Impact of water saving irrigation systems on water use, growth and yield of irrigated lowland rice

To meet the growing demand for food and other needs from an increasing population, the rice production in Sri Lanka, which was 3.87 million tonnes in 2008, has to be increased to 4.2 million tonnes by the year 2020. This requirement could be achieved by increasing productivity and/or by increasing the cultivated extent. In 2008, about 77 % and 68 % of the total paddy land extent was cultivated with either partial or full irrigation during the maha and yala seasons, respectively. A considerable extent of paddy land was either not cultivated or cultivated for other crops due to the scarcity of water in the dry and intermediate zones. Furthermore, with increased competition for water for domestic and industrial needs and climate change, there will be further reductions in the availability of water for rice cultivation. Conserving irrigation water would increase the cultivated extent of land while reducing the probability of ate season water-stress in the cultivated rice crop. We studied the impact of different soil water regimes on water use, nutrient uptake, growth and grain yield of 3 – 3� age lowland rice at the Rice Research and Development Institute, Batalagoda, Ibbagamuwa. There was no significant difference in the grain yield in rice when grown under either saturated or flooded conditions, but the yield decreased significantly with alternate wetting and drying. However, under saturated conditions, the irrigation water requirement was significantly lower than the flooded condition. The lowest irrigation water requirement was recorded with saturated to dry conditions. The irrigation water requirement under flooded conditions, when compared with the saturated condition, increased by 39 % during the yala season. During the maha season, even though the total irrigation requirement was lower, when compared to saturated conditions, four times more irrigation water was required under flooded conditions. There was a significant increase in plant dry matter production and leaf N (nitrogen) under saturated conditions, when compared with conventional flooded conditions. These findings suggest that when soil water is maintained at a saturated level in lowland rice, a considerable amount of irrigation water could be saved without sacrificing grain yield.Length: pp.57-64RiceIrrigated farmingWater conservationIrrigation systems

The psychosocial burden of cutaneous leishmaniasis in rural Sri Lanka: A multi-method qualitative study.

Leishmaniasis is a tropical infectious disease affecting some of the world's most economically disadvantaged and resource-poor regions. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common out of the three clinical types of Leishmaniasis. Since 1904 this disease has been endemic in Sri Lanka. CL is considered a disfiguring stigmatising disease with a higher psychosocial burden. However, there needs to be a more in-depth, holistic understanding of the psychosocial burden of this disease, both locally and internationally. An in-depth understanding of the disease burden beyond morbidity and mortality is required to provide people-centred care. We explored the psychosocial burden of CL in rural Sri Lanka using a complex multimethod qualitative approach with community engagement and involvement. Data collection included participant observation, an auto-ethnographic diary study by community researchers with post-diary interviews, and a Participant Experience Reflection Journal (PERJ) study with post-PERJ interviews with community members with CL. The thematic analysis revealed three major burden-related themes on perceptions and reflections on the disease: wound, treatment, and illness-experience related burden. Fear, disgust, body image concerns, and being subjected to negative societal reactions were wound-related. Treatment interfering with day-to-day life, pain, the time-consuming nature of the treatment, problems due to the ineffectiveness of the treatment, and the burden of attending a government hospital clinic were the treatment-related burdens. Anxiety/worry due to wrongly perceived disease severity and negative emotions due to the nature of the disease made the illness experience more burdensome. Addressing the multifaceted psychosocial burden is paramount to ensure healthcare seeking, treatment compliance, and disease control and prevention. We propose a people-centred healthcare model to understand the contextual nature of the disease and improve patient outcomes. [Abstract copyright: Copyright: © 2024 Nuwangi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Comparison of Delay Distributions of Responses in a Home Area Network using Wi-Fi with and without in-network Data Aggregation

Smart Grid is divided into seven sub domains by NIST. The customer domain refers to the end users of electricity. In addition to the traditional role of consumer, they will also participate in generation as well as storage of energy. They would respond to signals coming from the grid and reduce or increase consumption and/or generation accordingly. For this purpose the customer premise should be equipped with an information network, which is called a Home Area Network. Architecture of a Home Area Network needs to be optimised in terms of time and energy. In this research the behaviour of a HAN in terms of time is studied. Delays of responses from the devices for the requests made by the central controller were measured for two most popular architectures, with and without in-network data aggregation. When the probability mass functions were plotted, it was evident that the delays in the two cases do not differ by much

Spatial Variation of Land Values in the Colombo District, Sri Lanka Using Geographic Information System

Land value mapping is crucial for urban planning and decision-making, particularly as Sri Lanka undergoes rapid urbanisation. This study focuses on the Colombo district and aims to accurately interpret land values and identify their patterns for effective planning. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the research investigates the spatial variation of land values and the factors influencing them and categorises land value bands. Through geospatial analysis, employing inverse distance-weighted analysis and the geometric interval method, the study gathers land value data and analyses spatial patterns. The research outcomes are expected to offer valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and stakeholders involved in land management and development in Colombo. The findings will contribute to an improved land evaluation system, enabling informed planning decisions and sustainable regional urban development

Demographic Variables for Wild Asian Elephants Using Longitudinal Observations

Detailed demographic data on wild Asian elephants have been difficult to collect due to habitat characteristics of much of the species’ remaining range. Such data, however, are critical for understanding and modeling population processes in this endangered species. We present data from six years of an ongoing study of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Uda Walawe National Park, Sri Lanka. This relatively undisturbed population numbering over one thousand elephants is individually monitored, providing cohort-based information on mortality and reproduction. Reproduction was seasonal, such that most births occurred during the long inter-monsoon dry season and peaked in May. During the study, the average age at first reproduction was 13.4 years and the 50th percentile inter-birth interval was approximately 6 years. Birth sex ratios did not deviate significantly from parity. Fecundity was relatively stable throughout the observed reproductive life of an individual (ages 11–60), averaging between 0.13–0.17 female offspring per individual per year. Mortalities and injuries based on carcasses and disappearances showed that males were significantly more likely than females to be killed or injured through anthropogenic activity. Overall, however, most observed injuries did not appear to be fatal. This population exhibits higher fecundity and density relative to published estimates on other Asian elephant populations, possibly enhanced by present range constriction. Understanding the factors responsible for these demographic dynamics can shed insight on the future needs of this elephant population, with probable parallels to other populations in similar settings

A comparison of erect weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing radiography of the cervical spine in non-trauma patients

Introduction: Various positioning techniques are utilized to enhance the visualization of lower cervical vertebrae on lateral radiographs. However, the effectiveness of these techniques still remains unclear. This study was conducted to determine the effect of the weight-bearing (WB) technique in visualizing lower cervical vertebrae and cervicothoracic junction (C7-T1) on standing lateral cervical radiographs of adult non-trauma patients. The study was conducted using both computed radiography (CR) and digital radiography (DR) systems. Methods: Forty-four CR (29 WB and 15 non-WB – NWB) and 61 DR (26 WB and 35 NWB) lateral C-spine radiographs were prospectively evaluated to assess the visible number of cervical vertebral bodies and C7-T1 junction. The instructions given by the radiographer to the patient for the imaging procedure were also assessed on the Likert scale (very good, good, fair, poor, very poor). Results: There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the visualization of the number of vertebral bodies between the two techniques of WB and NWB for CR or DR. Further, no significant relationship (p > 0.05) was observed between the WB technique and the visualization of C7-T1 junction in DR systems. However, a significant difference was identified for CR (p = 0.012). The instruction given to the patient significantly correlated with the visibility of the lower C-spine region within each group of WB and NWB in both imaging systems. Conclusions: The visibility of the number of vertebral bodies in the lower C-spine region in either CR or DR systems did not demonstrate any enhancement with the WB technique. Regardless of the imaging system or techniques used, adequate instructions given to the patient before and during the imaging procedure of C-spine lateral radiography demonstrated a significant improvement in visualizing the lower C-spine region. In this preliminary study, the application of erect WB radiography technique in evaluating the lower cervical region of adult non-trauma patients gives limited advantage

Current distribution and abundance of slender lorises (Loris tardigradus and L. Iydekkerianus) in Sri Lanka

Two species of slender lorises are currently recognized in Sri Lanka. They are Sri Lanka red slenderloris (Loris tardigradusj and Grey slender loris (L. lydekkerianus i, with four currently recognizedsub-species; viz. Western red slender loris (L. t. tardigradus), Montane slender loris (L. t.nycticeboidesi, Northern grey slender loris (L. 1.nordicusi, and Highland slender loris (L. 1.grandis).The objective of this survey was to map the distribution and estimate the abundance of lorises in SriLanka. The study was initiated in 2002 and continues to date. Thus far forty-five sites across all ofthe ecological zones have been surveyed covering approximately 400 krn-. In six of these sites, loriseswere not recorded. Of the other 39 sites, 223 sightings of slender loris (L. t. tardigradus (n = 86), L.t. nycticeboides (n = 3), L. 1. nordicus (n = 122), and L. l. grandis (n = 12). Abundance estimates, 'base on sightings of animals krn', were: L. t. tardigradus (0.5-8), L. t. nycticeboides (0.03), L. I.nordicus (0.7-13). and L. 1. grandis (0.3-4) were recorded. The abundance of lorises varied indifferent habitat types with the highest abundance oflorises occurring in the dry zone monsoon forests.The least abundance of lorises was recorded in the cloud forest

CORTICOLOUS LICHENS AS INDICATORS OF DIFFERENT FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN THE DOTALUGALA - KNUCKLES MOUNTAIN RANGE, SRI LANKA

Use of lichens as bioindicators in  tropical zones has been hampered by lack of taxonomic and ecological knowledge. This study was conducted to assess the variation of lichen diversity in different forest management practices under different environmental conditions for their potential use as bioindicators of environmental alterations in Dotalugala, Knuckles mountain range. Data were analyzed to assess the relationship between lichen diversity and microclimatic conditions. In this study, 192 and 148 lichen species were recorded in natural and disturbed vegetation types respectively. The statistical analysis revealed a significant variation in lichen diversity between disturbed and undisturbed vegetations (F = 6.213, df = 1; p ≤ 0.05). Lichen diversity in different vegetation types indicated a remarkable variation (F =3.21, df = 7; p ≤ 0.05). The regression tree analysis indicated, three important variables that determined the lichen diversity; type of vegetation, altitude and association with other Cryptogamic communities. The significant difference of corticolous lichen communities in the natural and disturbed vegetations may be due to the heterogeneity of microclimatic conditions. Specialist lichen communities found to be associated with pristine forests. Results of the present study suggest that lichens in the Knuckles mountain range could be considered as potential indicators in assessing ecological continuity within different vegetations and in the colonization of the regenerating habitats

CORTICOLOUS LICHENS AS INDICATORS OF DIFFERENT FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN THE DOTALUGALA - KNUCKLES MOUNTAIN RANGE, SRI LANKA

Use of lichens as bioindicators in  tropical zones has been hampered by lack of taxonomic and ecological knowledge. This study was conducted to assess the variation of lichen diversity in different forest management practices under different environmental conditions for their potential use as bioindicators of environmental alterations in Dotalugala, Knuckles mountain range. Data were analyzed to assess the relationship between lichen diversity and microclimatic conditions. In this study, 192 and 148 lichen species were recorded in natural and disturbed vegetation types respectively. The statistical analysis revealed a significant variation in lichen diversity between disturbed and undisturbed vegetations (F = 6.213, df = 1; p ≤ 0.05). Lichen diversity in different vegetation types indicated a remarkable variation (F =3.21, df = 7; p ≤ 0.05). The regression tree analysis indicated, three important variables that determined the lichen diversity; type of vegetation, altitude and association with other Cryptogamic communities. The significant difference of corticolous lichen communities in the natural and disturbed vegetations may be due to the heterogeneity of microclimatic conditions. Specialist lichen communities found to be associated with pristine forests. Results of the present study suggest that lichens in the Knuckles mountain range could be considered as potential indicators in assessing ecological continuity within different vegetations and in the colonization of the regenerating habitats