mushroom on the Stakman Table with a paper saying it's Lunar New Year A large reishi mushroom on the Stakman Table A small reishi mushroom on the Stakman Table
January 29, 2025 at 10:42 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Wood Ear mushrooms spotted in Costa Rica by a department member on vacation. Does anyone else here always look for fungi while traveling and/or hiking? 🙋‍♀️
Wood Ear mushroom growing off a tree stump Several Wood Ear mushrooms growing off a log on the ground
January 27, 2025 at 5:30 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Fungal wonders of the day: Witches Butter (Dacrymyces chrysospermus) and Jelly Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae)
Witches Butter (Dacrymyces chrysospermus) and Jelly Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae) Witches Butter (Dacrymyces chrysospermus) Jelly Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae)
January 9, 2025 at 5:08 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Plant Pathology Wrapped 2024: As the semester comes to an end, we're glad to have spent it researching and learning with great students, faculty, and staff!
Spotify Wrapped template listing our most read website stories (remembering Neil Anderson, protecting MN wild rice, retirement of Ben Lockhart, APS Plant Health 2024 and Alumni Voices Eric Nazareno) and top streamed YouTube videos (my plant path becca hall, verticillium wilt Ashish Ranjan, My Plant Path Oadi Matny, My Plant Path Jose Solorzano, and UMN PLPA Video Tour) You Spent 2000 hours counting spores under a microscope: you were in the top 0.005% of mycology nerds globally You and the PCR machine spent 971 minutes together. You overachiever!
December 5, 2024 at 5:03 PM
umnplantpath.bsky.social
Spreading like a rust onto this new platform—we're happy to be here, Bluesky!
Buckthorn plant with rust fungus on leaves wheat plant with rust fungus on leaves rust fungus on a leaf
November 27, 2024 at 8:09 PM