Sergio Juan Rodríguez Morales

Merit Member of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba, and senior researcher of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment. Director of the Institute of Research on Tropical Root Crops (INIVIT) of the Ministry of Agriculture, since 1991. Member of the Council of State in the Seventh Legislature, (2009). Deputy to the National Assembly of People's Power for the municipality of Santo Domingo, province of Villa Clara, ratified on April 18, 2018 for the IX Legislature. Head of the National Group on Root Crops since 2001.

He was born in the town of Guayos, located in the current province of Sancti Spíritus. In 1967 he graduated as an Agricultural Engineer from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the Central University "Marta Abreu" of Las Villas.

After completing his university studies, he began working at the Center for the Improvement of Agamic Seeds (CEMSA), currently INIVIT. After approximately one year of work, he assumed the responsibility of Head of the Experimentation Department and subsequently Sub-Director of Research at INIVIT until 1991, when he assumed the Directorship of the Institution.

Among his extensive scientific trajectory, one can cite his studies as a Doctor in Agricultural Sciences between 1982-1987 linked to INCA, he has obtained multiple publications and has participated in different conferences and events both in Cuba and abroad.

Additionally, in his performance as a researcher, he has obtained and generalized in productive practice countless scientific results which have been awarded both by the Organism (MINAG) and by the Academy of Sciences of Cuba, and which have provided him multiple recognitions from the highest leadership of the country, among which stand out:
Recognition granted by Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro for the result of his work, for his dedication and exemplary conduct in the construction of Socialism in our Homeland.
Recognition granted by General of the Army Raúl Castro Ruz for his Outstanding participation in Urban Agriculture.
Recognition from the Minister of Agriculture for his meritorious work and the outstanding results of the National Institute of Research on Tropical Root Crops.
Recognition from the Minister of Agriculture for his personal effort in work during 2004.
He has been selected as an Outstanding State and Government Official; as well as Outstanding Official of MINAG on several occasions.
In the political sphere, he is a Member of the Provincial Committee of the PCC of Villa Clara since 1992. He was a delegate to the IV and VI Congresses of the PCC. Elected in December 2009, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the PCC.
Deputy, member of the Agri-Food Commission, and is heading the Sub-Commission on Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock of the Commission on Productive Activity of the National Assembly of People's Power.

National and International Associations
Pan-American Network of Comprehensive Cassava Programs and Projects.
Academy of Sciences of Cuba.
Coordinator of the Expert Group on Roots and Tubers.
Member of the Global Cassava Biotechnology Network.
Member of the Bioagricultural Front and the Superior Scientific Council of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba.
Coordinator of the National Group for the Development of Plantains and Biofactories.
Member of the Technical Advisory Board of the Minister of Agriculture.
Member of the Global Network of Cassava Phytogenetic Resources.
Coordinator of the Agri-Food Group of the Scientific Hub of Villa Clara.
President of the Technical Advisory Board of MININT in Villa Clara.
President of the Economic Commission of the Provincial PCC of Villa Clara.
Commission on Attention to Productive Activity of the National Assembly.
Member of the Categorization Tribunals of researchers at INIVIT and the Central University of Las Villas.
Recognitions and Awards
Literacy Medal, 1986
"Marcos Martí" Distinction, 1992
Commemorative Medal 30th Anniversary of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba. 1992.
Commemorative Medal XX Anniversary of the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences. 1994.
"Antero Regalado" Order, granted by ANAP. 1997.
Commemorative Medal "40th Anniversary of the FAR", 1998
"August 23" Distinction, granted by the National Committee of the FMC. 1998.
"Jesús Menéndez" Medal, 1999.
Commemorative Seal 60th Anniversary of the CTC. 1999.
"Carlos J. Finlay" Order. 2001.
"Lázaro Peña III Degree" Order. 2002.
Commemorative Medal on the X Anniversary of the Constitution of SNTCiencia, 2002.
"Juan Tomás Roig" Medal, 2002.
Status of "Full Academician" for the period 2002-2006.
"Lázaro Peña" Order II Degree, year 2004
Status of Innovator Badge. 2004.
Recognition for Innovator with results of greatest Economic – Social Impact in the province during 2003 – 2004 and selected to compete for the "National Prize".
Recognition from the Science Union for his Innovative activity and his productive scientific contribution to agriculture. 2004.
Agroecological Seal granted by the ACTAF National by the recognized social and technical ethics in the development of an ecological and sustainable agriculture in harmony with nature and society. 2005.
Recognition for his Active Contribution to the development of Science and Technological Innovation in the Municipality of Santo Domingo. 2005.
Status of "Full Academician" for the period 2006-2010, Academy of Sciences of Cuba, 2006.
ACTAF Prize for "Life's Work". 2007.
Recognition as Distinguished Personality granted by the Provincial Assembly of People's Power of Villa Clara in 2008.
Merit Member, for his contribution, results and scientific trajectory granted by Academy of Sciences of Cuba, 2011.
Received the "Boot of the City", as an illustrious son of Guayo. 2011.
"Francisco de Arango y Parreño" Prize, granted by the Economic Society of Friends of the Country, 2011
Recognition "Distinction 25th Anniversary of ACTAF" granted by the Cuban Association of Agricultural and Forestry Technicians, 2012.
Recognition in commemoration of Cuban Science Day, March 2013.
Recognition for his contribution to the development of Science and Technology as an Innovator with results of Economic and/or Social Impact. ANIR 2013
Recognition for having been Invited to the XX Congress of the CTC. February 2014.
Special Recognition for his contributions and contribution to scientific development in the agricultural sector. SNTAForestal, April 2014
Recognition from the Provincial ACTAF for his Dedication to Cuban Agriculture, March 2014
Prize for greatest economic and/or social impact of ANIR, February 2014
Recognition for his sustained work and contribution to science in function of food production, for the benefit of our country. CITMA Villa Clara, 2014.
Recognition for his unconditional contribution to the scientific preparation and technological innovation of agricultural production, granted by the Sub-Delegation of Various Crops, March 2014.
Hero of Labor of the Republic of Cuba, 2015.
Scientific Publications
Exchange and management of in vitro Germplasm of Yautía (Xanthosoma spp.). FAO/R LAC. Manual for Exchange and management of in vitro Germplasm of Yautía (Xanthosoma spp.). p: 3-24,1990.
Regeneration by somatic embryogenesis in Cuban cassava clones. Agrotecnia de Cuba 27 (1): 92 -96, 1997.
Participatory Actions in Biotechnological and Traditional Methods of Improvement of Musa spp. and its Impact on Cuban Producers. CD-ROM Proceedings of the International Symposium on Participatory Plant Breeding in Latin America and the Caribbean.1999. Ecuador.2000. ISBN 958-694-031-4.
Development of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivation in Cuba. Annual Report of CLAYUCA. (June/99-August/2000).
System for somatic embryogenesis in Cuban cassava clones (Manihot esculenta, Crantz). Proc. Cassava Biotechnology IV International Scientific Meeting – CBN. Brasilia. 2000. p. 408 - 419.
Cassava in Cuba. Cassava Continent. Newsletter of the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium for Support to Cassava Research and Development, CLAYUCA. Colombia. No. 2. August/2000. p. 5.
Temporary Immersion System for intensive production of cassava planting material. Cassava Continent; Newsletter of CLAYUCA. Colombia. No.3. Jan., p.10-11. 2001.
Contaminating microorganisms in mass propagation of Colocasia esculenta and Xanthosoma spp. in the biofactory of MINAG in Villa Clara. Centro Agrícola 28 (3) 52-57. 2001.
Study of corn intercropping in squash under low-input conditions. Centro Agrícola 28 (3) 86-89, 2001.
INIVIT C-2000'. New squash variety for tropical conditions. Revista Centro Agrícola Year 29 No. 1 p. 10-15. 2001.
Determination by AFLP of genetic stability of cassava plants obtained by somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 4(2):245-247. 2002.
Development of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivation in Cuba. CD-ROM Proceeding of Needs Assessment Study on Cassava Breeding for the Doubled Haploid Project. May 19-23, 2003, Colombia.
Results of applied biotechnology on cassava crop in Cuba. Proceeding of the Sixth International Scientific Meeting of the Cassava Biotechnology Network, CIAT, Cali, Colombia, 2004.
The challenges of Cuban agriculture in the search for sustainability in the new millennium. In: Integrated Pest Management in Sustainable Agriculture. Exchange of experiences between Cuba and Peru. Editors: Lizarraga, T. A., Castellón, Maria and Maniquí, Doris. RAA, Lima, Peru, p. 19 – 27. 2004.
Method of conventional accelerated propagation in plantain and banana cultivation for sustainable agriculture. Revista Agrotecnia de Cuba. Vol. 31, No. 1, 2, 3, 2007, ISSN: 05683114.
The dry rot of taro: a manageable disease with agroecological base techniques. Revista Agricultura Orgánica ACTAF. Vol. 15, No. 2, 2009. ISSN 1028-2130.
Morpho-agronomic characteristics of plantain genotypes belonging to the Germplasm Bank of Musa spp of INIVIT, Cuba. Centro Agrícola, 36(3), July-September 2009.
Identification of the scope and magnitude of root rots in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in different edaphoclimatic regions of Cuba. Centro Agrícola, 36(4):19-24. 2009.
Generation and transfer of technologies: one of the keys to the transformation of Cuban agriculture. Nueva empresa. Cuban journal of Business Management. Vol. 6 No. 2, p.5-8, 2010. ISSN: 1682-2455.
Taro (Colocasia esculenta) and tannia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) crops in the Republic of Cuba. The Global Diversity of Taro: Ethnobotany and conservation. Biodiversity International. P. 137-142. 2010. ISBN 978-92-9043-867-0
Practices for agroecological management of cassava root rots. Revista Agricultura Orgánica, Year 16, No. 1, P. 24-25, 2010. ISSN 1028-2130.
In vitro biological effectiveness of several fungicides against pathogenic agents causing root rots in cassava (M. esculenta Crantz). Centro Agrícola, 37(1), January-March, 2010
Digital Catalog: Tool for Sustainable Agriculture. Revista Agricultura Orgánica Year 16. No. 2, p. 2-3, 2010. ISSN 1028 – 2130.
Identification of the scope and magnitude of root rots in cassava (M. esculenta Crantz) in different edaphoclimatic regions of Cuba. Centro Agrícola, 37(4) October-December, 2010.
Influence of different planting methods on the incidence of cassava root rots (Manihot esculenta Crantz). Revista Cuadernos de Fitopatología, Year 2011, Year no 28, pages 23-27.
Generation and Transfer of technology: One of the keys to the transformation of Cuban agriculture. Cuban Journal of Business Management. Nueva Empresa. Vol.6, No. 2. 2011 (2012)
What agriculture are we doing?. Revista "Agricultural Education in the Current Cuban School". University of Pedagogical Sciences Félix Varela Morales, Villa Clara, Santa Clara, 2011.
CD-ROM: Plantains, Bananas, Roots, Rhizomes, Tubers and Papaya. Institute of Research on Tropical Root Crops (INIVIT). 2011. ISBN 978-959-295-005-4.
New tool for semi-mechanized harvesting of reserve roots, tubers and rhizomes. CD-ROM. Agricultural Engineering Convention. 2012. ISBN 978-959-295-004-7.
Conventional Agriculture. Bi-monthly Cuban journal of the Economic Society of Friends of the Country, P. 38-45. Volume CX. EPOCH III. No.35. Havana Cuba. ISSN9561. 2011.
Influence of support height on the production of aerial bulbils in commercial genotypes of Dioscorea alata L. Centro Agrícola, 39(3):11-14, September-December, 2012.
Participation in National and International Scientific Events
I International Symposium on Roots, Rhizomes, Tubers, Plantains, Bananas and Papaya. 2011.
International Biotechnology Symposium Havana, CIGB, Havana. 2011.
III International Meeting on Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture. ANAP. 2011.
Second International Workshop on Coordination of the CaBaRE Project: Caribbean Network for Prevention and Sustainable Control of Emerging Diseases in Plantain Cultivation. Santa Clara, Cuba. 2011.
V Edition of the International Scientific Conference on Agricultural Development and Sustainability AGROCENTRO' 2012. IV Symposium on Higher Agricultural Education. 2012.
IX Meeting of Organic and Sustainable Agriculture. National. 2012.
XVIII International Scientific Congress of INCA, 2012.
International Workshop of the ICA (Institute of Animal Science), 2012.
II International Convention. Agrodevelopment 2012.
Food Security for the 21st Century Event, Brazil, 2013
ACTAF Event. X Meeting of Organic and Sustainable Agriculture. Varadero, 2014
III International Symposium on Roots, Rhizomes, Tubers, Plantains, Bananas and Papaya. 2015.