Dr. Alexander Joel G. Gibe, Scientist I, of the Department of Agriculture – PHILMECH, passed away last January 26, 2016.
Dr. Gibe was conferred Scientist I on the 16th of May 2013. His expertise was Pesticide Toxicology. His major R&D findings published in scientific journals were adopted by the food safety industry as basis for recommending treatments for pest infestation in storage and postharvest handling and management of high value crop commodities. The industry wide adoption of this recommendation has both economic and technical implications in handling pests and diseases in storage of important crops.
He also undertook research on pesticide resistance with emphasis on biochemical mechanisms, stability and inheritance in major pests in storage. Treatments of pesticides with decreased dosage but with enhanced activity were adopted for grain protection to address resistance problem. These findings form part of the package of technologies for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in stored commodities which is being disseminated by PHILMECH.
Dr. Gibe is truly a loss to SCS and to the scientific community. He will be remembered not only for his accomplishments but also for his willingness to share his time and expertise to colleagues.