Pedro Escuro

Pedro B. Escuro (2 August 1923 – 8 September 2000) was a Filipino scientist who specialized in genetics and plant breeding. As a plant breeder, he made significant contributions to rice breeding. He provided guidance for the development, isolation, and release of nine Seed Board rice varieties: Milpal 4, HBD-2, Azmil 26 and C-22 for upland rice production, and C-18, C4-63, C4-137, C-168 and C-12 for lowland rice production.

Biography Early life Escuro was born on August 2, 1923 to Filipino farmers in Nabua, Camarines Sur.

Education He graduated with a degree in Agronomy as magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture in 1952. During his study there, he was taught by Dr. Dioscoro Umali.

In terms of non-crop production problems he blamed high population growth, which at the time the Philippines has 2.6 percent annual growth rate, the highest among its Asian neighbors. He also acknowledged natural calamities and a decrease of suitable land for rice production. In relation to crop production, he stated the there are limited resources for farmers to access such as available credit, high cost of fertilizers, irrigation, and lack of post harvest facilities near farms.

In 1973, Escuro, along with Benjamin Ona, started an intensive programme at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños in dry season to find suitable wheat varieties for improved agricultural production.

According to the Philippine Rice Research Institute, Escuro was a pioneer of wheat breeding in the Philippines. He tested a few wheat varieties for adaptability until it reached 40,000 accessions. He screened them in terms of adaptability to local growing conditions.

Awards

Here were some of the awards Escuro received during his lifetime: Distinguished Professorial Award in agriculture, University of the Philippines, 1973 1967 Presidential Plaque of Merit, Presidential Award D. Sc. honoris causa, 1974 J. Gonzales Gold Medal, 1952 PHILCUSA-FAO Fellowship, PHILCUSA-FAO, 1953-1954 Fellowship, Rockefeller Foundation, 1956-1959

He was awarded as the Most Distinguished Alumnus Award for 1988 from the University of the Philippines Los Baños and in 1994, he was proclaimed a National Scientist of the Philippines from the President of the Republic of the Philippines.