Volunteers from the National Institute of Agricultural Botany in Cambridge were able to make a big splash with plant-disease-themed interactive displays at the Cambridge Science Festival (18th March), and at the two Ely Festival of Science “night at the Cathedral” events in May and June.
PhD students demonstrated toxin infiltration in wheat and why such an assay is useful in the hunt for QTLs. There were pest and disease themed badge making activities that went down a storm with kids, and people of all ages were really challenged by the light-bulb “match the disease to the plant” game – hard even for pathologists.
We want to thank the BSPP for helping get plant pathology in to the minds of hundreds of people by supporting these events – who knows of those kids taking away a plant doctor sticker one or two might take it up one day.
Anna Gordon National Institute of Agricultural Botany
