Ramon Barba (born 1939) is a Philippine inventor, botanist, biologist, and scientist. He was designated as one of Ten Outstanding Young Men in Agriculture in 1974 and granted the prestigious horticultural Technology Award in June of 1999 .
He discovered that Potassium Nitrate can induce flowering in Carabao Mangos. He discovered this mango flower induction by KNO3 in the early 70’s, and the technology is now used in many other countries. Locally it has elevated mango agriculture from virtual neglect to the Philippine number two export after bananas. It has made mangos number one in total value (P10.35 billion) overtaking bananas (P7.05 billion) in 1997. For his discovery, Dr. Barba received many prestigious awards including the IBM-DOST Award in 1989, The Outstanding Young Man Award in 1974, the DA-Khush Achievement Award in 1995, the Crop Science Society of the Philippines Best Paper Award in 1974 and 1981, and the Gamma Sigma Delta Achievement Award in 1995.
He discovered that Potassium Nitrate can induce flowering in Carabao Mangos. He discovered this mango flower induction by KNO3 in the early 70’s, and the technology is now used in many other countries. Locally it has elevated mango agriculture from virtual neglect to the Philippine number two export after bananas. It has made mangos number one in total value (P10.35 billion) overtaking bananas (P7.05 billion) in 1997. For his discovery, Dr. Barba received many prestigious awards including the IBM-DOST Award in 1989, The Outstanding Young Man Award in 1974, the DA-Khush Achievement Award in 1995, the Crop Science Society of the Philippines Best Paper Award in 1974 and 1981, and the Gamma Sigma Delta Achievement Award in 1995.