IN MEMORIAM - JOSÉ LUIS PANIGATTI CRINIGAN (1939 - 2018)

Dr. José Luís Panigatti passed away on September 26, 2018, in Cerrito, Provincia de Entre Ríos, Argentina. He held the offices of President of the Latin-American Soil Science Society (SLCS) between 2012 and 2014, President of the XIX Latin-American Soil Science Congress of Mar del Plata, Argentina 2012, and President of the Argentinian Soil Science Association. Dr. José Luis Panigatti worked at the Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) for more than forty years as a researcher in the area of soils and served as the National Coordinator of the Soils Program of INTA and National Assistant Director of Operations of the National Directorate. He authored and co-authored diverse works on soil science and published numerous scientific papers, technical documents, Argentinian Soil Charts and books of his specialty, amongst which we can recognize the book "Argentina 200 years 200 Soils" which earned him the Dr. Carlos María Biedma award in 2011, granted by the Argentinian Society of Geographical Studies (GAEA). He was a passionate extensionist by profession, an entrepreneur, and a man committed to his ideals. It is because of this that he was given the First National Award on Geography (shared) in 1986-1989 granted by the Culture and Education Ministry, the Special Conservation Award (shared) granted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1997, and the Honor Diploma of the Nacional Agricultural Merit Award “El Gauchito” on Agricultural Engineering. The Argentinian Soil Science Society mourns the loss of a great man who with passion, courage, and devotion to his convictions fought his entire life to achieve a Soil legislation in Argentina, the SLCS mourns its former President, and the Latin-American Soil Science Society General Secretariat deeply feels the loss of the human being with whom we collaborated and formed friendships during his time as President of the SLCS. May his soul rest in peace.

By Laura Bertha Reyes