El inicio de las investigaciones científicas agrícolas en Cuba

Abstract

During the realization of the inquiry for locating the area, in order to construct one Experimental Station for Flue-Cured Tobacco, were interviewed many neighbours, and cultivators with experience in the tobacco cultivation. Between the information acquired in Pinar del Rio, it was prominent that one given by Gonzalez family, who resides in Pinar del Rio City. The bigger meaning of that it was say us constitute the more important testimony: During the electoral campaign, Don Tomas Estrada Palma, visit Pinar del Rio City. The “creole”, made so was necessary in order to wing in his electoral contend. In that visit he discovers a curiosity in the territory: One “Tobacco Experimental Station”. During his run, the politician was received by the Director of this station, the Engineer Francisco B. Cruz, whom the politician promises: “...If I win the electoral contend for President, I made you mi promise of multiply this example, in the six provinces of the country”, for researching on all the cultivated plants. The promise was complimented only partially, with the inauguration of the Estación Experimental Agronómica in Santiago de las Vegas, in April 1st of 1904. The Engineer Cruz integrated the staff of the establisher of the inaugural institution, but during many years ago, only Americans specialists’ leader the scientific activity there. The create institution, represented the second in its type in Latin America and the unique that, nevertheless it change its name some times for adopting in 1974, the actual name “Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical” (INIFAT), (Tropical Agricultural Fundamental Research Institute) over lived the adversities for arriving recently to the century and with exits in the agrarians Cubans sciences.