Ramon Cabanos Barba (August 31, 1939 – October 10, 2021) was a Filipino inventor and horticulturist
best known for inventing a way to induce more flowers in
mango trees using
ethrel
Ethephon is a plant growth regulator.
Mechanism of action
Upon metabolism by the plant, it is converted into ethylene, a potent regulator of plant growth and ripeness. It is also a butyrylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitor, inhibitor.
Uses in vario ...
and
potassium nitrate
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitr ...
.
[World Intellectual Property Organization. "Dr Ramón Barba, inventor, Philippines." May 26, 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7iDCTvR1Hg ] Barba was proclaimed a
National Scientist of the Philippines
The Order of National Scientists of the Philippines, abbreviated as ONS, is the highest award accorded to Filipino scientists by the Philippine government. Members of the order are known as National Scientists ( Filipino: ''Pambansang Alagad ng Ag ...
in June 2014.
Early life and education
The son of Juan Madamba Barba and Lourdes Cabanos of
San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Barba was born on August 31, 1939,
the youngest of four siblings.
He finished his elementary schooling at Sta. Rosa Academy in 1951.
After high school, he went to the
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 20 ...
, where orchid researcher
Helen Layosa Valmayor became his biology laboratory instructor.
Barba then took up a Bachelor of Science course in agriculture at the
University of the Philippines Los Baños, majoring in Agronomy and Fruit Production, eventually graduating in 1958. His grandfather, Juan Cabanos, was an official of the Bureau of Plants and Industry (BPI); his instructor, L.G. Gonzales, is considered the "father of Philippine horticulture."
Career in horticulture
Graduate studies
Barba received a scholarship from the
University of Georgia
, mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things."
, establ ...
where he began conducting experiments on inducing the flowering of plants using
gibberellic acid
Gibberellic acid (also called gibberellin A3, GA, and GA3) is a hormone found in plants and fungi. Its chemical formula is C19H22O6. When purified, it is a white to pale-yellow solid.
Plants in their normal state produce large amounts of GA3. It ...
and potassium nitrate as a fertilizer. He graduated with distinction with a Master of Science in Horticulture from the university in 1962.
Barba then took up a PhD course in plant physiology, specializing in Tropical Fruits and Tissue Culture from the
East-West Center
East West (or East and West) may refer to:
*East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture
Arts and entertainment
Books, journals and magazines
*''East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salma ...
of the
University of Hawaii at Manoa
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
, graduating in 1967.
Induction of flowering of the mango by chemical spray
There were initial objections to Barba's research proposals for inducing flowering in mango. He conducted experiments with help from his friends Jose and Rita Quimson of Quimara Farms in
San Jose del Monte
San Jose del Monte, officially the City of San Jose del Monte (abbreviated as SJDM or CSJDM; fil, Lungsod ng San Jose del Monte), is a 1st class component city in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a po ...
,
Bulacan
Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Me ...
.
Previously, mangoes were only available in the Philippines in May; owing to Barba's innovation as initially tested at Quimara Farms, mango trees can be induced to flower out of season using
potassium nitrate
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitr ...
and not only in May, which would lead to fruiting several times a year without harming the plants, drastically elevated the productivity of the mango farms.
His study, titled ''Induction of Flowering of the Mango by Chemical Spray'' was named best paper by the Crop Science Society of the Philippines (CSSP) in 1974. Barba was recognized as one of the ''Ten Outstanding Young Men in Agriculture'' that same year.
In an interview released by the
World Intellectual Property Organization
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO; french: link=no, Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI)) is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN). Pursuant to the 1967 Convention Establishi ...
in 2011, Barba recounts that he did not initially file a patent for his method, wanting farmers to be able to use the technique freely. Eventually, though, somebody else tried to patent the process, so Barba preemptively filed a patent application, choosing simply not to charge royalties for the use of his method.
In 2001, Barba also cautioned fruit farmers that "too much flower inducer spraying (is) bad for mangoes".
Other studies
Ramon Barba advanced the research on various tropical crops besides mangoes. His many research breakthroughs include banana micropropagation and tissue culture of sugarcane and tissue culture of
calamansi
Calamansi (''Citrus'' × ''microcarpa''), also known as calamondin, Philippine lime, or Philippine lemon, is an economically important citrus hybrid predominantly cultivated in the Philippines. It is native to the Philippines, Borneo, Sumatra, ...
, all of which have lasting impacts on the respective agribusiness potentials of these commodities.
Death
Ramon Barba died on October 10, 2021 at the age of 82.
A
state funeral was accorded to Barba, who was laid to rest at the
Heroes’ Cemetery in
Taguig
Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig ( fil, Lungsod ng Taguig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 886,722 people. Located in the northwestern shores of ...
on October 16.
External links
*
*
*
Proclamation no. 783, s. 2014
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barba, Ramon
1939 births
2021 deaths
Filipino inventors
Horticulturists
People from Ilocos Norte
University of the Philippines Los Baños alumni
University of Georgia alumni
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumni
National Scientists of the Philippines