Invasive Species in Agriculture: a Rising Concern

Invasive species are not new phenomena in U.S. agriculture, as illustrated by these 1920s lyrics from the Boll Weevil folksong. The boll weevil entered the United States via Mexico in the 1890s, and by the 1920s, this pest had spread to all cotton producing states, wiping out tens of thousands of acres of cotton, costing billions of dollars, and literally driving thousands of farmers off the land. There are similar examples in other parts of the world. In the 1860s, an agronomist transferred grape vines from the U.S. to France, to try to improve wine quality, and accidentally introduced phylloxera, a small louse that feeds on the roots of grape vines. As a result, France lost almost 75% of its vines at the time. Despite this history of dealing with invasive species in the United States and elsewhere, many informational gaps remain with regard to optimal policies.