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A study on the human- wildlife conflict in Ampara district
Get PDFGlobal population growth drives widespread deforestation as people clear
natural forests for expanding settlements. This forces wild animals to
encroach on human habitats in search of food, water, and other necessities
Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) rises, notably in Ampara district, due to
habitat loss. This study aimed to understand the basis of the HWC in the
Ampara district. Six Divisional Secretarial Divisions (DSD) belonging to the
Ampara district, were selected based on the largest population and amount
of cultivated land. Where sample number was derived using Morgan table. A
total of 120 farmers were recruited for data collection with 20 randomly
selected farmers each from one DSD. According to results, peacocks
(30.8%), wild elephants (28%) and monkeys (26.3%) did the most damage
to the farmlands. They have damaged paddy cultivation (21.8%), green gram
cultivation (17%), cowpea cultivation (14.3%) maize (9.1%) and banana
(7.9%). However, it was confirmed that compensation money will not be
received for those crop damages. Moreover, there is great frustration among
the farmers regarding the intervention of the related institutions to drive away
the wild animals. Although various methods are used to repel wild animals,
the success of those methods is very low. Certain methods cause harm to
human and animals. A lot of physical property has also been damaged. The
main reasons for wild animals to come to farmlands and villages are
proximity to forest, increased wild animals’ population and availability of
food from home gardens
Effect of brewing time and temperature on microbial load in Ceylon black tea
Get PDFTea is one of the most popular beverages consumed worldwide. However,
during the production process, made tea can get contaminated with
microorganisms. This study was conducted to measure the microbial
contamination in made tea samples and the respective tea brew samples
brewed using a set of selected time temperature combinations. Contaminated
black tea samples were used for the analysis. Samples were analyzed for its
microbial load before brewing and after brewing at 700C, 850C,1000C for
3,5,6 minutes. The Total Plate Count (TPC), Yeast and Mould Count and
Total Coliform Count was done following (ISO 4833 -1:2013), (ISO 21527-
2:2008) and (ISO 4831:2006) methods. The study found that the TPC, Yeast
and Mould Count and Total coliform counts were 7.9×105 ± 1.2×105 CFU g1
, 5.1×103 ± 1.5×103 CFU g-1
, and >1100 MPN-g in contaminated made tea
samples before brewing. All brewing conditions reduced TPC in tea by more
than 99.8%, with the exception of 3 minutes at 70°C, where a reduction of
97.1 % was recorded. Similar behavior was observed in Yeast and Mould
count as more than 98.0% reduction was occurred by all brewing conditions.
The reduction of microbial load by brewing was significant at 95%
confidence level (P<0.05). Total Coliform was reduced to <0.3 MPN-g in all
brewed samples regardless of the time and temperature. Furthermore, there
was no considerable difference in reduction of microbial load between times
of brewing or temperatures. The study reveals that microbial load in made
tea is reduced to a considerable level in brewing
Production of all male tilapia (oreochromis niloticus) by immersing eggs in 17-α-methyltestosterone
Get PDFTilapia referred to as the ‘aquatic chicken’ is a popular freshwater species.
Tilapia quickly gained popularity among fish farmers due to its rapid growth
rate and tolerance to a wide range of environmental conditions. The major
problems linked with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in aquaculture are
early reproduction and slow-growing females in the progeny. To solve this
problem, production of all male tilapia in Sri Lanka was carried out by oral
administration of 17-methyltestosterone (MT) mixed with feed. However,
this strategy is very harmful to the environment. Therefore, this study sought
to determine the efficiency of egg immersion in an androgen solution, find
out the most effective MT concentration for producing sex-reversed tilapia
as an alternative to oral administration, and determine the cost-effectiveness
of the egg immersion method. Stage III eggs were immersed at
concentrations of 1.2 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L of MT for 72 hours and 96 hours.
The hatchability and survival rate, growth parameters, the proportion of
males and females and cost factors were determined as components of the
research. Immersing eggs in 1.5 mg/L for 96 hours resulted in the
significantly highest percentage of male Nile tilapia, with 95.00% of fish
being male (p<0.05, ANOVA) and at a comparatively cost-effective.
Literature suggests that oral administration results in greater environmental
impacts due to the accumulation of hormones in water bodies. This study
demonstrates the feasibility of this method and highlights its potential to be
more cost-effective compared to traditional oral delivery techniques while
reducing environmental impact
Trending smart agricultural techniques in postharvest handling to mitigate climate change impacts in Sri Lankan context
Get PDFPostharvest losses are very common and occur due to poor infrastructure and logistical arrangements, lack of technology, and insufficient knowledge, skills and management capacity of supply chain stakeholders. In Sri Lanka, the annual loss of fruits and vegetables during postharvest operation is around 30%–40% of the harvest and 20%–40% of the total harvest. High levels of postharvest losses may be the result of the lack of awareness and concern on proper postharvest practices, improper storage, harvesting methods, and packaging techniques. Most agricultural systems are mainly sensitive to climate change such as disparity in temperature and precipitation, which results in the high cost of agricultural management. Global warming, greenhouse gas emission, and increased atmospheric temperature not only threaten the crops but also the postharvest life of agricultural products. The postharvest losses are intensified by climate change, which leads to food insecurity and severely hampers smallholder farmers. Therefore, the food losses in the postharvest supply chain due to the differences in climate change must be reduced using advanced and innovative technologies. These include climate-smart processing technologies, solar energy-based techniques, thermal and non-thermal technologies, cutting-edge technology, ZigBee and sensor technologies, zero energy cooling chambers, novel, and intelligent packaging technologies, Internet of things (IoT), advanced plant breeding technologies, advanced food quality management strategies, automation, and advanced imaging technologies. Decisively, fostering awareness and education of farmers through extension services with the modern applications of postharvest operations will reduce the overall food losses and ensure food security by mitigating climate change
Optimizing conditions for the production of jackfruit rind candy: a comprehensive study
Get PDFCandy is a confectionary product that is widely used for the impression of all
ages of consumers in the world. Nowadays, candy is a major multibillion
dollars confectionary industry with a wide range of qualities. Normally,
jackfruit rind is disposed of as waste. But it can be used for by-product
utilization in the food industry. This study is aimed at optimizing the
optimum temperature, time period, and sugar content for producing the best
candy using ripe jackfruit rind pulp. Twelve (12) candy samples were
prepared for the experiment using different conditions. Physiochemical
properties and packaging quality were assessed throughout a one-month
storage period and sensory attributes were determined in end of storage.
Results showed that soft candies had higher moisture than hard candies.
There were no considerable changes in pH and brix candies during the
storage period. Packaging quality revealed significant differences. Microbial
results were showed that T11 had zero total plate count and yeast and mold
counts. Based on sensory evaluation, the T11 treatment had the highest mean
score for overall acceptabilit
Effect of doping on the performance of PBS quantum dot photoconductive ir detectors
Get PDFSemiconductor quantum dots are attractive nanomaterials to be used in numerous
research areas and device fabrication such as detectors, light-emitting diodes,
transistors, and photovoltaic cells due to their unique optoelectronic properties.
Tunable energy gap by quantum confinement effect and multiple exciton generation
are the most important unique properties of the quantum dots. In this study, Cost -
efficient PbS quantum dot – based photoconductive type infrared (IR) detectors have
been fabricated and studied the effect of doping on the performance of PbS quantum
dot photoconductive IR detectors. PbS quantum dots were deposited on the electrode
by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. Best number of
SILAR cycle corresponding the maximum responsivity of the detector has been
optimized. In order to find the suitable dopant for the PbS quantum dots, same
concentration (3 mM) of Mn2+, Zn2+, Cu2+ and Ni2+ ions have been used separately.
Suitable doping concentration of the best dopant has been optimized. 3 mM Zn2+ –
doped PbS quantum dot photoconductive IR detector corresponding to 35 SILAR
cycles shows a highest responsivity of 11.6 μA W-1 under the illumination of 0.25 W
with a monochromatic radiation with the wavelength of 940 nm. Zn - doped PbS
quantum dots are the suitable candidates for low-cost IR photon detection
issn
No full textFast food has been revolutionized by
modernization and globalization, and Sri
Lankans, particularly young people with busy
schedules, embrace it for its convenience. This
could reduce their nutritional status and increase
their
risk of diet-related noncommunicable
diseases. This study aims to relate the factors that
influence the frequency of fast-food consumption
among undergraduates of the Faculty of
Agriculture, Eastern University, Sri Lanka
(EUSL). A structured questionnaire was used to
gather primary data from 100 randomly chosen
students in five batches at the EUSL Faculty of
Agriculture. The collected data were analyzed
using the SPSS software package. Descriptive
statistics were used to explain the study variables,
and a chi-square analysis was done to find out the
factors
influencing
fast-food
consumption
frequency. The results revealed that more than
half of the students (82%) were female from
various districts of Sri Lanka. When it came to
choosing fast food items, the majority of students
gave preference to taste. However, when it came
to the diversity of the menu, they gave preference
to taste when they consumed fast food on a weekly
basis. Almost half of the students consume fast
food 1-2 times per week. Additionally, the menu’s
variety and the time allotted for preparation,
tasting, and dining with loved ones affected how
frequently they consumed fast food each week. The
study reveals that most students prefer fast food
for snacks, which could be beneficial for
undergraduate health care and promote healthier
dietary choices
Stakeholder perceptions in mangrove management in the Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka
No full textMangroves are recognised as social-ecological systems where ecological dimensions constanty interact with
human dimensions. In the Jaffna Peninsula of Sri Lanka, mangroves constitute the primary forest type. However,
a destructive civil war spanning over 25 years, heavily affected the local vegetation and local inhabitants. Large
patches of mangrove forests were damaged and remained inaccessible for a considerable time, compelling most
of the population to temporarily abandon their land. This study aimed to investigate the main mangrove goods
and services that the local population benefits from and gather opinions of mangrove management stakeholders
regarding mangrove conservation in the Jaffna Peninsula through a mixed methods approach. Ethnobiological
surveys were conducted with coastal communities, along with Q methodology, expert opinion surveys and
additional semi-structured interviews with mangrove management stakeholders. Ethnobiological surveys
revealed a significant distancing of local communities from mangrove goods and services. The Q methodology
identified three discourses: community-oriented, government-oriented, and mangrove conservation oriented.
Expert opinion surveys highlighted encroachment and pollution as major threats to mangroves. Issues raised in
the semi structured interviews include challenges regarding land ownership permits during and after the war,
weak interactions among different stakeholders with overlapping jurisdiction, failed replantation efforts and
scarcity of scientific data for mangrove management. Addressing these issues is crucial not only for fosterin