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David Cooke

@llewelyn68.bsky.social
204 followers 233 following 181 posts

Plant pathologist (all things oomycete - especially potato late blight); eDNA enthusiast; climber; runner; cyclist; views/opinions my own

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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 13h
Cracking views, but where is the bloke in the welsh rugby kit?🙂🙂
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Neil Gow @neil-gow.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
Join Mark Ramsdale and myself on a webinar “”Fungi: beyond the world we know” on October 29th. Registration Link: forms.gle/Kmg8hmvCqH1D... @mrccmm.bsky.social @youngecmm.bsky.social @youngisham.bsky.social @ishamycology.bsky.social @bsmm-meeting.bsky.social
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Reposted by David Cooke
James Emerson @norwichbirder.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Does anyone happen to recognise this white fungus on the underside of Bramble (Rubus fruiticosus agg.) leaves? I've not been able to find any particularly helpful structures, but wondered if it was a mycoparasite on one of the Rubus rusts?
Underside of a bramble leaf with lots of slightly spiky white blobs.A microscope view of the white blobs.A microscope image showing clumps of structures but not obvious spores or conidia.
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
UK #potato harvest time again. My 2025 photo of Meikelour Farms team at work in a crop of Elland with resistance to PCN G. pallida. Working on potato #lateblight #fightagainstblight reporting now for autumn presentations.
Potato harvesting - front profile of tractor and trailer and self propelled harvester approaching crest of hill and unloading tubers into boxes
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
And some flowering on the roadside in #Corfu #wildflower
Cyclamen flowers
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Sounds like he did a grand job of bringing that remarkable story to a new audience. A great Nature paper with Clive Brasier stemmed from that #kitchentablescience #phytophthora
a.new
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Steven Sheil @scsheil.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
This is my wife's new documentary film, about the fight to discover the truth behind the marine life die-offs in Teesside - would appreciate a repost so that we can make sure the film gets seen.
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Seems a nice idea but biosecurity wise that's not wise.
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
A fine collection. Just watch out for them amplifying any potato blight! Probably not much inoculum down your way though?
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Cardinal sin!
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Well done Vanessa Charles on completing her 682 mile cycle from Inverness to Norfolk in support of two excellent hospices that supported her husband's and mother's final phase in life. With more pressure than ever on hospice places this is an great cause. gvwhl.com/UOCCG
gvwhl.com
Ness to Norfolk Cycle Challenge 2026
I'm fundraising for two hospices in memory of two wonderful people -  my husband Martin, who died from brain cancer in 2024, and my mum, Marianne, who als…
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Any feedback @metoffice.gov.uk
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Agreed. I have filled in the questionnaire many times to no avail, it seems. I also sail and want to see average wind speed and gusts. New design hides that detail very effectively!🙃
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Was excellent but tough viewing
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
pip.hutton.ac.uk/seminars Final session on policy, trade and growth in the potato sector by Alex Godfrey, GB Potatoes then Gerard Croft, British Potato Trade Association
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Diolch
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Followed by by expert panel chaired by Andy Steven Agrovista discussing the increasing challenge of virus in potato
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Potatoes in Practice 2026. Excellent seminar series. First up Kerry Leslie SAC Consulting and James Price @hutton.ac.uk illuminating us on benefits from Scottish Government project on PCN management.
Kerry Leslie SAC Consulting speaking at PIP eventJames Price from James Hutton Institute speaking on PCN Action success
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Views north from Beinn Chabhair yesterday. A cracking day. Followed hydro track up between this and An Caisteal as a means of avoiding the bog.
Mountain views. Blue skies!
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Ta. Low, but fortunately not quite as low as I feared. Barges still moving...
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Ah Kölsch. Sehr lecker. Enjoying your Germany tour - thank you. Any photos of very low Rhine? Heard another WWII bomb appeared.
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Graeme Beale @midfyffe.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Scottish Government is #hiring #social #researchers. B2 is our entry level grade, for masters or PhD with an interest in applied social research. 2x 4yr posts initially, but with a reserve list. Apply by 20/08/2026 Pls share to folks! fa-evxn-saasfaukgovprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
fa-evxn-saasfaukgovprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com
Social Researcher
Want to help shape Scotland’s Census, informing the decisions that improve public services and capture the story of Scotland for generations to come?
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
On balance though, the BBC 10 o'clock news reported the story plus the criticism from ex RN guy and French Ministry. Also reported new twist in timings of the £5M donation. Don't think Reform came out on top!
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Same kind of person who leaves it there for 'someone else' to tidy up I suppose. 🤬
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Did see this one though
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Good to hear you on Radio 4 again this morning. When a wasp visits your table, fill in that survey folks. I have seen fewer than normal in my Dundee garden
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Welcome sight here in Dundee too. 7mm on Sunday, 3mm yesterday. Actually enjoyed the very wet cycle to work this morning!
View from office window. Trees, barley field, slightly brown lawn and clouds into distance over Sidlaw hills north of Dundee
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Yes indeed. As a member of generation 'The Goodies' I was very sorry to hear this news today. Remember them on the trandem in ladies welsh national costume with 'Cycle Caerphilly' signs.
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Avocado #Phytophthora that spreads as triploid clones. Prompts questions on advantages of increased ploidy Hoyt BK et al (2026) Phylogenomic analysis of P. cinnamomi from avocado in the US reveals links to the two A2 panglobal clonal lineages. Front. Plant Sci. 17:1870818. doi.org/10.3389/fpls...
doi.org
Frontiers | Phylogenomic analysis of Phytophthora cinnamomi collected from avocado in the United States reveals links to the two A2 panglobal clonal lineages
Phytophthora cinnamomi, the causal agent of phytophthora root rot (PRR), is one of the most destructive pathogens affecting avocados worldwide. Recent global...
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Even better when looking for the way to walk to site there are personalised signposts😀
Sign post to various roads including Cooke Walk
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Sorry forgot Alt text. Image shows a group of potato experts in hivis vests in a field trial
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Welcome cloud cover for the #CUPGRA members day tour of potato trials at @niab-uk.bsky.social site near Cambridge. I will give an update on Fight against blight later today.
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
This is really important. Good intentions can have terrible consequences if good nursery practices are not followed.
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Marília Horta Jung 🇵🇹🇪🇺🇨🇿🇺🇦 @phytophthorarc.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
#PolicyBrief “Successful Ecosystem Restoration through Biosecure Nursery Production” @biodiversa.eu @epponews.bsky.social @efsa-plants.bsky.social @iufro.bsky.social @ipsn-bgci.bsky.social #PlantPathogens #PlantBiosecurity #Oomycetes #NatureRestoration #Forestry #Horticulture #PlantNurseries
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Status of #Phytophthora infestans populations in Europe updated. Helping late blight IPM on potato crops. Sunshine may be a good fungicide but I imagine many thirsty crops about. @hutton.ac.uk EuroBlight final data release, 2025 share.google/PhwBZllqrWdE...
share.google
EuroBlight final data release, 2025
EuroBlight announce the final results of 2025 monitoring – despite the low blight pressure 2025 season over 1700 samples from 27 countries across Europe were genotyped.
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Angus wheat, beans, barley and potato crops looking good in July. Near Kirriemuir.
Meams farm Angus, Scotland with bean, barley and potato crops in foreground. July 2026
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Thanks to @swog1.bsky.social for recommendation. Visited @rspb.bsky.social Loch of Kinnordy last w/e. From first hide saw the osprey hunting and a sedge warbler.. well... warbling. Cracking heathland ridge walk to north too.
sedge warbler in full songosprey hunting in reedsosprey hunting overview of Loch of Kinnordy nature reserve from Culhawk Hill nearby
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
We could smell the smoke and see the haze in Dundee this morning. Thanks for all you do to protect the landscape. Let's hope walkers are sensible...
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Today the world of #Phytophthora and #lateblight #potato science wishes Dr Didier Andrivon from #INRAE 'bon voyage' in his retirement from the lab. His contributions to the field & #euroblight have been significant leaving a hole tough to fill. Thank you Didier. agro.au.dk/forskning/in...
agro.au.dk
Didier Andrivon is retiring and wish you all the best
Regarded as one of the leading "dinosaurs" and foremost experts on Phytophthora infestans, his 30-year academic career has profoundly advanced our understanding of the pathogen's epidemiology, evoluti...
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Wikipedia is 25! If you use it all the time and want to protect a future where knowledge is human-made, join me and donate now: donate.wikipedia25.org #Wikipedia25 Virtue signalling - but don't care! Please donate & contribute via editing. I just updated the page on Phytophthora infestans.
donate.wikipedia25.org
Make your donation now - Wikimedia Foundation
Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia and other crucial free knowledge projects. Each year, the generosity of the 2% of readers who donate allows us to expand the reac...
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Truly scary that Emerald Ash Borer has moved to eastern Hungary from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Major threat to ash that's already suffering from fungal Ash Dieback. We all need to be vigilant and remember 'Don't risk it!' when crossing borders this holiday season. gd.eppo.int/reporting/ar...
image of Emerald ash borer by Alexander Petrov - courtesy of EPPO site. Imagery showing a suitcase with pests and pathogens emerging from the  public campaign to prevent carriage of threats across borders
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
A gentle breeze and sunshine perfect midge repellent - for now!
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Verdant view from tent. Rest day today. Swim in loch and Allt Mhuic butterfly reserve. Lived in house called Yr Allt in Wales. Celtic connections. I understood allt to mean small stream in steep wooded valley. All in just 4 letters. That's economy of language🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Used every photon on that longest day. After viewless Sgurr nan coireachan the ridge over Sgurr mor and Gairich got better and better. 20:30 summit vid. A lot of up and down on ridge walk ended with tired bog floundering. Happy for company of snipe dunlin and golden plover!
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Wow awesome photography
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Not sure support from RestoreTrust helps your case much TBH. It is simple enough to not use the quick vote. Are you a Robin Hood or simply a disruptor? A quick perusal of Companies House and that RestoreTrust plug suggests the latter. www.restoretrust.org.uk/media-and-pr...
restoretrust.org.uk
Quick Vote criticized at the Nationwide — Restore Trust
As James Sherwin-Smith tries to get elected to the board of the building society, the use of the Quick Vote comes under fire in the Guardian:
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Thanks for sharing - now the ritual of kindly reminding the authors to update NCBI Taxonomy :-) Currently rDNA ITS of Accession PV820440 listed as "Phytophthora sp. FA-2025a"
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Anyone fancy a new challenge? @bspp.bsky.social Molecular Plant Pathology is inviting applications for the role of Editor-in-Chief bsppjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal...
bsppjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Molecular Plant Pathology is inviting applications for the role of Editor-in-Chief
<em>Molecular Plant Pathology</em> is a molecular plant disease journal publishing research that advances the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of plant disease.
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
21st #Euroblight workshop underway in Ourense, Spain with sessions on population change and aerobiology and spore capture. Lots more to come
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David Cooke @llewelyn68.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
That's some cool spider. Red rimmed eyes in particular. Fantastic photo thanks for sharing.
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