TEX-MEX.ORG........ TMFFC News Flash for 1/21/99

1/21/99

Update on Broccoli & Cauliflower ex: Mexico

Northern Regions - Broccoli

The quarantine period has begun in the northern regions effective the beginning of January with the last of the harvests in this region concluding Saturday, January 16th. The quarantine period will last for approximately 45 days, which will ban transplantations of the seedlings from the green houses to the farms in this area until February 15th. The harvest of the broccoli crop in the northern regions will not begin until late May/early June.

Bajio Regions - Broccoli & Cauliflower

Weather conditions in the Bajio region remain stable and typical of this season. Though strong harvests and productions of broccoli from this growing area over the past several weeks have been enjoyed, a decrease in harvest due to the reduced transplantation's that took place over the heavy rainfall months of September and October 1998 are expected. Though it is difficult to predict the exact percentage effect on harvest or how long this slow down will last, we assume that production will be decreased by approximately 30% (or operating at 70% of production capacity) and such a situation will last for the next several weeks. Big production months are expected and scheduled in February and March where full production capacity is expected. As the quarantine period nears in the Bajio regions, however, production is expected to slow down to 80%-90% in April and to 50% in May. May is expected to be an extremely slow month due to the timing associated with the Bajio entering the quarantine period while harvest just starting in the Northern regions.

The cauliflower situation continues to remain tight due to the limitations in the ability to transplant and heavy losses of cauliflower crops experienced during the heavy rainfalls of September and October 1998. However, the harvest, beginning in early February, looks promising. The cauliflower pack will conclude at the end of March.

Diamondback Moth Project Update
Courtesy of the Asociación de Procesadores y Exportadores de Frutas y Vegetales en General, A.C.

INIFAP Projects Sponsored by TMFFC

Crucifers Entomology (leader: M.S. Rafael Bujanos)

Monitoring levels of resistance of Diamondback Moth to Insecticides

Target: Determine the degrees of sensibility of the different populations of the Diamondback Moth to the toxicological groups of insecticides used in Cruciferous crops.

Status: A software program for DOS has been designed, and it has been distributed to different companies for their information with the most relevant daily weather information from 10 weather stations located in all the regions of interest, in the states of Guanajuato and Queretaro. This program has been constituted as a valuable tool by the technical advisors to make decisions for controlling the pests.

Extension of the Strategy for the Integrated Pest Management in the Bajio Region

Target: Carry out extension activities through formal methods and demonstrations in the field, that will allow the fieldsmen and growers involved in the growing of crucifers to know, understand, use, and transmit the concepts of Integrated Pest Management.

Status: The page designed and edited for the Internet "Integrated Pest Management of Diamondback Moth in Bajio, Mexico" is being updated with information that is being generated. The location of this Internet page is: http://mindvox.ciateq.mx/dorso//index.html The last update to this page was made in March 1998.

* The reprinting of the updated pamphlet "Pests in Cole Crops in the Bajio, Mexico" is still pending.

* The pamphlet "Natural Enemies for the Crucifers Pests in the Bajio" was delivered in October 1997.

* The course "Future Pesticides and the Means of Control for Diamondback Moth Focusing on its Resistance Management" was conducted in August 1997, for fieldsmen and growers.

* The results of "Confusion Pheremones in the Diamondback Moth" were presented in October of 1997.

* March 25, 1998: Seminar on the preliminary bioassays results and how to control the Black Leg disease directed to the Processors Association and the growers of the region.

* May 19, 1998: Seminar on "Spraying Technologies" given to growers and fieldsmen.
Result: Final report delivered August 1998

Cost: $90,000 pesos.

Future plans for this project:

* Continue with the bioassays to determine the degree of resistance of Diamondback to insecticides.

* Continue collecting and using the weather data as a strategy tool in the control of pests in the Bajio region.

* January 1999: Put together the International Congress covering an integrated control of the Diamondback Moth.

Development of Technology of Nutrimental Diagnosis for the Broccoli Crops in the Bajio
(leader: Ph.D. Javier Castellanos)

Target: Develop a technological package for the fertilization and vegetable nutrition management in the principle varieties and growing seasons of broccoli crops through two strategies:

a) evaluation of the crop response to the principle nutrients and
b) generation of standard nutrients in leaves, petiole and sap. All of this for different steps of phonological development, under conventional conditions of irrigation and fertirrigation.

Results: Final report delivered August 1998.
Cost: $129,800.00 pesos

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