Browsing by Author "Alwis, L.M.H.R"

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    Identifying and Mapping the Distribution of Selected Medicinal Plants in Jaffna District
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2012) Sivarajah, K.; Alwis, L.M.H.R; Rathnayake, R.M.C.W.M.; De Silva, W. A.H.T.
    Medicinal plants have significant roles in human livelihood and are medically, culturally and economically important resources for the local people. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 80 percent of the population in developing countries relies on traditional medicine, mostly in the form of plant drugs for their health care needs. Additionally, about 25 percent of plant derivatives are used in the n1odem medicines. As Sri Lanka’s Northern part is very close to India, herbs which are found in India are found in Sri Lanka too (Sathiyaseelan, 2008). Large numbers of moderate to high value medicinal plants, herbs and vines naturally exist in Jaffna district. However of the existing medicinal plants only very small percentage is traded due to unawareness of medicinal plants distribution within the Jaffna peninsula. This study examined the current situation of selected important medicinal plants naturally grown in and mapped their distribution in Jaffna district in order to conserve and promote their cultivation.
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    Initiation of Callogenesis from Unfertilized Ovary Explants of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2013) Herath, H.M.D.M.P.; Alwis, L.M.H.R; Bandhupriya, H.D.D.
    Oil palm is an efficient oil producing crop which has high economic value. Due to less capability of vegetative propagation, tissue culture is considered to be the only approach to produce clonal plantlets for oil palm. Several research based on somatic embryogenesis have been undertaken using various tissues (Euewens, 1976; Guedes et al., 2011) but no research work on oil palm ovary explants is reported. The objectives of this study were to find out relationship between maturity stages of inflorescence for callogenesis, to identify suitable in vitro culture media for callogenesis, and to determine the optimum 2, 4-D concentration for callus induction and multiplication in same callusing media. Methodology Unfertilized ovaries obtained from immature female inflorescences of oil palm (Elaeis guineensisJacq.) were tested as a source of explants for callogenesis. Inflorescence maturity stages of -2, -3 and -4 were cultured on Y3 (Eeuwens, 1976), CRI-72 (Karunarathne and Periypperuma, 1989) and OPC3 medium (Karun and Sajini, 1996) supplemented with 2,4-D levels of 160 µM, 180 µM and 200 µM. Collected female flowers were disinfected wit h 5% commercial bleach (chlorox) for 10 minutes followed by five rinses with sterile water. Ovaries were dissected out and cultured in vials containing 10 ml of callus induction medium under C in an incubation room until callus proliferation. Cultured ovaries were sub-cultured in to fresh medium (same callusing medium) and callus multiplication possibility was tested. Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with three factor factorial analysis was used as the experimental design.