Browsing by Author "Thiel, F."

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    Organic Fertilizer Producers in Sri Lanka: An Assessment of Constraints along the Value Chain
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Lakshika, M. P. G. D.; Withanage, S. D.; Jayasinghe-Mudalige, U. K.; Jayathilake, H. A. C. K.; Thiel, F.; Amerasinghe, P. H.
    Annually Sri Lankan government spends nearly US$ 12,000 for the importation of inorganic fertilizer which is the highest expenditure among the intermediate goods import to the country. The frequent and continuous application of inorganic fertilizers into agricultural fields and its impact on human health and the environment are also rising concerns. In light of these, all stakeholders in the agriculture sector are, strongly encouraged to move from an inorganic to “organic fertilizer”. This study examines the constraints faced by producers who were practitioners along the value chain of solid organic fertilizer in Sri Lanka. The potential constraints were identified through review of literature and were further verified by means of a series of focus group discussions with academics, government officers and producers involved in organic agriculture. A structured questionnaire was developed embedding the constraints into a set of statements (n=25). A field survey was carried out to explore the perceptions of organic fertilizer producers (n=65) who have been engaging in “organic farming practices” through 04 registered organic groups in the Kandy and Kurunegala districts. The producers were asked to indicate their views on each statement on a 10-point likert-scale ranging from “strongly disagree” (1) to “strongly agree” (10) [with “neither disagree nor agree” in the middle (5)]. The Exploratory Factor Analysis techniques were employed to analyze data, and the mean score of each statement. The outcome of statistical analysis sorted the 25 constraints stated into 7 key constructs, namely: ‘Production’ (P 1-6); ‘Institutional’ (I 15); ‘Market’ (M 1-3); ‘Financial’ (F 1-3); ‘Human resources’ (H 1-3); ‘Public & health’ (PH 1-3), and Regulatory (R 1-2). The greatest constraints faced by producers include: “Time taken to certify (3.7) and produce (2.5)”, “Government support” (2.2), “Availability of certification bodies (2.1)". The outcome of analysis, suggests that the creation of an incentive-based regulatory framework supported by institutions to work on a fast-track certification is of paramount importance for organic fertilizer producers to retain in the value chain by disregarding the “conceivable benefits” of use of inorganic fertilizer.
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    Residual Effect of Municipal Solid Waste and Dewatered Fecal Sludge Co-compost Supplemented with Biochar on Growth and Yield of Ipomoea aquatica
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2020) Kumara, A.W.S.P.; Weerakkody, W.J.S.K.; Ranaweera, B.; Thiel, F.; Karunarathne, K.H.M.I.
    Due to the intensification of agricultural lands, soil fertility has declined to result in decreased land productivity. Hence, farmers excessively use expensive chemical fertilizers that have reported deleterious effects on the environment and human health. Co-compost of municipal solid wastes and dewatered fecal sludge has a high potential as an agricultural resource in Sri Lanka. Biochar, a soil amendment that has been proven to have many positive effects in improving long-term soil quality and increasing crop yield especially with soil conditioner and organic fertilizer. This study was focused on the residual fertilizer effect of municipal solid wastes co-compost with dewatered fecal sludge supplemented with biochar in sandy loam soil using Ipomoea aquatic. The field experiment was carried out at the Centre of Excellence for Organic Agriculture, Makandura. To assess the residual fertilizer effect, Ipomea aquatica was cultivated as a follow-up crop in a previously maize cultivated field fertilized with pelletized forms of different co-composts combinations with biochar and mineral fertilizer. Department of agriculture recommended chemical fertilizer was used as a control treatment. Randomized completely block design with four blocks and eight treatments was used. Plant survival rate, leaf area index, and plant height were measured as plant growth and yield data and were recorded 3 times until 15 weeks. Significantly (p = 0.05) higher residual fertilizer effect on yield could be obtained with biochar mixed municipal solid waste-dewatered fecal sludge co-compost pellets treatments (0.86 kg m-2 ) compared to the mineral fertilizer treatments recommended by the department of agriculture (1.45 kg m-2 ). It can be concluded that municipal solid wastes with dewatered fecal sludge supplemented with biochar can provide a significant amount of residual nutrients in long term and the residual benefits depend on the initial nutrient composition of applied manure. Keywords: Biochar, Co-compost, Ipomoea aquatica, Municipal solid waste, Residual effect