Drought and pests have wreaked havoc on crops in the Bolivian province of Santa Cruz, producer of as much as 70 percent of the country’s food.
Of Santa Cruz’s two food-producing regions in the north and east, the latter has been hit by the worst drought in recent years.
Agricultural engineer Genaro Cañani said that the town of Cuatro Cañadas has recorded 91-millimeter (3.6-inch) rain during this year’s planting season – which started May 14 – whereas "normal conditions" mean some 350 mm (13.8 in).
Several small farmers have seen a drastic decrease in rainfall, their crops becoming a bleak landscape of long rows of dried sunflowers, withered, worm-ridden corn and stunted wheat.
The agricultural cycle in east Bolivia normally consists of a dry season – which starts in December – and a rainy season, beginning in the first days of May.
Soy – which is the only genetically modified (GM) crop accepted in Bolivia – is the most harvested during dry seasons, while sorghum, corn, wheat and sunflower thrive during the rainy period.
"Right now, the only GM crop in this area is soy, but we (also) need wheat, corn and sorghum," farmer Eliseo Condori told EFE.
"The drought is punishing us," Nicolas Vasquez, a farmer who moved to Cuatro Cañadas from the western province of Potosi 33 years ago, told EFE, adding that "where there is corn, there are pests."
To make matter worse, earworm infestations are common during dry seasons, which stunts corn stalks, impeding their growth.
"It lays its eggs and they hatch inside."

Hello valley gardeners!
The abundant rain this past winter had great impact on the volume and quality of blooms.
A minor pruning to remove old blooms will reset the cycle of blooming.
Continue shaping the bush for best production by pruning the cane to an outward facing bud.
As I always say, organics are much better for your soil, your garden and the environment.
One must cover up bare body parts when applying chemical treatments for disease or pests.
I prefer composted mulch, not course wood forest products, applied to a depth of four inches.
Some roses are now being grown in our area that are grafted onto Fortuniana root stock, and these roses have a different root habit – their root systems are shallower but also broader, so watering is best done covering the entire bedding area verses the local zone for Dr Huey grafted roses.
Use of organic fertilizer will eventually save you money as in time less is needed as it will improve the soil components instead of reducing the elements, especially if you also add three to four inches of composted mulch every two to three years.
I have grown many varieties of roses in my gardens.

Ways to encourage ‘refuge’ planting, slow resistance to Bt crops.
However, insect pests have shown the ability to evolve resistance to Bt proteins.
In fact, in the case of Bt corn, farmers are required to plant a section of their fields with refuge crops.
That’s because refuge crops provide fodder for insect pests that are not resistant to Bt proteins.
Some growers plant too little of their fields with Bt crops, and some don’t plant refuge crops at all.
Reisig divides his time between conducting research and helping farmers deal with problems related to insect crop pests.
What can influence whether growers plant refuge crops?
Reisig also found that there was a high correlation between how much land was devoted to corn, cotton and soybeans in a county, and how likely farmers in that county were to plant refuge crops.
Reisig also found that better enforcement and peer pressure from other farmers weren’t seen as making farmers more likely to plant refuge crops.
Journal Reference: Dominic D. Reisig.