7.23.19 A refresher course in wheat root diseases and the havoc they cause, the discovery of the importance of “the green bridge” when planting, how pH levels affect disease pathogens and much more is on tap in episode 134 entitled: Retired, Not Forgotten: Jim “Root Disease” Cook. A plant pathologist who spent most of his career with the Agricultural Research Service in Pullman, Cook also served two years as interim dean of WSU’s College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resource Sciences. Although he retired in 2005, his influence continues to radiate into the wheat fields of the Pacific Northwest. The first of a two-part episode, Cook provides a needed primer on Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Take-All and Fusarium, and what is now called the plant microbiome. Subscribe to Wheat All About It! on iTunes or other podcast apps like Stitcher, Pocket Cast, Overcast, Audio Player, Player FM and others, or listen on your computer at wagrains.org.