CUCBA, ASICA, and the CNIT are promoting collaboration to strengthen phytosanitary management of agave.

Through the “El estudiante más picudo pal picudo” call for proposals (the name of the competition that was held), CUCBA students are turning knowledge into scientific outreach for the field, using social media.

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, February 3, 2026

CS02/CNIT

The Chamber of the Tequila Industry (CNIT) and the University Center for Biological and Agricultural Sciences (CUCBA) of the University of Guadalajara (UDG) signed a Collaboration Agreement aimed at strengthening academic linkages, applied research, and scientific outreach on strategic issues for the agave value chain, particularly plant health, sustainability, and the transfer of knowledge to the field.

This collaborative effort is framed within the work of Phytosanitary Roundtable 8, led by the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) of the Government of Jalisco and coordinated by the Agency for Agro-food Health, Safety and Quality (ASICA), where the CNIT participates actively. The objective was to bring the academic sector on board as a strategic ally to provide knowledge, technical and scientific support, and accessible outreach tools for farmers.

As part of the agreement, the “El estudiante más picudo pal picudo” call for proposals was launched, leading to the development of a scientific outreach campaign via social media. In this campaign, CUCBA students produced audiovisual content focused on the identification, prevention, control, and management of Scyphophorus acupunctatus, known as the agave weevil, one of the main pests affecting agave cultivation in the Tequila Denomination of Origin region.

At the signing ceremony, Dr. Graciela Gudiño Cabrera, Rector of CUCBA, highlighted the participation of students from various disciplines, including Biology and Agronomy, which enabled a comprehensive approach to the phytosanitary challenge and strengthened interdisciplinary collaboration between academia and the productive sector.

For his part, Mr. Federico Armando Pérez Mejía, Director of Agri-Food Management at ASICA, underscored the importance of protecting strategic crops within a key national industry. He emphasized the value of prevention and timely, technically sound pest management, such as for the agave weevil, to ensure plant health and the sustainability of the sector, as well as the importance of young people using social media as a tool for technical and scientific dissemination.

Meanwhile, Ms. Ana Cristina Villalpando Fonseca, Director General of the CNIT, noted that the Chamber serves as a key actor in technical and scientific dissemination by enabling knowledge generated in academia to reach producers, technicians, and stakeholders across the Tequila value chain effectively. She also highlighted the responsible and strategic use of social media as a scientific outreach tool capable of bringing reliable, technically grounded information to the field.

Villalpando Fonseca also thanked CUCBA for its openness and for serving as a bridge to engage young communities interested in research.

The initiative recognizes students as a source of technical expertise capable of producing academically grounded content that contributes to the phytosanitary management of agave crops, while also strengthening their professional training through direct engagement with real-world challenges in the sector. The call included financial incentives for the best projects, encouraging participation, creativity, and technical rigor among students.

Future campaigns will be expanded publicly within the university community to involve more students. CUCBA will provide technical support and academic mentorship, while CNIT will coordinate the evaluation process and dissemination of the materials, consolidating social media as a channel for scientific outreach and knowledge transfer between academia, industry, and producers. For this initiative, ASICA, CUCBA, and CNIT formed an evaluation committee.

As a result of the call, the following students were recognized:

First place: Johan Serratos Madrigal

Second place: Juan José Gavilán de la Torre and Emiliano Villarruel Silva

Third place: Jecsan David Ramírez Ramírez

The head table included Dr. Graciela Gudiño Cabrera, Rector of CUCBA; Mr. Federico Armando Pérez Mejía, Director of Agri-Food Management at ASICA; Ms. Ana Cristina Villalpando Fonseca, Director General of the CNIT; and Mr. Luis Felipe Villalobos Serrano, CNIT’s Administration and Planning Manager.

With this agreement, the CNIT reaffirms its commitment to working in coordination with academia and authorities to strengthen agave plant health, promote applied research, and support the transfer of technical and scientific knowledge throughout the value chain.

These initiatives contribute to the sector’s sustainability, the development of specialized talent, and a comprehensive approach to the present and future challenges of the tequila industry, thereby safeguarding the future of Tequila as a symbol of Mexico to the world.