Impulse to the Culture of Cochineal in the South Region of the State of Guanajuato, Mexico.

Cochineal is an insect that a lodge at the cactus pear and from which is obtained the active compound that is the carminic acid, used as a natural colorant. This insect was one of the main contributions of the Pre-Hispanic Mexico to the world. It got to occupy the third place of the exports in Mexico after gold and silver. Mexico has never lost the tradition of using the cochineal, we can see this in his crafts, but what lost itself was the tradition of its culture, although it has begun some activities directed to the rescue of culture of cochineal in several states of the country. Therefore, the purpose in this research work was to determine if the cactus pear from the region in the south of the state of Guanajuato could be used for the culture of cochineal. The following procedure was carried out: stems typical of the region were harvest; they were prepared and placed themselves as a stems hung on a greenhouse, where they were infested by the breeding stock. Later it took a record of the temperature and relative humidity in the greenhouse, and the percentage of carminic acid was determined similarly the cochineal was developing. With this, it was possible to establish that the native species of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus indica) in the region can be feasible for the culture of cochineal. Therefore it allow impelling the culture of the cochineal in the region by means of workshops, courses and consultancies to interested persons, so that they develop actions for the culture of the same one, in addition to being an alternative so that the farmers or families of the locality obtain good economic extra revenues. On having an option of work different from the traditional and local cultures, it allows the possibility of diminishing the high index of migration to the U.S. of the persons of the south zone in the state of Guanajuato. Also it is trying how to rescue our Mexican traditions.