Date: Thursday 29 January

Title: A Short History of Plant Pathology and the Pests That Have Changed Our World

Speaker: David Fletcher

Synopsis: For centuries human societies have recognised that plants can become diseased and that this has had a profound impact on food production. The earliest references to plant diseases may be found in the Bible, but until relatively recently a clear understanding of plant diseases founded on a systematic scientific rationale was absent, and largely descriptive. It wasn’t until the 19th century and the evolution of ‘Germ Theory’ that plant pathology was born, spurred on by late blight of potatoes and the Potato Famine in Ireland. This talk will chart the major diseases and pests of plants that have had profound impacts on human societies, how plant pathology has evolved, and will touch on future threats exacerbated by climate change and globalisation.

Biography:

David Fletcher has spent the most part of forty years involved in horticulture one way or another – from an apprenticeship with Leeds City Council in the late 1970s working in the City’s parks to teaching horticulture in London in the early 1990s. Following university David worked in India growing citronella in Southern India, as the Conservation Officer for Watford Borough Council, and ran a farm in Umbria, Italy where he developed a keen interest in growing vines and making wine. David currently works for the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) which is part of Defra helping to keep harmful Quarantine Pests and Diseases out of the UK. David’s particular interest is biosecurity in the UK’s growing vineyard and winery industry. He is regularly asked to speak on vineyard matters and provided training for the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) before the first official survey of UK vineyards in 2023.