ABSTRACT

Cotton production in the Comarca Lagunera has undergone a transformation over the past decade. The most notable changes are a reduction in pesticide use and the corresponding change in cost of production. The result has been increased profitability and competitiveness, and a reduction in the risk associ­ated with cotton production failures from insect infestations. A number of fac­ts have been important in ushering in this new era in cotton production, including the availability of Bt cotton varieties, reduced cotton acreage, and government support for farm credit and integrated pest management.

Bt cotton varieties are in many ways a nearly ideal innovation for the Comarca Lagunera. The region's victory over the pink bollworm, once the dominant insect pest, would not have been possible without Bt cotton. At an average of less than two total chemical pest control applications per season, cotton has become a low pesticide crop, benefiting both farmers and residents of the region. Bt cotton varieties have be en a tremendously useful tool for the Comarca Lagunera, but because they only protect against a certain spectrum of the pest population, they are not a cure-all for cotton production in all regions, as demonstrated by low adoption in other Mexican states.

How relevant for other countries is Mexico's experience with Bt cotton? First, it must be recognized that Mexico is an atypical developing country in several respects. It is large in terms of total agricultural area, the size of its national agricultural research system, and the capacity of its university-based basic research establishment. Mexico also began setting the stage for the use of biotechnology earlier than most countries. It began approving biosafety tri­als in 1988 and has now accumulated a significant amount of experience with the regulation of transgenics. Cotton production in Comarca Lagunera is also intensive; 95% of cotton is irrigated, yields are high by world standards, infra­structure is well developed, and material, financial, and intellectual inputs are readily available. All of these factors favor the successful adoption of a new technology. Of particular importance in Comarca Lagunera were the key gov­ernment interventions of credit for financing the purchase of Bt cottonseed combined with technical assistance for small landholders, and the implemen­tation of an effective integrated pest management program.