Episode description

Pest expert Matthew Gates is back, and this time you're in for a doozy! The boys start the show by discussing a recent infestation in Jordan's garden, of a pest that is seemingly less common in indoor spaces: leaf miner type insect pests. Often confused with thrips damage, these particular pests need to be approached with a totally different strategy, and Jordan shares his non scientific trial of spraying down his plants with an abundant solution of living nematodes. The conversation turns to powdery mildew- which is one of the oldest, most ancient, fast spreading, and adaptable plant pests on planet Earth. Not only do these intelligent species of fungi adapt their genes to resist your attacks as a farmer, but they can mutate and adapt in as little as a few weeks. Also, the fact that PM relies on similar pathways as beneficial fungis like myco, may point to a hint that PM was once a beneficial, who has since gone rogue and turned to the dark side. If it's true, as many mycologists theorize, that fungi can survive space travel, and may have been some of the first life to land on this planet via asteroid, then this enemy your dealing with is a truly ancient, and highly intelligent one.

Timestamps:

GRAND PHENO HUNT ROUND TWO - Who will walk away with $1,000 and the title of Hunt Champion? We've started round two, but there's still time to get in! You have til March 1 to get your seeds wet, find out more at www.growcast.com/hunt 

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