Plan to attack coca with killer fungus

Feb. 18, 2000
Scripps Howard News Service

WASHINGTON: A voracious fungus that dines on coca plants soon may become a weapon in the international war on cocaine as the United Nations and Colombia -- with U.S. backing -- near an agreement to test the fungus in Colombia, officials said.

'Initially it would be a small test on the ground in Colombia, something on a far, far smaller scale than what would be needed for eradication,' said Richard Baum, a foreign policy analyst for U.S. drug chief Gen. Barry McCaffrey.

The fungus, called a 'mycoherbicide,' has a strict diet, eating only the coca plants whose leaves are the raw material used to produce cocaine, said an expert at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It has been extensively tested in the United States.

Testing in Colombia to make sure the fungus would not be harmful to humans or animals and would not migrate to other crops could take up to a year or two, Baum said. But if the tests were successful, he said, 'We are optimistic that it could be an effective tool in our efforts to control cocaine production.'

But before the test can begin, an agreement would have to be signed between Colombia and the United Nations Drug Control Policy Office.

After months of discussions and research by both sides on technical and scientific concerns, the United Nations and Colombia could sign the agreement this month, said officials familiar with the negotiations."

A reader comments:

Sounds like a very bad idea - letting the contents of "Pandora's Box" out to do untold and unexpected dirty work. But what can one expect from government? Good and useful things always get damaged in the process, ie Elms and Chestnuts.

"I think Montanans and indeed all Americans will be shocked to hear that a crop-killing fungus is being genetically engineered and tested in our communities," said Montana NORML Director John Masterson [8/12/99]. "What s particularly abhorrent about the cannabis-killing manufactured organism being created in a Montana laboratory is the fact that the Montana House of Representatives just passed a pro-industrial hemp resolution with a 95-4 vote."

Fusarium oxysporum is of the same strain that Florida state drug czar Jim McDonough wants to use to eradicate cannabis, despite claims that the fungus could easily become lethal to much of the rest of Florida agriculture. "This Jurassic Park idea that the mutant fungus will simply go away after it has rid the United States of cannabis is contrary to all we know about biology and evolution," said Tom Dean, Esq., NORML Foundation Litigation Director. "What will prevent the fungus from spreading to other countries where industrial hemp is an essential part of their economy? How do we stop the fungus from evolving into a tomato or wheat killer?" Fusarium o. has already been demonstrated to kill asparagus (Asparagus killed by Fusarium oxysporum: Hypermedia en Protection des Plantes (section pathologie); Association de coordination technique agricole, Paris www.inra.fr/USER/PRODUCTIONS/BDD/HYP3/pathogene/6fusoxa.htm.)

These maniacs really scare me. They are going to do as much harm to Colombia as we did to Vietnam. Maybe even as much harm to Florida and California. This is Dow driving policy. "Mycoherbicide" is a brand name. As usual the pharmacologically illiterate whore press can't even be bothered to tell us the botanical name of this peculiarly selective fungus - cause then we could look it up. Ecosystems are interwoven by the evolutionary genetics of mutation. No fungus can be contained.

Dan Russell dan@kalyx.com http://www.kalyx.com