Plantation Mechanization, Plantation Machinery subjects

I have been working as a Development officer attached to the Technology Transfer and Development Division of the Sugarcane Research Institute, Sri Lanka since 9th January 2017. As a Development Officer I have got experiences in conducting training/development program for farmers/field level extension officers to promote adoption/commercialization of new technologies. The empowerment of farmers by enhancing entrepreneurship and management skill is very important for the adoption/commercialization of new technologies by farmers. As the rural farming community women farmers are mainly involved in sugarcane farming. Furthermore I have been promotion of technologies on sugarcane cultivation, processing and by-products utilization as well as I have been conducting number of training/awareness/demonstration program on technologies of sugarcane cultivation and processing assuming the continuous updating the knowledge, skills, and changing attitudes on the same would definitely help to raise the level of adoption by the end users. With this view, I have been planning to conduct various extension activities for increasing the diversity of sugarcane varieties in the commercial plantations and to promote improved crop management practices, intercropping with sugarcane, small-scale farm machinery, management/control of pests and diseases, improvement of soil and plant nutrition, processing and by-products utilization, and entrepreneurship development of the farmers and officers of sugar companies etc.

OCH (Outer- Circular Highway) Project

Worked in RESMISA Project (Revertilizing Small Millets in South Asia) funded by International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada.Establishment of mother trials, baby trials and diversity blocks in the project area. Data recording and the maintenance of the trials. Furthermore, establishment and maintenance of agronomy trials with pest and disease management. Conducting surveys and investigation on available crop biodiversity and collects information on indigenous knowledge.