International Research Conference of UWU-2019

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Abundance and Diversity of Ichthyoplankton in the West Coast of Sri Lanka, from Kelani River Estuary to Maha Oya Estuary
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Silva, A.P.R.; Rathnasuriya, M.I.G.; Guruge, K.P.G.K.P.; Jayasinghe, R.P.P.K.
Fundamental understanding of fish resources has become an urgent need in Sri Lanka for the sustainable management of fish stocks. As studies on ichthyoplankton (fish eggs and larvae) in Sri Lankan coastal waters are scarce, a preliminary study was carried out with the aim to find the abundance, distribution and composition of ichthyoplankton in the west coast. Samples were collected in five stations bordering Kelani river estuary, Negombo lagoon and Maha Oya estuary in the west coast where human interactions are relatively high. Horizontal surface sample and a vertical sample were collected from each station using Working Party 2 (WP2) plankton net (180 µm mesh size) for three months in 2018: March, September and October representing 1st inter-monsoon, Southwest monsoon and 2nd inter-monsoon respectively. Fish eggs and larvae were separated from plankton and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level under the stereo microscope using the standard keys. A total of 4095 fish eggs and 465 fish larvae belonging to 23 families were collected from the study area. An average abundance of 8772 eggs and 996 larvae per 1000 m3 were recorded. Most abundant taxonomic level in each month were, Family Siganidae in March, Family Blennidae in September and Order Clupeiformes in October. The highest abundance of fish eggs was found in Station 3 (22158 per 1000 m3 in vertical sample and 13934 per 1000 m3 in horizontal surface sample) and larvae was found in Station 4 (1196 per 1000 m3 in vertical sample and 2537 per 1000 m3 in horizontal surface sample) which is located adjacent to Maha Oya estuary, showing estuaries’ ecological services as nursery grounds for early stages of fish. This study infers that there is a high pelagic and demersal fish diversity and abundance in the west coast of Sri Lanka. Since this is a preliminary study, comprehensive studies on the spatial and temporal variation of abundance and diversity of ichthyoplankton in Sri Lankan waters are recommended.
Adoption of Eco-Friendly Technologies in Paddy Farming in Sri Lanka as an Alternative to Chemical Fertilizer: Exploring the Farmer Perceptions
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Lakmali, C.D.A.; De Silva, L.H.N.; Mudalige, U.K.J.; Dharmakeerthi, R.S.; Dandeniya, W.S.; Balasooriya, W.K.
There is a greater interest among scientists to develop Eco-Friendly Technologies (EFTs) for paddy farming, from one hand, to reduce chemical fertilizer usage, and to safeguard food supply and ecosystem health, on the other. This paper explores the attitudes and perceptions of farmers that trigger them to use certain EFTs produced such as (‘slow release fertilizer’, ‘organic carbon’, and ‘microbes’) produced through a multi-phased project funded by National Research Council of Sri Lanka. These EFTs were incorporated into the root ball of the rice plant at the nursery stage and then healthy seedlings were planted in the field by using the ‘Parachute Technique’ method (i.e. alternative technology to other modes of seed establishment including ‘broadcasting’ and ‘transplanting’). Farmers from Anuradhapura and Kurunegala districts (n=80) were selected to collect data in terms of farmer attitudes and perceptions linked with six key criteria related to these EFTs including: (1) ‘Regulation’; (2) ‘Cost’; (3) ‘Environment’; (4) ‘Performance’; (5) ‘Services’, and (6) ‘Acceptance’. The possible effects of each criterion were written in the form of attitudinal statements and supported by a 10-point likert-scale. The scores provided by farmers on each statement were subjected to the tests on Scale Reliability and Unidimensionality and then used to derive Aggregate Mean Scores. Results suggested that, ‘Parachute Technique’ was better than broadcasting with respect to Regulation (1.44), Environment (-2.49) and Performance (-1.57). The farmer perception on parachute technique was ‘poor’ only for Service (0.19) when compared to transplanting. The outcome of the analysis highlights the importance of generating private and market-based incentives for farmers as potential end-users to encourage adoption of EFTs in paddy cultivation. Further, availability of related services and facilitative institutional framework will have a direct impact on the adoption of such EFTs.
Allelopathic Effect of Weeds Extracts on Growth and Yield of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicam L.)
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Ranaweera, R.A.T.L.; Kaliyadasa, P.E.; Ranawana, S.R.W.M.C.J.K.
The weeds are used as mulch, green manure and in compost production that could favourably or adversely affect on crops due to presence of allelochemicals. Such chemicals can be present in any part of the plant and release to microenvironment by leaching, root exudation, residue decomposition and other processes. This study was undertaken to evaluate the allelopathic effect of four common weed species available in agricultural lands on growth and yield of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicam L. var. Padma) under plant house conditions. The dried vegetative parts of Kura thampala (Amaranthus viridis), Bubovitiya (Clidemia hirta), Panithora (Cassia occidentalis) and Hulanthala (Ageratum conysoides) were used to extract aqueous solutions at different concentrations i.e. 4%, 8%, and 12%. Aqueous solutions were applied two weeks after transplanting and continued at one-day intervals until harvesting. Three replicates were used for each treatment in Complete Randomized Design with a control (water applied). Vegetative and reproductive characteristics of tomato such as plant height, No of leaves, No of branches, stem girth, total chlorophyll content, No of flowers, No of fruits, and fruit weight were recorded. Total polyphenol content of weed species and variation of soil pH and EC were analyzed in monthly intervals. The application of 4% of Hulanthala was shown the positive performances in vegetative growth, while 12% of Panithora reported the lowest values for both vegetative and reproductive growth of tomato compared to other treatments (p<0.05). Further, the highest total polyphenol content was in Bubovitiya and highest fruit weight was reported in the plants treated with 4% Bubovitiya compared to other weed species (p<0.05) with the highest brix value. It can be concluded that the weeds such as Hulanthala and Bubovitiya could be used in preparation of compost or in other organic applications at lower concentrations to obtain better growth and yield performances of tomato.
Analysis of Present Status and Production Forecasting of Potato Farming in Sri Lanka
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Weerasinghe, L.R.; Niranjan, F.; Wijetunga, C. S.; Maduwanthi, B.C.H.
Potato is one of the most important cash crops in the upcountry Sri Lanka where majority of farmers depend on it as their main livelihood. Despite its importance to the economy, Sri Lanka mainly depends on the importation of potato from low cost producing countries which is a huge burden to the government. Under this background, this study aims to analyze the present scenario of the potato industry in Sri Lanka with a view to forecast the potato production of future. The Box Jekins Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) time series model has been employed for forecasting the potato production and production data obtained from Department of Census and Statistics for the period of 1997-2017 were used. The descriptive analysis shows that self-sufficiency ratio in potato has not improved over the past few decades and there is a 5.28% import dependency. Moreover, potato importation bill has increased over the years from 1.30 billion LKR in 1997 to 5.44 billion LKR in 2017. In the meantime, 6.78% increase in cost of production over the last two decades has been resulted in farmers reluctant to continue potato farming as their livelihood. Among the inputs, seed cost contributed to the highest share of the total cost of production. In spite of that profitability of the potato farming has been increased by 7.81% (Department of Agriculture) over the years. The study also revealed that the best models are ARIMA (0, 0, 1) and ARIMA (2, 0, 0) for future forecasting. Therefore, this forecast would be useful for the policy makers to foresee the future requirement and the government to take measures to enhance the production capacity to cut the burden on country’s food import bill.
Analyzing the Promotion of Local Healthy Fast Food through Hela Bojun Project
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Senarathna, M.K.; Mahindarathne, M.G.P.P.; Amarakoon, A.M.C.; Dharmasena, A.W.T.
The fast food industry in Sri Lanka has been expanding rapidly since it is convenient for busy life style and reduces the effort of preparing meals. Although fast food is very popular among community, people are aware of adverse impacts of fast food consumption such as overweight, obesity and non-communicable diseases. Having understood the changing lives styles, eating trends and associated problems the Department of Agriculture launched the “Hela Bojun” project. The main purpose of the Hela Bojun project is to promote local healthy fast food with a high nutritional values. In this context, this research was designed to examine the factors that affect on the consumption of local healthy fast foods through Hela Bojun outlets. The specific objective of the research was to study how value negotiation of product and overall satisfaction relate to the marketing mix elements influence customers to select Hela Bojun outlets. To accomplish the objectives, a semi-structured questionnaire was prepared and direct interviews were conducted with 150 customers who visited five selected Hela Bojun outlets. For data analysis, Chi-square test of independence was applied. The results revealed that occupation, supervision of the Department of Agriculture, peer influence and purchasing local healthy fast food for special occasions were significantly associated with frequency of visiting Hela Bojun fast food outlets. Furthermore, the multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the age, number of family members, distance to Hela Bojun outlet and value negotiation have a significant relationship with the frequency of visiting Hela Bojun fast food outlets. Moreover, it was revealed that the value negotiation influences significantly and positively on the selection decision of Hela Bojun outlets.
Assessing the Ecological Impact of the Bottom-set Crab Net Fishery for Portunus pelagicus on Non-Target Species at Thuraiyoor, Sri Lanka
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Subaha, V.; Wickramaratne, I.U.; Herath, H.M.T.N.B.
The bottom-set crab net Portunus pelagicus fishery has been recently developed and is now one of the top livelihoods of Thuraiyoor fishermen, which is located in Jaffna District inside the Palk Bay. The crab net fishery seems to be ecosystem friendly when compared with trawling. However, a better understanding of the ecological impact is lacking in the Sri Lankan context. This study aimed to quantify the total bycatch, determine the catch composition of non-target species and examine the likely impact of the fishery on nontarget species. Data were collected using a fishery dependent survey. From the total catch observed from the 152 net-sets, 45% of the catch was targeted catch and 55% was bycatch. The resulted proportion of bycatch as valuable bycatch (i.e. retained) and discarded bycatch were 40% and 15% respectively. Based on fishery dependent surveys, a total number of 84 non-target species were observed in the bycatch. The bycatch included 32 species of fish, 23 species of crustaceans, 18 species of mollusks, 9 species of echinoderms and 2 species of cnidaria. Among the total bycatch, spider conch (Lambis lambis) comprised 30% of the total catch by weight and identified as a main species. The remaining 25% included all other non-targeted species and the majority were mollusks and crustaceans. The automated Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) vulnerability score and MSC overall score for spider conch were as 2.35 and 89 respectively, which is equivalent to an Unconditional Pass of the MSC Fishery Standard for Sustainable Fisheries. Consequently, this study at Thuraiyoor supports earlier studies in the Palk Bay, which indicate that the ecological impact on the non-target species by bottom-set crab net P. pelagicus fisheries in the Palk Bay is a low conservation concern at present.
Attitude of Government Agricultural Officers towards Organic Agriculture in Sri Lanka
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Malkanthi, S.H.P.; Kumari, W.N.S.
Organic agriculture is a method of farming, which leads to the sustainable agriculture. Before educating farmers on organic agriculture, relevant government agricultural officers should have better knowledge and positive attitude towards it. The main objectives of this study were to study the level of knowledge of agricultural officers on organic agriculture and their attitude towards it. A sample of 120 agriculture officials was randomly selected from Badulla and Ratnapura districts for the study. A field survey was conducted using a pre-tested questionnaire to gather information from the sample, during the period of April 2017 to May 2018. A few descriptive statistical methods and Chisquare test were used to analyze the data. Results revealed that, majority of the agricultural officers are male, educated up to GCE advance level and have certain level of experience on organic agriculture. While, most of them (81.6%) have a general level of knowledge about organic agriculture, a few of them (29.2%) have a better knowledge on it. According to the mean analysis, most of the officers have a positive attitude towards organic agriculture depending on five important factors viz. existing knowledge on organic farming ( 𝑥=3.83), environment protecting (𝑥=4.16), health enhancing (𝑥=4.33), marketing potentials (𝑥=3.59) and social enhancing (𝑥=4.30). According to Chi-square test, there was no association between demographic factors and the attitude of the agricultural officers. However, they have lack of awareness on organic agricultural policies. But, promotion of organic agriculture mainly depends upon the knowledge and skills of agricultural officers. Therefore, motivating them to acquire more knowledge and education on organic agriculture is timely important to establish a sustainable organic agricultural systems in the country.
Climate, Technology and Variations in Profit in Tea Production: A Study on Nuwara Eliya Tea Estates
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Somarathna, A.D.K.S.S.; Edirisinghe, J.C.
Tea is the major foreign income earning crop in Sri Lanka and its GDP contribution is 2% while the 65% of export agriculture revenue and 15% of foreign exchange earnings is also obtained through the tea industry. Also, about 20% of population depends directly or indirectly on the tea sector. The sustainability of this industry depends on its profitability and if not sufficiently profitable, these tea lands maybe converted to other uses in time to come. As predicted by climatologists, future weather is expected to be different from the present. Therefore, the main purposes of this study were to investigate the variability in profits among tea estates and to see weather, climate and technology influence this variation [risk]. This study was carried out in Nuwara-Eliya district because, it is the largest tea producing district in Sri Lanka as well as Nuwara-Eliya teas have high foreign demand. Nuwara-Eliya district consists with two tea growing regions which are Dimbula and Nuwara-Eliya; therefore, when selecting the sample variation of the agro ecology was considered. Data collection followed a stratified random sampling procedure. Twenty-three year’s production and climatic data were collected from thirtyfive estates were used in the analysis. Variance of the error term of the estimated profit function was assumed to be related to risk. Annual total rainfall, annual maximum and minimum average temperature were taken as the climatic variable while technology change was represented by a time trend variable. According to the result of this study, all weather variables showed ‘U’ shaped relationship with the variance. According the results the minimum variability in profit is obtained when the optimum annual rainfall is around 2000 mm, the annual maximum average temperature was 21 °C and the annual minimum temperature was 12.25 °C. Therefore, estate sector needs adaptation strategies for weather as well as possible changes in the climate that is bound to happen.
Comparative Analysis on Morphological Variation of Three Populations of Saccostrea cucullata (Rock Oysters) and Crassostrea madrasensis (Indian Backwater Oyster) (Bivalve: Mollusca) in Selected Coastal Regions of Sri Lanka
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Peiris, M.S.D; Prasadika, H.K.A.E; Thushari, G.G.N; Pitawala, J.C
Crassostrea madrasensis (Indian backwater oyster) and Saccostrea cucullata (Rock oyster) are abundant shellfish varieties with higher culture potential along coastline of Sri Lanka. Limited research studies are available on population clustering and distribution patterns of Oysters in Sri Lankan coast. This study was focused to analyze intra-specific morphological variation among 03 populations of C. madrasensis and S. cucullata in Sri Lanka. C. madrasensis samples were collected from Panadura, Trincomalee and Kalpitiya coasts, while S. cucullata samples were collected from Dickwella, Jaffna and Mt’Lavinia during August-December 2018. Ten morphometric parameters were measured using 190 samples and standardized morphometric measurements were subjected to Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA). Two discriminant functions were derived by predicted two models for populations of S. cucullata (Function 1: Wilks’ƛ=0.005/Function 2: Wilks’ƛ=0.81, P<0.05) and C. madrasensis (Function 1: Wilks’ƛ=0.35/Function 2: Wilks’ƛ=0.82, P<0.05). Derived first Discriminant functions were identified as strongest factors by highly accounting for models of S. cucullata and C. madrasensis with of 99.9% and 85.8% of total variances respectively (Eigen values: 164.55 and 1.34). The ratio between Adductor Muscle Scar Height of Right Valve/Adductor Muscle Scar Area {AMSH(R)/Area} was selected as the highly contributing parameter on strongest function in extracted models of S. cucullata (0.68) and C. madrasensis (0.52). The group plots derived for S. cucullata indicated overlapping between two populations in Colombo and Jaffna, while population of Dickwella illustrates a clear separation from other two groups with intra-specific variation. Group plots of C. madrasensis records overlapping of populations with morphological similarity and three groups consider as one population. This study provides basic information on population structure of S. cucullata and C. madrasensis in Sri Lanka. Population genetic studies are recommended to confirm the findings of this study.
A Comparative Study on Ancient and Contemporary Fisheries Management Systems in Inland Reservoirs of Anuradhapura District in Sri Lanka: A Review
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Lakpawan, W.M.P.; Liyanage, N.P.P.; Tennakoon, T.M.P.S.I.; Herath, H.M.T.N.B.; Kulathilaka, C.J.P.
Archaeological evidences prove that fishery activities were initiated during pre-historic era. According to historical evidences, inland fishery was one of the important economic activities in ancient Sri Lanka and it was regularized after introduction of freshwater fish species during British period. This study was focused on investigation of ancient and contemporary fisheries management systems under four criteria such as, decision making, fishing gears, fish varieties, fish selling and revenue process in Anuradhapura District. 220 fishermen were selected using stratified sampling and data were collected using selfadministrated questionnaire, interviews with key persons and group discussions with fishermen. Secondary information was collected from National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA), Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and library survey. Results of the present study revealed that current fishery practices were managed through community based organizations, NAQDA officers and strong legal framework. As recorded in literature, ancient inland fishery activities were managed by Welwidane with the support of set of norms. In ancient time karaka, Kemana, Iratiya, Athnagu were used as fishing gears to catch native fishes such as Heteropneustes sp, Anabas sp, Channa sp, Wallago sp. At present, pole & line and gill nets were used as legally accepted gears to catch exotic food fishes such as Indian/ Chinese carps and Tilapia. Mainly barter system was applied during the ancient period and Machchabaga & Diyabeduma taxes were applied for harvest & usage of tank. Currently, organized fish selling system is practicing at landing sites and in well managed fishery systems, toll collection was observed. However, no direct taxes were applied in contemporary systems. Both pros and cons were identified in two systems. Abiding nature of villagers, dissemination of harvest and community services practiced can be taken as positive examples from ancient system
Comparative Study on Total Chlorophyll, Carotenoid, Fucoxanthin in Seaweeds Ulva reticulata, Sargassum ilicifolium and Gracilaria multipartita and Colour Enhancing Commercial Ornamental Fish Feeds
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Samarakoon, S.M.N.U.; De Silva, M.P.K.S.K.; Senaarachchi, W.A.R.K.; Liyanage, N.P.P.
Seaweeds are photosynthetic marine macro algae, contain various natural colour pigments. Considering high bioavailability and low cost of processing, this study aimed on evaluating the potential of using seaweeds as a feed additive for colour enhancement of ornamental fish compared to commercial colour enhancing ornamental fish feeds by assessing three types of pigments. Three algae species (green algae-Ulva reticulata, brown algae-Sargassum ilicifolium and red algae-Gracilaria multipartita) were collected from Dickwella area. Pigments were extracted into 10 ml of 99% acetone from sun-dried algae and from 3 types of commercial feeds having green, brown and red colours. Total chlorophyll, carotenoid and fucoxanthin content of seaweeds and commercial feeds were quantified using UV spectrophotometer. Non-normally distributed data were analyzed by Kruskal Wallis test in Minitab version 17 at 0.05 significant level. Highest total chlorophyll content was observed in U. reticulata (70.50±0.39 µg g-1) & S. ilicifolium (59.53±4.34 µg g-1) and it was significantly different from their respective colour feeds (green 4.57±1.63 µg g-1 and brown 7.69±5.56 µg g-1). Similarly, U. reticulata and S. ilicifolium had significantly different carotenoid content (1.44±0.16, 2.11±0.07 µg g-1) compared to their respective colour feeds (green 0.22±0.09 µg g-1 & brown 0.21±0.07 µg g-1). Chlorophyll & carotenoid content had no significant difference between G. multipartita and its respective red colour feed. Fucoxanthin content was also higher in seaweeds (U. reticulata 2.12±0.89 µg g-1, S. ilicifolium 4.69±3.05 µg g-1 and G. multipartita 1.52±0.82 µg g-1) than three commercial feeds (green 1.82±1.81 µg g-1, brown 0.53±0.33 µg g-1 & red 0.49±0.06 µg g-1) with no significant difference. Results indicate that sun-dried seaweeds contained comparatively high level of pigments studied; the selected sea weeds may be taken as an effective feed additive for the colour enhancement of ornamental fish.
Comparison of Chemical Composition and Oil Yield of Vetiveria zizanioides from Different Agroecological Regions in Sri Lanka
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Gunawardana, D.M.; Kaliyadasa, P.E.
Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides) is a perennial grass used to extract vetiver oil from its roots. Vetiver oil has higher economic value in the international market and mainly used in perfumery, cosmetics industry and known to be a repellent with insecticidal properties. In Sri Lanka, vetiver grasses are mainly cultivated in tea lands to conserve soil and moisture. The quality and quantity of vetiver oil might be vary depending upon different growth conditions prevailed in the cultivated areas but no such reported evidences available. Hence, the objective of this study was to compare the chemical composition and yield of vetiver oil from main tea grown regions of Sri Lanka. Vetiver roots were collected from same age plants by using stratified sampling technique and samples from each stratum were selected randomly from nine agroecological zones including three major tea growing regions (low, mid and high grown). Fine powder from each root sample was prepared separately and 45g of powder used in extractions. Hexane was used to extract the vetiver oil by using Soxhlet apparatus and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was followed to analyze the chemical composition. Experiment was conducted in complete randomized design with three replicate and analyzed using analysis of variance. Average yields of the vetiver oils obtained in high, mid and low grown areas were 4.1%, 2.4%, 1.5%, respectively. There is a significant difference between oil yields of high grown and low grown vetiver (p<0.05) but no any significant difference between average yield in high and mid grown plants. In conclusion, highest percentage of oil was recorded in high grown vetiver with different chemical composition by showing the greater possibility of commercializing vetiver cultivation in high grown.
Constraints for Popularization of Fresh Milk: A Case Study in Gampaha District
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Piyumi, D.H.; Hapuhinna, K.G.I.S.B
Although fresh milk is considered a widely consumed beverage in the world, the level of milk consumption in Sri Lanka is considerably low with the per capita consumption of about 15kg per year. Today, powdered milk has acquired the biggest share of the local market and the demand for local milk has gone down dramatically. This has caused a large foreign exchange out flow from the country. In 2017, import expenditure of milk powder has increased notably by 27.6 per cent to US dollars 294 million. Hence, the present study was undertaken in order to identify the constraints for popularization of fresh milk and to find out the remedial measures to solve those problems. The study was conducted in Gampaha district, which represents the second highest monthly household expenditure on milk powder (LKR 1277.00). A pretested structured questionnaire based survey was conducted with a sample of 80 randomly selected households. The study revealed that the highest consumption was imported powdered milk brands (30%) mainly due to the high availability. There is a significant positive relationship between household monthly income and expenditure on fresh milk. According to the Kruscal – Wallis analysis, low availability was the main constraint for popularization of fresh milk from the consumer’s point of view while second and third constraints were high price and low satisfaction about hygiene respectively. Lack of promotional activities was the prominent constraint for popularization of fresh milk at selling level. The study suggests it is vital to establish milk distribution network with sales outlets across the area and distribution by mobile vehicles to the doorstep in order to ensure the availability. Further, a media campaign could be launched to promote fresh milk drinking culture and discourage milk powder consumption.
The Contribution of Urban Agriculture for the Urban Household Incomes in Kandy District
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Kumari, W.N.S.; Rosairo, H.S.R.
There is a high potential to apply urban agriculture in Sri Lanka to earn additional income for households as it is gradually popularizing in the country at present. This study aimed to analyze the role of urban agriculture in the urban household incomes. Objectives of the study were to identify the benefits of urban agriculture, to evaluate the perception of urban growers towards urban agriculture, to determine the profitability and contribution of urban agriculture to total household incomes while identifying the constraints faced by urban growers. Kandy district was selected as the study area taking a sample of 100 urban households using the procedure of convenience sampling. A questionnaire was administered to collect the data. Descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon signed-ranked test and gross margin analysis were used as the analytical tools. The findings of the study revealed that, there is a positive perception towards the urban agriculture. Further, it revealed that the highest and the lowest gross margins were observed in Anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum) and Ambarella (Spondias pinnata) respectively. The study also found that urban agriculture has contributed about 1.63% on average to the total household income of the urban sector. Off farm engagements contributed about 85.4% to the household income of the urban sector followed by business and other sources such as transfer payments about 12.05% and 0.87% respectively on average. Inadequate land to cultivate, time constraints, high cost of irrigation and pest attacks were identified as constraints that urban growers faced. However, at present urban agriculture is not practiced well at household level and the study revealed the need to enhance the awareness regarding the potentials and benefits of urban agriculture.
Determinants of Rural Poverty in Sri Lanka
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Dharmadasa, R.A.P.I.S.; Rathnayake, K.K.H.M.
Reducing poverty is a major issue for Sri Lanka as many developing countries. Poverty can be defined as a household's inability to access wealth resources that are sufficient to provide for basic needs. The causes of poverty and their timely behavior are more important to understand the seriousness of the problem in a certain sector in a country. However, the existing data and information on the causes of poverty in household level are lacking in the context of Sri Lanka. Thus, using Household Income Expenditure Survey data (2009/2010) of Department of Census and Statistics, this study attempts to find the determinants of poverty in rural households by estimating Probit Regression model. The study shows that poverty status is strongly associated with the level of education of household members, household size and presence of local migrants in the family. More specifically, education level reduces the rural poverty whereas having local migrants in the household increase the poverty.
Determination of Cadmium Accumulation and Consequent Responses of Four Different Rice Varieties in Sri Lanka
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Gunawardhana, S.N.; Jayawardhana, N.U.; Ranawana, S.R.W.M.C.J.K.
The heavy metal Cadmium (Cd) is known to be a widespread environmental contaminant in certain parts of the world. Thus, this study was conducted under controlled environmental conditions to identify a Cd tolerant rice variety with low Cd accumulation. The experiment was laid out in Complete Randomized Design with three replicates. Two traditional rice varieties (Pachchaperumal Ac940 and Goda Heenati Ac798) and two new improved rice varieties (Bg 250 and Bg 352) were grown in pots under different soil Cd levels (0.3, 1.5 and 4.5 mg kg-1). The control was maintained without external Cd. The effect of soil Cd on rice plant was measured with respect to plant height, number of tillers, root length, root volume, shoot and root dry weight and flag leaf chlorophyll content. Amount of Cd accumulated in root, stem and leaves were measured using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. For each variety, Accumulation Factor (AF), Bio concentration Factor (BCF) and Translocation Factor (TF) were calculated. At the highest soil Cd level, Pachchaperumal showed a significant increment in root dry weight compared to its control and all other parameters did not show any significant change except the reduction in number of tillers in Bg 250 compared to its control. (p<0.05). The highest Cd accumulation on roots and stem were identified in Pachchaperumal and Goda Heenati, respectively (p<0.05). No significant difference in Cd accumulation was detected in leaves. The lowest AF (0.72 ± 0.29) was found in Bg 352 and hence it can be identified as a Cd excluder (AF < 1). TF and BCF of Goda Heenati (0.24 ± 0.13, 1.0 ± 0.3, respectively) and Pachchperumal (0.04 ± 0.02, 1.0 ± 0.3, respectively) revealed their potential to be used as a phyto stabilizer (TF < 1, BCF > 1). Moreover, Pachchperumal can be identified as the least affected variety in terms of vegetative growth and hence appeared to be tolerant to above tested Cd levels.
Determination of Economic Injury Level and Economic Threshold Level of Tobacco Cutworm (Spodoptera litura)
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Sriyantha, K.W.A.R.; Weerawansha, A.N.R.; Ranawana, S.R.W.M.C.J.K.; Edirisooriya, C.H.
Total eradication of Spodoptera litura in tobacco cultivations is virtually impossible and is usually undesirable because it can spell the demise of the pests, natural enemies and can upset the broader economic balance. This experiment was conducted to find out the Economic Injury Level and the Economic Threshold Level of Spodoptera litura in tobacco cultivations. The equation, EIL = C/VD'K where C = management cost per production unit, V = market value per production unit, D’ = damage per unit injury, and K = proportional reduction in injury with management, was used to find the EIL and the equation, ETL = EIL-(EIL⁄2) was used to find ETL. In determination of damage per unit injury, four uniform tobacco seedlings were grown in each treatment plot with three replicates and laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design. Plants’ exposure time period to the pest was considered as the treatments where the second instar larvae which were mass reared in a culture cage, were introduced at the rates of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 to the treatment plots having exposure times of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 days, respectively in the 22nd day after transplanting. Pest damage was quantified in terms of damaged leaf area. The management cost per unit production was calculated by taking both pesticide cost and application cost into account. Damage per unit injury was calculated as 1.56 and the management cost per unit production unit was calculated as LKR 4.92. Proportional reduction in injury with management was 0.8 and the market value per production unit was LKR 450.00. Upon substitution of the values in the variables of the formulas, the EIL of tobacco cutworm was determined as 8.76 larvae per 1000 plants and ETL was calculated as 4.38 larvae per 1000 plants.
Determination of the Variation of Biochemical Profile of Commonly Grown Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) Cultivar of TRI 2025 in Low Country Agro-ecological Zones
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Nirmala, M.H.G.S.; Kaliyadasa, P.E.; Alakolanga, A.G.A.W.; Jayasinghe, H.A.S.L.; Jeewanthi, P.W.
There is a unique taste, color and aroma of low country teas compared to other types of tea grown in Sri Lanka. Those properties are governed by the biochemical composition of the tea, basically the tea leaves. However, there was no reported study related to the variation of chemical profile of tea grown in different agro-climatic regions within the low country region. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the variation of biochemical profile of commonly grown tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) cultivar of TRI 2025. Fresh tea leaves of TRI 2025 in 5th pruning cycle were randomly collected from eight selected plantations which represent four major tea cultivating agro-climatic regions WL1a, WL1b, WL2a, WL2b in low country. The estates were selected using stratified sampling technique and samples from each stratum were selected randomly from different tea estates in a way of including two estates in each agro-climatic region. The study was conducted during the period of onset of rain, from November to December, 2018. The fresh tea leaves placed on ice immediately after harvesting and transported. The leave samples were dried at 50 °C for 12 hours and crushed into fine particles. Chemicals were extracted from each sample using 1g of leaf powder in methanol for the analysis of polyphenols and reducing sugars while phosphate buffer was used for proteins extraction. Folin Ciocalteu regent method Lawry’s method and DNS reagent method was used to determine polyphenols, free sugars and total proteins with slight modifications, respectively. This study found that significantly different polyphenol and free sugar contents (p<0.05) were in teas grown in the four agro-ecological regions in low country of Sri Lanka but free total protein contents were not shown the significant difference.
Determination of the Variation of Biochemical Properties of Selected Tea Cultivar (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) in Mid Country
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Samarakoon, S.M.I.S.; Kaliyadasa, P.E.; Alakolanga, A.G.A.W.; Jayasinghe, H.A.S.L.; Jeewanthi, P.W.
In the tea trade, quality is used to indicate the presence of special desirable attributes in the tea liquor which are detected by physical appearance, smell and taste. The biochemical properties of tea is very complex and is currently a subject of broad medicinal and toxicological studies. This study was conducted to determine the variation of selected biochemical properties (polyphenols, free sugars, and total proteins) of commonly growing tea cultivar (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze), of TRI 2025 among all tea growing agro ecological regions in Mid Country of Sri Lanka. Fresh tea samples (two leaves and bud) were collected from same aged plants by using stratified sampling technique and samples from each stratum were selected randomly from different tea estates of each agro ecological region in Mid Country (WM1a, WM1b, WM2a, WM2b, WM3a, WM3b, IM1a, IM2a, IM2b, IM3a). Collected samples were placed on an ice and transported and oven dried at 50 ˚C for 12 hours and crushed in to fine particles. Methanol extraction was performed for the analysis of total polyphenol content and reducing sugars while phosphate buffer was used to extract samples for the analysis of proteins. The concentrations of polyphenols, proteins, and free sugars were determined by folin Ciocalteu reagent method, Lowry’s method and dinitrosalicylic acid method respectively with slight modifications. The findings of this study shown that biochemical properties of teas such as polyphenol, total protein and free sugars contents were significantly different (p <0.05) among many tea growing ago ecological zones in mid country of Sri Lanka. Maximum polyphenol, free sugar, total protein contents were recorded in WM1b, WM2a and IM2a respectively. Minimum polyphenol, free sugar, total protein contents were recorded in IM2a, IM3a and IM2a, respectively. This sets a precedent for the characterization of biochemical profiles of mid grown tea of Sri Lanka.
Determination of the Variation of Biochemical Properties of Selected Tea Cultivar (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) in Up Country
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Thiruneelan, T.; Kaliyadasa, P.E.; Alakolanga, A.G.A.W.; Jayasinghe, H.A.S.L.; Samarasinghe, B.A.
Tea has an attractive aroma, good taste, and flavor, however; these properties could vary with climatic factors including temperature, sunshine hours and rain fall prevail in different agro-ecological zones in the growing areas. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the chemical composition of Tea (camellia sinensis (L) O. Kuntze) var. TRI 2025 grown in different agro-ecological zones in Up-country. Fresh tea samples of TRI 2025 (two leaves & bud) were collected from the same aged plants by using stratified sampling technique from 11 regions, viz: WU1, WU2a, WU2b, WU3, IU1, IU2, IU3a, IU3b, IU3c, IU3d, and IU3e in the up country during the onset of rains. The fresh tea leaves were placed on ice immediately after harvesting and transported. The leaves were dried in an oven at 50 oC for 12 hours and dried samples were crushed in to fine particles. Methanol extraction was performed for the analysis of total polyphenol content and reducing sugars while phosphate buffer was used to extract samples for the analysis of proteins. The concentrations of polyphenols, proteins, and free sugars were determined by Folin Ciocalteu reagent method, Lowry’s method and Dinitrosalicylic acid method respectively with slight modifications. The findings confirm that chemical properties of tea in up country showed significant (p<0.05) difference among many tea growing ago ecological zones in Up-country of Sri Lanka. Maximum polyphenol, free sugar, total protein contents were recorded in IU3e, WU3 and WU1 respectively. Minimum polyphenol, free sugar, total protein contents were recorded in WU2a, IU3a and IU3c, respectively. This study sets a precedent for the characterization of biochemical profile of all tea growing areas in Up-country of Sri Lanka.

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