Episode Details

In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Don Huber, a leading plant pathologist and Professor Emeritus at Purdue University. We discuss how to manage soil-borne diseases by managing crop rotations, and the management needed to grow 500 hundred bushels corn. Don shared intriguing observations on how soil-borne disease pathogen populations remain present in the soil constantly and are actually 'beneficial' saprophytic fungi until the right environment is present. Root diseases are a result of the soil environment, not a result of the presence or absence of the organism.

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Related Resources

• Mineral Nutrition and Plant Disease by Lawrence E. Datnoff (Author, Editor), Wade H. Elmer (Editor), Don M. Huber (Editor)
• Marschner's Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants by Horst Marschner (Author)

Episode 4 - Dun Huber - Highlights

2:40 - What are Don's most memorable moments leading him to where he is?

• Don has fun wherever he is!

3:10 - What has puzzled Don in his research work?

• Studying soil ecology is looking at a black box. Need to slowly build a picture of everything involved.

4:10 - What is something that has surprised Don?

• How seemingly contradictory things all work together, such as a lot of nutrient relationships
• Secondary functions of things like manganese and iron start to come into play
• What are the ecological niches that make the system work?

6:30 - Challenge of manganese availability. What is contributing to that?

• It's a dynamic relationship with soil and fungi.
• Need organisms and nutrients to increase uptake
• Need the bacteria that are responsible for the valiant state - oxidizing groups and reducing groups
• Manganese can be there, but not available for uptake

11:10 - Pathogens dependant on manganese oxidation. Are they directly dependent, or are they producing a manganese-deficient plant?

• Both can be correct. They don't necessarily need the oxidation.
• Enzyme isn't going to work for you without a cofactor

13:50 - How do populations change when you have a crop infection?

• The plant is providing nutrients and resources for the pathogen
• Soil inhabitant vs soil colonizer
• A soil colonizer is an organism that can be provided its nutrient base