Browsing by Author "Weerakkodi, W.A.G.I.S."

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    Amelioration of Cadmium (Cd) Stress in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) by using Selected Soil Amendments and Aquatic Plants
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2020) Weerakkodi, W.A.G.I.S.; Ranawana, S.R.W.M.C.J.K.; Jayawardana, N.U.
    Heavy metal contamination in paddy soil, particularly Cadmium (Cd) has become a serious issue with the potential risk of transferring Cd to the human food chain. Rice plants exposed to high Cd, encounter deleterious effects on growth and yield. This necessitates the need to identify effective and feasible remediation measures to ameliorate Cd stress in rice. Therefore, the efficacy of using selected soil amendments and floating aquatic plants to ameliorate Cd stress in rice was evaluated in this study under controlled environmental conditions using rice variety Bg 250. The experiment was laid out in a Complete Randomized Design with six treatments replicated thrice. Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), duckweed (Lemna minor), partially burnt rice husk (RH), and rice straw (RS) were evaluated as the amelioration treatments under two soil Cd contamination levels (5 and 8 ppm). The control was maintained with the only Cd without any amelioration. RH and RS were separately incorporated to Cd treated soil and mixed well at two levels (soil: RH or soil: RS, 1:1 and 2:1 v/v). Upon transplanting of rice, the aquatic plants were introduced to Cd treated pots. Growth and yield parameters were measured at 45 and 75 days after transplanting. Rice grown in the soil medium amended with RH (1:1 v/v) showed significantly higher values for plant height (43±0.2 cm), the number of tillers (3.67±0.03), root length (24.33±1.2 cm), root volume (13.33±0.7 cm3 ), root dry weight (3.17±0.2 g plant-1 ), shoot dry weight (7.44±0.07 g plant-1 ) and seed dry weight (3.12±0.15 g plant-1 ) compared to the control under 5 ppm Cd level. A similar pattern was observed in the other Cd level as well. Interestingly, the aquatic plants reduced the growth and yield of rice possibly due to competition for resources. In conclusion, RH has the potential to be used as an effective soil amendment to ameliorate Cd stress in rice. Field investigations are suggested for making a general recommendation. Keywords: Aquatic plants, Cd stress, Growth and yield, Rice, Soil amendments
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    Effect of Different Fertilizers on Growth Performance and Yield of Lanka Sour Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2021) Meegallage, G.M.S.P.; Chathurika, D.J.G.K.; Weerakkodi, W.A.G.I.S.; Gunathilaka, K.R.K.S.; Premathilake, U.G.A.T.
    Tomato cultivation in Sri Lanka is an intensive and highly commercialized system. The continuous application of inorganic fertilizers leads to a decline of soil characteristics, accumulation of heavy metals in plant tissue, and harm to human health. Application of organic fertilizers a noble and eco- friendly practice to maintain sustainable soil fertility. Currently, there is an emerging trend towards the consumption of organically produced fruits and vegetables. The present study was performed to study the effect of different fertilizers on the growth and yield performance of Lanka Sour tomato, a traditional tomato variety, which has been poorly studied in Sri Lanka. Tomato was cultivated inside a protected house at Uva Wellassa University, Sri Lanka. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design with five treatments and five replicates. The treatments consisted of control (No fertilizer) (To), inorganic fertilizers (Urea, TSP, and MOP according to Department of Agriculture recommendations) (T1), compost (T2), poultry manure (T3), and cow dung (T4). Topsoil and sand (1:1) were used as the potting mixture. The pH, electrical conductivity, available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and exchangeable potassium (K) were analyzed in the potting media. The compost consisted of cattle manure, green manure, coir dust, dolomite, hay, and gliricidia. The highest nutrient composition (N-3.3%, P-4%, and K-3.1%) was recorded in compost. Under growth parameters, plant height, number of leaves, number of branches, stem girth, chlorophyll content of leaves, root dry weight, and root length were measured. The number of flowers per plant, number of fruits per plant, fruit weight, fruit pH, and total soluble solid of fruits were taken as yield parameters. Significantly (p<0.05) highest growth performances {plant height (81.10±3.83cm), number of leaves/plant (841.4±81.0), stem girth (3.86±0.15cm), and root weight (28.04±10.12g)} were observed in compost treated plants. Moreover, the application of compost significantly (p<0.05) increased the number of flowers/plant (27.8±6.6) and fruit yield/plant (731.8±55.6g) in tomatoes. Results of the study indicated that Lanka sour tomato well responds to organic fertilizers, and compost application had promising effects on both growth and yield performances. Therefore, the present study suggested that there is a high potential to cultivate Lanka sour tomato under organic fertilizers. Keywords: Compost; Fertilizers; Growth; Organic; Tomato; Yield
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    Exploring the Potential of Coconut Water as a Liquid Fertilizer for Greenhouse Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.)
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2021) Ranawana, S.R.W.M.C.J.K.; Weerakkodi, W.A.G.I.S.; Gunathilaka, K.R.K.S.; Kaliyadasa, P.E.
    Coconut water (CW) is one of the world‟s most versatile natural products rich in essential minerals and growth hormones. Despite its potentials, large quantities of coconut water remain unutilized at the industry and household levels as waste in the Sri Lankan context. Therefore, the present study investigates the potential of coconut water as a liquid fertilizer for greenhouse tomato production. For this purpose, different combinations of coconut water (CW) and Albert‟s solution (AS) were evaluated under controlled environment conditions using tomato cv “Thilina” in grow bag culture. The experiment was laid out in a Complete Randomized Design with five treatments replicated thrice, viz., T1 (100% CW), T2 (100% AS + CW spray), T3 (75% CW + 25% AS), T4 (50% CW + 50% AS) and T5 (100% AS at recommended dosage) as the control. Growth and yield parameters were measured at 45 and 60 days after transplanting (DAT). T4 and T5 (control) treated plants recorded statistically similar values, which were significantly higher (p<0.05) than the others for plant height (98.7±4.7; 95.3±2.4 cm), number of flower clusters/plant (16.3±1.8;16±1.2) and number of flowers/plant (78±8.7;76.7±2.2) at 45 DAT, respectively. A similar pattern was observed at 60 DAT for plant height (139.3±8.1;138.7±0.7 cm), number of flower clusters/plant (23±1.5;21.7±1.5), number of fruits/plant (76.3±6.4;77.7±4.3), average fruit weight (87.7±0.6;81.7±0.4 g) and total yield/plant (1755.1±8.9;1753.4±14.1 g) in T4 and T5 respectively. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) in pH and TSS (°Brix) among treatments. pH value ranged from 5.12 in T5 to 5.33 in T3. The highest TSS (°Brix) value (5.67±0.33) was recorded by T4. Plants treated with 100% CW (T1) showed a 13% total yield reduction per plant compared to the control, possibly due to low nitrogen content. In conclusion, coconut water has a potential to be developed as a liquid fertilizer for greenhouse tomatoes partially replacing the requirement of Albert‟s solution (AS) which is more cost effective. Further studies are recommended to evaluate the possibility of using 100% coconut water with supplementary organic sources of nitrogen. Keywords: Albert‟s solution; Coconut water; Growth and yield; Tomato