News
Drones used for first time in SL to fight rubber leaf fungus
For the first time in Sri Lanka, drone technology is being used to control the leaf fungus disease in rubber plantations, Company Estate Reforms, Tea Estate Related Crops, Tea Factory Modernization and Tea Export Promotion State Minister Kanaka Herath says.
Under the project, Minister Herath said it had been planned to spray fungal controlling chemicals using drones, which is designed especially for agricultural purposes.
The State Minister while observing a chemical spraying pilot project using drones recently said that the fungal disease that infects rubber plantations should be brought under control promptly otherwise it would be a huge threat to the entire rubber industry. He assumed that with using drone technology as well as modern pest control methods they would be able to control the fungal disease quickly and prevent it from spreading to other areas.
The pilot project of spraying chemicals with drones was carried out at the Panawatta Estate in Yatiyantota recently under the supervision of Rubber Research Institute (RRI) officials.
To control the fungal disease named Pestalotiopsis, chemicals are sprayed on the leaves of the rubber trees. Affected rubber leaves can be seen with yellow spots and gradually the green part of the leaf will fade away.
“Applying chemicals onto the leaves using drones is rather effective than applying chemicals from the ground as there are several practical issues. It is practically difficult to carry heavy chemical spaying machines throughout the plantation as most of the rubber plantations are on hilly areas” State Minister Herath said.
The fungal disease, which was harmful to rubber cultivation, was first reported in the Kalawana area in Ratnapura in 2019 and today it had spread to other districts such as Kegalle and Kalutara. Rubber Research Institute Deputy Director Dr. Priyani Seneviratne said.
There was a high probability of the disease spreading especially in areas with a high rainfall, she said.
“The disease was reported in 2017 in Indonesia and 2018 in Malaysia. On average, it is estimated that there will be a 30 per cent reduction in yields. “she pointed out.
Not only rubber plantations but also many plants including avocado and a few others were affected by the fungal disease. If more than 50 per cent of leaves fall off, rubber taping for rubber latex cannot be carried out. In such occasions it is reported a yield drop around 30 per cent.
The RRI Deputy Director said that the RRI would study the productivity of the pilot project and make extensive use of drone technology to prevent the disease.
Dr Seneviratne also noted that although many of the fungal diseases were usually prevalent in one rubber species and are resistant to other strains, it was observed that the particular fungal disease had spread to all species.
A group of Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) members, including its Leader Mano Ganesan, met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Thursday (02) morning at the Presidential Secretariat.
Extensive discussions were held on the issues faced by the Malayagam communities, particularly in relation to education, housing and land, as well as on the urgent measures required to address these concerns. The President paid special attention to all these matters.
Attention was also drawn to the recruitment of qualified Tamil-medium teachers to address the teacher shortage in estate sector schools and this too was discussed at length.
Members of Parliament P. Digambaram and V. Radhakrishnan, along with several other party members, were present at the meeting.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vijitha Herath, held talks with Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Andrey Rudenko at the Foreign Ministry, in Colombo, on Thursday (02), with both sides reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.
The Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the visiting Russian Deputy Minister noted that Russia regarded Sri Lanka as a long-standing friend.
Rudenko assured that Russia stood ready to support Sri Lanka when required, including in the swift supply of Russian oil to help address the current energy challenges, encouraging Russian investors to explore new opportunities in the country and promoting increased tourist arrivals.
He also expressed Russia’s readiness to provide compensation for Sri Lankan war veterans who had lost their lives in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Minister Herath welcomed Russia’s willingness to assist, emphasising that Sri Lanka valued the support extended by its “old friend”, particularly at a time when the country was facing pressing energy needs.
He noted that the two countries shared nearly seven decades of diplomatic relations and said the present moment provided an opportunity to further strengthen ties, including through long-term trade agreements.
The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the fields of energy, investment, tourism and diplomacy, with both sides reiterating their commitment to further deepen the longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and Russia.
Police yesterday arrested 157 foreign nationals in connection with an alleged organised online financial scam, conducted from a hotel in the Iranawila area in Chilaw.
The suspects were taken into custody during a raid carried out by the Police while they were staying at the hotel in Iranawila.
Police said the arrested group included 143 nationals from China, 13 from Bangladesh and one from Vietnam.
Investigators suspect the group had been involved in a coordinated online financial scam, targeting victims through digital platforms.
The suspects are being detained for further questioning while investigations are continuing to determine the full extent of the operation and whether additional individuals were involved.Police said further inquiries are underway.
By Norman Palihawadane
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