By Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, Past President,
Visayas State University
What does it take to be an agronomist and what lies ahead of him or her?
Here are important figures for us to consider:
· a) In 2017, the total
paddy rice output of the Philippines met 93% of the country's annual
requirement. The population consumed 11.7 million tons of rice. (usual shortage
of 10% and brown rice/rice bran solution).
· b) In 2016, for every 17
births per 1000 population there were 6 deaths per 1000 population. Every minute, 2.8
Filipinos are born. Every 10 or 11 minutes, we need one new classroom and down
the road each of these kids will consume 120 kg of rice per year. (why is Philippine
presidency such a contested and contentious position?)
(“ang ginoo pito ra
kaadlaw nagbuhat ug yuta pero ang tawo walay hunong himo ug bata”-Gov. RE
Lerias)
· c) All of the scenarios of
future climate change (CC) point to increase the estimates of the number of
people at risk from hunger. (ascribing everything to climate change)
This country is therefore in dire need
of professionals who study plants and work for increasing their production in
an economical and environmentally sustainable fashion. Mind you, it is not only
this country, but the whole world. Who are these professionals?
Used to be in the 1970’s and earlier,
there was not much specialization. When it was plant, agronomists took care of
it. Thus, an agronomist takes care of management: soil, pest, and other growth
and production issues in the field. I remember that there were only agronomy,
animal science, agricultural education, and home science as major fields on this
campus. (lots of fieldwork/learning by working, Agric was looked down).
Later, when Visayas Agricultural College
(VAC) became a state college (ViSCA), other specializations were introduced
such as arts and letters, ag. engineering, ag. economics, ag. chemistry, plant
protection, plant breeding, forestry, vet. medicine grew out of animal science,
ag. extension and dev. communication grew out of ag. education, food tech grew
out of home science, and horticulture grew out of agronomy and, soil science
was added to the agronomy department. Specializations are important for us to grow.
In the latter years of my term as president
of this university, we had to “handle with care” a formal divorce of agronomy
and soil science. (jurisdiction and
property distribution were quite tricky and sensitive to handle but they can’t
go back living together again).
|
VSU agronomists conducting a field experiment |
All these specializations somehow delimit
the scope of work agronomists are expected to deliver professionally. However, specialization
did not and will not limit farmers’ expectations from an agronomist and other
agriculture-related graduates from this university. In our national context
where an agronomist most likely finds himself/herself engaging with farmers alone
in the field, an agronomist is also expected to be a good soil scientist, farm
economist, horticulturist, plant breeder, communicator and even good in animal
production, aquaculture and forestry or NRM to name some. To farmers, an agronomist
is an “agriculturist”- an embodiment of expert. (McCoy and Ormoc rice farmers,
Roy and cassava growers)
What
does this tell you?
Do not limit yourself to knowing only
field crops and cultural management practices. Endeavor to know and master beyond
crop science. I recently analyzed the CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) that governs
offering of agriculture and observed that the prescribed curriculum provides
graduates the sciences needed for one to become a good agriculturist (but good
is not enough). However, the CMO doesn’t preclude us from adding additional
fundamental and major courses especially that now, some of the general education
courses have been downloaded to senior high.
I will not interfere in the plans of this
department, but I personally still subscribe to a 4-year BSA major in Agronomy curriculum
rather than the 12+3. With the growing demand for climate SMART and precision
agriculture, agriculturists need more mapping techniques, advanced soil study
techniques, and even more understanding in biotechnology and IT. (possible from
cross enrolment in the fourth year)
Furthermore, the CMO does not preclude
our agronomy professors to deliver the course in a more advanced and exciting
manner that students will endeavor to learn as much as possible in the course
and not endeavor to end their suffering as soon as possible from taking their
courses. This can only happen if professors in this department will engage in
research/driven by discovery, extension work, and actual farming. (farming
lessons on seeds and weeding)
Specialization is usually overcome by
collaboration or partnership but, it will be hard for anyone to
collaborate/partner with someone who doesn’t have anything (absolute
provision). If you don’t have anything other disciplines can offer, without your
partners/collaborators, you will be paralyzed/inutile and unable. A person is
appreciated and recognized usually when he can deliver more than what is
expected of him. (basketball experience)
So, to faculty members and students, make
BSA major in agronomy broad and exciting by learning beyond your coursework and
collaborating with other specialists. For example, it will not be bad if some
of you do research involving drones and high spectral cameras for field
observation and management delivery. It will be exciting to see our agronomy
students study how to use GPS and make or handle GIS maps as tractors are now
equipped with GPS, and future tractors will be dominated with robotics. It will
be great to see our agronomy students use plant or crop physiology study sensors,
do genetic modification in their thesis or deal with soil problems as it
affects field crops. Clearly for this to happen, there is a need for different
specializations to relax, weaken, and render more permeable the boundaries of
various specializations of agriculture in this university and allow greater
collaboration.
So,
what’s the future of agronomists?
Let me say that the future of this
country and this world depends on the agronomists. Agriculture is the backbone
of this country and we need to feed and clothe an ever-growing population.
Agronomists are simply crucial to pulling off the job.
However, they should not be agronomists
as usual. There is a saying that “a solution should measure up to the problem”.
The problem of food and resources in this country has become more difficult and
complex than the new breed of agronomists should be armed with complex
knowledge and skills. With appropriate knowledge and skills, an agronomist will
be potent and can go “places”. Short of this, an agronomist is doomed to be
unexciting and lame.
---------------------------------
Excerpt
of the speech delivered during the acquaintance program, Department of
Agronomy, VIsayas State University, on 31 August 2018.
2 comments:
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Vic Asio
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