Journal articles on the topic 'Agricultural extension work – Sri Lanka'

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of agricultural extension services provided by public sector on the individual technology adoption behaviour of rice farmers in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach The study used data from a cross sectional survey conducted in seven rice procuring regions in Sri Lanka. Eight rice technologies were selected to explore the effect of extension service on adoption behaviour of rice farmers using probit models. The extension service variable was identified as potentially endogeneous and instrumented using average extension for each region. Findings The results revealed that the extension service variable was positive and indicative of a high level of significance in all the rice technologies promoting the adoption. Hence the public agricultural extension service programmes were considered as significant explanators of technology adoption. The farmers who received agricultural extension service were more likely to adopt a technology. Social implications At present, the position of agricultural extension service is questioned and the future is unknown. Therefore, this study advises policy makers to prioritise agricultural policies to strengthen public spending on agricultural extension for effective adoption of technological innovations. Originality/value The paper adds solid empirical evidence to the literature on technology adoption behaviour from a peasant agricultural context in a developing country scenario that uses farm level data. Moreover, the study contributes to the literature by reiterating the significance of public provision of extension and training programmes as a direct motive in the technology adoption behaviour of farmers.

SummaryOrganic agriculture has the potential to reduce the negative impacts of conventional agricultural practices and enhance rural economic development. Since research on Sri Lankan farmers’ attitude towards organic agriculture has been rare, this research aims to explore the farmers’ viewpoint on organic agriculture. Two main rural districts were purposely selected for this investigation since these districts have a high potential for organic agriculture. Two Divisional Secretariat (DS) divisions from each district and 75 farmers from the farming community of each DS division were randomly selected to form a sample of 300 farmers. Data were collected from July 2017 to April 2018 and analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. The results revealed that a majority of the farmers (74%) were well-aware of organic agriculture and agricultural extension programs, while training was the primary information source in both districts. As per the mean analysis, the farmers had a positive attitude towards health-related and environmental protection aspects. However, they had a negative attitude towards the complexity of organic agriculture and unavailability of a suitable market for organic products. Results of the binary logistic regression revealed that the education level of the farmers significantly affect their attitude towards organic agriculture. The availability of traditional knowledge and technology relevant to organic agriculture, favorable climatic condition, and some government support were the main potentials, while labor intensiveness was the main challenge. Thus, creating better marketing facilities for organic products, providing the required amenities for producing organic food, processing, and value addition will promote organic agriculture among more farmers, supporting sustainable development.

AbstractSri Lanka is an island country located in the Indian Ocean, characterized by tropical weather, with an estimated population of 21.4 million in 2017, one third of them being children. Advancing and rapidly changing technology, novel industries, consumer goods and equipment have introduced new health hazards of a chemical, biological and physical nature to future generations. The infant mortality rate has declined to around 8–9 per 100,000 since 2015. Congenital malformations were the most significant cause of neonatal death. Thus, there might be unproven environmental factors which affect infant mortality rates despite robust field and hospital services. Air pollution is a major environmental health hazard to children, largely due to hazardous industries, vehicular emissions and traditional cooking stoves. The health of children living in urban households and attending schools in cities is adversely affected by air pollution. Usage of polythene and plastic for toys, utensils, bags, lunch sheets and other daily essentials leads to overusage and improper waste management and open burning. This emits dioxins, which are carcinogens, hormone disruptors, and which can be transferred to the fetus via the placenta. In rural areas, the burning of agricultural waste and certain agro-forestry activities have also led to air pollution. Indoor air pollution (IAP) remains a large threat as 66% of the population use biomass for cooking. Use of inefficient stoves and biomass, poor ventilation and absence of chimneys, contribute to IAP. Other indoor air pollutants such as tobacco smoke, volatile organic compounds, asbestos, pesticides, kerosene, mercury, mosquito coils and biological pollutants also prevail. Biological pollutants, such as dust mites, droppings and urine from pets, insects and rodents, pollen from indoor plants and outdoor air, and fungi, including moulds in poorly maintained buildings, can trigger asthma or cause allergic reactions and infections among children inhabiting these environments. In rural areas, chemicals were accountable for 30.2% of acute poisonings, with kerosene oil being the most common cause, followed by paracetamol. More than 80% of agricultural workers in the country work in the informal sector with limited personal protective equipment use, while pesticide usage is increasing. Children who engage in agriculture-related work and hazardous industries are at risk of developing health consequences at early stages. Dengue remains a major environmental health problem as the reduction of mosquito breeding sites has been a challenging task for many years. It is essential to gain more evidence of existing environmental risk factors and their associations with the health of children. Information dissemination among local and international experts on Children’s Environmental Health (CEH) issues needs to be enhanced and properly established. Training programs should be conducted for healthcare workers to update their knowledge. Pediatricians are needed for remote hospitals and primary healthcare centers. Environmental parameters and biological parameters are not routinely monitored in most of the hazardous environments.

It is well-known that traditional methods of technology dissemination are not cost-effective; and that extension agencies are limited very much by personnel resources in approaching the clientele they need to contact. Therefore, at present, many sectors of the world economies are attracted to the use of ICT for technology dissemination. However, such interventions are not common in the agricultural sector, especially in developing countries. Realizing this, the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension at the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka, implemented a programme ‘Lifelong Learning for Farmers’ (L3F), employing ICT as one of its components. For this programme, the University of Ruhuna collaborated with the mobile phone company Mobitel(PLC) Ltd and developed an IVR (interactive voice response) system to approach clients. Mushroom production is essentially small-scale and remains a cottage industry. In order to raise the living standards, it is necessary to provide scientific information to scattered production units. Such efforts will turn them into commercial producers and provide an opportunity to compete in the local and foreign markets. This investigation focuses on the use ofmobile phones for technology dissemination to small-scale mushroom producers. The IVR system embedded different two-minute messages employing ODL techniques over six months. The entire series of lessons included the establishment of a mushroom shed; the preparation of the growing medium; filling bags and sterilization; inoculation and incubation of mushroom spawns; harvesting; pests and disease control; processing and preservation; seed production; and business planningand financial management. The results showed that 5,583 clients listen to the lessons; and, according to the spatial distribution, the majority of them were from wet zone districts as the climatic conditions are favourable for the enterprise. However, feedback is still limited.

In 1999 85 % of the milk and milk products consumed in Sri Lanka were imported at a cost of over 7000 m rupees. While this appears to offer a major opportunity for the national herd to improve production, indiscriminate deforestation, reduction of farm size and increased use of agricultural land for crop production has tended to depress both cattle numbers and production. Poor nutritional status of the animals is the major limiting constraint, caused by the inadequate supply of quality feedstuffs and confounded by the lack of advice from the poorly supported agricultural extension service. In addition little detailed information exists concerning the nutritive value of the majority of Sri Lankan feeds. Three in vitro techniques – the Minson and McLeod (1972) version of Tilley and Terry (T&T), the modified ANKOM (ANK) batch culture technique (Mould and Nordheim, 1998) and the RPT methodology (Mauricio et al., 1999) were compared in an effort to identify a suitable system to investigate Sri Lankan feeds. The degradation characteristics of rice straw were investigated in this study as, while nearly three-quarters of Sri Lankan cattle and buffaloes are reared in arid zone where rice straw is the major crop residue, only a small proportion is offered as feed.

Background: Paddy cultivation is a major occupation in informal sector in Sri Lanka. In 2014, contribution of the agricultural activities to the country’s annual GDP was 9.9% of which, contribution by paddy was 11.3%. The objective of the current study was to describe the work environment in rice mills with respect to dust, humidity and thermal condition, ventilation and illumination.Methods: A cross sectional study in 107 randomly selected rice mills was carried out in Ampara district in Sri Lanka. Standardized measurements were carried out to assess internal work environment of the mills.Results: Milling activities showed a seasonal variation. The majority of the mills (95.3%) manufactured raw rice only. Other than the basic characteristics, both automated (AMs) and non-automated mills (NAMs) showed common features. All rice mills exceeded the threshold limit values for total (520.04 mg/m3, SD=191.86 mg/m3) and respirable dust (48.14 mg/m3, SD=9.4 mg/m3). Mean daytime indoor relative humidity in the majority of the mills (n=102, 95.3%) was within the accepted upper limit. In most of the mills, ventilation (n=84, 78.5%) and illumination in polishing/packing area (n=60, 56.1%) was satisfactory while in dehusking/paddy inlet area (n=96, 89.7%), illumination was below the limits.Conclusions: Work environment in both the AMs and NAMs in Ampara district presented with poor work standards compared to the required guidelines.

Journal of Agricultural Studies (JAS) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether JAS publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 7, Number 4Ali Fawzy Hamza, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, EgyptAngel Ramon Sanchez Delgado, Universidade federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, BrazilAnil Kumar Matta, KLEF, IndiaBabak Mohammadi, University of Tehran, IranBenjamin Mudiwa, African Evaluation Association (AfriEA), ZimbabweCamilla H. M. Camargos, University of Campinas, BrazilEliana Mariela Werbin, National University of Cordoba, ArgentinianElizabeth Amélia Alves Duarte, College Maria Milza-FAMAM, BrazilEwa Moliszewska, Opole University, PolandFábio Cassola, UNICAMP, BrazilFabrício Oliveira Fernandes, State University Júlio de Mesquita Filho - FCAV, BrazilJeferson Coutinho, Federal Institute of Science, BrazilJiban Shrestha, Nepal Agricultural Research Council, NepalJuliana Nneka Ikpe, Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, NigeriaMaryanne O. Egbeadumah, Federal University Wukari, NigeriaMohamed Mattar, King Saud University, Saudi ArabiaMohammed El Basuini, Kagoshima University, JapanServet Aras, Bozok University, TurkeySina Nabaei, Azad University, IranSomaia Alkhair, Alzaeim Alazhari University, SudanSudu Hakuruge Pushpa Malkanthi, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Sri LankaZakaria Fouad Abdallah, National Research Centre, EgyptZeinab Mohammadi Shad, University of Arkansas, USAZhao Chen, Clemson University, USAZsolt Domozi, Obuda University, Hungary Richard WilliamsEditorial AssistantJournal of Agricultural Studies--------------------------------------Macrothink Institute5348 Vegas Dr.#825Las Vegas, Nevada 89108United StatesPhone: 1-702-953-1852 ext.521Fax: 1-702-420-2900Email: jas@macrothink.orgURL: http://jas.macrothink.org

In 1940, E.E. Green’s collection of scale insects, consisting of 6505 microscope slides and 2172 boxes of dry material, was donated to the The Natural History Museum, London, U.K. (then the British Museum (Natural History)). Green was a tea and coffee planter in Sri Lanka, and later became Government Agricultural Entomologist there before retiring to England in 1913. He continued to work on scale insects and became one of the foremost scale insect specialists at the time. His collection includes most of the species he described as new, but is also important because it contains authentic material sent to Green by other contemporary workers on scale insects. The collection is listed as it was when originally donated, firstly giving the names of species that Green recognised at the time, followed by the number of microscope slides, followed by numbers of developmental stages in the material; lastly is provided the current name of each species. The list is divided into the 31 extant families represented in Green’s collection.

While the ideas and objectives of Western, often religious, agricultural and development organisations in international development are well documented, those of Hindu NGOs operating, internationally, outside India are not. This paper explores the approaches of some of the key players. These include Gandhian Sarvodaya (especially in Sri Lanka), the Ananda Marg's Progressive Utilisation Theory (PROUT) (especially in Venezuela), ISKCON — the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (especially its model farms in Europe), the Ramakrishna Order and, briefly, the “ Bhumi Project”, the Hindu contribution to the UNDP/ARC's multi-faith sustainability initiative “ Many Heavens, One Earth”. Each initiative emphasises different aspects of the Hindu worldview. Gandhian Sarvodaya emphasises self-reliance, non-harming ( ahimsa), and personal ethics ( dharma), while P.R. Sarkar's Ananda Marg, emphasises cooperative enterprise and the institution of a new more spiritually-socialist social order. ISKCON emphasises devotional service ( bhakti yoga) within a model for a self-sufficient, self-sustainable, post-hydrocarbon future, while Swami Vivekananda's Sri Ramakrishna Order emphasises service and holistic development. Finally, the Bhumi Project, a product of the emerging self-awareness of the global Hindu diaspora, aims to unite the work of a range of Hindu organisations. These movements share a development agenda that emphasises self-sustainability, a low ecological footprint, social justice (variously defined), and the development of spiritual rather than economic capital.

Journal of Agricultural Studies (JAS) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether JAS publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 8, Number 1Abhishek A. Cukkemane, Bijasu Agri Research Laboratory LLP, IndiaAngel Ramon Sanchez Delgado, Universidade federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, BrazilAriel Reinaldo Soto Caro, Universidad de Concepción, ChileBabak Mohammadi, University of Tehran, IranBenard Kiplangat Rop, University of Nairobi, KenyaBoumahdi Merad Zoubeida, University Blida, AlgeriaCamilla H. M. Camargos, University of Campinas, BrazilEben von Well, Agricultural Research Council, South AfricaEliana Mariela Werbin, National University of Cordoba, ArgentinianEric Krawczyk, University of Michigan, USAEwa Moliszewska, Opole University, PolandFabrício Oliveira Fernandes, State University Júlio de Mesquita Filho - FCAV, BrazilFortune Ogo-ndah Awala, University of Port Harcourt, NigeriaHedayatollah K. Soureshjani, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, IranJeferson Coutinho, Federal Institute of Science, BrazilMohammed El Basuini, Kagoshima University, JapanRafael Cardoso Rial, Federal Institute of Mato Grosso do Sul, BrazilSahar Bahmani, University of Wisconsin at Parkside, USAServet Aras, Bozok University, TurkeyShakirudeen Abimbola Lawal, University of Cape Town, South AfricaShubha Kumari, ICAR-RCER, IndiaSina Nabaei, Azad University, IranSomaia Alkhair, Alzaeim Alazhari University, SudanSudu Hakuruge Pushpa Malkanthi, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Sri LankaToncho Gospodinov Penev, Trakia University, BulgariaZakaria Fouad Abdallah, National Research Centre, EgyptZhao Chen, Clemson University, USA Richard WilliamsEditorial AssistantJournal of Agricultural Studies--------------------------------------Macrothink Institute5348 Vegas Dr.#825Las Vegas, Nevada 89108United StatesPhone: 1-702-953-1852 ext.521Fax: 1-702-420-2900Email 1: jas@macrothink.orgEmail 2: jas@macrothink.comURL: http://jas.macrothink.org

This study depicts an inclusive estimation of climate variation and its effects on agriculture sector in theselected South Asian countries (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri-Lanka) over the period of 1990-2014. Agriculture sector plays vigorous role in the economy of selected South Asian states because more than 60%people work in this sector. The rapid growth of industrialization and weather variation causes the raise of thetemperature level by which reduce production of agriculture crops and the people face heavy losses. Therefore, mainobjective of this study is to detect the influence of the global weather variation in agriculture sector of selected SouthAsian countries. Agriculture sector is used as dependent variable. CO2 emission, gross capital formation, labor forceand temperature are used as explanatory variables. Auto regressive distributed lag model is employed to examine theinfluence of climate variation on the agricultural sector. For analysis panel data were collected from selected SouthAsian countries. The existence of the short and long term relationship between dependent and independent variables isalso assessed by this model. Thus, findings show the climate variation has significant effect on the agricultural sector.In a policy recommendation, government should use sector-wise policies and friendly environmental policies whichminimize the negative effect of climate change.

This study depicts an inclusive estimation of climate variation and its effects on agriculture sector in theselected South Asian countries (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri-Lanka) over the period of 1990-2014. Agriculture sector plays vigorous role in the economy of selected South Asian states because more than 60%people work in this sector. The rapid growth of industrialization and weather variation causes the raise of thetemperature level by which reduce production of agriculture crops and the people face heavy losses. Therefore, mainobjective of this study is to detect the influence of the global weather variation in agriculture sector of selected SouthAsian countries. Agriculture sector is used as dependent variable. CO2 emission, gross capital formation, labor forceand temperature are used as explanatory variables. Auto regressive distributed lag model is employed to examine theinfluence of climate variation on the agricultural sector. For analysis panel data were collected from selected SouthAsian countries. The existence of the short and long term relationship between dependent and independent variables isalso assessed by this model. Thus, findings show the climate variation has significant effect on the agricultural sector.In a policy recommendation, government should use sector-wise policies and friendly environmental policies whichminimize the negative effect of climate change.

Journal of Agricultural Studies (JAS) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether JAS publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 8, Number 2AncaLuiza Stanila, CPA, RomaniaAngel Ramon Sanchez Delgado, Universidade federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, BrazilAriel Reinaldo Soto Caro, Universidad de Concepción, ChileArnaud Z. Dragicevic, IRSTEA, FranceBabak Mohammadi, University of Tehran, IranBenard Kiplangat Rop, University of Nairobi, KenyaBoumahdi Merad Zoubeida, University Blida, AlgeriaCamilla H. M. Camargos, University of Campinas, BrazilChenlin Hu, The Ohio State University, USACleber Duarte, University of Guararapes, BrazilEben von Well, Agricultural Research Council, South AfricaEliana Mariela Werbin, National University of Cordoba, ArgentinianElizabeth Amélia Alves Duarte, College Maria Milza-FAMAM, BrazilEric Krawczyk, University of Michigan, USAEwa Moliszewska, Opole University, PolandFábio Cassola, UNICAMP, BrazilFortune Ogo-ndah Awala, University of Port Harcourt, NigeriaGuitong Li, China Agricultural University, ChinaHedayatollah K. Soureshjani, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, IranJanerson Jose Coelho, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, BrazilJeferson Coutinho, Federal Institute of Science, BrazilJuliana Nneka Ikpe, Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, NigeriaMd. Sadique Rahman, ShereBangla Agricultural University, BangladeshMohamed Mattar, King Saud University, Saudi ArabiaMohammed El Basuini, Kagoshima University, JapanNkemkanma Vivian Agi, Rivers State University Port Harcourt, NigeriaRafael Cardoso Rial, Federal Institute of Mato Grosso do Sul, BrazilSabatino Cuomo, University of Salerno, ItalySahar Bahmani, University of Wisconsin at Parkside, USAServet Aras, Bozok University, TurkeyShakirudeen Abimbola Lawal, University of Cape Town, South AfricaShubha Kumari, ICARRCER, IndiaSina Nabaei, Azad University, IranSomaia Alkhair, Alzaeim Alazhari University, SudanSudu Hakuruge Pushpa Malkanthi, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Sri LankaToncho Gospodinov Penev, Trakia University, BulgariaTugay Ayasan, East Mediterrenaen Agricultural Research Institute, TurkeyUtkarsh R. Moon, Mahatma Gandhi College of Science, IndiaWossenie Shibabaw Mebratie, Bahir Dar University, EthiopiaZakaria Fouad Abdallah, National Research Centre, EgyptZeinab Mohammadi Shad, Iowa State University, USAZhao Chen, Clemson University, USA Richard WilliamsEditorial AssistantJournal of Agricultural Studies--------------------------------------Macrothink Institute5348 Vegas Dr.#825Las Vegas, Nevada 89108United StatesPhone: 1-702-953-1852 ext.521Fax: 1-702-420-2900Email 1: jas@macrothink.orgEmail 2: jas@macrothink.comURL: http://jas.macrothink.org

Journal of Agricultural Studies (JAS) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether JAS publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 9, Number 3Ahmad Reza Pirali Zefrehei, Gorgan University, IranAlessandra M. Lima Naoe, Federal University of Tocantins, BrazilAlexandru Ioan Apahidean, Univ. of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, RomaniaAna Daniela Lopes, Universidade Paranaense, BrazilAnca-Luiza Stanila, ICPA, RomaniaAndré Luiz Rodrigues Magalhães, UFAPE, BrazilAngel Ramon Sanchez Delgado, Universidade federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, BrazilArnaud Z. Dragicevic, IRSTEA, FranceBenard Kiplangat Rop, University of Nairobi, KenyaCamilla H. M. Camargos, University of Campinas, BrazilCleber Duarte, University of Guararapes, BrazilDarwin Pangaribuan, University of Lampung, IndonesiaEben von Well, Agricultural Research Council, South AfricaEliana Mariela Werbin, National University of Cordoba, ArgentinianEmmanuel E. Omeje, University of Nigeria, NigeriaEric Krawczyk, University of Michigan, USAEric Owusu Danquah, CSIR-Crops Research Institute, GhanaFernando Rodrigues de Amorim, State University of Paulista (UNESP), BrazilGuitong Li, China Agricultural University, ChinaHabu Saleh Hamisu, National Horticultural Research Institute, NigeriaHedayatollah K. Soureshjani, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, IranJacquelin Teresa Camperos Reyes, São Paulo State University (UNESP), BrazilJorge A. López, University Tiradentes, BrazilJuliana Nneka Ikpe, Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, NigeriaLuh Suriati, Warmadewa University, IndonesiaMahyar Gerami, Sana Institute of Higher Education, IranMaría Francisca Perera, ITANOA, EEAOC-CONICET, ArgentinaMariana Esteves, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture University of Sao Paulo, BrazilMohamed Mattar, King Saud University, Saudi ArabiaMohammed El Basuini, Kagoshima University, JapanMohammed Jamal Uddin, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), BangladeshNkemkanma Vivian Agi, Rivers State University Port Harcourt, NigeriaOlga Mykhailenko, National University of Pharmacy, UkraineRadu Liviu Sumalan, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary, RomaniaRaul Pașcalău, Banat's University, RomaniaSaiful Irwan Zubairi, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), MalaysiaSarir Ahmad, Abdul Wali Khan University, PakistanShubha Kumari, ICAR-RCER, IndiaSina Nabaei, Azad University, IranSudu Hakuruge Pushpa Malkanthi, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Sri LankaSybelle Mesquita Silva, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, BrazilToncho Gospodinov Penev, Trakia University, BulgariaTugay Ayasan, Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, TurkeyUtkarsh R. Moon, Mahatma Gandhi College of Science, IndiaZakaria Fouad Abdallah, National Research Centre, EgyptZeinab Mohammadi Shad, Iowa State University, USAZhao Chen, Clemson University, USA Richard WilliamsEditorial AssistantJournal of Agricultural Studies--------------------------------------Macrothink Institute5348 Vegas Dr.#825Las Vegas, Nevada 89108United StatesPhone: 1-702-953-1852 ext.521Fax: 1-702-420-2900Email 1: jas@macrothink.orgEmail 2: jas@macrothink.comURL: http://jas.macrothink.org

Starch quality is one of the most important agronomic traits in rice (Oryza sativa L). In this study, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Waxy and Alk genes of eight rice varieties and their associations with starch physicochemical properties.vi.e.vamylose content (AC) and gelatinization temperature (GT). Seven Sri Lankan rice varieties, Pachchaperumal, Herathbanda, At 354, Bg 352, Balasuriya, H 6 and Bw 295-5 were detected as high amylose varieties while Nipponbare exhibited low amylose content. In silico analysis of the Waxy gene revealed that all tested Sri Lankan varieties possessed ‘G’ (Wxa allele) instead of ‘T’ in the first intron which could explain varieties with high and intermediate amylose content. All Sri Lankan varieties had ‘A’ instead of ‘C’ in exon 6 of the Waxy gene and this fact was tally with the varieties showing high amylose content. Therefore, possessing the Wxa allele in the first intron and ‘A’ in exon 6 could be used as a molecular marker for the selection of high amylose varieties as validated using several Sri Lankan varieties. All Sri Lankan varieties except, Bw 295-5 exhibited the intermediate type of GT which could not be explained using the so far reported allelic differences in the Alk gene. However, Bw 295-5 which is a low GT variety had two nucleotide polymorphisms in the last exon of the Alk gene, i.e. ‘G’ and ‘TT’ that represent low GT class. Therefore, it can be concluded that sequence variations of Waxy and Alk genes reported in this study are useful in breeding local rice varieties with preferential amylose content and GT class.Key word Alk gene, amylose content, single nucleotide polymorphism, Waxy gene.INTRODUCTIONRice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the leading food crops of the world. More than half of the world’s population relies on rice as the major daily source of calories and protein (Sartaj and Suraweera, 2005). After grain yield, quality is the most important aspect of rice breeding. Grain size and shape largely determine the market acceptability of rice, while cooking quality is influenced by the properties of starch. In rice grains starch is the major component that primarily controls rice quality. Starch consists of two forms of glucose polymers, relatively unbranched amylose and a highly branched amylopectin. Starch-synthesizing genes may contribute to variation in starch physicochemical properties because they affect the amount and structure of amylose and amylopectin in rice grain (Kharabian-Masouleh et al., 2012). Amylose content (AC), gelatinization temperature (GT) and gel consistency (GC) is the three most important determinants of eating and cooking quality. Amylose content is the ratio of amylose amount present in endosperm to total starch content. Rice varieties are grouped based on their amylose content into waxy (0-2%), very low (3-9%), low (10-19%), intermediate (20-25%), and high (> 25%) (Kongseree and Juliano, 1972). The most widely used method for amylose determination is a colorimetric assay where iodine binds with amylose to produce a blue-purple color, which is measured spectrophotometrically at a single wavelength (620nm). Low amylose content is usually associated with tender, cohesive and glossy cooked rice; while, high amylose content is associated with firm, fluffy and separate grains of cooked rice. The Waxy (Wx) gene, which encodes granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI), is the major gene controlling AC in rice (Nakamura, 2002). The Waxy gene is located on chromosome six and various single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of Wx were found, including a ‘G’ to ‘T’ SNP of the first intron, ‘A’ to ‘C’ SNP of the sixth exon and ‘C’ to ‘T’ SNP of the tenth exon (Larkin and Park, 2003). The ‘AGGTATA’ sequence at the 5’splice-junction coincides with the presence of the Wxa allele, while the ‘AGTTATA’ sequence coincides with the presence of the Wxb allele. Therefore, all intermediate and high amylose cultivars had ‘G’ nucleotide while low amylose cultivars had ‘T’ nucleotide at the putative leader intron 5′ splice site. The cytosine and thymidine (CT) dinucleotide repeats in the 5’- untranslated region (UTR) of the Waxy gene were reported to be a factor associated with AC. However, the relationship between these polymorphisms and amylose contents is not clear. Amylopectin chain length distribution plays a very important role to determine GT in cooked rice. The time required for cooking is determined by the gelatinization temperature of starch. It is important because it affects the texture of cooked rice and it is related to the cooking time of rice. The gelatinization temperature is estimated by the alkali digestibility test. It is measured by the alkali spreading value (ASV). The degree of spreading value of individual milled rice kernels in a weak alkali solution (1.7% KOH) is very closely correlated with gelatinized temperature. According to the ASV, rice varieties may be classified as low (55 to 69°C), intermediate (70 to 74°C) and high (> 74°C) GT classes. In a breeding program ASV is extensively used to estimate the gelatinization temperature. The synthesis of amylopectin is more complex than that of amylose. Polymorphisms in the starch synthase IIa (SSIIa) gene which is recognized as the Alk gene are responsible for the differences in GT in rice (Umemoto and Aoki, 2005; Waters et al., 2006). Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the last exon of the Alk gene are responsible for the differences in GT in rice. The biochemical analysis clearly showed that the function of the amino acids caused by these two SNPs is essential for SSIIa enzyme activity (Nakamura et al., 2005) and those are ‘G’/‘A’ SNP at 4424 bp position and ‘GC’/‘TT’ SNPs at 4533/4534 bp position with reference to Nipponbare rice genomic sequence. Based on the SNPs, Low SSIIa enzyme activity results in S-type amylopectin, which is enriched in short chains whereas high SSIIa enzyme activity produces L-type amylopectin (Umemoto et al., 2004). Therefore, the combination of ‘G’ at SNP3 and ‘GC’ at SNP4 is required to produce L-type rice starch and this has a higher GT relative to S-type starch. GC is a standard assay that is used in rice improvement programs to determine the texture of softness and firmness in high amylose rice cultivars. Intermediate and low amylose rice usually has soft gel consistency. Sequence variation in exon 10 of the Waxy gene associates with GC (Tran et al., 2011).OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to detect polymorphisms in major starch synthesizing genes among several rice cultivars as models and to determine the relationship between their SNP variations and starch physicochemical properties. Also, we analyzed major starch synthesizing gene sequences of several Sri Lankan rice varieties in silico aiming at utilizing this information in rice breeding programs.MATERIALS AND METHODSPlant materials: Seeds of eight Oryza sativa L. accessions were obtained from the Rice Research and Development Institute (RRDI), Bathalagoda, Sri Lanka and Gene Bank of Plant Genetic Resource Center (PGRC), Gannoruwa.Characterization of grain physical parameters: Grain length and width were determined using a vernier caliper. Ten grains from each sample were collected randomly and measured to obtain the average length and width of the milled rice. The average length and width were recorded as their length and width. Based on the length and width of the grains, the milled rice grains were classified into four classes (table 1) according to the method accepted by RRDI Bathalagoda, Sri Lanka.According to the scale L/S – Long Slender, L/M – Long Medium, I/B – Intermediate Bold and S/R –Short RoundAnalysis of amylose content: Initially, rice samples were dehusked and polished prior to milling. Ten whole – milled rice kernels of eight rice samples were ground separately by using mortar and pestle. Amylose content per 100 mg was determined by measuring the blue value of rice varieties as described by Juliano (1971). About 100mg rice sample was shifted into a 100 mL volumetric flask and 1mL of 95% ethanol was added. Then 9mL of 1N NaOH was added and the content was boiled for 20min. at boiling temperature to gelatinize the starch. After cooling the content, the volume was made up to 100mL and 5mL of starch solution was pipetted out into a 100mL volumetric flask. The blue color was developed by adding 1mL of 1N acetic acid and 2 mL of iodine solution (0.2g iodine and 2.0g potassium iodine in 10 mL aqueous solution). Then volume was made up to 100mL with distilled water and the solution was kept for 20min. after shaking. Finally, the absorbance of the solution was measured at 620nm using Spectrophotometer T80 (PG Instruments Limited) as described by Juliano (1971). The standard curve was prepared using 40mg of potato-amylose to calculate the amylose content of rice varieties through absorbance values. Forty mg of potato amylose was put into a 100 mL of volumetric flask and 1ml of 95% ethanol and 9mL of NaOH were added and content was heated for 20min at boiling temperature. After cooling the content volume of the solution was made up to 100mL using distilled water. Then 1mL, 2mL, 3mL, 4mL and 5mL of amylose solution were pipetted out into 100mL flasks. Then 0.2mL, 0.4mL, 0.6mL, 0.8mL and 1mL of 1N acetic acid were added to the flasks respectively. Finally, 2mL of iodine solution was added to each flask and volume was made up to 100mL with distilled water. Solutions were stood up for 20min. after shaking and absorbance values were measured at 620nm. Measured absorbance values were plotted at 620nm against the concentration of anhydrous amylose (mg).Analysis of gelatinization temperature: GT was indirectly measured on rice by the alkali spreading value. Husked and polished seeds per accession were used for the analysis. Selected duplicate sets of six milled grains without cracks of each sample were put into Petri dishes. About 10mL of 1.7% KOH was added and grains were spread in the petri dish to provide enough space. The constant temperature at 30°C was maintained to ensure better reproducibility. After 23hrs, the degree of disintegration was quantified by a standard protocol with a numerical scale of 1–7 (table 2) as reported by Cruz and Khush (2000). As reported by Juliano (2003), GT of rice was determined using the alkaline spreading scale, where 1.0-2.5: High (74-80 °C), 2.6-3.4: High-intermediate (70-74 °C), 3.5-5.4: Intermediate (70-74 °C) and 5.5-7.0 Low: (55-70 °C).Bioinformatics and statistical analysis: The available literature was used to identify the most likely candidate genes associated with rice starch quality and their SNPs of each gene (Hirose et al., 2006; Waters and Henry, 2007; Tran et al., 2011). In all the tested varieties except Bg 352 and At 354, the DNA sequence of each gene was retrieved from the Rice SNP Seek database (http://snp-seek.irri.org/). The gene sequences of At 354 and Bg 352 were obtained from the National Research Council 16-016 project, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka. Multiple sequence alignment was conducted for the DNA sequence using Clustal Omegavsoftware (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/Tools/msa/clustalo/). Starch physiochemical data obtained were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT) to determine the statistical differences among varieties at the significance level of p ≤ 0.05. Statistical analysis was done using SAS version 9.1 (SAS, 2004).ESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Physical properties of rice grains: Physical properties such as length, width, size, shape and pericarp color of rice grains obtained from eight different rice varieties are given in table 3. Classification of rice grains was carried out, according to their sizes and shapes based on Juliano (1985). The size of the rice grains was determined as per grain length while grain shape was determined by means of length and width ratio of the rice kernel. In the local market, rice is classified as Samba (short grain), Nadu (intermediate grain) and Kora (long/medium) based on the size of the grain (Pathiraje et al., 2010). Lengths of rice kernels were varied from 5.58 to 6.725 mm for all varieties. The highest grain length and width were given by At 354 and Pachchaperumal respectively. The varieties, Bw 295-5 and H 6 showed a length: width ratio over 3 which is considered as slender in grain shape. Bw 295-5, H 6, At 354, Bg 352 and Nipponbare possessed white pericarp and others possessed red pericarp.Relationship between amylose content and SNPs variation of waxy loci in selected varieties: Amylose content was measured in seven Sri Lankan rice varieties and one exotic rice variety. Amylose content of the evaluated varieties varied significantly with p ≤ 0.05 with the lowest of 15.11% and highest of 28.63% which were found in Nipponbare and Bw 295-5, respectively (table 4). The majority of the evaluated varieties fell into the high AC category (between 25-28%). Only Nipponbare could be clearly categorized under the low amylose group (table 4). The amylose content of Bg 352, Pachchaperumal and Herathbanda have already been determined by early studies of Rebeira et al. (2014) and Fernando et al. (2015). Most of the data obtained in the present experiment has agreed with the results of previous studies. Major genes such as Waxy and their functional SNPs have a major influence on amylose in rice (Nakamura et al., 2005). Accordingly, single nucleotide polymorphism, ‘G’/‘T’, at the 5’ leader intron splice site of the GBSSI has explained the variation in amylose content of varieties. Accordingly, high and intermediate amylose varieties have ‘AGGTATA’ while low amylose varieties have the sequence ‘AGTTATA’, which might lead to a decrease in the splicing efficiency. Therefore, the GBSSI activity of Nipponbare might be considerably weak and resulted in starch with low amylose content. Hence, producing ‘G’/‘T’ polymorphism clearly differentiates low amylose rice varieties, as reported by Nakamura et al. (2005). In GBSSI, Larkin and Park (2003) identified an ‘A’/‘C’ polymorphism in exon 6 and a ‘C’/‘T’ polymorphism in exon 10 which resulted in non- synonymous amino acid change. Chen et al. (2008) reported that the non-synonymous ‘A’/‘C’ SNP at exon 6 had the highest possible impact on GBSSI. Accordingly, the ‘A’/‘C’ polymorphism in exon 6 causes a tyrosine/serine amino acid substitution while the ‘C’/‘T’ polymorphism in exon 10 causes a serine/proline amino acid substitution. In view of this information, there is a relationship between the polymorphism detected by in silico analysis and amylose content obtained from our experiment. Out of the eight tested rice varieties, only one variety, Nipponbare was categorized as low amylose variety (10-19%) and it exhibited ‘T’ nucleotide at the intron splice site (table 4; figure 1). Varieties such as Pachchaperumal, Balasuriya, Bw 295-5, H 6, Herathbanda, At 354 and Bg 352 which contained high amylose (> 25%), had ‘G’ and ‘A’ nucleotides at intron splice site and exon 6 respectively (table 4; figure 1). The predominant allelic pattern of intron splice site and exon 6 are different in varieties containing intermediate amylose content (20-25%) which showed ‘G’ and ‘C’ nucleotides respectively. Of these selected rice varieties, none of the intermediate type amylose variety was found.Relationship between gel consistency and SNPs variation in Waxy loci: In this study, GC data of Herathbanda, Hondarawalu, Kuruluthuda, Pachchaperumal and Bg 352 were obtained from Fernando et al. (2015). The results of Tran et al. (2011) showed that the exon 10 ‘C’/‘T’ SNP of Wx has mainly affected GC. Accordingly, rice with a ‘C’ at exon 10 had soft and viscous gels once cooked. However, a sample with a ‘T’ had short and firm gels. In this study, Herathbanda, Hondarawalu, Kuruluthuda and Pachchaperumal had ‘C’ nucleotide and Bg 352 had ‘T’ nucleotide in exon 10 (table 5; figure 2). However, ‘C’/‘T’ substitution analysis could not be used to explain the GC of tested varieties.Relationship between gelatinized temperature and SNPs variation of Alk loci in selected rice varieties: Although there were differences in the scores, the degree of disintegration of all samples was saturated at 23 hrs. Most of the selected rice varieties showed the intermediate disintegration score. Varieties, Pachchaperumal, Balasuriya, H 6, Herathbanda, At 354 and Bg 352 were categorized into intermediate GT class (70–74°C) as indicated by an alkali spreading (AS) value of 5 (table 6; figure 3). Nipponbare and Bw 295-5 showed the highest disintegration score indicating the dispersion of all grains. Hence these varieties were categorized into low GT class (55-69°C) as indicated by an AS value of 6 (table 6; figure 3). However, high GT class rice varieties (> 74°C) were not found in the tested samples. Chromosomal mutation within the Alk gene has led to a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Umemoto et al. (2004) identified four SNPs in Alk gene. Thus, SNP3 and SNP4 may be important genetic polymorphisms that are associated with GT class. According to the SNP3 and SNP4, eight rice varieties could be classified into either high GT or low GT types. If there is ‘A’ instead of ‘G’ at 4424 bp position of Alk gene with reference to Nipponbare rice genomic sequence, it codes methionine instead of valine amino acid residue in SSIIa, whilst two adjacent SNPs at bases 4533 and 4534 code for either leucine (‘GC’) or phenylalanine (‘TT’). Rice varieties with high GT starch had a combination of valine and leucine at these residues. Rice varieties with low GT starch had a combination of either methionine and leucine or valine and phenylalanine at these same residues. Nipponbare carried the ‘A’ and ‘GC’ nucleotides, while Bw 295-5 carried the ‘G’ and ‘TT’ nucleotides. Hence these varieties were classified into low GT class. Varieties such as Pachchaperumal, Balasuriya, H 6, Herathbanda, At 354 and Bg 352 carried ‘G’ and ‘GC’ nucleotides and these varieties were classified into high GT rice varieties. However, intermediate GT status could not be determined by SNP3 and SNP4 mutation of Alk gene (table 6; figure 4).In silico analysis of the polymorphisms in GBSSI gene and Alk genes of rice varieties retrieved from Rice-SNP-database: In this study, GBSSI gene and Alk gene were compared with the sequences retrieved from the Rice-SNP-Seek database to validate the SNPs further. As previously reported by Ayres et al. (1997), all low amylose varieties had the sequence ‘AGTTATA’ in exon 1. In agreement with preliminary work done by Larkin and Park (2003), all of the intermediate amylose varieties have the allelic pattern of GCC. All of the high amylose varieties have either the GAC or GAT allele of GBSSI. Among 42 rice accessions with the Sri Lankan pedigree, four allelic patterns were found; TAC, GCC, GAC and GAT (table 7). In this allelic pattern, the first letter corresponds to the ‘G’/‘T’ polymorphism in 5’ leader intron splice-junction, the second letter corresponds to the ‘A’/‘C’ polymorphism in exon 6 and the third letter corresponds to the ‘C’/‘T’ polymorphism in exon10 of Waxy gene. Analysis of the ‘G’/‘T’ polymorphism in the Wx locus showed that 41 rice cultivars shared the same ‘AGGTATA’ sequence at the 5’ leader intron splice-junction. But only 1 rice cultivar, Puttu nellu was found with ‘T’ nucleotide in intron1/exon1 junction site, which could be categorized as a low amylose variety (table 7). As discussed above, varieties with an intermediate level of apparent amylose could be reliably distinguished from those with higher apparent amylose based on a SNP in exon 6. Hence, only three rice varieties Nalumoolai Karuppan, Pannithi and Godawel with ‘C’ nucleotide in exon 6 exhibited the possibility of containing intermediate amylose content (table 7). High activity of GBSSI produces high amylose content leading to a non-waxy, non-sticky or non-glutinous phenotype. Therefore, according to the in silico genotypic results, rest of the 38 rice varieties may produce high amylose content in the endosperm (table 7). Proving this phenomenon. Abeysekera et al. (2017) has reported that usually, most of Sri Lankan rice varieties contain high amylose content. Targeted sequence analysis of exon 8 of the Alk gene in 42 different rice cultivars were found with three SNP polymorphisms that resulted in a changed amino acid sequence and, of these three SNPs, two SNPs were reported to be correlated with possible GT differences. Accordingly, Puttu nellu and 3210 rice varieties carried the ‘G’ and ‘TT’ nucleotides in SNP3 and SNP4 respectively (table 7). Hence these varieties can be classified into low GT class and except these two; other rice varieties carried the ‘G’ and ‘GC’ nucleotides in SNP3 and SNP4 respectively. Therefore, those varieties can possibly be classified into high GT rice varieties (table 7). However, further experiments are necessary to check the phenotypic variations for grain amylose content and GT class of in silico analyzed rice varieties. CONCLUSION Present results revealed the relationship between SNPs variation at Waxy loci and the amylose content of selected rice varieties. Accordingly, Pachchaperumal, At 354, Bg 352, Herathbanda, H 6, Balasuriya and Bw 295-5 with high amylose content had ‘G’ instead of ‘T’ in the first intron exhibiting the presence of Wxa allele with reference to Nipponbare which had low amylose content. Also all tested varieties had ‘A’ in exon 6 of the Waxy gene. Thus present findings i.e. presence of Wxa allele and SNP ‘A’ in exon 6 could be used as a potential molecular marker for the selection of high amylose varieties. In addition, Bw 295-5 which is a low GT variety, had two SNPs variations in the last exon of the Alk gene i.e. ‘G’ and ‘TT’ which is likely to be used to represent low GT class. Accordingly, sequence variations identified in Waxy and Alk genes could be utilized in the future rice breeding programs for the development of varieties with preferential amylose content and GT class.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSDirector and staff of the Gene Bank, Plant Genetic Resources Center, Gannoruwa are acknowledged for giving rice accessions.CONFLICT OF INTERESTAuthors have no conflict of interest.REFERENCESAbeysekera, W., G. Premakumara, A. Bentota and D. S. Abeysiriwardena, 2017. Grain amylose content and its stability over seasons in a selected set of rice varieties grown in Sri Lanka. Journal of agricultural sciences Sri Lanka, 12(1): 43-50.Ayres, N., A. McClung, P. Larkin, H. Bligh, C. Jones and W. Park, 1997. Microsatellites and a single-nucleotide polymorphism differentiate apparentamylose classes in an extended pedigree of us rice germ plasm. Theoretical applied genetics, 94(6-7): 773-781.Chen, M.-H., C. Bergman, S. Pinson and R. Fjellstrom, 2008. Waxy gene haplotypes: Associations with apparent amylose content and the effect by the environment in an international rice germplasm collection. Journal of cereal science, 47(3): 536-545.Cruz, N. D. and G. Khush, 2000. Rice grain quality evaluation procedures. Aromatic rices, 3: 15-28.Fernando, H., T. Kajenthini, S. Rebeira, T. Bamunuarachchige and H. Wickramasinghe, 2015. Validation of molecular markers for the analysis of genetic diversity of amylase content and gel consistency among representative rice varieties in sri lanka. Tropical agricultural research, 26(2): 317-328.Hirose, T., T. Ohdan, Y. Nakamura and T. Terao, 2006. Expression profiling of genes related to starch synthesis in rice leaf sheaths during the heading period. Physiologia plantarum, 128(3): 425-435.Juliano, B., 1971. A simplified assay for milled rice amylose. Journal of cereal science today, 16: 334-360.Juliano, B. O., 1985. Rice: Chemistry and technology. The american association of cereal chemists. Inc. St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, 774.Juliano, B. O., 2003. Rice chemistry and quality. Island publishing house. Island publishing house, Manila: 1-7.Kharabian-Masouleh, A., D. L. Waters, R. F. Reinke, R. Ward and R. J. Henry, 2012. Snp in starch biosynthesis genes associated with nutritional and functional properties of rice. Scientific reports, 2(1): 1-9.Kongseree, N. and B. O. Juliano, 1972. Physicochemical properties of rice grain and starch from lines differing in amylose content and gelatinization temperature. Journal of agricultural food chemistry, 20(3): 714-718.Larkin, P. D. and W. D. Park, 2003. Association of waxy gene single nucleotide polymorphisms with starch characteristics in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Molecular Breeding, 12(4): 335-339.Nakamura, Y., 2002. Towards a better understanding of the metabolic system for amylopectin biosynthesis in plants: Rice endosperm as a model tissue. Plant cell physiology, 43(7): 718-725.Nakamura, Y., P. B. Francisco, Y. Hosaka, A. Sato, T. Sawada, A. Kubo and N. Fujita, 2005. Essential amino acids of starch synthase iia differentiate amylopectin structure and starch quality between Japonica and Indica rice varieties. Plant molecular biology, 58(2): 213-227.Pathiraje, P., W. Madhujith, A. Chandrasekara and S. Nissanka, 2010. The effect of rice variety and parboiling on in vivo glycemic response. Journal of tropical agricultural research, 22(1): 26-33.Rebeira, S., H. Wickramasinghe, W. Samarasinghe and B. Prashantha, 2014. Diversity of grain quality characteristics of traditional rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties in sri lanka. Tropical agricultural research, 25(4): 470-478.Sartaj, I. Z. and S. A. E. R. Suraweera, 2005. Comparison of different parboiling methods on the quality characteristics of rice. Annals of the Sri Lankan Department of Agriculture, 7: 245-252.Tran, N., V. Daygon, A. Resurreccion, R. Cuevas, H. Corpuz and M. Fitzgerald, 2011. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the waxy gene explains a significant component of gel consistency. Theoretical applied genetics, 123(4): 519-525.Umemoto, T. and N. Aoki, 2005. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in rice starch synthase iia that alter starch gelatinisation and starch association of the enzyme. Functional plant biology, 32(9): 763-768.Umemoto, T., N. Aoki, H. Lin, Y. Nakamura, N. Inouchi, Y. Sato, M. Yano, H. Hirabayashi and S. Maruyama, 2004. Natural variation in rice starch synthase iia affects enzyme and starch properties. Functional plant biology, 31(7): 671-684.Waters, D. L. and R. J. Henry, 2007. Genetic manipulation of starch properties in plants: Patents 2001-2006. Recent patents on biotechnology, 1(3): 252-259.Waters, D. L., R. J. Henry, R. F. Reinke and M. A. Fitzgerald, 2006. Gelatinization temperature of rice explained by polymorphisms in starch synthase. Plant biotechnology journal, 4(1): 115-122.

Majority of the rural population in the wet mid elevations in Sri Lanka are predominantly engaged in Kandyan Homegardening (KHG) and smallholder tea cultivations (TS). Reports indicate that recent developments in this region are very low due to marketing, extension and production issues. The study was conducted to evaluate the recent changes in the agricultural productivity and other socio economic parameters of the households in a selected village belonging to Yatinuwara Divisional Secretariat in 2017. Information on social and family status, agricultural systems and income generation of a sample households (65%) were collected using a structured questionnaire. Results revealed that there was a trend of leaving agriculture by the young generation, resulting in just a 58.4% of the males (predominantly middle aged and old) for agriculture, mostly on part-time basis. Low percentage of women involvement in agricultural livelihoods clearly indicated their potential engagements in agricultural livelihoods in the future, bringing about a good solution for their unemployment issue. Nearly 76% families were engaged with KHGs whereas 36% and 7% were involved in TS and other cropping systems, respectively. The livestock sector was very much at a diminishing phase, limiting only to 7.8% of the households. The highest annual income was recorded by the TS, compared to KHG farmers. This could be justified with lower productivity of KHGs (compared to potential productivity of its major crop components). Majority of the households (38.2%) belongs to the lowest annual income category of less than Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR.) 50,000 (from agriculture). Hence a boost in agriculture will be an urgent need for improving the financial status and the living standards of the villagers. The outcome of the survey will be an eye-opening for policy makers and the institutional setup that are mandated for rural development in Sri Lanka.

Aims: The primary focus of this empirical study was to investigate the factors influencing the level of GAP adoption for cucurbit vegetable in the Anuradhapura district of Sri Lanka. Study Design: Three-stage purposive and proportionate sampling Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Anuradhapura district, North Central Province of Sri Lanka in 2018. Methodology: Primary and secondary data were used in the study. The primary data were collected mainly through a field survey using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire. The total sample size was 120. Key informant interviews (KII), and a focus group discussion (FGD) were conducted to triangulate data and information obtained from the questionnaire survey and to obtain additional qualitative information. Descriptive analytical techniques, analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, and the General Linear Model (GLM) were employed for the data analysis. Results: Results revealed that 40% of respondents are moderate level GAP adopters, whilst about 68% practiced more than half of the recommended GAPs. The results of ANOVA revealed that farmers who adopted a higher proportion of GAPs earned a higher farming income, than those who practiced a moderate or low proportion of GAPs. Similarly, when compared to moderate and poor level GAP adopters, the average cost of production of higher-level adopters decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The results of the regression analysis revealed that farmer awareness of GAPs, farmer education level, farming experience, farming income, and cost of cultivation have a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the level of GAP adoption by cucurbit farmers. Conclusion: Awareness of GAPs, farmer education level, farming experience, and farming income significantly affect the adoption level of GAPs. Policy priority should be given to planning for a long-term farmer awareness program on GAPs through proper training and extension programs.

A species of scale insect new to Florida is potentially one of the most devastating pests of trees and shrubs in the state's history. The lobate lac scale, Paratachardina lobata lobata (Chamberlin) (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea: Kerriidae), a scale insect native to India and Sri Lanka, was found for the first time in Florida in August 1999 by personnel of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry (DPI) (Hamon 2001). This document is EENY-276, one of a series of the Department of Entomology, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Date printed: November 2002. Revised: May 2004. EENY-276/IN471: Lobate Lac Scale, Paratachardina lobata lobata (Chamberlin) (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea: Kerriidae) (ufl.edu)

Fall armyworm arrived on the Indian subcontinent in May 2018 and now it has spread across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and approaching more beyond South East Asia. Strong flying capacity, climate adaptability, and wide host range makes them a better colonizing agent than other species of armyworms. Despite maize being primarily infested in this region, infestation on sugarcane, sorghum, cotton and cabbage have already been reported from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. National agricultural research bodies like ICAR, IIMR, NARC, BARI etc. as well as international organizations like FAO, CGIAR, CIMMYT and CABI are working at different levels in effort to develop managemen strategies to combat the pest. Since it is practically impossible to eradicate the pest now, it is essential to work for long term management and in keeping pest population below economically injury level. Reliance on synthetic pesticides only is a temporary way of dealing with the pest. Educating the farmers themselves about the pest and practicing integrated approach of management compatible and feasible in the region would be more sustainable. Identification and using native species of natural enemies, such as predators, parasites and parasitoids is the current need of research. The experiences of small holder farmers in Africa and South America in fall armyworm management might be relevant to South Asia.

The curtain rose. The howling of desert wind filled the performance hall in the Shanghai Grand Theatre. Into the center stage, where a scenic construction of a mountain cliff and a desert landscape was dimly lit, entered the character of the Daoist priest Wang Yuanlu (1849–1931), performed by Chen Yizong. Dressed in a worn and dusty outfit of dark blue cotton, characteristic of Daoist priests, Wang began to sweep the floor. After a few moments, he discovered a hidden chambre sealed inside one of the rock sanctuaries carved into the cliff.Signaled by the quick, crystalline, stirring wave of sound from the chimes, a melodious Chinese ocarina solo joined in slowly from the background. Astonished by thousands of Buddhist sūtra scrolls, wall paintings, and sculptures he had just accidentally discovered in the caves, Priest Wang set his broom aside and began to examine these treasures. Dawn had not yet arrived, and the desert sky was pitch-black. Priest Wang held his oil lamp high, strode rhythmically in excitement, sat crossed-legged in a meditative pose, and unfolded a scroll. The sound of the ocarina became fuller and richer and the texture of the music more complex, as several other instruments joined in.Below is the opening scene of the award-winning, theatrical dance-drama Dunhuang, My Dreamland, created by China’s state-sponsored Lanzhou Song and Dance Theatre in 2000. Figure 1a: Poster Side A of Dunhuang, My Dreamland Figure 1b: Poster Side B of Dunhuang, My DreamlandThe scene locates the dance-drama in the rock sanctuaries that today are known as the Dunhuang Mogao Caves, housing Buddhist art accumulated over a period of a thousand years, one of the best well-known UNESCO heritages on the Silk Road. Historically a frontier metropolis, Dunhuang was a strategic site along the Silk Road in northwestern China, a crossroads of trade, and a locus for religious, cultural, and intellectual influences since the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.). Travellers, especially Buddhist monks from India and central Asia, passing through Dunhuang on their way to Chang’an (present day Xi’an), China’s ancient capital, would stop to meditate in the Mogao Caves and consult manuscripts in the monastery's library. At the same time, Chinese pilgrims would travel by foot from China through central Asia to Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, playing a key role in the exchanges between ancient China and the outside world. Travellers from China would stop to acquire provisions at Dunhuang before crossing the Gobi Desert to continue on their long journey abroad. Figure 2: Dunhuang Mogao CavesThis article approaches the idea of “abroad” by examining the present-day imagination of journeys along the Silk Road—specifically, staged performances of the various Silk Road journey-themed dance-dramas sponsored by the Chinese state for enhancing its cultural and foreign policies since the 1970s (Kuang).As ethnomusicologists have demonstrated, musicians, choreographers, and playwrights often utilise historical materials in their performances to construct connections between the past and the present (Bohlman; Herzfeld; Lam; Rees; Shelemay; Tuohy; Wade; Yung: Rawski; Watson). The ancient Silk Road, which linked the Mediterranean coast with central China and beyond, via oasis towns such as Samarkand, has long been associated with the concept of “journeying abroad.” Journeys to distant, foreign lands and encounters of unknown, mysterious cultures along the Silk Road have been documented in historical records, such as A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms (Faxian) and The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions (Xuanzang), and illustrated in classical literature, such as The Travels of Marco Polo (Polo) and the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West (Wu). These journeys—coming and going from multiple directions and to different destinations—have inspired contemporary staged performance for audiences around the globe.Home and Abroad: Dunhuang and the Silk RoadDunhuang, My Dreamland (2000), the contemporary dance-drama, staged the journey of a young pilgrim painter travelling from Chang’an to a land of the unfamiliar and beyond borders, in search for the arts that have inspired him. Figure 3: A scene from Dunhuang, My Dreamland showing the young pilgrim painter in the Gobi Desert on the ancient Silk RoadFar from his home, he ended his journey in Dunhuang, historically considered the northwestern periphery of China, well beyond Yangguan and Yumenguan, the bordering passes that separate China and foreign lands. Later scenes in Dunhuang, My Dreamland, portrayed through multiethnic music and dances, the dynamic interactions among merchants, cultural and religious envoys, warriors, and politicians that were making their own journey from abroad to China. The theatrical dance-drama presents a historically inspired, re-imagined vision of both “home” and “abroad” to its audiences as they watch the young painter travel along the Silk Road, across the Gobi Desert, arriving at his own ideal, artistic “homeland”, the Dunhuang Mogao Caves. Since his journey is ultimately a spiritual one, the conceptualisation of travelling “abroad” could also be perceived as “a journey home.”Staged more than four hundred times since it premiered in Beijing in April 2000, Dunhuang, My Dreamland is one of the top ten titles in China’s National Stage Project and one of the most successful theatrical dance-dramas ever produced in China. With revenue of more than thirty million renminbi (RMB), it ranks as the most profitable theatrical dance-drama ever produced in China, with a preproduction cost of six million RMB. The production team receives financial support from China’s Ministry of Culture for its “distinctive ethnic features,” and its “aim to promote traditional Chinese culture,” according to Xu Rong, an official in the Cultural Industry Department of the Ministry. Labeled an outstanding dance-drama of the Chinese nation, it aims to present domestic and international audiences with a vision of China as a historically multifaceted and cosmopolitan nation that has been in close contact with the outside world through the ancient Silk Road. Its production company has been on tour in selected cities throughout China and in countries abroad, including Austria, Spain, and France, literarily making the young pilgrim painter’s “journey along the Silk Road” a new journey abroad, off stage and in reality.Dunhuang, My Dreamland was not the first, nor is it the last, staged performances that portrays the Chinese re-imagination of “journeying abroad” along the ancient Silk Road. It was created as one of many versions of Dunhuang bihua yuewu, a genre of music, dance, and dramatic performances created in the early twentieth century and based primarily on artifacts excavated from the Mogao Caves (Kuang). “The Mogao Caves are the greatest repository of early Chinese art,” states Mimi Gates, who works to increase public awareness of the UNESCO site and raise funds toward its conservation. “Located on the Chinese end of the Silk Road, it also is the place where many cultures of the world intersected with one another, so you have Greek and Roman, Persian and Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese cultures, all interacting. Given the nature of our world today, it is all very relevant” (Pollack). As an expressive art form, this genre has been thriving since the late 1970s contributing to the global imagination of China’s “Silk Road journeys abroad” long before Dunhuang, My Dreamland achieved its domestic and international fame. For instance, in 2004, The Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteśvara—one of the most representative (and well-known) Dunhuang bihua yuewu programs—was staged as a part of the cultural program during the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. This performance, as well as other Dunhuang bihua yuewu dance programs was the perfect embodiment of a foreign religion that arrived in China from abroad and became Sinicized (Kuang). Figure 4: Mural from Dunhuang Mogao Cave No. 45A Brief History of Staging the Silk Road JourneysThe staging of the Silk Road journeys abroad began in the late 1970s. Historically, the Silk Road signifies a multiethnic, cosmopolitan frontier, which underwent incessant conflicts between Chinese sovereigns and nomadic peoples (as well as between other groups), but was strongly imbued with the customs and institutions of central China (Duan, Mair, Shi, Sima). In the twentieth century, when China was no longer an empire, but had become what the early 20th-century reformer Liang Qichao (1873–1929) called “a nation among nations,” the long history of the Silk Road and the colourful, legendary journeys abroad became instrumental in the formation of a modern Chinese nation of unified diversity rooted in an ancient cosmopolitan past. The staged Silk Road theme dance-dramas thus participate in this formation of the Chinese imagination of “nation” and “abroad,” as they aestheticise Chinese history and geography. History and geography—aspects commonly considered constituents of a nation as well as our conceptualisations of “abroad”—are “invariably aestheticized to a certain degree” (Bakhtin 208). Diverse historical and cultural elements from along the Silk Road come together in this performance genre, which can be considered the most representative of various possible stagings of the history and culture of the Silk Road journeys.In 1979, the Chinese state officials in Gansu Province commissioned the benchmark dance-drama Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road, a spectacular theatrical dance-drama praising the pure and noble friendship which existed between the peoples of China and other countries in the Tang dynasty (618-907 C.E.). While its plot also revolves around the Dunhuang Caves and the life of a painter, staged at one of the most critical turning points in modern Chinese history, the work as a whole aims to present the state’s intention of re-establishing diplomatic ties with the outside world after the Cultural Revolution. Unlike Dunhuang, My Dreamland, it presents a nation’s journey abroad and home. To accomplish this goal, Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road introduces the fictional character Yunus, a wealthy Persian merchant who provides the audiences a vision of the historical figure of Peroz III, the last Sassanian prince, who after the Arab conquest of Iran in 651 C.E., found refuge in China. By incorporating scenes of ethnic and folk dances, the drama then stages the journey of painter Zhang’s daughter Yingniang to Persia (present-day Iran) and later, Yunus’s journey abroad to the Tang dynasty imperial court as the Persian Empire’s envoy.Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road, since its debut at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on the first of October 1979 and shortly after at the Theatre La Scala in Milan, has been staged in more than twenty countries and districts, including France, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Russia, Latvia, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and recently, in 2013, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York.“The Road”: Staging the Journey TodayWithin the contemporary context of global interdependencies, performing arts have been used as strategic devices for social mobilisation and as a means to represent and perform modern national histories and foreign policies (Davis, Rees, Tian, Tuohy, Wong, David Y. H. Wu). The Silk Road has been chosen as the basis for these state-sponsored, extravagantly produced, and internationally staged contemporary dance programs. In 2008, the welcoming ceremony and artistic presentation at the Olympic Games in Beijing featured twenty apsara dancers and a Dunhuang bihua yuewu dancer with long ribbons, whose body was suspended in mid-air on a rectangular LED extension held by hundreds of performers; on the giant LED screen was a depiction of the ancient Silk Road.In March 2013, Chinese president Xi Jinping introduced the initiatives “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” during his journeys abroad in Kazakhstan and Indonesia. These initiatives are now referred to as “One Belt, One Road.” The State Council lists in details the policies and implementation plans for this initiative on its official web page, www.gov.cn. In April 2013, the China Institute in New York launched a yearlong celebration, starting with "Dunhuang: Buddhist Art and the Gateway of the Silk Road" with a re-creation of one of the caves and a selection of artifacts from the site. In March 2015, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s top economic planning agency, released a new action plan outlining key details of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative. Xi Jinping has made the program a centrepiece of both his foreign and domestic economic policies. One of the central economic strategies is to promote cultural industry that could enhance trades along the Silk Road.Encouraged by the “One Belt, One Road” policies, in March 2016, The Silk Princess premiered in Xi’an and was staged at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing the following July. While Dunhuang, My Dreamland and Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road were inspired by the Buddhist art found in Dunhuang, The Silk Princess, based on a story about a princess bringing silk and silkworm-breeding skills to the western regions of China in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) has a different historical origin. The princess's story was portrayed in a woodblock from the Tang Dynasty discovered by Sir Marc Aurel Stein, a British archaeologist during his expedition to Xinjiang (now Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region) in the early 19th century, and in a temple mural discovered during a 2002 Chinese-Japanese expedition in the Dandanwulike region. Figure 5: Poster of The Silk PrincessIn January 2016, the Shannxi Provincial Song and Dance Troupe staged The Silk Road, a new theatrical dance-drama. Unlike Dunhuang, My Dreamland, the newly staged dance-drama “centers around the ‘road’ and the deepening relationship merchants and travellers developed with it as they traveled along its course,” said Director Yang Wei during an interview with the author. According to her, the show uses seven archetypes—a traveler, a guard, a messenger, and so on—to present the stories that took place along this historic route. Unbounded by specific space or time, each of these archetypes embodies the foreign-travel experience of a different group of individuals, in a manner that may well be related to the social actors of globalised culture and of transnationalism today. Figure 6: Poster of The Silk RoadConclusionAs seen in Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road and Dunhuang, My Dreamland, staging the processes of Silk Road journeys has become a way of connecting the Chinese imagination of “home” with the Chinese imagination of “abroad.” Staging a nation’s heritage abroad on contemporary stages invites a new imagination of homeland, borders, and transnationalism. Once aestheticised through staged performances, such as that of the Dunhuang bihua yuewu, the historical and topological landscape of Dunhuang becomes a performed narrative, embodying the national heritage.The staging of Silk Road journeys continues, and is being developed into various forms, from theatrical dance-drama to digital exhibitions such as the Smithsonian’s Pure Land: Inside the Mogao Grottes at Dunhuang (Stromberg) and the Getty’s Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road (Sivak and Hood). 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