In memoriam - José Luis Colocho Ortega (1954-2020)

José Luis Colocho Ortega, born in El Salvador was an Agricultural Engineer (ENA – 1976), specialized in Bovinuculture (UFP – 1980), Master on Plant Physiology (UFLA – 1983) and Soil Fertility (UFV – 1987), and D.Sc. in Plant Nutrition (UFV – 1990). For more than 20 years he spearheaded the Soil Science Society of El Salvador, aiming to build up and strengthen the Salvadorian Soil Science. He served as President of the Salvadoran Soil Science Association.

He was an acting member and collaborator of the Latin-American Soil Science Society and a regular attendant at the Brazilian and Latin-American Congresses of Soil Science. Professionally he distinguished himself as a prolific scientist, businessman, and consultant for the Latin American Coffee Community. He was honored by his peers in El Salvador in the year 2010 as the Agronomist of the Year. José Luis´ impact on the Latin Soil Science community is based on his cordial and friendly personality, provoking enthusiasm for soil science in many students and colleagues. We lost not only an outstanding scientist, but a loving father, friend and colleague who had always a true smile from the heart. We will miss him in so many ways.

By Luís Carlos Colocho Utarte