b"or the Catholic University in Santiago. Given the remoteness ofment of varieties of maize for the tropics in almost 100 countries, Punta Arenas, in the extreme south of Chile, traveling to Santiagoas well as the improvement of crop management technologies took at least 10 days by boat and train. When I arrived, I receivedfor this cereal.the bad news that enrolments to medical school had closed the day before my arrival. As fate would have it, I opted for agron- SW LATAM: Of all your career achievements, what do you feel omy at the Catholic University of Chile, as it was another biologi- you leave as a legacy of your scientific work?cal discipline. Violic: I don't think I can claim any great legacy personally After finishing my degree and working with my father inbecause what I did could have been done by someone else. But Magallanes for a few years, I returned to central Chile to par- I do leave a testament of my work because I wrote hundreds of ticipate in a groundbreaking agricultural development pro- thousands of words during my life, in research, training manuals, gram funded by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperationstudy guides for university courses, and my complete biography, on Agriculture (IICA) of the US Department of Agriculture.where I tell all the curious and shocking things that have hap-Launched in 1954, it was known as Plan Chilln. The programpened during my life and that I was able to remember at the age covered three important provinces in south-central Chile. One ofof 93.its objectives was the development and introduction of hybridId say that the most important legacy I leave is my work in maize in the region. education. I feel that the remarkable importance of education In 1956, the IICA offered me a postgraduate scholarship tois its multiplicative effect, because of its long-term impact.For study for a year at the University of Minnesota, which at that time20 years at CIMMYT, I directed and participated in the training was one of the most prestigious institutions in genetic improve- of about 1,000 professionals in Mexico, led by visiting scientists ment of cereals, especially maize. In a limited time of 12 months, Iunder the modality of in-service training, and almost as many obtained the credits corresponding to an M.Sc. in genetics. in other countries of Central America, the Caribbean and South Among my fellow students were Frank Rembley, who wouldAmerica. In many cases, I not only designed the curricula for become the world-renowned president of Pioneer, one of thethese courses, but also sought funding from organizations such largest seed producers in the world, and several geneticists andas FAO, WHO, and the World Bank to carry them out. SWpathologists, such as Dr. Elmer Johnson, with whom I worked years later at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico.Upon returning to work at the IICA in Chile in 1957, I was pro-moted to Head of Agricultural Research and appointed Professor of Genetics at the newly formed School of Agronomy of the University of Concepcin.In 1960, the director of the Rockefeller Foundation in Chile, Dr. Joseph Rupert, offered me a scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. at the U. of Minnesota. In 1963, I obtained my Doctorate degree in Plant Genetics, specifically in maize breeding. During my three yearsEDITORS NOTEat the university, I was a fellow student with some historically remarkable people, such as Elmer Johnson, who developed theIn addition to his outstanding work in research and training, Dr. Violic has played first varieties of lowland corn, and the world-famous Dr. Normanan active role in various trade and scientific organizations, such as the Chilean Borlaug, who saved millions of people from starvation and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. They collaborated in the crea- Association of Agronomists and the Chilean Academy of Agronomic Sciences. tion of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement CenterHis dedication and achievements have earned him numerous awards and (CIMMYT), where I began working in 1971 for two decades. distinctions, including the Espiga de Oro Award and the Carlos Porter Award from the Chilean Association of Agronomists.SW LATAM: What are some of the highlights of your career? Violic: One was my involvement in the early developmentThroughout his life, Violic has witnessed revolutionary advances in the field of maize hybrids in Chile. When I joined the Chillan Plan, Iof plant breeding, from the early development of maize hybrids to new gene applied the teachings I received from Dr. Hernn Gacita andediting technologies such as CRISPR. His legacy will live on as an inspiration to Agronomist Luis Hevia, both from the Research Departmentfuture generations of agricultural scientists. We at Seed World Group would like of the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture, who developed the firstto give Dr. Alejandro Violic a standing ovation and applaud his dedication and Chilean corn hybrids: MA1 and MA2, which marked a before andperseverance in the world of science, genetics, agriculture, and especially what after in maize production in Chile.However, my role as senior research staff at CIMMYT inbrings us here: the world of seeds.Mexico was more significant. Here, I collaborated in the develop-LATAMSEEDWORLD.COM /9"