Research Symposium-2015
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Item Distribution and accumulation of selected heavy metals in Tea plants(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Fernando, W. W. A. S. N.; Alakolanga, A. G. A. W.Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) is the mostly consumed beverage in the world after the water. Currently, as a natural beverage, its demand is increasing drastically all over the world. But, with the reporting of contamination of tea from different hazardous (Heavy metal, pesticides…etc.), which cause adverse health consequences to human being, the attention for food safety regulations are being promoted by the different counties to protect their people. As a result different quality assurance and food safety regulations and certifications such as ISO, HACCP, GAP, MRL, Acceptable limits for heavy metals …etc. have been introduced to the tea industry also. At field level due to usage of agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, migration of contaminants into a non-contaminated land as vapors and leach through soil, or as dust, or spreading of sewage sludge…etc cause to contamination of tea from above mentioned hazardous. Among them, contamination of tea from heavy metals has a critical issue. According to Sri Lanka Tea Board Standard acceptable limits for Fe - 500, Cu – 100, Pb – 2, Zn – 100 and Cd – 0.2 mg/kg and each country sets its own allowable limit for heavy metal in made tea. Hence, this research was carried out as a primary study to find out the how those heavy metals are being (zinc, copper and lead) distributed and accumulated in tea plants and the impact of Glyphosate application for distribution and accumulation of those heavy metals. The ability of plants to tolerate and accumulate heavy metals can be assessed using Translocation factor (TF) which is defined as the ratio of metal concentration in the shoots to the roots ([Metal] Shoot/ [Metal] Root). Hence, Translocation factor was calculated for each treatment and metal also. Material and Methods Experimental unit were 18 months old tea plants (TRI 4052) which were planted in pots and for 45 days experiment was carried out in a shade house of Uva Wellassa University, Badulla. Research design was Complete Randomized Design. Control (Distilled water), Glyphosate (20 µl per pot) and heavy metal mixture (Zinc 300, copper 300 and lead 200 mg/kg per pot) were applied to plants diluting in 500 mL distilled water as treatments. Number of replications were five. Concentrations of Zn, Cu and Pb were determined in shoots, mature leaves, stem, mature roots and feeder roots using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy after digested them. Plant tissues were digested using wet digestion procedure, thoroughly washed (from the tap water and distilled water) tea plant parts were dried at 80 C overnight. They were ground and sieved through 1 mm mesh. 0.5 g of sample placed in a small beaker and 5 ml of Con. HNO3 was added. Then, it was kept for overnight to digest the organic compound in plant materials. Digested samples were heated on hot plate at 100 C for three hours (until emission of NO2 fumes has ceased). Each sample was diluted with 25 ml of distilled water and filtered through filter paper. Filtered transparent solution were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Result and Discussion There was a significant difference (p< 0.05) between the treatments on accumulation of each heavy metal in different parts of tea plant. The treatment of Heavy metal mixture was significantlyItem Protocol for callus induction of Camellia japonica L. (Tea rose)(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Dilrukshika, H. L. T.; Alwis, L. M. H. R.Camellia japonica (the Japanese Camellia) is one of the best known species of the genus Camellia. Among the Camellia species, the economic value of the C. japonica ranks the highest due to its beautiful ornamental flowers, edible uses (dried flowers, oil), medicinal uses (astringent, antihaemorrhagic, haemostatic, salve and tonic) and material uses (dye, oil) (Salinero et al., 2012). Although C. japonica has a high ornamental and medicinal value, it is not popular in tea cultivating tropical agricultural country like Sri Lanka yet. Further, it was revealed that the difficulties of propagating Tea Roses are significant and therefore growers discourage to propagate them. Also C. japonica multiplication and improvement through seeds is rare due to poor seed set in the white and pink varieties present in Sri Lanka. C. japonica is usually propagated only using stem cuttings in Sri Lanka at present. But rooting was very poor in both pink and white varieties (Fernando and Alwis, 2013). But a good economic potential can be achieved in Sri Lanka due to its beautiful ornamental flower which is having long life span if it is scientifically developed to get different colors and shapes. Therefore, it is very important to in vitro propagation of C. japonica in large scale to commercially enhance its real value especially in the up country and mid country regions of Sri Lanka. Therefore this study was aimed to develop a protocol to induce the callus culture of Camellia japonica L (Tea Rose). Material and Methods This research study was conducted at Tissue Culture laboratory at Uva Wellassa University during the period of 22.04.2014 to 15.08.2014. The explants were collected from the Ury estates in Balangoda Plantations and Hakgala Botanical Garden, Hakgala, Nuwara Eliya. This study was conduct to develop an efficient protocol for rapid and prolific callus induction of Camellia japonica (Tea Rose). In the first experiment, leaves and nodal segments used as explants. Nine different combinations of 20% sodium hypochlorite for three different time durations (20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes ) and 70% ethanol for three different time durations (30 seconds, 1 minute, 1 and half minutes ) were used to select the best sterilization method. Number of contaminated vessels were counted after one week. Above nine treatment combinations were succeeded only for C. japonica leaves. Because of again used another nine different treatment combinations for surface sterilization of nodes by adjusting soaking time duration in the 20% sodium hypochlorite (35 minutes, 40 minutes, 45 minutes). In the second experiment, leaves, nodal segments and un opened flower bud flower petals used as explants. The sterilized explants were cultured on MS medium with three different hormone combinations of 3-indolebutric acid (IBA) and 6-benzylamino purine (BAP) to investigate the effect on callus induction.Item Firewood energy utilization in different dryers used in Tea processing(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Chathurangi, N.H.K.; Withanage, N.S.; Pathmasiri, M.M.R.Tea industry is one of the most key important drives in Sri Lankan economy. Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority is one of the important government institutions for energy management and enhancing awareness and creating technical capacity on energy conservation in Sri Lanka. Tea industry utilizes both electrical and thermal energy for its processing. The tea factories pre- dominantly use fuel wood to meet their thermal energy needs, in the drying process, which is the major transformation process in the tea industry. The lack of researchers on the energy utilization of different dryers used in Sri Lankan tea industry and different types of dryers are used depending on the production capacity of the tea factory. The objectives of the research are to find out firewood energy utilization of different dryers and performance of different dryers in Sri Lanka. Materials and methodology The research was carried out to Sustainable Energy Authority during the period from April to August 2014. Specific thermal energy utilization (MJ/kg) was used to measure the level of firewood consumption for dryers and it was tested for different dryers, location and combustion technology. Two factor factorial design was implemented as the experimental design where dryer type and combustion technology were taken in to consideration .There are three types of dryer commonly used in tea drying such as, conventional endless chain pressure type dryer (ECP), Fluidized bed drier (FBD), and combination drier which works on a combination of ECP and FBD principles .There are two types of combustion technologies used for tea drying such as, Boilers and furnace. Primary data were collected from factory officers by providing the structural questionnaires. Secondary data were also collected from the annual reports of Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority and factory reports of different tea factories. Collected sample was surveyed based on the factory records during 2012 to 2013 to gather necessary information. Factory observations were also was carried out to confirm the accuracy of data that were collected by the interviews of factory officers and Factory managers. Minitab 16 Statistical Software was used for both descriptive and interferential statistics. ANOVA General linear model was used to analyze the variance of dryer output in relation to dryer types and combustion technology. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. Descriptive statistics were graphical explained with using of Microsoft Excel and Minitab software. Pearson correlation was used to determine the association of consumption of firewood and total production. The relationship of firewood consumption and total production were analyzed by using simple regression technique. Results and Discussion According to descriptive statistics, firewood Energy Source was highly used in tea processing. The result revealed that, 19% firewood and saw dust, 8% firewood and furnace oil, only 3% of firewood and coconut shell was also used. Jungle wood was highly used in tea processing. The results showed that 36% rubber firewood and only 19% rubber and jungle wood were also reported. The low country and mid country tea factories use only firewood and saw dust. But up country tea factories use different types of energy sources. Up country tea factories mainly use Fluidized Bed dryers and mid country and low country highly use Endless Chain Pressure dryers. Low country and up country mainly trended in small scale production and mid country highly trended in large scale production. In mid country, it is available large, medium and low price firewood. But in up country and low country, it is available only large and medium price fire wood. The Endless Chain Pressure dryer was the highly used dryer type.it was revealed that, 28% of Fluidized Bed dryers and only 25% of combination dryers were also used in tea processing. Endless Chain Pressure dryers had the dryer capacity of 180-280 kg/hr, Fluidized Bed dryers had 280-500 kg/hr and Combination dryers had 250-450 kg/hr capacity. Endless Chain pressure Dryers are easy to be maintained than others. Endless Chain Pressure dryers were mainly used in small scale production, Fluidized Bed dryer and Combination dryers were highly used in large scale production in tea factories. The furnace combustion technology was highly used in tea processing. 61% furnace and only 39 % of boilers were reported. Majority of tea factories in small scale production use furnace and tea factories in large scale production use boilers. Majority of low country and mid country tea factories use furnaces and up country tea factories use boilers and prominently Endless Chain Pressure dryers utilize the energy of furnace and Fluidized Bed dryers use the energy of boilers. When consider the Regression output, P value 0.000 of the model suggests that at 5% significant level, firewood consumption is significant in relation to the dryer made tea production. R – Square was recorded as 49.3 % and it implies that 49.3% of the firewood consumption is explained by the made tea while the 50.7% is explained by unexplained variables.Item Clientele satisfaction towards the services rendered by government to the tea small holding sector(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Hangawatta, H. A. C. M.; Mahindarathne, M. G. P. P.Tea is pre-eminent among Sri Lanka’s plantation crops and it is one of the most important industries in the country in terms of employment and foreign exchange earnings (Basnayake , 2002). Next to China and India, Sri Lanka is the oldest tea producing country in the world producing nearly for 150 years (Asopa, 2004). Over the years, the word Ceylon has become synonymous with quality tea. The entire economic base of the country was centered on the plantation sector at the time when Sri Lanka was gaining independence in1948; nearly 32% of GDP came from exports of plantation crops, which contributed 92% of the total export earnings. The development of the small holder sector, especially in the Low country helped to maintain the production level during the 1980’s despite the deterioration of the estate sector production. The smallholder sector expanded very rapidly and presently accounts more than half (76%) of the total production.(Annual Report, Tea Small Holding Development Authority, 2012) Small holders must receive current information and technology for effective management of their production, marketing and financial decisions. Individual characteristics of producers affect on the demand for information services while confidence in the information services is a central determinant of the frequency at which a producer refers to the services. (Yapa and Ariyawardana, 2005).Coupled with the information, financial support is vital to expand and maintain the tea production. This requirement is fulfilled through the subsidy policy of the government. Tea small Holding authority is the institute established as the main supportive body to the small holding sector. Other institutions that are responsible for tea are, namely, Tea Research Institute, Sri Lanka Tea Board and Tea Commissioner’s Department. So the research was conducted to identify the satisfaction level of the small holders towards the services rendered by the government, to identify major factors that cause to farmers satisfaction, to evaluate strong and weak areas of the government service procedure and to make suggestions to overcome the weaknesses in government services. Materials and methodology Data were collected through a sample survey by giving structured questionnaire to randomly selected 150 small holders in 8 tea inspector’s (TI) ranges at Badulla administrative district . The degree of satisfaction of the small holders was the dependent variable and it was measured with respect to five different dimensions of the present government service. The dimensions considered were quality of the service, relevancy of technologies/service, competency of extension personnel, general usefulness/effect and characteristics of extension agent. Responses were obtained from five point Likert scale with scores of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Coded and scored data were analyzed by Using SPSS software package. Based on mean and standard error, farmers were grouped in to three as less satisfied group, moderately satisfied group and highly satisfied group. The cut-off points for this categorization was derived by using the formula “mean (X) + or – 1.96 Standard Error (SE)” (V.S Sidhakaran, 2008). Descriptive statistical techniques were used to present the demographic features of the sample. Simple correlation coefficient values were worked out to find out the strength of association between dependant variable and independent variables. Multiple linear regression analysis was worked out to find out the contribution of independent variables to dependant variable. Age, Gender, Education level, farming experience, innovativeness, number of training attended, membership of a small holder association and contact intensity with an extension agent were selected as independent variables.Item Investigating the Causes for Poor Control of Erigeron sumatrensis (Alawangupillu) by Glyphosate in the Uva Region(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Ramanayaka, R. J. M. D. K.; Prematilake, K. G.Erigeron sumatrensis (Alawangupillu) could be considered as a hard-to-kill weed in tea plantations because it has become totally resistant to Paraquat (Marambe et al, 2002) and from the recent past, there are claims that this weed shows a poor control also by Glyphosate (Prematilake, 2010). Recent investigations under upcountry conditions have shown that such poor control of weed is attributed to the dosages of Glyphosate applied and age or growth phase of weeds under up country conditions (Prematilake and Nawaratne, 2010 ; Prematilake and Darshani, 2011) . Hence, this study was aimed to determine the degree of control of E. sumatrensis weed at its different stages of growth by different dosages of Glyphosate under the conditions of Uva region. Materials and Methods Plants of E. sumatrensis at five different growth phases, having 3-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14 and more than 15 leaves per plant, were collated from Ury Estate, Passara (30 plants from each of the five growth phases) and planted them on a raised bed, randomly at a spacing of 50 x 50 cm. Plants were left on beds for 2 weeks period to establish. Plants of each of the five growth phases were treated with two dosages of Glyphosate (3ml/Land 5ml/L) at two weeks after planting. An untreated control was also maintained. A drenching application of Glyphosate was given to each plant during morning time using a hand sprayer. The experimental design was Complete Randomized Design with two factor factorial with 2 replications.Visual injury symptoms in the weed (chlorosis of leaves, wilting of leaves, drying and scorching of leaves and leaf fall) were observed and scored at 7, 14 and 21days after application (DAA). The degree of damage on leaves and whole plant was taken in to account in scoring using a scale (0 to 9).The viable plants were counted and the dry weight of above ground part and roots were measured at 21 DAA. Results and Discussion All visual symptoms such as chlorosis, wilting, scorching and drying of leaves and leaf fall were occurred at a higher intensity with Glyphosate at 5ml/L (2.75 L/ha) than the Glyphosate at 3 ml/L (1.65L/ha). Chlorosis of leaves and wilting of leaves were most prominent at seven DAA and scorching and drying of leaves and leaf fall prominent at 14 DAA.Item Determinants of income diversification in Tea estates households in Badulla district(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Hewavitharana, M.K.; Dharmadasa, R.A.P.I.S.Tea is the main foreign exchange owner in Sri Lanka. It shows that Tea industry is playing major role in national economy. Estate laborers are one of the major players in tea industry. Tea industry economically depends on sweat and blood of estate workers (Muthulingam, 2010). In initial stage of tea industry, laborers who were working in tea industry had estate income as sole income source. If it was sole way of income, the labor wage was very low. They had not enough facilities to engage with other agricultural and non-agricultural like income activities. Also management of tea estates was provided facilities to estate households to work only in estates. To improve the estate workers living condition, there is an alternative way called as an income diversification. Income diversification has talked world widely with various sectors. But, no any research has carried out on income diversification in tea estate households. Therefore, study of this matter is most important to the tea estate sector. In this study the income diversification and pattern of income diversification of tea estates households are considered in Badulla district. Materials and Methodology The Survey was conducted in Badulla district by using 298 tea estates households. Censored Tobit regression analysis method was used to examine the determinants of income diversification. In many research on income diversification have used censored Tobit model to find out determinants of the income diversification. In this research dependent variables are including value zero to high amount of value. Therefore for Tobit model is used for data analying. (Schwarz and Zeller, 2005). In this study three dependent variables are taken as estate income, other agricultural income and non- agricultural Income. Nine variables are used as explanatory variable. Those are age of household head, gender of household head, number of dependents in a family, number of male, number of female, monthly expenditure, distance to the city, years of schooling household head and loan receipt.Item Determinants of absenteeism in tea plantation workers (Case study in selected tea estate in Badulla)(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Rathnayake, R. M. P. S.; Dharmadasa, R. A. P. I. S.Absenteeism is a common problem in many industrial units, small or big, private or Government. It can be defined as a single day of missed work (Martocchio&Jimeno 2003), an individual’s lack of physical presence at a given location and time when there is a social expectation for him or her to be there (Martocchio& Harrison, 1993) or non-attendance of employee for scheduled work (Gibson 1966, john 1978). Concerning tea sector in Sri Lanka, chronic absenteeism is one of the major problems which may lead to out-migration in the long run (Institute of Social Development, 2008). The labour situation on plantations has gone from one of surplus to deficit, with an annual decline at the rate of 10% – 20% of the workforce (Institute of Social Development, 2008). This has caused the privatized large-scale plantation or estate to afflict with low productivity and high cost of production which resulted for continuous low profit margins (Institute of Social Development, 2008). Sri Lankan tea production is mainly concentrated into seven regions and Uva region is having nine sub regions. Among these, Telbadde estate is the largest entity in Badulla/Demodera/Hali-Ela sub region (Sri Lanka Tea Board). According to the estate reports, Telbadde estate has one of the largest working populations in this region as well as high rate of absenteeism. As the absenteeism has become problematic to the estate in the short run as well as long run, this study attempts primarily to identify the factors affecting the short run absenteeism. Methodology There are 161 holdings in estate sector all over the Badulla district (Statistical Information on Plantation Crops, 2012). Among them one of the largest entities is Telbadde estate employing 1346 workers with 464.50 ha of land extent. This estate manly consists with six divisions. COBO and Lower divisions are the farthest while Upper and West-Morland are the nearest divisions to the estate office.Item Effect of dolomite application on available phosphorus status in Tea soils(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Kavitha, S.; Prapagar, K.; Gunarathne, G.P.Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is an important economic crop grown on highly weathered Oxisols and Ultisols in Sri Lanka. Phosphorus (P) is one of the most important macro nutrient that influencing growth, yield and quality of tea (Zoysa, 1997). Phosphorus deficiency is a concern, and a problem, in most tea soils. Research shows that over 70% of tea soils are P deficient (Lin et al., 1991). The availability declines rapidly as the soil pH falls below 5.5 or rises above 7. Therefore, measuring the soil pH helps the tea grower to adjust soil chemical condition suitable for nutrient uptake and plant growth (Zoysa, 2008). Dolomite is recommended for amelioration of acidity in tea soils. Present investigation was carried out to identify the effect of application of Dolomite on soil available phosphorus status in Tea Growing Soils. Methodology Site Description: This field experiment was carried out at field No 17, Midland’s Lower Division, Ratota. Midlands is an estate(s) and is located in Central Province Matale District of Sri Lanka. Long term experiment was initiated in 2009. The experiment was carried out by using tea cultivar TRI 2023. Experimental Design: Field experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design consisting of five treatments in different rate of Dolomite (tons/ha/pruning cycle) namely T1 (Absolutely control), T2 (1), T3 (2), T4 (3), T5 (4). Each treatment replicated thrice. Soil sampling and Analysis: Soil samples of two depths 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm were collected from the randomly selected places in each plot as a bulk and sub sample was taken from the bulk after the mixing. pH of soil suspension was determined by using pH meter(ORION 510A model, USA) with Ag/AgCl combined electrode. Soil available phosphorous was extracted by Borax solution ( pH 1.5) and phosphorus was determined by vanadomolybdate blue method (Beater,1949). Statistical Analysis The data generated from the study was subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and treatment means were compared least significance difference at probability p< 0.05 using SAS statistical package version 9.1(SAS Institute, 1999). Result and Discussion Effect of application of different rate of Dolomite on soil pH The effect of different rate of dolomite on pH in soils of 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm depths are presented in Table 1.Increasing trend in pH was observed with increasing dolomite rates at 0-15cm depth but it was not significant among treatment means. The highest value of pH was observed in T5 and it significantly varied from other treatments at 15-30 cm depth. The optimum range of pH for tea is 4.5 to 5.5 (Anon, 2000). Application of different rates of dolomite did not exceed that level. It may be due to the high buffering capacity of Ukuwela soil series (Liyanage, 2012). Some mechanisms which affect the soil pH could not be controlled under field trial such as oxidation of applied N fertilizers, exchangeable acidity, washing out of dissolved cations, leaching of Ca and Mg due to the nature of the trial in field level. Due to plant uptake of these cations can alter the pH and those affect the equilibrium of soil pH. When nitrogenous fertilizer of ammonical nature added to soil they are nitrified and nitric acid is liberated.Item Development of Green Tea incorporated instant herbal porridge mixture(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Munasinghe, M.A.U.P.; Wijesinghe, W.A.J.P.; Pieris, P. U. S.As the second largest tea exporter in the world, the greater portion of tea is exported as bulk tea. Average price of bulk tea is lower than that of value added products (Ganewatta et al., 2005). There are several types of teas which are producing with different processing methods such as, Black tea, Green tea, Oolong tea and White tea. Among them, green tea is considered as the healthiest beverage in the world. It is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients have powerful effects on the body. (Gunnars, 2014). Because of the bitter taste of green tea, most of the consumers do not prefer to consume green tea alone. Herbal porridge which is considered indigenous to Sri Lanka, comprises with therapeutic values and nutritious. In Ayurvedic medicine Osbekicaoctandera (heenbovitiya), Murrayakoenigi (curry leaves) are highly recommended for the preparation of Herbal Porridge for Diabetes& heart patients in traditional ayurvedic medicine. O. octandra is a very valuable and widely utilized plant species in indigenous Ayurvedic medicine in Sri Lanka (Peiris et al., 2006).A study published in the (Journal of Plant food for Nutrition), found that curry leaves have a great impact on the blood sugar levels of diabetics (Sampath, 2014). It can be medicinally and economically more valuable to develop green tea incorporated instant herbal porridge mixture by using natural resources. The objectives of this research were: — — Develop a green tea incorporated instant herbal porridge mixture Find out the best ratio of dehydrated green leaf powder and green tea powder for herbal porridge mixture — Determine the Shelf life of the developed product Materials and Methods Heenbovitiya (Osbeckiaoctandra) leaves and curry leaves (Murrayakoenigi) were steam blanched for two minutes separately and few minutes were allowed to drain excess water. Then leaves were oven dried at 60°C. Finally, well dried leaves were grinded and sieved well to obtain fine leaf powder for instant herbal porridge mixture. For the preparation of red rice for the instant herbal porridge boiled for 25 minutes and oven dried at 80°C. Well dried soya beans were grinded to obtain fine powder for the porridge mixture. All the prepared ingredients were blended with three different levels of green tea powder (2.6, 3.6, 4.6g per cup) according to an Ayurvedic formula; the formula to prepare 25 cups of Kolakanda was rice 500g, fresh leaves 275g, soya bean 10g, raw garlic 10g, raw ginger 25g, salt 15g and water 5l (Gamlath et al., 2002). The developed instant herbal porridge mixtures were evaluated for color, taste, aroma, texture and overall acceptability using 30 untrained panelists. The responses were recorded according to 5 point hedonic scale (5- extremely like to 1- extremely dislike). The sensory attributes were analyzed by Friedman test in MINITAB 14 statistical package and samples were compared by using 5% significant level. Proximate analysis was carried out to determine the nutrient content of the selected best product through sensory evaluation. Total polyphenol content was determined according to the method based on ISO 14502 -1. Detection of total plate count and yeast and mould were done during six weeks storage period. A sample of 31.4g of developed product was reconstituted for 5 minutes with 200ml of distilled water and 1ml of reconstituted sample was mixed with 9 ml of 0.1% peptone water in to test tube. After completing appropriate dilution (10 ) 1ml of the sample was introduce in to plates and it was allowed to be incubated at 25°C for two days. To determine the yeast and mould count potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium was used and to determine the total plate count plate count agar medium was used.Item Development of Black Tea incorporated tomato sauce(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Bandara, D. W. N. G.; Wijesinghe, W. A. J. P.; Premathilake, U. G. A. T.; Balamurali, B.Tea has a lot of health beneficial components and also considered an energy active booster. Current trend is moving to the health benefits concepts and green production. Under this condition, there is a huge demand for black tea sauce like products. There is a high demand for Sri Lankan black tea in Global market due to some specific characteristics. But, still we are failing on tea value addition. Therefore, improving value addition practices and new product development are more essential to Sri Lanka to survive in the Global market. Recently, research has focused on green tea. Green tea is loaded with the compound epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), a powerful anti-oxidant. Since the fermentation process used to make black tea converts EGCg into other compounds, researchers assumed black tea had less health benefits than green tea. However, recent studies indicate the compounds contained in black tea which are theaflavins and thearubigens, do more than contribute to its dark color and distinctive flavor. They also provide health benefits originally attributed solely to green tea (Herath, H.M.U.N., and De Silva, D., (2006). Objectives The main objective in the present study was to black tea incorporated tomato sauce while the specific objectives were to determine appropriate amount of ingredients to be added to the product and to extend shelf life, in order to obtain the desired product quality. Method Small pieces of tomatoes and green chilies were mixed using a grinder and salt, chili, black tea brew, honey, garlic and tamarind extraction were added into the mixture until it becomes a cream. The cream was heated until it becomes tick. Then filled into the sterilized glass bottles by using hot filling method. All microbial analysis and proximate analysis were conducted according to the SLSI standard (260: 2008). Statistical analysis was undertaken according to the Friedman test under 5% significance level, by using MINITAB – 16 software package and Microsoft – Excel package. Results and Discussions Table 1 given the Physico-chemical properties and proximate analysis of black tea incorporated tomato sauce. According to proximate analysis, moisture content was 14 % and protein content was 0.5 %. Total soluble solid content of the product was 38. pH of the product was 4.42 and tritratable acidity was 3.69 %. Total poly phenol content was 350 mg GAE/g. By doing sensory evaluation from Friedman test from Minitab 16 software the product contained the best characters of sauce.Item Development of a biscuit enriched with Tea polyphenols(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Parththipan, K.; Wijesinghe, W. A. T. P.; Arachchi, M.P.M.Tea is receiving increased interest from food scientists due to its purported antioxidant properties and health benefits.Polyphenols in tea are believed as excellent chemical compounds. Several clinical studies have proved polyphenols to be active in disease prevention in several ways. Polyphenols have also been recently recognized as functionally active molecules, possessing antioxidant, anticancer, anti-mutagenic properties, as well as exerting protective effects against cardiovascular and other diseases. Methodology The current study was carried out at Eswaran Brothers Export (Pvt) Ltd, 104/11 GrandpassRoad, Colombo 14. Laboratory analysis was done at UvaWellassa University laboratories. Indore to find better extraction method for tea polyphenol, preliminary study was conducted by using ethanol and water. Extraction efficiencies of water and ethanol were tested in different time and temperature combination. The total polyphenol content in the tea extract was determined by measuring the color development with Folin-Ciocalteu phenol reagent in alkaline medium (ISO 14502-1), at absorbance of 765 nm using UV-VIS spectrophotometer. Gallic acid was used as a standard and the total polyphenol were expressed as mg / g Gallic acid equivalents (GAE). For this purpose, the calibration curve of Gallic acid was drawn. Through preliminary study of the polyphenol extraction, as a polyphenol source 40 g BOPF black tea concentered extracts were used for final product development. Three kind of final products were developed such as without extract, with water extract and ethanol extract. Organoleptic properties of the biscuits were evaluated using sensory analysis. Total polyphenol content of the final consumer accepted product also test with Folin-Ciocalteu phenol reagent in alkaline medium method. Results and Discussion Through preliminary study high polyphenol content was obtained water at 80 C with 30 min extraction and 40 % ethanol solution at 40 C with 2 hr. extraction.Item Effect of Tea bag materials on physical and chemical quality parameters of Black Tea during storage(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Pathirana, P. C. S.; Alakolanga, A. G. A.W.; Premathilake, U. D. A. T.The tea (Camellia sinensis) produced in Sri Lanka is popular as “Ceylon tea” and has a higher demand as ‘best quality tea’ in the international trade. Packing tea into bags in many forms has become very popular because of convenience and it can be considered as an effective form of value addition. Though tea bags are used as packaging strategy in order to protect the quality parameters of tea during storage, while extending the shelf life, there are many quality claims against tea bag materials. The other bad news is that paper tea bags may be just as bad, or worse, than the plastic ones because many of them are treated with epichlorohydrin, a compound mainly used in the production of epoxy resins. The purpose of this research was to evaluate effect of different types of tea bag packaging materials on physical and chemical parameters of tea and selecting best tea bag packaging material. Methodology There are three types of tea bag materials as Paper, Soilon and Nylon that used to export tea in Sri Lanka, were used for this research. Those tea bags contained black tea with same manufacturing date, and also they were received from same tea exporting company. Each tea bag was consisting with Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings (BOPF) grade of black tea and tea bags were in same shape, size and same weight (2.5g) of tea. Each type of tea bag was packed in same size of sealed cardboard boxes and they were stored in normal room temperature. Each box was consisted with 25 tea bags. Tea bags were stored for three months duration. Every experiment was conducted three times at same time intervals in each month of during storage period and data was collected in each month. Experiments were conducted using selected physical and chemical quality parameters of black tea. Moisture content, dry matter, brightness, total colour were measure as physical quality parameters and total polyphenols, caffeine, thearubigin, theaflavin and thearubigin to theaflavin ratio was measured as chemical quality parameters. Three replicates were carried out for each type of materials in each experiment. Every experiment was conducted according to ISO procedures recommended for black tea. All data were expressed using descriptive statistics as means, standard deviations and coefficient of variations of triplicate measurements and analysed by using Minitab 16 software. Significant effects were tested by conducting two sample t-tests for each packaging materials by comparing with the initial data set of each material separately. Values of P<0.05 were considered as significantly different (α=0.05).Item Factors affecting the level of effectiveness of dryers used in Sri Lankan tea manufacturing(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Ruwanka, W.K.T.; Weerawansha, A.N.R.; Withanage, N.S.; Pathmasiri, M.M.R.Tea production is basically a drying process of freshly harvested green tea leaves, reducing its moisture content from about 75-83% down to 3%. In black tea manufacturing tea undergoes mainly withering, rolling, fermenting, drying, grading and packaging processing steps. Sri Lanka mainly produces tea by the Orthodox technology. Drying is the most expensive process in the manufacture of tea (http://www.biriz.biz/cay/TeaSector2002). The capital investment on dryers is also the highest among the different processing machines. There are three different types of tea dryers up to now namely ECP (Endless Chain Pressure), FBD (Fluidized Bed Dryer) and combination dryers. ECP dryer has been used in tea industry since 1907 and fluidized bed dryer was first developed for tea in Sri Lanka in 1974 (Temple S.J., 2000). Tea dryers have its defined output as rated output. But normally dryer machines give lower output (actual output) than rated output. There may be several reasons affecting for dryer output deviation from rated output. Ultimately this would lead to poor production and high cost of production to the tea factories. Main objective is to find out the factors affecting for deviation of actual dryer output from rated dryer output in different types of tea dryers. Materials and Methodology Effectiveness of three types of tea dryers was taken as dependent variable. Effectiveness of tea dryers can be measured as the ratio between actual output and rated output. It will be finally taken as a percentage value. As independent variables four factors have been selected as moisture content of withered leaves (wither percentage %), age of three types of dryers (Years), moisture of firewood used for drying (firewood moisture) and dhool percentage taken after roll breaking process (first, second and third dhool percentage). The sampling frame was 37 tea dryers representing three manufacturing regions in Sri Lanka (Up country, Mid country and Low country). There were 17 ECP dryers, 15 FBD dryers and 5 combination dryers in the sample. The data were collected for recent three months time period and average values were taken finally. For the analysis descriptive, correlation and simple linear regression was used. Results and Discussion According to descriptive statistics mean effectiveness of ECP, FBD and combination dryers were 85.88%, 89.83%, 91.53% respectively.Item Development of Tea incorporated Jackfruit ( Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam ) cordial(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Dulanjalee, A. G. C.; Wijesinghe, W. A. J. P.Since few decades tea has become one of the most famous and commonly consumed beverage which only second to the water in the world. There is evidence that the bio active compound like polyphenols, flavonoids, catechins, caffeine which comprise in tea are responsible for the human health ( Puneet, 2013 ) by helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and some forms of cancer, promoting oral health, reduce blood pressure, helping for weight control, improving antibacterial and antiviral activity etc. Jackfruit is an excellent source of phytonutrients including lingans, isoflavones and saponins which all have anti-cancer properties due to their capacity to protect the body from the effects of free-radicals, slowing the degeneration of cells that can lead to degenerative diseases. Jackfruit also provides small amounts of essential fatty acids with an ideal omega 3 to omega 6 ratio of roughly 1:2. We now know that the ratio at which we consume these essential fatty acids is just as important, if not more important than how much we consume of them (Baslingappa, 2012). The ripened jackfruits have appealing flavor, color, and a taste that can be used to prepare a delicious fruit drink enriched with vitamins. Therefore, this research was carried out to develop a tea incorporating jackfruit cordial which enrich with nutritional and stimulant effect with the endurable cost of production and maximizing the consumer satisfaction. Methodology There were two treatments conducted by changing tea type as green tea and black tea and amount of tea. Jackfruit to tea combination was evaluated and trial was done in order to find the best overall acceptability and finally three treatments were prepared and evaluated on sensory, chemical and microbiological basis. The sensory evaluation was done using 30 untrained panelists. In chemical analysis, proximate composition was determined for moisture content, crude fat, crude protein, ash and carbohydrate for content. pH value, brix value and microbiological analysis were done for Escherichia coli, Total Plate Count (TPC) and Yeast and mold in weekly for 1 month and analyzed by using Friedman nonparametric statistical method.Item Investigating the causes for poor control of Crassocephalum crepidioides (Thandam pillu) weed by Glyphosate in the Uva region(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Priyani, A.G.S.; Prematilake, K.G.Weed management in tea field is great importance among other agronomic practices as weeds are the number one pest and they can lower the productivity of tea by 10 to 50 percent due to their competition for light, space, water and nutrients. Various weed management practices are used in tea cultivation such as manual, mechanical, cultural, chemical, and biological methods. Chemical weed control is the most convenient and effective methods among the various weed management techniques available. Unlike manual weeding, chemical weed control minimizes soil erosion and largely eliminates the loss of plant nutrients, which were carried away in the weeds removed from the field and less labour required. Other than normal classifications, weeds can be grouped as common weeds, hard-to-kill weeds and favorable herbs. Among the weeds Thandam pillu was considered as a common weed, but it is becoming a hard-to-kill weed. It was already become resistant to Paraquat herbicide and now there are complaints that it is difficult to control even by Glyphosate herbicide. Recent investigations under up country conditions have shown that such poor control is attributed to the dosage of Glyphosate applied and the age or growth phase of weeds, (Pre matilake and Nawarathne, unpublished). Therefore, the objective of the present study was to elucidate the possible causes of poor control of Thandam pillu weed under Uva region. Materials and methods An experiment was carried out at the Uva Wellassa University during July-August 2014. C.crepidioides weed plants at five different growth phases such as 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 and > 10 leaf phase, were collated from Ury Estate and they were planted randomly on raised beds, (30 plants per each growth phase) and left for 2 weeks to established. Two Glyphosate (36%) dosages (5 ml/L and 3 ml/L) were sprayed on plants by isolating the plant to prevent contaminations with other plants. An untreated Control was also maintained. Herbicide application was done as drenching application, by using hand sprayer during morning. The degree of chlorosis, wilting of leaves, scorching and drying of leaves and leaf fall occurred at 7, 14 and 21 days after application (DAA) of Glyphosate. Thandam pillu weed was observed and rated. Dead plant percentage, dry weight of viable plants and recovery of plants were recorded at 21 DAA. Results and Discussion Chlorosis was more prominent at 7 DAA and it occurred at significantly higher rate with Glyphosate at 5 ml/L than at 3 ml/L at 3-4 and 5-6 leaf growth phases. Leaf wilting was more prominent at 14 and 21 DAA and it occurred at significantly higher rate with Glyphosate at 5 ml/L at all five growth phases. Scorching and drying of leaves took place at the same rate with both Glyphosate at 5 ml/L and at 3 ml/L at 3-4, 5-6 and 9-10 leaf growth phases. However, symptoms were more severe with Glyphosate at 5 ml/L than at 3 ml/L at 7-8 and >10 leaf phases. Leaf fall also occurred more severely with Glyphosate at 5 ml/L than at 3 ml/L at 7-8 leaf phase. Mean percentage of dead plants of C.crepidioides was significantly higher with Glyphosate at 5ml/L than that of 3ml/L at all growth phases. There was no death of the weed after phase 3 onwards with Glyphosate at 3ml/L and at phase 4 and 5 with Glyphosate at 5ml/L.Item Effect of thermal time on shoot growth and development of low grown Tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] in Sri Lanka(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Prasadinie, P. K. M.; Jayasinghe, H. A. S. L.; Wijeratne, M. A.Tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] is an important beverage crop in Sri Lanka and it is a sector where the country can take a lot of pride. The young, light green leaves, usually, the bud and the first two to three leaves are harvested for tea production. Study the shoot growth pattern of tea is an important element in tea physiology. It is difficult to predict leaf expansion and growth, based on calendar days, because leaf initiation and expansion are highly temperature dependent (Ritchie and Ne Smith, 1991). Because of the dependency on temperature, rate of shoot growth varies with elevation. Therefore, growing degree days based on actual temperature is a simple and accurate method to predict the occurrence of a certain developmental stage. Thus, thermal time can be used to predict the developmental stage of a leaf, extension of a tea shoot and Leaf Area (LA) expansion of shoot accurately. This study was aimed to assess the variation in number of shoots at different developmental stages in the bush with thermal time, estimate shoot extension of a developing and harvestable tea shoot as a function of thermal time, estimate the Leaf Area (LA) of a developing and harvestable tea shoot as a function of thermal time and estimate the number of days taken to reach different leaf developmental stages of cultivar TRI 2025. This will provide an opportunity to estimate the shoot extension and Leaf Area (LA) expansion of harvestable tea shoot and it will help to adjust field management practices and to determine correct harvesting policies. Materials and Methods The field experiments were carried out at Field No 01, St. Joachim Estate, Tea Research Institute, Ratnapura, Sri Lanka (latitude : 6 40’ N; longitude : 80 25’ E ) during mid of May to July 2014. Elevation of the study location is 29 m amsl and belongs to Agro ecological region of WL2. The soil group of the site belongs to Red Yellow Podzolic (Panabokke, 1996). The total rainfall was about 711 mm with a mean temperature of 28.5 C during the experimental period. TRI 2025 was used as the planting material. Daily sunshine hours, rainfall, minimum maximum temperature was obtained from the meteorological station at St. Joachim Estate, Ratnapura. In addition, soil moisture was measured during the experimental period at weekly. Data analysis was done using MS-Excel and Minitab 16 software. In the first experiment, field observations were made for TRI 2025 using 1m sample size of plucking table with ten bushes at homogeneous location. The numbers of shoots at different shoot developmental stages in the bush (i.e. buds, bud with fish leaf, bud with one normal leaf, bud with two normal leaves, bud with three normal leaves and banjies) were counted at seven days interval. The accumulation of Thermal Time (TT) over the growing period was calculated using equations developed by Robertson et al., 2002. It was considered that Tbase of 12.5 C (Carr and Stephens, 1992), TOpt 22 C (Amarathunga et al., 1999) and Tce 40 C (Carr, 1972) for TRI 2025. In the second experiment, with the appearance of each leaf, length of the shoot was measured at seven day intervals from randomly selected five axillary buds per bush that tagged immediately after plucking. The length of the new shoot was measured from the base of the shoot to the base of the bud. All measurements were taken until individual shoots reached their acceptable harvesting stage (bud with three normal leaves). Weather records obtained at experiment 01 were used in experiment 02. In third experiment, Length (L) and width (W) of the individual leaves in a tea shoot (i.e. fish leaf, first, second, third normal leaf and bud) were measured at seven day intervals. Leaf length (L) was measured from lamina tip to the point of intersection of the lamina along the mid-rib, while leaf width (W) was measured from end to end between the widest lobes of the lamina perpendicular to the lamina mid-rib. The equation for TRI 2025 developed by (Jayasinghe et al., 2013) was used in estimating the Leaf Area (LA) at each day. In addition to that, record the number of days it was taken to unfolding of each appendage from the date of tagging and time it was taken to reach a acceptable harvesting stage having bud with a three leaf stage.Item Effect of Black Tea adulteration on quality parameters of Black Tea(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Priyadharshana, N.L.V.N.; Herath, H.M.S.K.; Jayathilake, M.A.N.Black tea is produced by withering, rolling, fermentation and drying from the tender shoots of varieties of the species Camellia sinensis (L.) (ISO 3720, 2011). Black tea adulteration is a particularly massive problem because of the universality of its consumption (Kariyawasam, 2014). Since black tea is a pure beverage material, it should be free from extraneous matter, added colouring matter and harmful substances (FSSAI, 2011). But sugar, ferrous sulphate and sodium bicarbonate are added majorly to black tea during manufacturing to improve colour of tea particles and weight of tea (Deshappriya, 2013; Kariyawasam 2014). The current study was carried out at Sri Lanka Tea Board to investigate the effect of major adulterants on quality parameters of black tea. Materials and Methods Black tea manufacturing was carried out in Uva medium black tea manufacturing factory following general requirements and steps (withering, rolling, fermentation and drying). 50% sugar, 10% sodium bicarbonate and 10% ferrous sulphate solutions in mass fraction were treated separately to first dhools as adulterants after rolling and kept it for fermentation. Those adulterated black tea samples and pure black tea samples were analysed for quality parameters such as, total polyphenol content, moisture content, total ash, water soluble ash, alkalinity of water soluble ash, water extract, total plate count, total liquor colour and brightness. These quality parameters were analysed in accredited analytical laboratory at Sri Lanka Tea Board according to the ISO 14502-1: 2005 for total polyphenol content of black tea, ISO 1573: 1980 for loss in mass at 103 C (moisture content), ISO 1575: 1987 for total ash, ISO 1576: 1988 for water soluble ash and water insoluble ash, ISO 1578: 1975 for alkalinity of water soluble ash, ISO 1574: 1980 for water extract, SLS 516-1: 1991/ ISO 4833: 2003 for total plate count, spectrophotometric method described by Roberts, and Smith (1963) for determination of total colour and brightness of black tea. The data were statistically analyzed with ANOVA using Minitab statistical package. Mean comparisons with control level (pure black tea) and multiple mean comparison were performed by Dunnett simultaneous test and Tukey simultaneous test using General Linear model at 5 % significance level. Results and Discussion Externally added sugar, sodium bicarbonate and ferrous sulphate significantly (p<0.05) affected on total polyphenol content, total ash, water soluble ash, alkalinity of water soluble ash, water extract, total colour, brightness and total plate count except on moisture content. According to the Figure 1, the highest total polyphenol content (14.38 %) was recorded by pure black tea while the lowest (8.81 %) was given by ferrous sulphate adulterated black tea. It was lower than the ISO 3720 limit (9 %) which may be due to formation of Fe-Polyphenol complex during fermentation stage. High concentration of ferrous result in localized formation of iron polyphenols complex in made tea (Venkatesan et al., 2006). The total polyphenol content in sodium bicarbonate and ferrous sulphate adulterated black tea samples were significantly lower (p<0.05) compared to pure black tea sample whereas mean difference of sugar adulterated black tea sample was not significant (p>0.05). Total ash, water soluble ash, water extract values recorded by all three adulterated black teas were within the ISO 3720 limits while alkalinity (3.26 %) of sodium bicarbonate adulterated black tea was beyond the ISO 3720 limit (1-3 %). The alkalinity of sodium bicarbonate adulterated black tea sample was significantly higher (p<0.05) than pure black tea. The alkalinity of sugar and ferrous sulphate adulterated black tea samples were significantly lower (p<0.05) than pure black tea. The highest total colour (6.07 %) was observed in ferrous sulphate adulterated black tea while giving the lowest brightness (13.54 %) due to the lowest polyphenol content. Total polyphenol content is positively correlated with brightness which is responsible for tea liquor quality (Kottawa-Arachchi et al., 2011). Total colour for sugar and ferrous sulphate adulterated black tea samples were significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to pure black tea while the total colour for sodium bicarbonate adulterated black tea sample was significantly lower (p<0.05) than pure black tea. Brightness values for all adulterated black tea samples were significantly lower (p<0.05) than pure black tea. TPP - total polyphenol content, MO - moisture content, TA - total ash, WSA - water soluble ash, ALK - alkalinity, WE - water extract, TC - total colour, BRI - brightness.Item Development of Green Tea incorporated Ayurvedic toothpaste(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Ranasinghe, D. N. C.; Alakolanga, A.G.A.W.; Arachchi, M.P.M.The tea plant Camellia sinensis is native to South East Asia and consumed worldwide, although in greatly different amounts. It is generally accepted that, next to water, tea is the most consumed . Green tea contains polyphenolic compounds, which include flavanols, flavandiols, flavonoids, and phenolic acids and account for 30% of the dry weight of green tea leaves. Green tea contains compounds that appear to control inflammation and fight bacterial infection. This drink is also rich in antioxidants, which have many oral health properties as Cavity prevention, Gum health, Less tooth loss, Cancer control, Better breath (Lisa, 2011). But the oral health benefit of the green tea is less aware by the people (Narotzki et al, 2012). This study is aimed to develop green tea incorporated ayurvedic toothpaste by addition of five different herbs to enhance the natural flavor of the tooth paste while increasing the oral health benefits. The main objective is to develop ayurvedic toothpaste incorporating green tea and evaluate it for selected quality parameters. Other objectives are to determine the appropriate green tea and herbal oil incorporation quantity, to evaluate taste of the toothpaste (strength, bitterness), liquor color, smell, freshness after washing and the overall acceptability as quality indicators. Materials and Methods The green tea ayurvedic toothpaste consists with chemical mixture, green tea extract and herbal oil. To prepare the toothpaste chemical mixture 325g of powdered Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), 5g of Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (CMC), 10g of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and 2g of Methyl Paraben were mixed well during 15 minutes. And 110 mL of distilled water, 70 mL of glycerol and 70 mL of sorbitol were mixed in a separate dish and poured in to the solid chemical mixture and mixed together until 30 minutes. It was stored in a sealed container. To extract the herbal oil 110g of each powdered Clove, Welmee, Munamal and Aralu were ground by adding 100 mL of distilled water until herbal pulp was formed. And the pulp was boiled during 10 minutes at constant temperature while mixing with 500 mL Sesame oil until evaporated the total water amount. Green tea – water extraction was done using reflux extractor (ISO 1574:1980). To prepare the green tea ayurvedic toothpaste all the three ingredients (chemical mixture, green tea and herbal oil) were mixed together at 1% , 2% of green tea extract and herbal oil levels. Sensory evaluation with 30 untrained panelists was carried out to select the best green tea, and herbal oil incorporation quantity for the formulated toothpaste. Five point hedonic scale was used to evaluate samples for taste (strength, bitterness), color of the paste, smell, freshness after wa shing and the overall acceptability. Data were statistically analyzed using Freidman test at 5% level of significance using MINITAB statistical software. The pH value of the developed toothpaste was measured with electronic pH meter. Determination of Moisture and Volatile Matter, Foaming Volume and Stability of the toothpaste were done based on SLS 275:2006 specifications. Determination of polyphenol content of the toothpaste was done according to the ISO 14502-1 specifications. Prepared green tea ayurvedic toothpaste and control were tested for well diffusion assay using experimental microorganism included Strephylococcs aureus and the mean zone inhibition was measured (Awadalla et al, 2011). A total plate count test was done to determine the microbial evaluation of the toothpaste. The prepared mouthwash was subjected to a storage study by observing color and the smell at two weeks intervals and the pH of the product also measured. Results and Discussion Analyzed statistical data of the sensory evaluation of first experiment revealed that, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) among five treatments in respect to the all the sensory attributes tested. According to the Figure 1, Second treatment combination (475) which consisted of 1% of green tea extract and 2% of herbal oil amounts were selected as the best treatment to develop the new product since each of the significantly different attribute bears the highest rank mean and median values except colour of the productItem Analysis of factors affecting for Tea buyers’ level of trust on Tea brokers(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Rathnayaka, L. P.; Rathnayaka, R. M. S. D.; Wedande, D.The tea industry in Sri Lanka has paramount importance to country’s economy. In Sri Lanka, out of total quantity of bulk packaged tea, more than 95% is sold through public auction annually. The main participants of auction system are buyers and brokers. The most important concept, to carry out the business relationship between buyers and brokers is TRUST. All the transactions between buyers and brokers will confirm with the trust before complete the transaction by using monetary terms. In economic terms, trust can be defined as "the belief or perception by one party (e.g. a principal) that the other party (e.g. an agent) to a particular transaction will not cheat" (Paul J. Zak and Knack, 2001). In the case of buyer-broker relationship in the tea industry (relevant to buyers), trust can be defined as a belief of the buyer that the broker will efficiently provide good quality teas without any deceptions, while maintaining the goodwill. Therefore this research was carried out to identify major factors affecting for tea buyers’ trust on tea brokers. Methodology The selected population for the study was all the tea buyers who are weekly buying tea at the Colombo Tea Auction. The data were collected from a sample of 70 tea buyers selected using Simple Random Sampling technique and ranked according to their export quantity (Sri Lanka Custom Data, 2012). Data were collected through a questionnaire by individually giving it to the selected sample. The trust was measured by using ten point likertscales. Data were analyzed using Descriptive Statisticsmanner andbased on Ordinal Logistic Regression analysis techniques.Ordinal Logistic Regression is used to independent variables(ChristensenR.H.B.,2011). The SPSS statistical software, Minitab 16 software and Microsoft Excel were used for both descriptive and ordinal logistic regression analysis.Item Awareness and adoption of recommended technologies and management practices by the Tea small holders(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2015) Karunarathna, W. A. B. S.; Mahindarathne, M. G. P. P.Tea (Camellia sinensis) is the world famous beverage next to the water and having numerous health and socio economic benefits. Tea, the prominent crop of the plantation sector in Sri Lanka, grows in many parts of the country (Mendis, 1992).Tea growers who have lands less than 10 acres in extent are treated as “Tea small holdings” according the Tea Control act. The cultivation of tea is attractive to small farmers because tea provides work and income throughout the year, requires relatively little investment, and the risk of complete crop failure is small (Annual Report, Tea Small Holdings Development Authority, 2012).As well as the Contribution of small holders to the Sri Lankan tea sector is higher than the plantation sector and it is account for 71.4 % of the national tea output (TSHDA, 2012). Therefore, application of scientific agricultural knowledge and technology adaptation in the small holding tea sector is a vital investment to enhance the productivity and overall performance of the tea industry. Materials and methodology Data were collected through a sample survey by giving a structured questionnaire to 8 tea inspector’s (TI) ranges at Badulla administrative district and 150 small holders were randomly selected as the respondents. The questionnaire was mainly formulated to identify the awareness, level of adoption, and factors affecting to the level of adoption. The awareness was measured by percentage of aware respondents. The adoption level was measured by using “Adoption index” and “Confident interval method”. Adoption index was categorized in to three levels as low adoption, medium adoption and high adoption. To identify the factors affecting to level of adoption, regression analysis was conducted and “Adoption on Technology and recommended practiced” has been taken as the dependent variable and data were collected for dependent variable under five categories as Machinery usage, Planting materials, Field practices, Recommended tests and Extension services. For the independent variables data were collected under nine categorical variables as Gender, Age level, Education Level, Source of Income, Experience with Tea land, Land ownership, Land extent, Time spending with tea land and Yield. Data were analyzed using SPSS Software package and MS-Excel 2010 package. Descriptive statistics were done to analyze the independent variables and by using regression and correlation analysis factors affecting to the level of adoption was analyze and their strength was measured. Results and Discussion According to the study only 26 % of respondents have the awareness regarding machinery usage in tea plucking and from them, 48.7 % belongs to year 40 – 50 age group. 79.3 % of the respondents have awareness regarding the improved varieties. According to the study 64.7 % of the respondents have an awareness regarding recommended tests like pH test, starch test which use at the field. Extension services have been accounted under two categories as consulting services and E-consulting services and according to the study 100 % of the respondents have an awareness on consulting services while 36 % of the respondents have awareness on E-consulting services. According to the results of the study it shows that awareness on shade trees, pruning methods and soil conservation methods are respectively 95.3 %, 90.3 % and 93.3 %. Level of adoption was calculated using Adoption index and confident interval method. Data were collected under five categories and finally overall adoption level for the recommended technology and management practices was calculated