[SCI-TECH] The Golden Legacy of Dr. Ramon C. Barba
Written by Patricia See
Do you like eating mangoes? I bet you do! Mangifera indica, also known as mangoes or “Mangga” in Tagalog, is named the National Fruit of the Philippines and “The Fruit of the Gods.” Mangoes are not the national fruit for no reason; their golden glow represents the richness, and their heart shape structure signifies a vital part of the human anatomy. Being dubbed as the fruit of Gods explains a lot because of its heavenly goddess sweet taste. However, mangoes have erratic fruit-bearing habits; it only bears fruit for one month out of the year. Due to this fruit-bearing habit, it has always been a leading problem for farmers. Mangoes were once thought to be unprofitable. Nevertheless, a gentleman named Dr. Ramon C. Barba came up with a resolution and revolutionized the mango industry.
READ: Ramon Barba | by Famous Scientists
Who is Ramon C. Barba?
Ramon Barba was a Filipino inventor and horticulturist. He was born on August 31, 1939; he’s the youngest of the four children of Juan Madamba Barba and Lourdes Cabanos. In 1951, he completed his primary schooling at the Sta. Rosa Academy, as the third top student. Dr. Barba went to the University of the Philippines, where he met Dr. Helen Layosa Valmayor, a well-known orchid researcher who became his biology laboratory supervisor. His grandfather Juan Cabanos, a Bureau of Plants and Industry (BPI) official, and his tutor Dr. L.G. Gonzales referred to as the “Father of Philippine Horticulture,” inspired him. He then completed his college education at the University of the Philippines in Los Banos, Laguna, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree in 1958, specializing in agronomy and fruit production.
Barba worked as an assistant instructor at the Department of Agronomy, Fruit Crops Section, University of the Philippines College of Agriculture from 1958 to 1960. Dr. Barba resigned from his university post to pursue a scholarship to the University of Georgia. He experimented there on the way to get plants to blossom using fertilizers including; gibberellic acid and potassium nitrate. Soon earned a Master of Science in Horticulture with honors from the University of Georgia in 1962. He continued his education by earning a Ph.D. in plant physiology at the East-West Center in Hawaii, specializing in tropical fruits and tissue culture; with a Ph.D. in horticulture, he received his degree in 1967.
The mango journey. Dr. Barba’s fascinating creations and contributions.
Did you know that our country, the Philippines, is famous for being primarily agricultural? Captivating right? However, we have a dilemma. Mango trees were seasonal, producing only one harvest per year. It limits the country’s potential to generate valuable foreign exchange from exports; due to the time it took the plants to grow natural fresh fruits. But Dr. Barba saved the day!
Barba’s commitment to finding the way to spice up mango exports helped his nation, although it had been a rough road. He proposed using Etherel (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid) as a chemical spray to trigger blooming, but he couldn’t get authorization to begin testing. He had previously completed research on Etherel and potassium nitrate and wanted to experiment on mango trees to determine how effective these fertilizers were. Barba received numerous rejections when he proposed using the strategy he created to extend the frequency with which mango plants blossom. Ramon Barba conducted his experiment on 400 mango trees that were 10–12 years old, spraying alternate tree branches with Etherel and potassium nitrate with the support of Ramon Barba’s acquaintances in Quimara Farms, Mr. and Mrs. Jose Quimson. The results of the fundamental experiment on the branches that are sprayed with the potassium nitrate solution were remarkable. The buds began to develop every week after a kilo of potassium nitrate was mixed with a hundred liters of water and sprayed on the chosen tree branches. He also invented the plant growth booster “Flush,” which accelerates tree growth and blossoming. Further research was undertaken by spraying “Flush” on mango plants. This product increased mango output, making mangoes accessible thrice a year rather than once; the fruits were 15% smaller, but the mangoes were of top quality overall. Later research revealed that the treated trees continued up-to-date fruit 30 years later.
WATCH: The Sweetest Mango In The World Is Found In The Philippines | By BuzzFeed Bring Me via YouTube
But wait, there’s more!
Dr. Barba devised a tissue culture process for the banana plant that allowed the mass manufacture of disease-free and firm planting materials in enormous quantities. Dr. Barba also developed micropropagation techniques for more than 40 significant fruit crops, decorative plants, plantation crops, aquarium plants, and forest trees, together with his research team. Additionally, He also established a tissue culture process for sugar cane that enabled the mass production of disease-free planting materials in a short length of time.
Prestigious awards for prodigious Filipino.
Of course, Dr. Ramon Barba obtained numerous prestigious awards and titles for his hard work and devotedness. He was named National Scientist of the Philippines in 2013 for “distinguished efforts in the field of plant physiology, focused on the induction of mango blooming and micropropagation of essential crop species.” Dr. Barba was also named one of the Philippines’ Ten Outstanding Young Men in Agriculture in 1974. The Crop Science Society of the Philippines gave him the Best Paper Award in 1974 and 1981. He received the Rizal Pro Patria Presidential Award for Tissue Culture in 1980, the Most Distinguished Alumni Award, the University of the Philippines in 2004, and the SEARCA-Dioscoro L. Umali Achievement Award in Agricultural Development in 2011.
READ: A renowned Scientist on the innovation of Mangoes Propagation Dies at 82 | by National Academy of Science and Technology
Continue his legacy…
It is dreadful news to hear that Dr. Barba has passed away last October 10, 2021, at the age of 82. He was given a state funeral on October 16 and was put to rest in the Heroes’ Cemetery in Taguig. He has had a profound influence on our country, which we must never forget. We must all aspire to be as tenacious, innovative, and passionate as he is — with the support of science and technology, as well as morals and values, we must have the heart and passion for serving our country and our fellow countrymen.
THE AUTHOR
Hallo! My name is Patrica Gwen B. See, but I prefer to be called “Pat.” I am currently a Science and Technology writer and editor. I love reading comic books, collecting stuffed toys, and performing gigs with my friends by playing musical instruments. I have rare talents, such as an impressive photographic memory and, I can recall past events accurately and precisely. I am a very ambitious and tenacious person who also has an empathetic heart to serve others.
As a writer, I instigate my ingeniousness and expressiveness through my writings. I strive to create a connection with the readers to show my passion and intent to help them be more knowledgeable, apprised, and inspired. The Tiger cubs is a place where you can diversify your writings and blossom your excellence; it is also a seedbed of future world changers and history makers.
