International Research Conference of UWU-2020

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Browsing International Research Conference of UWU-2020 by Subject "Agriculture Engineering"

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    Comparative Study on the Phytochemical Composition of Medicinally Important Three Ocimum Species Available in Sri Lanka.
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2020) De Silva, S.D.A.I.; Kaliyadasa, P.E.; Lochana, E.A.L.; Marasinghe, P.
    Ocimum species have been used as an important medicinal herb, since ancient times but no recorded scientific evidence on morphological variations and phytochemical composition in Sri Lanka. Hence this study was conducted to determine the variation of morphological characteristics, total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, and essential oil composition of three different Ocimum species namely; Ocimum sanctum, Ocimum gratissimum and Ocimum americanum. Healthy and fresh leaves of Ocimum plants were collected from Badulla and Welimada area. Morphological differences in leaves, flowers, roots, stem, and seeds of three Ocimum species were compared visually and recorded. Methanol extraction was performed using dried and powdered leaf samples and analysed total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity for three species using the Folin Ciocalteu reagent method and standard 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity respectively. Hydro distillation was done to extract essential oils from Ocimum sanctum and Ocimum gratissimum and analysed by using Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry method. There were differences and similarities between morphological characteristics among three species. The maximum polyphenol content was recorded in Ocimum americanum and the minimum was recorded in Ocimum sanctum. In determination of antioxidant activity, the highest half maximal inhibitory concentration was recorded in Ocimum americanum and the lowest was recorded in Ocimum gratissimum. There were differences in essential oil composition between Ocimum sanctum and Ocimum gratissimum. It can be concluded that there is a significant variation in morphological characteristics and phytochemical composition of three different Ocimum species available in Sri Lanka. Keywords: Antioxidant, Chromatography, Polyphenol, Scavenging, Spectrometry.
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    Constraints Faced by Potato Farmers in Major Potato Growing Areas in Sri Lanka: An ICT based Intervention
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2020) Mohamed, M.S. A.; Wathugala, D.L.; Indika, W.A.; Madushika, M.K.S.; Piyaratne, M.K.D.K.; Samaraweera, G.C.
    Potato is one of the most attractive crops and plays an important role in human nutrition. However, the average yield of the potato is less than its yield potential and local production is insufficient to meet the demand in Sri Lanka. Therefore, a field survey was conducted in major potato growing districts such as Badulla, Nuwara-Eliya, and Jaffna to examine key challenges faced by potato farmers. One hundred potato farmers were selected through a purposive sampling technique and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS. The majority of farmers from study areas cultivate potato for consumption other than seed purpose and enriched with smallholdings. Results revealed that low farmgate prices (37%), pest and disease attacks (32%), and high cost of farm inputs (20%) are the major challenges faced by the majority of farmers. Low farmgate price for potatoes is mainly due to the involvement of a higher number of middlemen, the majority of farmers cultivate potato at the same time and low quality. Potato early blight, late blight, and bacterial wilt were common diseases; mite and whitefly attacks were the common pest attacks faced by the majority of farmers. Furthermore, high input price constituted the cost of seed potato (63%), fertilizer and chemical cost (18%), machinery and labor cost (12%), and cost for irrigation (7%). Thus, the importation of seed potatoes was the key influential factor for the increase of input price. The study recommends improving better coordination among stakeholders in the industry and it is crucial to direct farmers to follow proper cultivation and harvesting techniques. Further, the study suggested that it is important to come up with a mobilebased solution mainly among farmers to access context-specific information promptly and easily; that could be resolved major challenges faced by potato farmers in Sri Lanka. Keywords: Key challenges, Potato farmers, Yield
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    Development of a Simple Non-toxic Scale-up Method for Extracting Crude Collagen from Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) Skin
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2020) Jayasundara, J.M.S.S.; Wimalarathne, W.; Pitawala, H.M.J.C.; Ekanayake, R.M.T.C.B.; Abeyrathne, E.D.N.S.
    During processing, a greater quantity of fish is dumped as waste which causes a major environmental impact. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate possible ways to minimize the waste and use of these wastes at the industrial level. Thus, the current study was aimed to develop a simple, non-toxic, and scale-up method to extract crude collagen from yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) skin. Collagen extraction was carried out through a pre-treatment process where the skin was agitated with 0.1 N NaOH for 48 hours. Two different acid types, lactic acid (0.4 M, 0.5 M, 0.6 M) and acetic acid (0.5 M, as in the previous study) were compared. Sodium chloride (10% w/v) was used to precipitate crude collagen. Extracted collagens were lyophilized and yield was calculated. For the agitation purpose, specially prepared agitator (30 L capacity and 50 rpm) was used. Then, 10% SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) analysis and FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) analysis were carried out for the identification of the extracted crude collagen. The highest yield of collagen was obtained from 0.6 M lactic acid-treated fish skin compared to the rest and it was 14.46 ± 0.56 % based on the wet weight of the skin (p < 0.05). All the crude collagen extracts of different concentrations exhibited Amide A, Amide B, Amide i, Amide ii, and Amide iii which are the characteristic spectra of collagen in the FTIR spectrum. Based on the SDS-PAGE analysis it was revealed that the crude collagen extracts have two α-bands and one β-band which is a characteristic of type I collagen. Thus, this study revealed the tuna skin is a good source to extract type I collagen for the commercial and industrial uses. Keywords: Fish collagen, Thunnus albacares, Lactic acid, Acetic acid, Extraction
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    The Effect of Selected Sri Lankan Herbal Plant Crude Extracts Against Spodoptera frugiperda (Fall Armyworm)
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2020) Ranaweera, M.N.; Henegamage, A.P.; Prematilake, M.M.S.N.; Peris, C.M.
    The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda is a recent invasive pest that has successfully established in Sri Lanka where it continues to disrupt agriculture, particularly corn production. Management of fall armyworm using agrochemicals has led to the development of resistance against many insecticides and the accumulation of toxic residues on agricultural products. Therefore, the utilization of plant extracts which are wealthy in bioactive compounds for the control fall armyworm has become a developing pattern. This study was undertaken to screen the effectiveness of Adathoda vassica, Dathura metal, and Tagetes erecta crude extracts against fall armyworm. Shade dried leaves were used for the extraction which was done by the Soxhlet method using methanol and ethyl acetate as solvents. Bioefficacy of crude extracts was studied against third instar larvae of S. frugiperda using 4000, 2000 and 1000 ppm concentrations to test the contact toxicity by topical application method, antifeedant activity by leaf disc no choice assay and repellency effect from the dual choice method. Commercially available insecticide, collagen was used as a positive control. The crude extracts from T. erecta (LD50 - 186.63µg/g) and D. metel (LD50 - 256.44µg/g) showed significantly (p < 0.05) high mortality (100%) rate within twelve hours even compared with the positive control. The results revealed that the methanolic extract of T. erecta showed the highest significant (p < 0.05) antifeedant activity (92.09%) at 4000 ppm compared with other plant extracts. All plant extracts provoked a notable decrease in feeding with the increment of their concentration. Methanolic extract of T. erecta showed the highest significant repellency (66.65%). Therefore, it can be concluded that methanolic extracts of D. metel and T. erecta have the power of damaging fall armyworm and are suitable candidates for the development of bio-insecticide for the local use. Keywords: Fall armyworm, Adathoda vassica, Dathura metel, Tagetes erecta
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    Implementation of low cost, automated, mobile monitoring module by means of AI for container gardening in urban areas
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2020) Madhusanka, P.B.H.; Perera, T.A.N.T.; Piyasena, P.; Jayasinghe, G.Y.
    The limited amount of space and climate variability have led to the emergence of urban agriculture mainly in agricultural countries. This has turned urban gardens to be smart, autonomous, and efficient with the trend towards interconnected devices. The main objective of this study is to build an IoT based low cost, automated, mobile monitoring module for container gardening in urban areas. This system built with NodeMCU ESP-32 has been designed and successfully examined during the study. In constructing of the device, several sensors sych as environmental humidity and temperature, light, Passive Infrared Sensor (PIR), soil temperature, soil moisture sensors and a base station connecting the cloud to the whole network were used. The system will track plants on a mobile device which has the capability of providing real-time updates on crop conditions through the internet (Thinkspeak). The device is capable of measuring five parameters (soil moisture, temperature of soil & air, air humidity and light intensity) at once and show all the parameters on the ThingSpeak site for user to get the idea and also this controls the light level and soil moisture levels of the pot automatically. The acquired results have been shown the performance of the device is precise. Such as collecting, logging and analyzing the irregular data from the sensors. Consequently the system is beneficial and cost effective for the commercial scale farmers as well. Farmers can be monitor their field without wasting time and resources with the help of several sensors and the alert system. With the automatic irrigation system help to reduce water wastage and it allows to use water efficiently. Therefore, the device is efficient both the farmer’s as well as environment in concentration. Keywords: Artificial intelligence, NodeMCU ESP-32, Smart gardening, Sustainability, Urban agriculture
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    A Model for a Mobile Application to Support Agro-ecological Zones based Crop Selection in Sri Lanka
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2020) Mohamed, M.S. A.; Wathugala, D.L.; Indika, W.A.; Madushika, M.K.S.; Piyaratne, M.K.D.K.; Samaraweera, G.C.
    Agriculture is the key source of livelihood and economic support for the Sri Lankan population. The farmer is the salient stakeholder in agriculture and he has to decide the appropriate crops for cultivation in every season. This decision should be primarily based on market conditions including pricing but several other factors such as climatic conditions of the area, land suitability, irrigation facilities, etc. should also take into consideration. Thus, crop selection is a vital and critical decision that farmer has to get in the farming lifecycle and many farmers face problems in selecting the right crops at the right time to grow. Therefore, in this study, a digital platform has been created to provide crop suitability information based on the agro-ecological zones in Sri Lanka. Providing information regarding suitable crops according to agro-ecological zones in Sri Lanka is the correct intervention to facilitate farmers during the crop selection stage. Contextual data for crop selection were mainly gathered through primary and secondary sources. The study learned that the agro-ecological zones have been classified based on different climatic zones, annual rainfall, terrain characteristics, available major soil groups, and recommended crops for all agro-ecological zones. A crop selection model was designed and listed out suitable crops based on 46 agro-ecological zones in Sri Lanka. Further, this decision is depended on the influence factors such as major cultivation seasons, irrigation types, and farmer preferences, etc. The designed model has been provided through a mobile-based platform to the farmers. Then, they could easily find recommended crops and varieties suitable to their farms by asking users to add their Province, District, Divisional Secretariat, and Grama Niladhari, division. Thus, the model will be promised in supporting farmers to increase the profit and social status of the farmers in Sri Lanka. Keywords: Agriculture, Agro-ecological zones, Crop selection, Farmers, Mobile application
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    Rumen Protected Fat Preparation using By-products Generated in Coconut Processing Industry
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2020) De Silva, S.M.H.H.; Abeyrathne, E.D.N.S.; Weerasinghe, W.M.P.B.; Mahipala, M.B.P.K.; Ranaweera, K.K.T.N.
    Rumen protected fat (RPF) is an energy supplement used in dairy cattle feeding. Yet, none of the studies were conducted in manufacturing RPF in Sri Lanka. Hence, the present study was conducted to optimize the fusion method of preparing RPF using byproducts generated in the coconut processing industry in Sri Lanka. Amongst 03 byproducts generated (i.e. sludge oil, low-fat coconut residue oil, and paring oil), paring oil was selected as the suitable fat source for preparing RPF due to its favourable physiochemical properties and ease of extraction. The fatty acid profile of the paring oil was determined using Gas Chromatography (GC). For producing RPF using fusion method, paring oil was mixed with CaO (aq) and heated using direct heat. In the experiment, RPF samples were prepared using CaO percentage in the range of 11%-14% with the time, temperature combinations ranging 10 – 120 minutes, and 150 – 300 °C, respectively. The best time, temperature, and CaO% were finalized as 30 minutes, 250 °C, and 13.5%, respectively. The crude fat content, ash content, and pH of the final product was assessed. The stability of the final product in the rumen was assessed by comparing it with a commercial RPF using in vitro gas production technique. According to GC results, Lauric acid was identified as the highest available fatty acid in paring oil. The crude fat and crude ash content of the final product was 77.77 ± 0.32% and 22.16 ± 0.37%, respectively. As confirmed by the in vitro gas production technique, rumenprotected fat produced from paring oil and commercial rumen-protected fat had indicated similar stability under in vitro rumen conditions. The final product showed no significant difference (p<0.05) in pH up to 5 weeks. The current method yielded 1.11 kg of rumenprotected fat from 1 kg of paring oil. Considering the above results, the current process was identified as a successful method of preparing rumen-protected fat using paring oil generated. Key words: CaO, Coconut processing industry, Fatty acids, Fusion method, Paring oil