http://repo.lib.jfn.ac.lk/ujrr/handle/123456789/70 2026-09-18T20:39:39Z http://repo.lib.jfn.ac.lk/ujrr/handle/123456789/13055 Enhancing Water Security Through Automated Drip Irrigation: Impacts on Soil Moisture Dynamics and Brinjal Yield in Semi-arid Systems Herath, M.N.; Niranjan, M.; Pakeerathan, K.; Sinnathurai, J.A.; Kannan, N. Improving irrigation efficiency is essential for sustaining vegetable production in water-limited environments, yet field-scale evaluations of practical time-based automated drip irrigation systems remain limited. This study compared an Automated Drip Irrigation Treatment (ADIT) employing scheduled time-based irrigation with a Manually Operated Drip Irrigation Treatment (MDIT) under polythene mulch for brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) cultivation in sandy loam soil during the 2025 Yala season in Sri Lanka. Soil moisture dynamics, irrigation uniformity, root distribution, wetting patterns, crop water requirement, yield, and irrigation water-use efficiency (IWUE) were evaluated using field measurements together with CropWat and HYDRUS-1D simulations. ADIT achieved consistently higher irrigation performance, with Christiansen’s coefficient of uniformity (CU) of 91–93%, emission uniformity (EU) of 90–92%, and distribution uniformity (DU) of 88%, compared with 75–80%, 78–82%, and 72%, respectively, under MDIT. Improved water distribution resulted in more stable root-zone soil moisture conditions, while HYDRUS-1D simulations predicted substantially lower deep percolation losses under ADIT than MDIT during crop development. Field observations also showed greater lateral root spread (40.7 cm vs 33.0 cm), higher irrigation water-use efficiency (4.91 vs 3.37 kg m-3), and greater marketable yield (22.3 vs 16.7 t ha-1; 2.35 vs 1.62 kg plant-1) under ADIT. Because the evaluated irrigation configurations differed in hydraulic characteristics as well as irrigation control strategy, and the study was conducted as a single-season field-scale pilot without replicated treatment plots, the findings should be interpreted as comparative evidence of system-level performance rather than effects attributable solely to automation. Nevertheless, the evaluated ADIT configuration demonstrated considerable potential for improving irrigation performance and water productivity under sandy loam, semi-arid conditions, warranting validation through replicated experiments using hydraulically identical irrigation systems. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://repo.lib.jfn.ac.lk/ujrr/handle/123456789/13054 Development of a nutritious snack bar using superfine string hopper flour by- product and horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum) flour Galgamuwa, G.M.K.A.; Weerasinghe, T.M.A.N.; Kirushanthan, S. The growing global concern for sustainable food systems has encouraged the utilization of agro-industrial by-products and underexploited crops in functional food development. This study aimed to formulate a nutritious snack bar using superfine string hopper flour by-product, an underutilized rice-based processing fraction, and horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum) flour, a protein and fiber rich legume. Three flour combinations (50:30:20, 40:40:20, and 30:50:20 of string hopper by-product, horse gram flour, and wheat flour, respectively) were prepared and evaluated for nutritional (moisture, protein, fat, fiber, ash, and carbohydrate content), sensory, and storage characteristics (pH, color, sugar, moisture, microbial quality, and sensory stability). The formulations were standardized using guar gum (1%) as a binder, margarine (8%) as a fat source, and date paste (40%) as a natural sweetener. Sensory evaluation was conducted using a five-point hedonic scale, and data were analyzed using the Friedman test (95% confidence). The blend containing 40% string hopper by-product, 40% horse gram flour, and 20% wheat flour achieved the highest acceptability. After optimizing sweetness enhancement using a date paste-groundnut mixture, 40% date paste incorporation by direct mixing was the most preferred, while coconut milk improved texture and mouth feel. The optimized snack bar contained 14.75±0.63% moisture, 8.83±0.26% protein, 6.94 ± 0.07% fat, 3.20 ± 0.55% fiber, 2.85 ± 0.80% ash, and 63.43 ± 1.11% carbohydrates. Shelf-life evaluation over four weeks showed superior quality retention under refrigeration (4 ± 1 °C), while ambient samples (28 ± 2 °C) developed mold after 16 days. Overall, the findings reveal the potential of this flour blend in developing sustainable, nutrient-enriched, and shelf-stable snack foods. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://repo.lib.jfn.ac.lk/ujrr/handle/123456789/13043 Impact of different land use systems on Biological Properties of Soils Aashikha, R.; Shayanthan, A.; Kajeevan, K.; Gnanavelrajah, N. Soil is a vital natural resource that supports life on Earth and maintains environmental balance. Among the Soil properties, biological properties play major role in ecosystem maintenance and are influenced by different land use systems. This study aimed to assess the impact of different land use systems on soil biological properties in the Vavuniya District, Sri Lanka. Soil samples were collected from six different land use systems: organic, inorganic, integrated nutrient management (INM), forest, permaculture, and bare land at two depths, surface and subsurface. The experimental design was a completely Randomized Design with three replicates. The following parameters were measured: colony counts, respiration, microbial biomass carbon, and organic matter. The data were analysed using ANOVA (SAS 9.4) at the 0.05 significance level, followed by Duncan’s mean separation test. Results showed significant variation in the tested soil biological properties between land use systems. Forest, permaculture and organic land uses were recorded significantly higher colony counts, respiration, microbial biomass and organic matter content compared to bare and inorganic land uses, whereas INM lay in between. Between different depths, biological activity was significantly higher in surface soils than subsurface soils. Overall, this study highlights that organic and permaculture land use systems increased soil biological parameters similar to those of forest. Therefore, findings suggest that soil biological properties can be improved through sustainable soil management. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z http://repo.lib.jfn.ac.lk/ujrr/handle/123456789/12895 Individual Tree Crown Detection of Palmyrah Palm (Borassus flabellifer) using UAV imagery Jeyavanan, K.; Owari, T.; Hiroshima, T.; Nalina, G.; Sivamathy, S.; Kaneswaran, A.; Venugoban, K. 　The Palmyrah palm (Borassus flabellifer) is a multipurpose species highly valued by local communities and often referred to as the “tree of life” due to the extensive use of its various parts. It is predominantly found in the dry zones of Sri Lanka, particularly in the Northern and Eastern regions. However, the current population of Palmyrah palms remains unknown, as manual counting is both labor-intensive and timeconsuming. This study aimed to detect Palmyrah palm in selected areas of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery combined with machine learning techniques. The results demonstrated that high-resolution UAV imagery enables accurate detection of Palmyrah palm crowns in the region. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z