1 | P a g e Draft 8 Protocol for the Eradication of the Boll Weevil in the Lower Rio Grande

Boll weevil eradication began with the Boll Weevil Eradication Trial (BWET) in North Carolina and Virginia, in 1978. The BWET proved the technical feasibility of boll weevil eradication. US cotton producers, US state governments and the US federal government have worked together over subsequent years to achieve the cotton farmer’s dream of growing cotton without having to fight boll weevils. The cost has been high and the struggle has been long and hard, but cotton growers ’ determination has been rewarded with the elimination of the boll weevil from all areas of the US, except for southernmost areas of Texas. Since 1996, the cumulative net return for cotton producers in Texas has been estimated at $1.9 billion. Climatic conditions in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) and northern Tamaulipas, Mexico are subtropical; characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild, cool winters. Freezes rarely occur in the region and cotton plants continue to grow and set fruit. Consequently, boll weevils can feed and reproduce virtually year-round if cotton plants are not destroyed. Unlike other areas which have conducted boll weevil eradication in the US, winter weather is an insignificant cause of mortality in the LRGV/Tamaulipas region. Boll weevil eradication has also been negatively affected by tropical storms and hurricanes. Under these conditions, population reductions achieved in one year can be lost the next. Thus, there is very little room for error operating an eradication program in this region. In 2011, recognizing the difficulty of eradicating the boll weevil in areas such a