Lyndon B. Johnson photo

Statement by the President Announcing an Expanded Program To Control Cotton Insect Pests.

November 02, 1964

AT THE present time, between 10 and 20 percent of the cost of producing cotton is spent on insect control mainly through the use of chemical pesticides.

Despite the progress that has been achieved in insect control, several problems have emerged that require immediate attention to achieve effective control of these cotton

pests.

Many of the most important insect pests have become partially or completely resistant to some pesticide chemicals. A concerted effort is being made to find alternate means of effective pest control including those which do not require the use of chemicals. I have proposed and Congress has approved funds to support this effort.

In addition, long-range measures that need to be taken include greatly increased attention to biological methods of control. To this end, increased support must be provided for fundamental research on insect biology, and for the training of insect biologists, both within the Government and in our colleges and universities.

Such research will seek ways to use native and foreign parasites and predators of cotton insects.

We need more information on infectious agents that specifically harm cotton insects and can be used to control them. Prompt field testing is an important part of this research.

Increased plant breeding research may lead to new varieties of cotton, resistant to insect pests.

Eight and one-half million of our citizens depend on cotton production and processing for at least part of their livelihood. Another 3 to 4 million people service the industry and sell its products.

As research progresses, the threat of decreasing yield and increasing costs of cotton production can be averted, and indeed it can be anticipated that more effective insect control can be achieved at less cost.

Our need for pesticide chemicals will not disappear. On the contrary, we must push the search for new, more specifically acting and less persistent chemicals.

Lyndon B. Johnson, Statement by the President Announcing an Expanded Program To Control Cotton Insect Pests. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/241685

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