Fungus new weapon against opium

[Nambe]

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 7 (UPI)

The worldwide commerce of opium farming soon could face a major challenge from a lethal but naturally occurring fungus discovered and being tested by Uzbek scientists.

The fungus, called Pleospora papaveracea, has been tested against different poppy varieties, as well as more than 200 different species of plants, including agricultural crops and wild plants in the Central Asian region. Although research and development studies were undertaken in Uzbekistan, field trials also were conducted in neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Based on those tests, the principal international crime-fighting agency of the United Nations has confirmed the potential use of P. papaveracea as an environmentally safe, reliable biological control agent against the opium poppy. ---

[MercutioATC]

1. Damn those scientists! The poppy is our friend!

Granted, I'm subject to random drug testing so I behave, but I really don't see the problem with a little responsible opium use...

...flame away...I'm not changing my mind..

[LauraK]

2. Mega tons of opium are prescribed every day by doctors.

Now the CIA can control the market and focus illegal opiates to it's own liking.

[tridim]

3. Life finds a way

I'm not a botanist, but I would think some mutated poppies would survive the fungus attack and reproduce, creating new strains with fungus resistance and other unknown properties. Don't mess with mother nature.

I'm sure they're working on this for Cannabis too.

[ze_dscherman]

4. Agent green

Research on crop destroying bioweapons (dubbed Agent Green) is a major domain of the U.S. Guess why they block an amendment to the bioweapon charter.

More: http://www.sunshineproject.org/