First was Juan Enrrique Chambi, who worked with a cattle ranch in the tropics of Bolivia to see whether the cattle did better walking to the market (a 3 day walk), or traveling in a truck to market. It turned out that walking the cattle to market was more effective in terms of stress on the cattle, and economically. This information helps the ranch where the study was done, and applies to ranches all over that region.
Then Richard Agramont defended his project comparing different traps to reduce the population of the coffee borer pest in the region's coffee fields. The biggest pest problem in Bolivia in this coffee bean pest, leading to losses of up to 50% of the coffee crop. Richard calculated the losses in this area at 20%.
Richard concluded that using locally-made traps with a mixture of ethanol and methanol was the most effective trap, as well as the least expensive. Richard has already spoken with farmer groups in Coroico and Caranavi, and is helping these farmers build and install traps, made very simply with plastic 2 liter bottles.
Photo: Richard Agramont examining coffee borer damage.
Congratulations to these two new graduates!
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