Browsing by Author "Buddhika, I.D.M."

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    Effect of Weed Control Methods on Soil Invertebrate Community in Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zealanicum Blum) Ecosystem
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2013) Buddhika, I.D.M.; Herath, H.M.S.K.; Jayasinghe, G.G.
    Cinnamon is an important perennial spice crop, which is grown commercially mostly along the coastal belt from Negambo to Matara, and in areas such as Kalutara and Ratnapura. Various agronomic practices are associated with the cinnamon cultivation and weed control is one of those. Methods such as chemical weeding (Glyphosate), mammoty weeding and slash weeding are the popular weed control practices. Soil invertebrates are defined as the organisms without backbone. Soil invertebrates can have different impacts on land productivity. Their community can be altered with different agronomic practices especially weed control. Therefore, this research was conducted to examine the effect of different weed control methods on soil invertebrate community in cinnamon cultivation. Methodology The study was conducted at Cinnamon Research Station, Palolpitiya, Matara (6˚ 01' 38" N, 80˚ 33' 36" E, 47 m)as three experiments during the period of June – August, 2013. The first experiment was conducted to identify the soil invertebrates which are found in cultivated cinnamon lands for many years. Five trials were undertaken using five soil samples taken from different places in the cultivated cinnamon land. The soil invertebrates were extracted to a reagent bottle with 70% ethyl alcohol using modified Berlese funnel extractors. Extracted soil invertebrates were observed under the stereo microscope and identified using a dichotomous key. The second experiment was conducted to determine the effect of three different weed control methods (mammoty weeding, chemical weeding and slash weeding) with a control (no weed control) on soil invertebrate community in cinnamon cultivation. Three plots, in which three different weed control methods practiced were selected and tested consecutively for three months as the main treatments. Three different levels of soil depths (1-10, 11-20 and 21-30 cm) with litter layer as the sub treatments with three replicates were assigned in split-plot design. Soil invertebrates were extracted from 412cm soil sample using modified Berlese funnel extractors, observed through stereo microscope, identified using a dichotomous key and counted the number of individual in each soil invertebrate orders. Data were subjected to ANOVA using SAS package. The third experiment was carried to ascertain the relationship between soil invertebrates with selected soil properties and rainfall. Selected soil properties were tested according to the standard methods. Soil bulk density was tested using core sampler method on dry basis and soil moisture content was determined using gravimetric method. Soil organic matter content was tested according to Walkey and Black method and soil pH was determined using pH meters. Monthly rain fall data were recorded in a rain gauge fixed in Cinnamon Research Station. The relationships were tested by correlation analysis using SAS package.