This is the 8th lesson of the course Traditional Knowledge in Sri Lankan Agriculture taught at the Faculty of Agriculture, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

1. P.B. Dharmasena
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dharmasenapb@ymail.com , dharmasenapb@gmail.com
https://independent.academia.edu/PunchiBandageDharmasena
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Traditional Technology in Sri Lankan Agriculture
Lesson - 8
Present context of Traditional Knowledge
Course code: AS 3210 (2/ 25:10)
Faculty of Agriculture, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka,
Puliyankulama

2. Fate of traditional knowledge
Discussion points:
• Scientific
interpretation
• Green revolution
and Commercial
agriculture
• Poverty –
environment nexus
• Target for self
sufficiency
• Climate change
• Proposed Act.

3. Scientific Interpretation
Selected topics:
• Kem and bio-
pesticides
• Weather
forecasting
• Soil and water
management
• Food preservation
and grain storage

4. Kem and bio-pesticides
Kem
• Ash spreading with chanting
manthra
• Oil lamp or fire torch
• Fumigation (keppetiya,
gandapana, sera)
• Plant extracts (Madu, Valdel,
kokun, Godapara, Demata,
Kukuruman)
Bio-pesticides
• Ash spreading
• Light trap
• Fumigation (keppetiya,
gandapana, sera)
• Plant extracts (Madu, Valdel,
kokun, Godapara, Demata,
Kukuruman)

5. Weather forecasting
• Reaction from
animals
• Observation from
environment (trees,
cloud, moon)
• Signals from wind,
temperature and
humidity
• Long-term
experience (passing
from generation to
generation)

6. Soil and water management
• Selection of crop on soil
fertility level:
• Nawadali hena – very fertile:
mustard, legumes, vegetables
• Ath danduwawa – fertile:
legumes, vegetables, coarse
grains
• Landu hena – moderately
fertile: coarse grains,
sesame
• Kanathu, piti – less fertile:
sesame, meneri
• Goda wee hena – imperfectly
drained: paddy, vegetable

7. Soil and water management
• Chena cultivation
• Sharing land based on
productivity
• Burning the vegetation to
obtain high biomass, ash and
debris – soil conservation
• Mixed cropping
• Paddy cultivation
• Shallow tillage – water and
nutrient conservation
• Drainage – dispose of
polluted water
• Maintenance of rice – weed
ratio for pest management
• Varietal selection
• Top – down field to field
irrigation

8. Food preservation and grain storage
Traditional methods of food
preservation began from the
essential need to store
supplies when they were
plentiful and to keep the food
fresh for as long as possible to
last through the winter
months.
Although food preservation
has been in use for thousands
of years, it is only in the last
two centuries that many of the
‘new’ food processing
techniques have been
developed.

9. Food preservation and grain storage
• The principles underlying methods of
preservation used in the past are still
the same as today.
• The aim of preservation is to prevent
food spoilage as a result of growth of
micro-organisms and breakdown of
food by enzymes.
• As soon as food is harvested,
slaughtered or manufactured into a
product it starts to change. This is
caused by two main processes:
• autolysis – self destruction,
caused by enzymes present in the
food;
• microbial spoilage – caused by
the growth of bacteria, yeasts and
moulds.

10. Food preservation and grain storage
Principles of food preservation:
Factors:
 Temperature
 Chilling or freezing the food to
retard growth of micro-organisms
and inhibit enzyme activity.
 Alternatively, heating the food to
destroy micro-organisms and
prevent enzyme activity.
Dehydration – dummessa, sun
drying
 Oxygen
 Food kept in an airtight container
will deprive micro-organisms of
oxygen and prevent contamination.

11. Food preservation and grain storage
Principles of food preservation:
Factors:
 Moisture
 Reducing the moisture
content of the food to make
water, (which is essential for
growth), unavailable to
micro-organisms.
Alternatively, placing food in
a sugary solution will make
water unavailable for the
growth of micro-organisms.
 pH level
 Placing food in an acidic or
alkaline solution will inhibit
the growth of micro-
organisms.

12. Food preservation and grain storage
• Two traditional
modes of storage
were, and are the
outdoor "wee
bissa" found
mostly in the
drier plains and
the Atuwa,
which is a large
wooden box
seen in the
wetter regions
and udarata.

13. Green revolution and commercial agriculture
• Governmental plans and policy
strategies in Sri Lanka since
independence in 1948 have focused on
achieving self-sufficiency in food
especially in rice production.
• A look at the data suggests that Sri
Lanka has made significant progress
towards this goal.
• In 1950, the average rice yield in Sri
Lanka was 21 bushels per acre
• In 1987 the yield was 69 bushels per
acre.
• Did ‘Green revolution’ take place in Sri
Lanka? A breakthrough?
• The changes that took place before the
mid-sixties seem to be transitory
(uncertain) and those which occurred
thereafter appeared to of a permanent
nature.

14. What is Green Revolution??
The Green Revolution was a period
when the productivity of global
agriculture increased drastically as a
result of new advances.
During this time period, new
chemical fertilizers and pesticides
were created.
The chemical fertilizers made it
possible to supply crops with extra
nutrients and, therefore, increase
yield.
The newly developed pesticides
controlled weeds, deterred or kill
insects, and prevented diseases,
which also resulted in higher
productivity.

16. The environment-poverty nexus is a two-way relationship.
Environment affects poverty situations in three distinct
dimensions:
i. by providing sources of livelihoods to poor people,
ii. by affecting their health and
iii. by influencing their vulnerability.
On the other hand, poverty also affects environment in
various ways:
i. by forcing poor people to degrade environment,
ii. by encouraging countries to promote economic growth
at the expense of environment, and
iii. by inducing societies to downgrade environmental
concerns, including failing to channel resources to
address such concerns.
Poverty and Environment Nexus
Under such circumstances how the traditional knowledge
makes a reality in the poverty – environment complexity

17. Parameter Modern
farming
Traditional
farming
%
change
Total input cost (Rs./ha) 100,827 102,420 + 1.6
Yield (kg/ha) 4,148 3,177 - 23.4
Cost of production (Rs./kg) IFL 24.31 32.24 + 32.6
Cost of production (Rs./kg) EFL 16.47 16.98 + 3.1
Selling price (Rs./kg) 30.00 40.00 + 33.3
Seed productivity 29.6 32.5 + 9.8
Land productivity (Rs./ha) 23,613 24,660 + 4.4
Labour productivity (Rs./day) 664 869 + 30.9
Investment productivity (Rs./Rs.) 1.50 1.52 + 1.3
Net return (Rs./kg) IFL 5.69 7.76 + 36.4
Net return (Rs./kg) EFL 13.53 23.02 + 70.1
Comparison of modern farming and traditional farming
Results of a study conducted in Moneragala district during 2007 - 2019

18. The Traditional system practiced
by farmers included:
1. Cultivation of traditional rice
varieties;
2. Use of organic fertilizers
(straw, green manure, cow
dung, poultry manure, liquid
fertilizer etc.);
3. Management of weeds through
hand weeding, mechanical
weeding and water
management;
4. Management of pest and
diseases by practicing
Kemkrama (rituals),
maintaining biodiversity and
using bio-pesticides; and
5. Management of available
water without leading to
moisture stress.

19. Target for self sufficiency
1990 2025 2025
Population (millions)
Rice production requirement (million tons)
Yield (bushels/acre)
Irrigable extent (million ac.)
Irrigation water requirement (mil. ac.ft.)
Water use effectiveness (from reservoir to
crop)
Cropping intensity
17.2
2.2
70
1.4
7.0
37 %
1.3
24.9
3.5
70
2.3*
11.2
37 %
1.3
24.9
3.5
100
1.7
7.0
45 %
1.6
* - will need this increase
to feed the nation

20. Traditional knowledge with climate change
Impact of climate change
1. Temperature
• dry regions become more dry
• high water loss from open
water bodies
2. Rainfall
• High variability in seasonal
rainfall
• Increased frequency of floods
and droughts affect
3. Problem of soil erosion
• steep slopes are highly
vulnerable
• siltation of reservoirs
• land degradation –marginal
lands
Traditional knowledge

22. Present Status of Climate Change
Adaptation Measures Taken
•Agriculture
•Water resources
•Energy
•Coastal Zone

23. Agriculture
Some of the measures have already been introduced to meet
either the drought conditions or the salt water intrusion faced by
the country from time to time. Among these measures are:
• The Department of Agriculture has undertaken a programme to breed
saline resistant rice varieties as an adaptation measure.
• The Tea Research Institute (TRI) has been experimenting with
covering the tea planted area with mulch to reduce loss of moisture.
• The Coconut Research Institute (CRI) and TRI have introduced
drought resistant varieties for planting in drought prone areas.

24. Water Resources
The relevant authorities have already been taking some of the
measures to face the shortage of water/slat water intrusion
during drought conditions. Among these are:
• Planning the construction of a salt water barrier in Kelani River down
stream of Ambatale water intake.
• Introduction of a new Water Resources Management Policy and an
Act of Parliament to encourage the rationale use of water and to
dispel the concept of water as a free good.
• Popularizing the use of rain water harvesting, particularly in the dry
zone.
• Introduction of several water shed management programmes
executed by the Ministry of Forestry.
• Introduction of the issuing of Environment Protection Licence as a
mandatory measure to industries that conform to effluent standards.

25. Energy
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has introduced several
measures such as:
• Building thermal power plants to reduce the dependence on
hydropower as the main source of electricity.
• Introducing a scheme to purchase electricity generated from small
hydropower plants, wind energy farms and solar photo-electricity
plants.
• Introduction of a demand side management scheme to encourage
efficient use of lighting and air-conditioning.

26. Coastal Zone
• The Coast Conservation Department (CCD) has already adopted a
Coastal Zone Management Plan as early as 1990 and updated in 1995
to protect the coastal zone from such natural phenomena as coastal
erosion and storm activity as well as human activities.
• Out of a total shore line of 1585 km, about 270-380 km are only
erosion prone. Some of the measures mentioned above such as
building of revetments (walls) and groins (barriers) have been
implemented to protect this shore length from erosion. Regulations
have also been brought in to prevent development work within 300
km of shore line, breaking of corals and sand mining.

27. A Legal Framework for the Protection of
Traditional Knowledge in Sri Lanka
- working document of 1st January 2009
The Govt. of Sri Lanka:
• Recognizes the importance and value of traditional
knowledge in all the fields of human endeavour
including scientific, technological, industrial, economic,
cultural, educational, social and spiritual; and the
necessity to promote the protection, development,
conservation and preservation of traditional knowledge;

28. A Legal Framework for the Protection of
Traditional Knowledge in Sri Lanka
The Govt. of Sri Lanka:
• Enacts this legislation to:
• meet the legitimate needs and expectations of the holders of traditional
knowledge;
• secure the respect and recognition for the traditional knowledge and
the holders thereof for their contribution to the knowledge and
development;
• ensure fair and reasonable benefits to the holders of traditional
knowledge for the use of traditional knowledge outside the traditional
context;
• regulate use, disclosure, acquisition, preservation and conservation,
management, development and application of traditional knowledge;
• discourage, control, counter and stop misuse of, misappropriation of
and unauthorized access to, traditional knowledge; and
• enable the human race to duly benefit from the traditional knowledge
of Sri Lanka;

29. RIGHT TO TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
1. The people of Sri Lanka shall have the sole and
exclusive right to collect, possess, hold, use,
develop, manage and enjoy traditional knowledge
which is in public domain. This right is
inalienable (absolute), inextinguishable (lasting
forever) and not limited to any period of time. The
Government of Sri Lanka shall represent the
people of Sri Lanka through the Director General
of Intellectual Property who shall be deemed to be
the holder of traditional knowledge in public
domain for the purposes of the Act.

30. RIGHT TO TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
2. The holders of traditional knowledge which is not in
public domain in Sri Lanka shall have the sole and
exclusive right to collect, possess, hold, use, develop,
manage and enjoy such traditional knowledge until
such traditional knowledge falls in the public domain.
This right is inalienable and inextinguishable.
3. It shall be the duty of the Government of Sri Lanka
representing the people of Sri Lanka to preserve,
develop and manage traditional knowledge in public
domain for the benefit of the people of Sri Lanka and
future generations and to encourage and promote
scientific research and innovations involving and
relating to such traditional knowledge.

31. RIGHT TO TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
4. (a). It shall be the duty of the holders of the traditional
knowledge not in public domain to preserve, develop and
manage such traditional knowledge for their benefit, for the
benefit of future generations and of the people of Sri Lanka
and to promote scientific research and innovations
involving and relating to such traditional knowledge.
(b). The Government of Sri Lanka shall encourage
and assist the holders of the traditional knowledge not in
public domain to preserve, develop and manage such
traditional knowledge for their benefit, for the benefit of
future generations and of the people of Sri Lanka and
promote scientific research and innovations involving and
relating to such traditional knowledge.