If there’s anything you read – or share – let this be it. The content of this article has potential to radically shift the world in a variety of positive ways.
What on earth could make the mega-corporation that is Monsanto quiver in its boots? One single man who has dedicated his life to the study of mushrooms, may have just patented the answer.
The argument from Paul Stamets, an argument he has presented throughout his research career as he literally unearthed magical medical cure after cure, is that the mushroom holds the key to saving the world.
Paul Stamets is the world’s leading mycologist, but has received little recognition for his work. In 2001, when he filed for a patent, [1] he was all but ignored. His research was considered disruptive to the conventional industries; according to pesticide industry executives, the patent Stamets filed is “the most disruptive technology that we have ever witnessed.”
This very patent is one that even the big organizations like Monsanto are condemning: it is a bio-pesticide, described in the patent as a “near permanent, safe solution for over 200,000 species of insects.” It is entirely derived from a mushroom.
Paul Stamets has patented a SMART Pesticide. A harmless pesticide. One that encourages eco-diversity and promotes ecology, while proving itself to be very effective. After the ‘sporulation’ of the mushroom, what is called entomopathogenic fungi is released. What this does in layman’s terms is that it kills insects and makes the surrounding area unsuitable for any insect that the fungi is specifically coded for. Stamets also goes one step further. With extracts of this fungi, insects can be steered to different locations. [2]
Simply put: a farmer simply sprays this new fungi bio-pesticide on his crops and watches as insects fall from the skies. No more need for GMO seeds, and no more need for harmful cancer causing sprays. What’s more, according to the patent, this new type of bio-pesticide is able to be “cultivated on agricultural waste.” It’s safe for the environment, the people involved, it’s easy to cultivate and it’s essentially free.
[1] Stamets, P. Mycopesticides – The Patent. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/patents/US20040161440?dq=paul+stamets&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8dLrVL2XLcOeggTOsISIDQ&ved=0CE4Q6AEwBw
[2] Jaxen, J. (2015, February 27). This Natural Food Could Finally Put an End to Harmful Pesticides. http://naturalsociety.com/this-natural-food-could-finally-put-an-end-to-harmful-pesticides/
Of course global elite’s oppose this. It doesn’t ruin our planet. Blast this everywhere.
this is really interesting as a residential gardener I grow my veggies organic I use organic treatments thus far having something else in my arsenal to grow better food for my family is a more then welcoming
Are you people just stupid this is part of Monsanto it is to kill you destroy the food and the population it secretes a mycotoxin if you breathe it in guess what happens to it in your body she’s like taking a God damn antibiotic everyday antibiotics are mycotoxins by the way biotic means life so anti-life wake the f****** people this is another one of monsanto’s propaganda to sell you b******* they are out to destroy this country and they are doing so because people are stupid wake the f****** don’t put anything on my God damn food that I’m going to be eating I’m going to be eating a mycotoxin because they allow these stupid fungus to secrete this deadly Spore what the f*** did you people go to school at did you skip microbiology anatomy and physiology biology God damn I can’t believe people are this stupid this is deadly mold is everywhere ,why??? because it’s being put everywhere. And idiot like you welcome it.. you’re a God damn organic grower you should know better or if you don’t you’re part of the problem.. wake up people.
You’re the bad kind of conspiracy theorist.
Do the research…
He has taken what happens naturally with this particular mushrooms and removed the spores which allows the carpenter ants (or other insects) who normally avoid eating them or bringing them back to the insect colony when they smell spores. Then the mycelium acts as a parasite, feeding off the host which eventually dies. A little mushroom even sprouts out of its body.
He started researching from his observations in Nepal or India somewhere of the Cordyceps feeding off the ghost moth or caterpillar.
Research for yourself before making arguments based on emotion and nothing else.
I am an organic gardener and completely against GMO and Monsanto, bane of our existence… I am also not a fan of messing with nature, so I agree that tweaking it is in the gray area…but I would much rather have nature prevail (even if slightly manipulated) than the company that created Agent Orange (among other things).
Exactly, let’s hope this guy gets this mass produced immediately!
Is Monsanto worried about a 12 year old story? There are products out there now, Beauveria bassiana is one (Google it) Unfortunately, it can also kill bees…
This links to a patent APPLICATION filed in 2003. No word if patent was awarded?
Make the formula open source , free the fungi pesticide of greed and profit and let farmers make their own. Save the planet 🙂
Will it also kill the bees like Bayers chemicals do?
Yes it will
Only if it the bee are an encoded insect.
poor guy, monsanto or another corp will probably have him killed soon :/
Did anyone even read the study or the patent? You are basically introducing a fungus into an insect population. One of the reasons that the bats and bee population decreased was due to a fungal infection, It was not ‘entirely’ due to what Colin referred to as ‘Bayer’ products. I work in the lawn/tree field so some of this would be a bit concerning to me. Introducing this quantity of fungal spores and mycelium into the environment could have effects that you just don’t anticipate. not only that but the process which it outlines is questionable at best and an actual effective means of control for insects.
[0021] However, for insect control typical use of fungal pathogens has involved use of either conidia (spores) or a mixture of conidia and mycelium as a “contact insecticide” control agent. Such conidial contact insecticides suffer two major disadvantages: 1) conidia and conidia/mycelium preparations are to some degree unattractive or even repellant to insects; and 2) such conidia preparations are highly dependent on free water or humid conditions for gestation and infestation during the typical life cycle of an insect fungal control agent. Furthermore, conidia have been found to be more effective against “stressed” insects and/or insect populations than against healthy insects and populations. For these and other reasons, conidia of entomopathogenic fungi have often been much more effective under laboratory conditions than in the field.
From this part of the article I would be concerned about extreme resistance as well. Not to mention the possible outbreak of unknown/documented fungal infections as a result.
I agree with you. This still kills insects including bees. This is not a solution, but simply picking the lesser of two evils.
Why not just legalize hemp and plant hemp trees with your crop like farmers used to do? Insects can’t stand the aroma of hemp and stear clear of the crop all together. You could plant a row of hemp, two of your crop and so on.
Or are we not in consensus that we are mature enough to decide what is good for us and what isn’t? It’s mother nature for crying out loud.
How can it be illegal?
One other note, the statement made by the author of this article is entirely a falsehood. Better read the patent before making statements like this one:
Simply put: a farmer simply sprays this new fungi bio-pesticide on his crops and watches as insects fall from the skies. No more need for GMO seeds, and no more need for harmful cancer causing sprays. What’s more, according to the patent, this new type of bio-pesticide is able to be “cultivated on agricultural waste.” It’s safe for the environment, the people involved, it’s easy to cultivate and it’s essentially free.
They don’t ‘fall from the skies’. And where is the study that says this is a safer alternative? What about uncontrolled fungal growth which could damage crops or, worse yet, cause allergic reactions to people who are allergic to mold of fungi? (as I am). It all seems like a novel idea but not truly well documented or proven from what I have read.
Thank you very much for your insight. I appreciate your attention to detail.
Hey does it do wonderful things for end user, I have to ask the question, I’m inquisitive?
stunn one makes good point. the same gung hoe attitude w.o considering unintended consequences is how we got where we are in the first place. pesticide company’s think the same way, that there is some awesome lynch pin factor that solves the problems(if you give them the benefit of the doubt). when assessing the complex, diversity that makes up an ago-ecosystem it is pretty obvious one organism or one chemical probably wont do more good than harm(isn’t that why mono cropping is dumb?). too narrow a focus. get real. SOIL
Impact on the bee population….??
Im sure Monsanto already has fixers getting ready to bury him and his research…
Some of them are responding to this article right now .. Demonizing this man’s hard work and research just to negate and implicitly protect Monsanto and pesticide manufacturers who are no even mentioned as “the initial alternative” .. Pure evil in our midst.
I hope that they dont have this man murdered.
Thank you for linking to my original article.