Technology Transfer Between Mexico and the U.S.: Lessons from the Field

Having worked extensively in both Central Mexico and the Desert Southwest, we have seen firsthand which technologies translate across the border — and which ones require significant adaptation.

A Shared Agricultural Heritage

The agricultural regions of Central Mexico and the U.S. Southwest share more than geography. They share crops, climate challenges, water scarcity pressures, and increasingly, the same technology suppliers. This creates genuine opportunities for knowledge transfer in both directions.

Alberto Diaz has spent decades working across this border — advising operations in Sonora, Sinaloa, and Jalisco as well as Arizona and California. That cross-border experience has shaped how Diaz Ag approaches technology evaluation and adoption.

What Transfers Well

Biological products — biostimulants, microbial inoculants, and biopesticides — have generally transferred well across the border. The underlying biology doesn't change with geography, and many of the leading products in this category were developed with both markets in mind.

Precision irrigation technology has also transferred effectively, particularly drip and subsurface drip systems. The water scarcity imperative is if anything more acute in parts of Mexico than in Arizona, driving strong adoption of efficiency technologies.

What Requires Adaptation

Regulatory frameworks differ significantly. Products registered for use in the U.S. may not be registered in Mexico, and vice versa. This is particularly relevant for pesticides and some biostimulant categories. Any technology transfer program needs to account for these regulatory differences from the outset.

Equipment and infrastructure assumptions also differ. Technologies designed for large-scale U.S. operations may not be practical for the smaller average field sizes common in parts of Mexico. Adaptation — sometimes significant — is often required.

The Opportunity

The most exciting opportunity we see is in the flow of innovation from Mexico to the U.S. — particularly in biological agriculture and water efficiency. Mexican growers, often operating under more constrained conditions, have developed practical expertise in making these technologies work that U.S. growers can learn from.

Facilitating that knowledge exchange is one of the things we find most rewarding about our cross-border work.