PyGrow
PyGrow Use as a Biostimulant

PyGrow is a unique pyroligneous acid extracted from biomass in the early stages of pyrolysis within a precise temperature range. Pyro refers to heat, and lysis refers to the decomposition or splitting of biomass molecules into smaller molecules. These molecules are released from biomass as gases, which are similar to smoke from a fire, and PyGrow is condensed into a liquid by cooling these gases.

All plant life today evolved from ancestors that were exposed to countless wildfires over 800 million years. These wildfires were likely very frequent in periods when our world was hotter than it is today. The species that survived were the ones that responded to residues of fire in their environment by producing more seeds, to ensure the survival of the next generation. Today's plant species retain this genetic imprint, allowing us to leverage natural selection to economically and organically improve crop yields.

All plants need is a trace amount of these smoke molecules as an epigenetic signal: There's been a fire! This is exactly what PyGrow provides. They respond by upregulating photosynthesis, increasing the sugar and metabolite content in their sap, producing more foliage, flowers, fruits and therefore seeds, and also releasing more root exudates into the soil to nourish and perhaps signal the microbial community in their root zone. Elevated sugar and metabolite sap content makes them more resistant to pests and diseases.

Plant associated microbes, which evolved along with plants under fire stress and are dependent on them, get busy fixing nitrogen and making bound mineral nutrients plant-available. It would not be surprising to learn one day that plants are passing this signal on to their microbial community: There's been a fire! We need specifically these soluble nutrients so I can make more seeds and we can survive. Evidence, in the form of productivity increases (which require plant nutrients) and elevated soil organic matter, seem to suggest that this is an all hands on deck community effort. See our summary of a review paper that we sponsored Pyroligneous Acid Significantly Increases Crop Yields and Biomass Growth.

PyGrow can support the transition to regenerative agriculture by allowing growers to optimize yields at lower cost, reducing the need for chemical inputs, while increasing soil carbon content and soil health. It is fundamentally an organic product, and should be certifiable as such in most areas of the world.

PyGrow as a Chelation Agent

PyGrow contains a variety of organic acids, primarily acetic acid among others. It can therefore serve a dual function, both as an epigenetic signalling substance and a chelation agent to make mineral nutrients easily plant-available. Consider combining diluted PyGrow with any essential macro and micronutrients that may be needed to support photosynthesis, fruit, vegetable or grain optimization, disease resistance, etc. Our in-house trial experience suggests that this can be the most effective way to use PyGrow.

PyGrow as an Organic Pesticide

Unlike chemical pesticides, PyGrow applications at recommended dilution rates and dosages is non-toxic to livestock, pets and people. The organic compounds in PyGrow quickly and easily decompose in soil, just like any other biogenic material. While PyGrow is not currently registered as a pesticide in any jurisdiction, pyroligneous acid, also known as wood vinegar, has a long history of use as a pesticide in many areas of the world, and seems to be most effective as a fungicide and an insecticide against small insects like mites, aphids, and whitefly.

Documented below are 2 examples of the many use cases for pyroligneous acid as a pesticide. Please contact us if you have any questions.

PyGrow
Pyroligneous acid effectively eliminates red mites in poultry

The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, is the most damaging parasite in poultry farms worldwide, causing 231 million euro of losses annually within Europe alone. Infestation rates are extremely high, averaging 83% in the EU, affecting flocks of all sizes and types, from backyard and organic farms, to large scale intensive cage or barn systems.1 In North America, the northern fowl mite is more prevalent but just as problematic.2 3

Red mites feed on the blood of chickens at night and hide during the day in cracks and crevices. The main difference with the northern fowl mite is it generally remains on the chicken. These mites rapidly reproduce, with typical infestation density between 25,000 to 500,000 mites per bird. They transmit a variety of diseases to poultry, including Salmonella enteritidis, Lyme disease, and avian flu. These all can be passed on to humans, pets and other livestock, either directly from mite bites or through poultry products. Infested hens produce significantly less eggs of lower quality, aggressively peck out their feathers, have elevated levels of stress hormones and suffer anemia and up to a 10 times higher mortality rate.1 4

For a variety of reasons, these mites are very difficult to get rid of. The red mites hide during the day in crevices, and generally feed only at night. Many pesticides used in the past have either been withdrawn from the market or banned for use in poultry production to protect human health. Those that are approved often cannot be sprayed on the birds themselves, and any chicken eggs produced after spraying must be destroyed. Mites have quickly mutated to become resistant to a variety of pesticides, and many survive treatment, either because they are hidden, the pesticide is ineffective against mite eggs, or because regulations forbid spraying the birds directly. The net result is that our poultry products are contaminated with pesticides, even those labelled as biological, and infestation rates and losses are increasing.1 5 6

Japanese research has shown that wood vinegar is an effective repellent and biocide against poultry mites. Effective dilution rates of 500 to 1 are absolutely safe to spray directly on the chickens themselves and within their cages or barns.7 Adult mites exposed to wood vinegar die within hours, and it also kills the larvae and eggs. Those hiding in crevices during application are repelled for at least 2 weeks, and any still surviving at that point show signs of wood vinegar infiltration, which will compromise their ability to reproduce.8

Wood vinegar kills mites and their eggs by infiltrating them and disrupting life processes because of its higher osmotic pressure. It is highly unlikely they will be able to mutate to avoid this effect.8 Hence the combination of its effectiveness, non-toxicity and permanence make it an excellent choice to combat poulty mites.

Wood vinegar cures cryptosporidiosis, a parasitic disease of the intestinal tract

Cryptosporidiosis, a parasitic disease of the intestinal tract, is widespread in cattle worldwide and is the main cause of intestinal inflammation and diarrhoea in calves, which can be fatal and spreads rapidly in a herd. Unfortunately, relatively few methods are available to eliminate these parasites. Standard treatment largely consists of isolation and rehydration, while prevention comes down to keeping bedding as clean as possible.

A study on a farm in the US followed 30 calves from birth. 29 of them (96.6%) were positive for cryptosporidium by 2 weeks of age. Many farms have high infection rates, and the cost and effort to intensively care for these calves is substantial.

Cryptosporidium parasites are easily transmitted to humans and other livestock through fecal and water contamination. Cryptosporidiosis is the second largest cause of infant diarrhoea and death in Africa and Asia. In developed countries, thousands of people exposed to livestock or contaminated water are infected annually. Hence, there are compelling reasons to control this parasite effectively.9 10

Research has shown that an ingested mix of activated charcoal and wood vinegar kills the cryptosporidium parasite in calves and cattle, curing the related diarrhoea in one day.11 Unlike pharmaceutical drugs commonly used to treat cryptosporidiosis, such as Halocur, wood vinegar can be administered to a dehydrated animal and it actually kills the parasite rather than just alleviating symptoms. Regular preventative treatment could simply and economically eliminate cryptosporidiosis from a farm.

Wood vinegar may be effective against Varroa destructor mites in honey bees
References
  1. Poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) infestation: a broad impact parasitological disease that still remains a significant challenge for the egg-laying industry
  2. The effect of northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) infestation on hen physiology, physical condition, and egg quality
  3. Northern Fowl Mite
  4. Should the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae be of wider concern for veterinary and medical science?
  5. Significance and Control of the Poultry Red Mite, Dermanyssus gallinae
  6. The poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae: Developing novel management solutions for a complicated and neglected pest
  7. Exterminating Effect of Wood Vinegar to Red Mites and its Safety to Chickens
  8. Wood vinegar from broadleaf tree bark carbonized at low temperature has exterminating effect on red mites by invading into their bodies
  9. Bovine cryptosporidiosis: impact, host-parasite interaction and control strategies
  10. Cryptosporidium parvum: What to do when your calves have it and how to prevent it
  11. Feeding Activated Charcoal from Bark Containing Wood Vinegar Liquid Is Effective as Treatment for Cryptosporidiosis in Calves
  12. 'Like sending bees to war': the deadly truth behind your almond milk obsession
  13. Breeders toughen up bees to resist deadly mites
  14. Scientists breed honey bees to fight deadly parasite