CAFS Dean is first #ProudViscan to win NRCP Achievement Award

VSU marks another national recognition as University Professor and Dean of the College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS) Dr. Victor B. Asio is honored with an Achievement Award by the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP).

As a top soil scientist in the country, Dr. Asio has made significant research contributions to the fields of soil science, geo-ecology, agriculture, and environmental management that have been influential here in the country and abroad.

NRCP is a governing body that was created in 1933 to promote research work along scientific lines in the Philippines. The Council will confer Achievement Award, Member Emeritus, and Outstanding Institution annually to its distinguished members and partner universities who contributed to groundbreaking research in the fields of natural sciences, health sciences, engineering, industry, social sciences, and humanities.

With this award, Dr. Asio will be awarded a plaque of recognition, a medallion, and a cash gift of Php 25,000 this coming March 12, 2024, at the Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City in time for the NRCP’s Annual Scientific Conference and 91st General Membership Assembly.

His research works and influence in the field of soil science

Being one of the top and most cited soil scientists in the country according to the AD Scientific Index, Dr. Asio’s pioneering works have been instrumental in understanding the characteristics, genesis, and degradation of volcanic and limestone soils in the Philippines. 

In 2022, Dr. Asio provided a scientific explanation of the causes of the deadly landslides brought by tropical storm Agaton (Megi) in Baybay City, Leyte. This earned him being featured by GMA 7 Regional TV Live on May 19, 2022.

Aside from his expertise in soil science, he also plays a part in geo-ecological research such as management of degraded and marginal soils; sustainable management of problem soils for crop production; and impact of land use change on soil and the environment among others.

On top of that, Prof. Asio and soil scientists from Germany and the Netherlands co-authored the “Guidelines for Soil Description (4th Edition)” published in 2006 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which is now a global standard reference on the complete procedure for soil description and for collecting field data needed for classifying soil systems.

His research findings are documented in close to 90 peer-reviewed publications including several articles in International Statistical Institute and Scopus journals which local and foreign researchers have cited.

He is currently the editor-in-chief of the Annals of Tropical Research, the first peer-reviewed scientific journal published by VSU.

The CAFS Dean is also the Division Editor of the Eurasian Journal of Soil Science, and a reviewer of different local and international journals including the Philippine Journal of Science, Philippine Agriculturist, Sylvatrop, Elsevier and Springer – Geoderma, Catena, Ecological Applications, Land Degradation and Development, Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, and Geochemical Journal.

Because of his research interest in soil science and geo-ecology,  he created a blog named “Soil and Environment” where he publishes scientific and research content to provide relevant and new information on soil and its relation to environment, agriculture, and human health. This blog has already received more than 300,000 reads from his readers worldwide. 

Dr. Asio finished his PhD in soil science from the University of Hohenheim in Germany; and his MS and BS degrees in soil science from the University of the Philippines Los Baños and VSU, respectively.

He also did his postdoctoral research at the National Taiwan University and the Martin Luther University in Germany.

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