CSIAP on Sooriya Wimana, a live TV programme telecasted by ITN

Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, Deputy Project Director and Mr. Sisira Semasinghe, Agriculture extension Specialist of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) were on Sooriya Wimana, a live TV programme telecasted by ITN at 10.00am on 27th this month to talk about CSIAP and its objectives.

Please click to watch: Sooriya Wimana on YouTube or Sooriya Wimana on Facebook

CSIAP to improve the productivity and climate resilience is underway in Sri Lanka

Dr. Weerasinghe is on ITN FM

The development objective of Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) is to improve the productivity and climate resilience of smallholder agriculture in selected hotspot areas. The project will address the key problem of the vulnerability of agriculture systems in climatic hot spot areas of the country. Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, Deputy Project Director of CSIAP talked about CSIAP on ITN FM at 7.55pm on 23rd  this month.

The project is fully integrated within the Government of Sri Lanka administration, and the project implementation is designed to capitalize on existing government agencies at all levels. The participating departments will carry out the project activities within their mandates, but coordinated by provincial DPD (Deputy Project Director) offices, with district units established at the Department of Agriculture (DoA)/Provincial Irrigation Department (PID)/Assistant Commissioner Agrarian Development (ACAD) offices and divisional units established at Agrarian Service Centers (ASCs).  Please click to listen: News of ITN FM yesterday (23rd). 

Introduced how to prepare a nursery for seedlings broadcasting

Mrs. Samaraweera is discussing the nursery with farmers and the nursery is being prepared

The efficient way of preparing nursery for seedlings broadcasting was introduced to farmers in hotspot areas identified by Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). This method was practically demonstrated in Mahanikawewa and Ranorawa cascades in Anuradhapura District.

Seedlings broadcasting is a climate smart technology which is economically and environmentally friendly alternative option to seeding. This achieves what many are looking to accomplish: increase yields and quality, while decreasing costs, inputs and environmental impact. Prior to broadcasting, seedlings need to be raised in a nursery. In order to do this, pre-germinated seeds are sown on trays and seeds become seedlings there.

Main advantages of this nursery

1.     Saving water needed for cultivation as seeds become seedlings separately

2.    It provides favourable growth conditions

3.    Better care of younger plants as it is easy to look after nursery in a small area against pathogenic infections, pests and diseases and weeds.

4.    Nursery helps in making more efficient use of land

5.     It helps to improve crop uniformity in the field

6.    Nursery helps to reduce field management cost

Mrs. Gourie Samaraweera, Deputy Director of Agriculture, explained and demonstrated how to prepare a nursery for seedlings broadcasting. Mr. Lakshman Premanath, Deputy Project Director, North Central Province, officials of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and CSIAP also present on the occasion.

A technical session of the 50th ISSSM conducted by CSIAP DPD Dr. Weerasinghe

Dr. Weerasinghe conducts the technical session 1

Dr. Priyantha Weerasinghe, Deputy Project Director of CSIAP (Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project) conducted the technical session 1: Advanced Technologies in Soil Fertility Management of the 50^th International Symposium on Sustainable Soil Management (ISSSM) held today (05^th) at National Agriculture Information and Communication Centre (NAICC), Peradeniya. Dr. W.M.W. Weerakoon, The Director General of Agriculture, of Department of Agriculture, Sri Lanka will grace the event as the chief guest.

Dr. Weerasinghe receives a token of appreciation

The objective of this symposium is to provide scientific knowledge and technological interventions to promote beneficial management practices to sustain soil resource for the provision of food, income and a quality environment for people.

At the end of the session a token of appreciation was awarded to Dr. Weerasinghe by Mr. W.S.P.Y. Upali, General Secretary of Soil Science Society of Sri Lanka which is the main organizer of this event. Dr. Weerasinghe, who is a Principal Agriculture Scientist (Soil and Plant Nutrition), was the Director of the Horticulture Crops Research and Development Institute of the Department of Agriculture prior to his retirement. Dr. Weerasinghe obtained his BSc (Agri) from the University of Peradeniya, M Phil (Agric) from Wye College, the University of London and PhD ( Soil Science) from Punjab Agriculture University, India. He has published many scientific research articles and book chapters in both national and international journals.

Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture of University of Peradeniya, Department of Export Agriculture, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are joint organizers.

The Cono Weeder is introduced to farmers in Anuradhapura by CSIAP

Cono Weeder is in operation in the paddy field

The Cono Weeder is designed for weeding paddy fields was introduced to farmers in hotspot areas by Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). This machine is being used in Ranorawa in Anuradhapura which falls under CSIAP. The machine is manually operated and the weeds are uprooted by the teeth of the weeder and buried in the mud by the push and pull operations.

This weeder can easily be operated manually to make weeding easier and is also suitable in heavy clay load soil. Famers will be able to minimize the use of herbicide by using  Cono Weeder. Both CSIAP and Department of Agriculture are behind this programme. 

Parachute Method was introduced to farmers in hotspot areas by CSIAP

Seedlings are being broadcasted into paddy field

A method of field establishing paddy; Seedling Broadcasting or Parachute Method was introduced to farmers in hotspot areas by Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). This is a new technology invented for broadcasting of seedlings in paddy cultivation.

This method is being popularized among the paddy growers of Mahanikawewa and Ranorawa in Anuradhapura which falls under CSIAP. The officials headed by CSIAP are behind this move with the Department of Agriculture and providing the guidelines and methods so as to encourage the farmers in this novel method of seedling establishment. Under this method, 12-15 days old seedlings in small cell plastic nursery trays with mud are broadcasted directly into paddy field.

World Bank specialists conduct a workshop on Social Safeguards

Both Dr. Wickramasinghe and Mr. Fernando are addressing participants

Two World Bank Specialists Dr. Gamini Wickramasinghe, Consultant (Social Safeguard) and Mr. Shanek Fernando, Specialist (Social Safeguards) conducted a workshop on Identifying and Addressing Social Impacts for CSIAP (Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project) Interventions or Climatic Hot-spot Area Development held today (02nd) at CBS, Rajagiriya.

This two-day workshop, which started today, was organized by Ms. Sharmila Shanmuganathan, Social Safeguards and Gender Development Officer of PMU (Project Management Unit), CSIAP. The PMU and DPDO (Deputy Project Director Office) staff participated in this workshop.