SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Science and Humanities [SICASH]

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SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Science and Humanities is organized by the Faculty of Humanities and Sciences of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), the annual research multi-conference of the faculty.

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Manufacturer v. Consumer: A Critical Analysis of Sri Lankan Product Liability Law in Respect of Electronic and Electrical Products
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-02-26) Segarajasingham, S.
Consumer protection is an area that is being subjected to many recent developments globally. The old notion of caveat emptor has been replaced by the modern concept of consumer protection by recognizing it in statutes, cases, and theories. International forum and States are moving towards providing protection to consumers. The buyers of goods and users of products and services are brought under consumer law, and this includes users of all types of goods including software, hardware, literature, music, photograph, motion picture, game, information, data, gas, water and electricity. In this paper, the writer focuses on liability for defective electrical and electronic products. Although the larger area of law relating to product liability is analysed the researcher’s focus is limited to the above-mentioned products. The applicable statutes in relation to consumer protection in the law of Sri Lanka are compared and contrasted with the statutes of the UK and South Africa. Theories connected to consumer protection have been taken into consideration. This paper suggests that Sri Lanka needs a consolidated statute to safeguard the rights of consumers.
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Lessons Learnt: A Study of Student Feedback Regarding Online Proficiency Assessment
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Rathnasena, U.; Kalinga, J.
Subsequent to the revolutionary advances in technology and its remarkable impact on universities, online summative assessment has become increasingly commonplace and popular in the academia. Consequently, online English language proficiency assessment has also gained momentum globally. This study was conducted at a Sri Lankan private university where online assessment is utilized as the standard summative test for several modules including EAP (English for Academic Purposes) module. The main objective was to explore undergraduates’ perceptions of the online EAP assessment and its effectiveness and feasibility in gauging competency of English among ESL (English as a Second Language) learners. A quantitative approach was chosen for this study where a questionnaire was used as the primary data collection tool. The sample was a convenience sample of 120 undergraduates who had taken the online test. The findings revealed the undergraduates’ displeasure regarding several aspects of online English assessment. They were critical of the reading component of the online test in addition to experiencing time management issues, technical limitations that marred their performance.
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Sustainability in the Face of Adversity – In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Jayasinghe, M.K.
This paper considers the levels of sustainability or to say it differently the extent to which the four main characters of A Scarlet Letter are able to endure hardships in the face of the rigid structure of the Puritan society which brings upon them, nothing but adversity. These characters are namely, Hester Prynne, her legal husband Roger Chillingworth, the pastor Arthur Dimmesdale, all of them caught up in the love triangle and Pearl, Hester Prynne’s daughter, the outcome of her illicit relationship with the minister. The objective of this research paper is to observe the way in which Hester Prynne, the protagonist, positively and gradually integrates into this environment of an unforgiving Bostonian Puritanical society through her fortitude to face up to the hard times imposed on her as a result of her behaviour. Initially, the reader gets an insight into the story line of The Scarlet Letter, the Puritan period and its society. The significance of symbolism in this novel is also discussed. Secondly, the ambiguity, the transformation and evolution of the four characters throughout the duration of the novel is considered. Finally, by using the weaknesses of the other characters as a foil, the sustainability and endurance of the protagonist is appreciated proving that despite great adversity sustainability in life is yet possible.
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Off the Wall: A Literary Analysis on 'The Fly'
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Hafsa, U.; Kamaali, U.; Siriwardena, P.; Weerasinghe, S.; Kaushani, Y.
The poster analyzes the literary depth and purpose of the poem, “The Fly” written during the Romantic period by the Gothic painter, engraver and poet, William Blake. It briefly explores the biography of the author and his contribution to the period through his voluminous works of poetry which illustrate ideas on religion, politics and the social environment of that era which was influenced by the French and Industrial Revolutions. This poem could lay claim to the Romantic Era as it is based on themes including personal contemplations on ideas of valuing all life great and small, the inevitable march of time and how one must make the most of every moment of life. The literary devices used include using the fly as a symbol of the trivial lives men lead, the imagery of summer representing new life in bloom, in addition, rhetorical questions that challenge conventional thought are also seen. There are also underlying notions of the appreciation of nature, how the most seemingly insignificant of events can cause man to contemplate the brevity of life, an unspoken warning against playing God is also given. The poster emphasizes Blake’s ability to compel readers/listeners to put themselves in the position of a fly, under the power of something greater and more powerful than themselves. It illustrates the futility of leading directionless lives of revelry until the fateful hand of death takes hold. The clear, powerful, yet simple message it sends is - carpe diem, seize the day, the minute, the hour and the opportunities before they inevitably pass us by.
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Specific Offence of Cyber-Sextortion for Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Harasgama, K. S.; Munasinghe, M.A.P.M.
With the world rapidly becoming digitalized and the internet being an indispensable part of human life, incidents of cyber harassment including cyber sextortion have also increased. Cyber sextortion often involves a perpetrator threatening to disseminate private sexual images or videos of a victim unless more sexual image/sexual favours, money or other benefit are provided by the victim. This paper analyses the adequacy of current laws in Sri Lanka in comparison with those of Australia in combating cyber sextortion. The analysis reveals that although Sri Lanka lacks specific law on cyber sextortion, some of its existing criminal laws such as the Penal Code provisions on extortion, criminal intimidation, sexual harassment and obscene publications relating to children can be used to a certain extent to prosecute cyber-sextortion. Some provisions of the Cyber Crime Act of 2007, Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act of 1998 and Obscene Publications Ordinance No. 4 of 1927 too can be used to a certain extent for this purpose. Australia, on the other hand, has targeted laws on cyber-sextortion, especially at state level. Analysis of these laws reveal that most of the state laws, except one, are focused on cyber-sextortion which involves threats to distribute sexually explicit images of a victim and are not broad enough to cover forms of cyber-sextortion involving other types of threats. Having mental elements which focus on intent to cause fear or alarm rather than intent to compel the victim to comply with the demands of the perpetrator was also identified as a drawback of these laws. The paper concludes by proposing adoption of a targeted law on cyber sextortion for Sri Lanka and outlining the key elements of a suitable law.
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Metal Recovery from Printed Circuit Boards through Biotechnology
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Alwis, M.A.M.A.; Nishshanka, N.A.K.Y.A.; Mirissage, M.S.A.S.N.; Fernando, W.R.S.; Perera, D.S.M.; Fernando, W.P.E.M.
The increase of e-waste generated through electrical and electronic equipment has led to vast exploitation in recent years as they have increased the risk of destruction of both life and the environment. The end-of-life PCBs represent one of the most significant wastes in this category. PCBs contain a high amount of Cu and Zn with concentrations around 25% and 2% respectively. Pyrometallurgical treatments and hydrometallurgical treatments are the most common methods used for PCB recycling at present. Bio-hydrometallurgical strategies have been identified as a successful alternative for the existing methods as they reduce the economic costs and are more environmentally friendly. The poster introduces a sustainable bioleaching process by using two bacteria Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans. This developed technology allows to obtain a high PCB concentration and to reduce the metal toxicity on the bacteria metabolism. Ferric iron was used as the oxidant to leach Cu and Zn. The best conditions were when At. ferrooxidans was used at 30ºC, with a solid concentration of 5% (w/v) with 10g/L of Fe2+ for 9 days. The carbon footprint assessment proved the environmental advantage of the process. The bioleaching treatment which was the most efficient method according to the analyzation explained that the amount of raw material reduction that results in decreasing the bioreactor size and lowering the energy requirement could be facilitated by increasing the PCB concentration. Through this process, the environmental impact could be decreased up to 4 times compared to the existing bioleaching processes.
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Exploring Parents' and Teachers' Attitudes and Expectations Regarding Inclusive Education in Colombo
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Peiris, A.N.; Pandithakoralage, S.C.
The study aimed to explore teachers’ attitudes and parents’ expectations regarding inclusive education. In total 8 participants were interviewed regarding their attitudes and expectations of inclusive education. 4 participants were mainstreamed teachers that have a child or children with special educational needs present in the classroom and 4 participants were parents that have a child with a diagnosis that requires special educational needs, attends school and is in a mainstreamed classroom, while receiving extra help at school. The results were analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Data analysis highlighted four themes: Improved Communication, Adequate Resources and Support, Education and Awareness and Roles of Schools. It was evident that there are multiple gaps that need to be bridged as there is a significant discrepancy between how the education of students with special needs should be approached and how students are being approached. Parents expectations of teachers and schools are clearly stated, and teachers showed promising characteristics to change neutral or negative attitude toward inclusive education if their expectations are met. As inclusive education is a fairly new practice, the study aimed to determine common attitudes and expectations between parents and teachers in order to help the development of inclusive education in Colombo. Future implications of the study are discussed.
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ZnO Nanoparticles Deposited on Gamboge (Garcinia gummi-gutta L.) Based Activated Carbon for Removal of Phenol from Synthetic Wastewater
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Nadeeshani, M.LN.; Edussuriya, , M.
This study was performed to investigate the potential utilization of Gamboge in the green synthesis of ZnO nano particles (NPs) and production of activated carbon (AC) in order to explore both ZnO NPs and Gamboge based AC for the removal of phenol from synthetic wastewater. Aqueous extracts of dried fruits of Garcinia gummi-gutta L. were used for the synthesis of ZnO NPs and formation of NPs was confirmed by the characteristic absorption peak at 364 nm in the UV-Vis spectroscopic analysis. X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed a well crystallized hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO NPs. Gamboge based activated carbon (AC) samples were prepared using two activating agents: ZnCl2 and H3PO4. Deposition of NPs on AC was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Photo catalytic degradation ability of synthesized NPs and NPs deposited AC was studied for the removal of phenol from synthetic phenol solution. The present study revealed that, incorporation of AC produced by activation with ZnCl2 into ZnO NPs has enhanced the removal efficiency of phenol by 12%. The effect of experimental parameters such as pH, contact time, dosage and initial phenol concentration on degradation of phenol was studied. It was revealed that NPs loaded onto ZnCl2/AC have higher degradation ability (94.23%) for phenol when compared with NPs loaded onto H3PO4/AC (81.72%) at optimized experimental conditions. The highest phenol degradation efficiency was observed under optimum conditions of pH 6.9, dosage of 3.0 g L-1 and initial phenol concentration of 100 mg L-1 in natural sunlight for 6.00 h. It is evident that the intensity of sunlight which was measured using the Lux meter plays a major role in photo catalytic degradation of phenol. This research opens a new path to enhance photo catalytic degradation of phenol in which both NPs and ACs are used.
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Multilocational Evaluation of Growth and Antioxidant Content of Curly Kale (Brassica oleracea L. var acephala) and Chinese Kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Jayasooriya, R. Y.; Chamara, R.M.S.R; Gunathilake, G.K.D.C.S.; Liyanage, L.P.H.; Beneragama, C.K.
Curly Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) and Chinese Kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) are cruciferous vegetables, which have recently gained great popularity in the world as a ‘super-food’. Generally, Kale has the capacity to tolerate diverse climatic conditions while demanding fewer inputs, thus making it possible to cultivate with a minimum cost for crop management. However, Kale is still not popular in Sri Lanka as a vegetable. Therefore, it has not been a commercialized crop to date. This study was conducted to explore the potential of cultivating Kale in Sri Lanka. Two cultivars of curly Kale (‘Dwarf green curled’ and ‘Winterbor F1’) and Chinese kale were cultivated in three agro-climatic zones representing three main climatic zones in the country, namely the Mid-Country Wet Zone, Mid country Intermediate Zone and Low-Country Dry Zone, using three different media (M1: Existing soil in each location; M2: Sand and coir dust mixture - ratio 1:1; M3: Sand, coir dust, and soil - ratio 1:1:1) at each location. The experiment was carried out as a three-factor factorial with three replicates as a pot experiment. Based on the results of the present study, even though all the varieties displayed a significantly (p<0.05) higher growth in terms of dry matter accumulation in the Wet Zone, the growth in the other two locations were also found to be satisfactory. Within each location, dry matter accumulation was not significantly (p>0.05) different among the varieties. Different media did not have a significant influence on growth. Even though the antioxidant contents in all varieties varied among locations, the values were within the acceptable range. Therefore, both Curly kale and Chinese kale can be successfully grown in the tested locations in Sri Lanka and can be easily introduced to local consumers as a ‘super-food’.
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The Use of Colour Shade Material in Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L) Propagation
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Jayasinghe, J.A.T.U.; Wickramanayake, D.S.D.D.S.; Kirthisinghe, J.P.
Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), is the second most important spice crop grown in Sri Lanka, having the potential of generating substantial foreign exchange earnings. Black pepper is grown as an intercrop with tea and coconut. Black pepper is commercially propagated through stem cuttings. In the traditional propagation method, coir netting is used as the shading material and it takes 5 months to plant in the field. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to find the correct shading to reduce the nursery period and to improve the quality of planting material by using coloured high-quality flame retardant, heavy- duty lock stitch knit, black, green and blue coloured shade fabric specifically for shade covers of 50 and 75% shade. The longest shoot length of 8.1 cm, highest fresh weight of 121 mg, highest dry weights of 18.1 mg, highest number of roots of 21 per plant, total root length of 13 cm per plant and highest root dry weight of 2.5 mg at 90 days were recorded in the treatment 50% blue shade. Therefore, the use of 50% blue shading material in pepper commercial nurseries provides better growth of pepper nursery plants.
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Depressive Symptoms, Social Anxiety and Aggression as Predictors of Cyber bullying Perpetration in Adulthood
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Gunathillake, N.A.; Perera, H.K
The present study aimed to investigate whether depressive symptoms, social anxiety, and aggression were significant predictors of cyber bullying perpetration on Facebook in adulthood. A cross- sectional, non-experimental study was conducted using 168 Sri Lankan Face book users between the ages 21 and 60. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling method. Data were collected exclusively online using a structured questionnaire. The study variables cyber bullying, depressive symptoms, social anxiety, and aggression were assessed using the self-reports, Prevalence of Face book Bullying Scale, Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10), Interaction Anxiousness Scale, and Brief Aggression Questionnaire respectively. Data were analysed using the statistical techniques Spearman correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results of the Spearman correlation analysis revealed that depressive symptoms and aggression were significantly and positively related to cyber bullying perpetration, while there was no significant relationship between social anxiety and cyber bullying perpetration. Results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that depressive symptoms and aggression were significant predictors of cyber bullying perpetration, while social anxiety did not significantly predict cyber bullying perpetration. The findings of the present study highlight the importance of addressing the psychological and behavioural health issues of the perpetrators using appropriate interventions in order to reduce the occurrence of cyber bullying. This study also emphasizes the importance of reporting incidents of cyber bullying and taking necessary legal actions against the perpetrators.
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A comparison study of removing Rhodamine B from waste water by functionalized natural and synthetic porous carbon.
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Ranchagoda, R.A.S.S.; Jayaruk, T.C.
Textile industry discharge a huge amount of dye containing waste water which pollutes water, soil and also have adverse effect on human health, animal and plant. Approximately 10 - 15% of the synthetic dyes is released into the industrial waste, causing serious environmental problem, flora and fauna of aquatic ecosystem. It causes contamination of surface water, accumulation of toxic and carcinogenic substances in water. Rhodamine B is widely used in industrial purposes. However, the organic dyes will cause serious environmental and biological problems. Thus the removal of dye from water is a great challenge and a pressing task. Various porous carbon materials were applied to remove organic dye materials such as Rhodamine B from wastewater. Synthetic porous carbon was synthesized through the sol-gel method and carbonization process and naturally abundant waste materials like Rice husk and Coconut husk available at low cost were used as functionalized porous carbon materials which were obtained from slow pyrolysis process. According to the FT-IR, SEM and adsorption analysis adsorption capacities of these porous carbon materials were determined for Rhodamine B. HNO3 treated porous carbon materials were expressed positive results for absorptivity of RhB.
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The Social Vision Reflected Through the Poetry of William Blake
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Abeywickrama, D.D.
The poetry of William Blake is an ideal portrayal of social issues which prevailed during the poetic period of romanticism. The poem “London” has been presented in a way to make the readers aware about the concept of commercialization. London, was not a peaceful city anymore. Corruption has gnawed the innocence of people. Thus, it has made them immoral. Furthermore, Blake’s progressive vision of the 20th century concept on gender equality is promoted in ‘The Sick Rose’, which is a symbolical representation of women’s plight in parasitic relationships. The poem, ‘The Sick Rose’ indicates problems which are parallel to those of our current society where, sensual pleasures are given more prominence over spirituality. Simply, reciprocation of love does not exist anymore due to insatiable sensual desires of mankind. In addition, Blake displays his social vision in presenting children as the victimized entity in “Holy Thursday” and “The Chimney Sweeper”. The pain, torture and agony encountered by children who were brought up under institutional care were not publicly displayed. However, all this was suppressed by religion and the religious leaders, which indeed is ironic and repulsive. “The Chimney Sweeper” is a denunciation of the material conditions and the institutions: the established church, mercenary and the uncaring parents who promoted child labour. Blake’s social vision could have been influenced by the French revolution and industrialization which would have brought out quite a few social problems which are valid in the 21st century as well.
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Production of Disease Free Rumohra adiantiformis (Leatherleaf Fern) Using In Vitro Propagation
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Perera, D.; Peiris, S.E.
This study investigated the use of rhizome tips as explants in regenerating disease-free plantlets of Rumohra adiantiformis (G. Frost) using the micropropagation technique. Rhizome tips of 0.5 cm, 1 cm, 1.5 cm, and 2 cm in length, and with and without outer skin were used as explants.The highest regeneration rate (30%) was achieved with an explant size of one centimetre when the outer skin was not present in rhizome explants. Rhizome tips produced complete plantlets in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium without any growth regulators in 80 - 90 days of culture initiation. In vitro multiplication of disease-free plants was achieved by culturing four months old in vitro plantlets in the MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/L Benzyl Amino Purine (BAP) and 0.1mg/L Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA). Plantlets produced clusters of shoot primordia which are known as green globular bodies (GGB) in the multiplication medium, 10 weeks after culturing. Plantlets were obtained by culturing 2-3 mm size GGB segments in the basal medium without any plant growth regulators. Disease indexing of the in vitro derived plantlets verified that at in vitro level 60% of the plantlets obtained from the rhizome tips of one centimetre were free from bacterial and fungal diseases.
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Applications, Benefits and Drawbacks of Bioprinting – A Review
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Hewagama, H.; Chamathka, H.; Nilaweera, G.
Tissue regeneration technology, also known as ‘bioprinting’ is a work in progress and has made many advances in recent years. Following the invention of 3D printing in the 1980’s, bioprinting has evolved to print various tissues such as heart valves, hepatic tissues and breast cancer cells. Now, many commercial bioprinters are available. Bioprinters show variety in the way they function, their speed, and their cost of operation. There are three common techniques used in this technology: inkjet-based, laser-assisted and extrusion-based bioprinting. The printers require a bioink and scaffold to ensure production of mechanically stable constructs which are able to mimic human tissues. Specific hydrogels and biomaterials are chosen for each printing method. Mainly, gelatin, agarose, alginate, hyaluronic acid, chitosan and fibrin are used. Biopolymers such as PEGDA, PEG and PEGX- PEG are used for structural maintenance of tissues. The Bioprinting technology aims to improve treatments for burns, injuries and cardiovascular diseases by replacing traditional treatments such as autografts, allografts and skin grafts. Ethical issues and legal issues exist with this novel technology but its benefits for animal testing, drug discovery and organ transplantation cannot be ignored.
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Incorporating a Task-Based Approach to Motivate Speaking in the General English Classroom
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Rathnasena, U.
The speaking competency of students learning General English at Tertiary Educational Institutes (TEIs) has become a primary concern of many academics and policy makers. In such a context, this paper investigates the implications of incorporating a task-based speaking component to the General English curriculum at tertiary level. The target students join TEIs after finishing their G.C.E. Advanced Level. The students in this study had attended schools in the Western province in Sri Lanka and the majority belongs to middle-income families. They were selected from an institute, which has university status, providing English courses for General Purposes. An identical speaking task was administered, first without scaffolding and later with scaffolding to observe students’ performance. It was observed that when a speaking activity is assigned, learners have the tendency to visualize it in L1 and convert it to L2. In a case where scaffolding items such as, note cards and strips are not allowed, learners memorize the lines or utterances and enact the given speaking task. Consequently, their discourse is impeded as they struggle for better vocabulary as well as sentences. Insights of the students’ needs and their feedback led the institute to allocate extra time weekly for speaking.
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Effectiveness of L2 Grammar Videos: A Dialogue between Teachers and Learners
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Kalinga, J.
Throughout the years it has been debated whether it is necessary to teach grammar, and what the most effective methods of teaching grammar are. This research addressed several aspects of using technology in the field of education such as technology in language learning, the video as a learning tool, and its relevance to grammar learning and the teacher’s role in a technology-driven classroom. The study examined the perspectives of the teachers and the students towards L2 (Second Language) grammar videos and the effectiveness of such videos through a mixed method: Embedded Experimental Model. The sample included 120 young adults aged 18 - 24 who studied at a private campus in Sri Lanka and two teachers. A major finding of the study is that the students expect their teachers to explain what is on the video while playing it or after the video in order to clarify their doubts and for improved understanding. Consequently, the teachers can use L2 grammar videos as a scaffolding tool. The statistical analysis proved that the experimental group scored more in the tests compared to the control group. Further, there is a discrepancy between the teachers’ perceptions on L2 grammar videos and the students’ preferred types of grammar videos.
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Examining the Mode of Teaching English as a Second Language in Gampaha District Non-Urban Government Schools of Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Rajapakse, R.W.D.N.K.
Teaching English as a second language (TESL) has been a major educational policy in Sri Lanka since early 1950s. Moreover, the second language teaching commences from Grade 3; in fact, since late 1980s, the Communicative Teaching Method has been used and one of its key components is the student centered education (SDE), which means creating an interactive and supportive learning environment, where the teacher becomes a facilitator scaffolding the learning process (National Education Commission, 2014). However, as per the G.C.E.O/L English Language Performance Evaluation Report issued by the Department of Examinations (2017), nearly half of the students (45.10%) have failed English. In fact, the failure rate in Gampaha educational zone is higher (43.6%), than Colombo (27.3%), which further questions the plight of non- urban government schools in Gampaha district. Thus, the objective is to examine whether the prevailing English teaching mode and the environment is learner centered, and if not, what are its causes. The study adopts a mixed method approach, comprising both qualitative and quantitative data: questionnaires and lesson observations. The research sample consists of fifty- eight; fifty students and their relevant English teachers. The findings of the study indicate that the prevailing mode of TESL in the majority of schools is not learner centered. In fact, even though many teachers respond saying that they create cooperative learning in class, as per the observations and disparity between the responses given by students and teachers, it is evident that the respective approach is not followed practically in class.
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Newly Introduced Creeper Legume Vigna marina as a Solution for Protection of Road Cuts in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) De Silva, M.H.S.C.; Yapa, P.I.; Mahatantile, W.D.K
Acelerated soil erosion and landslides are destructive degradation consequences in the central highlands, Sri Lanka. Therefore, cost-effective and sustainable slope stabilization techniques have become an urgent need to solve the problem. Properly designed vegetation covers play a significant role in erosion control. However, average plants cannot thrive on extremely degraded soils in the affected area. Therefore, the introduction of a low-demanding legume, Vigna marina (Burm.) Merr., as a vegetation cover was tested against soil erosion. Protection of bare road-cuts against soil erosion was the main focus of the study. The growth of V. marina was tested using five treatments - i.e. control (T1), subsoil (T2), decomposing parent material (T3), 20% Pinus wood biochar+subsoil (T4), and 20% Pinus wood biochar+decomposing parent material (T5). Control treatment was established as recommended by the Department of Agriculture for a similar plant (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The highest growth was recorded in T1 followed by T4 and T5. The poorest growth was recorded in T2 and T3. Nitrogen (N) content of the soil has been significantly increased in T2, T3, T5 and T4 respectively whereas, a significant decline in soil N was recorded in T1. A significant decline in phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) content in the soil was common to all. The highest Nitrogen content of root nodules was in T5 and the lowest in T1. The largest number and the dry weight of root nodules were observed in T4 and T5 compared to the rest. The poorest nodule activity was recorded in T1. Therefore, V. marina appears to be a cost-effective sustainable slope stabilization technique for protection of road cuts.
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Phenotypic Plasticity Index as a Tool to Assess the Suitability of Three Coleus (Plectranthusscutellarioides (L.) R.Br.) Varieties in Low- Maintenance Landscaping
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Kodithuwakkuge, V. N.; Padmaperuma, O. A. D.; Gunathilake, G. K. D. C. S.
People often demand low-maintenance landscape designs. Ability of plants to survive and adapt to different ecological breadths while maintaining the aesthetic appeal is associated with the low- maintenance. Selecting plants for low-maintenance landscape designs is a difficult task. Without a proper objective tool to support decision making, selection is often made based on prior experience or trial-and-error basis, which involves a greater degree of subjectivity. Phenotypic Plasticity Index (PPI) is a relatively new tool to support in selecting plants to be grown under an environmental gradient continuum. In this study, PPI of 10 morphological and physiological traits of three varieties of Plectranthusscutellarioides (L.) R.Br. (Coleus), grown under a light gradient continuum, were calculated using minimum and maximum least square means of the trait. They were also grouped into three categories as high, moderate and low phenotypic plasticity, based on calculated PPI values. The highest plasticity was shown by the parameters related to photosynthesis such as chlorophyll and anthocyanin concentrations while the number of branches, plant height and number of leaves remained in moderate plastic category implying that the species did not try to alter its morphology drastically. These plasticity indexes indicate that all three varieties rely much on shade tolerance over shade avoidance. Furthermore, low plasticity of parameters which explains the plant architecture (height, branching, number of leaves) expresses that the effect of shade is minimum to the aesthetic qualities of three varieties of Coleus suggesting them as potential candidates for low- maintenance landscaping.