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‘Lechuguilla’ and Thin Cochineal for Sustainable Development

Date: (30/10/2009)

Facultad de Ciencias Forestales

Dra. Mrisela Pando is studying - in the School of Forestry- some alternatives for helping inhabitants in arid areas. Second of two parts.

Workers during 'lechuguilla' harvest.

It Comes from: Some Alternatives for Avoiding Desertification

By Mayra Silva Almanza

Another Dra. Marisela’s study area is the use of arid areas’ vegetables resources.

In this study area, the most important projects carried out by Doctor in Geography, Marisela Pando -who studied in the UANL- in the School of Forestry, are those focused on ‘agave lechuguilla’ planting use and thin cochineal or carmine cochineal.

The ‘lechuguilla’ is an agave of the arid areas, we have been researched it in Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas and Coahuila. There younger leaves are accumulated in the center of the ‘lechuguilla’ and they create what is called the heart.

“These plants have fiber inside of them. If we take the good part of the leave, we get fibers like the ixtle scourers called ‘ixtle.’ The ‘ixtle’ comes from that plant which is obtained by South Nuevo Leon´s people –in Dr. Arroyo- which work on fiber scrubbing.”

“It is a very hard work. First, people have to go look for the plants, which can take up to a day. Once, they come with those parts that are called hearts, they manually scrubthem by pressing the leaves against a piece of wood with a sort of sharpless blade.”

“Those people –most of the time- have their hands deformed, injured, because the plants’ juice is abrasive; some of them suffer from arthritis. That work is not well paid, and they get 10 or 12 pesos for 2.20 ixtle pounds. Everyday, they can get 13.22 pounds and unfortunately, they cannot work daily,” said Dra. Pando.

One of this project´s proposals –which is already finished- is planting, and people could have ‘lechuguilla’ plantations in the less fertile lands , and they would not have to give up their maize plots. ‘Lechuguilla’ plantations are a good option because it does not matter if it rains or not, the plant resists drought and does not die easily.

The problem –as researcher Marisela Pando said- is that ‘lechuguilla’ plantation has not an impact on people, maybe because of a cultural matter, because doing this kind of job is not a desirable activity for them, and there are not more choices.

The other research about the same study area in which she is focused on is the thin cochineal and was supported by the Trust for the Development of the Citrus Area (FIDECITRUS, Spanish abbreviation), which looks for cochineal’s production, which is an insect that grows on ‘nopal.’

“One of the interesting aspects is that this insect produces a natural red coloring (red carmine) which does not have chemical risks that can produce carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. Furthermore, currently, we import the coloring from Peru and Canary Islands although it is from Mexico.”

“Another aspect which makes the production easier is that it is not necessary to be on land, but nopal’s cladode or stems are cut and they get invaded by cochineals. The first insects are gathered and they reproduced until there is a considerable number of these. Then, they get dry, grinded and that is how the red coloring is obtained.”

“So, there is a possibility that small modules are established on any house or plot’s backyard. There is not a great profit in the family business but it is an extra income. The project is already finished and we have good perspectives as a production alternative in the semiarid and arid area,” Dra. Pando finished.

Thanks to this project, several post-degree studies thesis could be done and they were managed by doctor Marisela Pando as well as all researches that have been carried out, because she says in spite of the fact that she enjoys a lot the field work, her biggest passion will always be teaching and educating students in research work.