biology

Jose R. Velasco

Jose R. Velasco is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Jose R. Velasco rather than just read about it. In short: Jose R. Velasco (February 4, 1916 – January 24, 2007) was a Filipino plant physiologist and agricultural chemist noted for his research on soil and plant nutrition and on coconut diseases.

Key takeaways

Jose R. Velasco belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Jose R. Velasco to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Jose R. Velasco from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Jose R. Velasco (February 4, 1916 – January 24, 2007) was a Filipino plant physiologist and agricultural chemist noted for his research on soil and plant nutrition and on coconut diseases. In 1998, he was recognized as a National Scientist of the Philippines.

Early life and education Velasco was born in Imus, Cavite. After nearly flunking out of a vocational high school, he transferred to an agricultural high school (now the Central Luzon State University Science High School), where he graduated salutatorian. Velasco enrolled in what was then the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (now the University of the Philippines Los Baños) in Laguna province. He graduated at the top of his class in 1940 with a degree in agriculture, major in Agricultural Chemistry. Upon graduation, Velasco joined the faculty of the University of the Philippines and remained there for the duration of World War II, during which he endured a brief period of incarceration by the Japanese army. After the war, Velasco pursued graduate studies in the United States and obtained a Ph.D in plant physiology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1949. He re-joined the faculty of the University of the Philippines and remained there until 1967.

Contributions to agricultural science During World War II, Velasco conducted research on the photoperiodism of the rice plant. Among his findings, which were published only after the end of the war, was that the Elon-elon variety flowered during short days when there was less than 12 hours of light. Velasco was also noted for his research on the physiology of the coconut, a common crop in the Philippines. He studied the mineral nutrition of areas planted to coconut, the development and utilization of coconut products, and the nature and cause of cadang-cadang, a disease that plagued the crop of small coconut farmers throughout the country. With respect to cadang-cadang, Velasco was skeptical of the still-prevalent view that the disease was viral in nature, and devoted considerable effort to prove his thesis that it was caused by an element in the soil that was toxic to the coconut plant.

Citations In 1967, Velasco was appointed Commissioner of the National Institute of Science and Technology, a position he held for 10 years. Even though his duties were administrative in nature, he continued to work on various research projects using the NIST laboratories. In 1998, Velasco was named a National Scientist of the Philippines by President Fidel Ramos. His official citation acknowledged, among others, his research in photoperiodism and on the physiology of the coconut plant.

Notes

References Ongkiko, Ila Virginia C. (2000). National Scientists of the Philippines (1978-1998). Pasig City, Philippines: Anvil Publishing. pp. 85–96. ISBN 971-27-0932-9. Carandang, Aristotle P. "National Scientist Jose R. Velasco passes away, 90". National Academy of Science and Technology. Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-30.

External links DOST - National Academy of Science and Technology: Jose R. Velasco

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Jose R. Velasco

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Jose R. Velasco claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Jose R. Velasco before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Jose R. Velasco ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Jose R. Velasco

In research: Jose R. Velasco appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Jose R. Velasco in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Jose R. Velasco is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1916 births, 2007 deaths, Filipino biologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Jose R. Velasco outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Jose R. Velasco in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Jose R. Velasco means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Jose R. Velasco in simple terms?

Jose R. Velasco (February 4, 1916 – January 24, 2007) was a Filipino plant physiologist and agricultural chemist noted for his research on soil and plant nutrition and on coconut diseases.

Why does Jose R. Velasco matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Jose R. Velasco?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Jose R. Velasco.