PURSE 2001

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A New Treatment Schedule For Canine Filariasis
(University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Wijayawardhane, K. A. N.; Dangolla, A.; Silva, I. D.
This paper reports a new treatment schedule for canine filariasis and describes the clinical signs and the blood picture of three out of fifteen filaraemic dogs. The dogs described were between 2 and 9 years of age , and were either Mongrel, German Shephered or Golden Retrievers. The complaints made by the owners were anorexia, skin rashes and periodic blindness. Clinical manifestations of the dogs varied from mild to critical anaemia, ascites, oedema of the dependent parts and fever. Examination of microfilaria in a drop of blood and using the Knott's technique revealed the presence of microfilaria ranging from 300 to 20,000/ml of blood. The dogs were treated with Levamisole 10-11 mg/kg body weight, orally, once daily for six consecutive days. An antihistamine was given to counteract the allergic reactions due to dying filarial worms. Six days after Levamisole treatment, the microfilarial count had dropped to zero except in one dog which had a count of 36/ ml of blood. Subsequently, the microfilaricidal therapy with ivermectin was administered. During and after treatment, the kidney functions were also assessed by urine analysis and was found to be normal. Conventional microfilaricidal treatments are diethyl carbamazine citrate (DEC) and ivermectin, These drugs may show various side effects. DEC needs to be used for a longer period and may cause anaphylactic reactions and is also not recommended to be used in microfilaraemic dogs. The dramatic decline in microfilarial counts, which usually occur with in the first several hours after administration of ivermectin, may account for some acute adverse effects such as shock, renal impairment and diarrhoea.
A preliminary study to detect antibiotic residues in fresh milk
(University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Hathurusinghe, M. H.; Piyankarage, R. H.; Abeynayake, P.; Jayaweera, W.
Due to the wide usage of antibiotics in the treatment and prevention of diseases in dairy cows, there is a likelihood of antibiotic residues occurring in milk. Such residues can cause several adverse effects in humans including hypersensitivity reactions. These residues may also interfere with bacterial starter cultures used for preparing of curd, yoghurt and cheese. This study was designed to screen milk for the presence of antibiotic residues. The study was carried out in 74 dairy cows reared in certain selected areas of the Kandy district. After taking the history of each cow, milk samples from each animal were obtained into sterile bottles at the time of milking. Before performing the screening test, the samples were heated at 100°C for 5 minutes to destroy natural inhibitory substances in raw milk. For negative control, 2 ml of 10 % skimmed milk heated at 110°C for 10 minutes was used. The positive control was a 2 ml milk sample containing 0.006 ug/ml of benzathene benzyl penicillin. A prepared test culture of 0.2 ml of Streptococcus thermophilus strain T.J. containing yeast-extract and bromocresol purple (as pH indicator), were added to each 2 ml of milk sample and placed in a water bath at 45°C ± 0.5 for 2.5 hours. Bromocresol purple is purple at the beginning and turns yellow due to acidification during the growth of the bacteria. Retention of the original purple colour indicates that the bacterial growth has been inhibited and such samples were considered as positive. The samples that gave a yellow colour were considered as negative. Out of the 74 samples tested, 7 samples (9.5 %) were found to be positive and 63 samples (85.1 % ) were negative for chemical inhibitory substance. Four samples (5.4%) gave intermediate colours indicating doubtful results. The positive results could be due to the presence of antibiotic residues or other inhibitory chemicals in raw milk. Serial dilutions of antibiotics prepared in skimmed milk were used to detect the level of sensitivity of the test. Penicillin and oxytetracycline gave the colour change at >0.005 ug/ml. Cloxacillin gave the colour change at 0.5 ug/ml where as gentamycin changed the colour at 0.5j.tg/ml concentrations. Chloramphenicol gave the colour change at 100 ug/ml. Therefore the test was found to be highly sensitive to penicillin and oxytetracycline antibiotics, whereas Chloramphenicol was found to be the least sensitive antibiotic for this test. The results revealed that the fresh milk is not totally devoid of inhibitory substances and further studies are necessary to specify the chemical and to quantitatively determine its concentration.
A test for detection of fomalin milk and milk-products
(University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Fernando, C. P. L.; Horadagoda, A.
Formalin is a chemical preservative suspected to be added to milk and milk-products to increase their shelf-life. Sri Lanka Standards Institute prohibits its use in milk-foods due to its toxicity and thus screening tests need to be done routinely to ensure that the multitude of dairy products in the market are free of formalin. The methods available currently for the detection of formalin are either indicated only for raw liquid-milk, or are much too laborious and expensive to be used routinely. The objective of the study was to determine a simple, accurate, and a cost effective test to detect formalin in 'ready- to- drink' and raw liquid milk, yoghurt and curd (if directly added, or if indirectly applied by a formalin soaked tissue paper). Thirty two samples of curd obtained from Melsiripura in the North-Western province were screened to test the applicability of the method. There are a number of tests indicated for raw liquid-milk. Of these, Leach test was applied directly and Shiff's test was modified as Shiff's-Indirect and Shiff's-Direct. Measured amounts of formalin were added to liquid milk (both flavoured/coloured and raw), yoghurt and curd to obtain dilutions of 1000, 100, 20, 10, 5 and 2 ppm with a negative sample as the control. For each of these dilutions, the above mentioned three tests were performed repeatedly for 16, 16 and 10 times with samples of liquid milk, yoghurt and curd, respectively. Leach test and Shiff's-Direct test were performed for formalin dipped tissue paper and repeated 10 times. Leach test gives 100% sensitivity at 1000 ppm for liquid-milk (coloured and raw) at 20 ppm for yoghun and at 10 ppm for curd. It is not effective for the detection of formalin absorbed into a tissue paper. Shiff s-Direct method gives 100% sensitivity at 10 ppm for liquid-milk and at 20 ppm for both yoghurt and curd. This method can be used with 100% sensitivity for tissue papers dipped in a solution of formalin at a dilution of 1000 ppm. Shiff's- Indirect test can be used with 100% sensitivity at 10 ppm level for all three products tested. The study indicated that Shiff's-Indirect method is the most suitable and also a simple, cost effective test that can be applied commonly for the detection of formalin in 'ready- to- drink' and raw liquid milk, yoghurt and curd. It may be developed into a quantitative method by spectrophotometry or applied for other food products such as fish and fruits. The cost of this test is approximately Rs 4.50 per sample. Shiff's-Direct test can be applied to detect formalin if absorbed into tissue papers and the cost was found to be approximately Rs 2.00. The samples of curd obtained from Melsiripura did not contain formalin at a level of > 10 ppm.
Aerated soaking of paddy for rice parboiling and its effect on effluent kinetics
(Unviersity of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Senanayake, S. S.; Basnayake, B. F. A.; Mowjood, M. I. M.
Parboiling is practiced to increase the milling performance and cooking quality of rice. The main steps in parboiling process are soaking, steaming and drying of paddy. Traditional cold soaking is one of the methods used for soaking in which the paddy is submerged in water for a period of 48- 72h. The effluent from this method is in poor quality and has the potential to pollute the environment, water bodies and lands. This study was carried out to find a solution to reduce the environmental impact of effluent release from parboiling process. The effluents (traditional parboiling method - T 1) from five mills in Anuradhapura were collected and the colour, odour, turbidity, temperature, pH, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Solids (TS), and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) were measured. Alternatively two laboratory models were developed and tested for aerated soaking. In the first model (T 2) the water was trickled over the paddy at the rate of 1000ml/min and drained water was re-circulated to reduce the amount of water needed for soaking In the second model (T,) a charcoal filter was introduced before the re-circulation of water to study the effect of charcoal treatment in the effluent The effluent samples from 11, 12 and 13 were incubated at 20°C and Dissolved Oxygen (DO) was measured in 12h intervals for 5 days to calculate BOD values. DO was measured using Winkler titration method The rate constants were estimated from the BOD curve developed for the three treatments. Average temperature, pH, COD, TS and TSS values of the eftluent of T 1 were 38°C , 6.1, 2548 mg/l, 150 mg/l and 50 mg/l, respectively. The effluent from T 1 also had the highest mean BOD value (2452 mg/I) at the end of 5 days, unpleasant colour and odour though the degree of contamination varied among the mills These results indicate the potential of the effluent of the traditional method as a pollutant. Effluents of the laboratory models (T2 and T3) recorded much lower BOD values at the end of 5 days (356 and 128 mg/l, respectively) with no unfavorable colour or odour T3 recorded the lowest rate constant (0.07 per day) when compared with T, and T2 (0.28 and 0.15 per day, respectively). In the aerated soaking methods (T2 and 13) tested, water can be recycled. In addition, the soaking time needed to absorb water up to optimum moisture content was less in T2 and T3 compared to that of traditional method. Eating quality of rice was also observed to be high with the aerated models than with the traditional method. Power requirements and cost - benefit analysis have to be studied to improve the aerated soaking system in mills. Further studies are necessary to identify carbonaceous and nitrogenous demand in the BOD curves of the models considered Further understanding on the kinetics of effluent can lead to design more efficient aerated soaking and effluent treatment reactors.
An Investigation into Dairy co-operatives in the Batticaloa District
(University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Jeyanantham, V.; Gunawardene, V. K.
One of the first priorities in a developing dairy industry is a stable, organized market that gives adequate returns to the farmer. The factor most likely to increase milk production steadily is a good selling price relative to the cost of production. The most widely acclaimed milk marketing schemes in the developing countries are the farmer-owned co-operatives, especially where dairying is based on small-scale farming as in India. Although collecting milk from a large number of small-scale farms seems an unorthodox way to run a dairy industry, it can provide a large volume of milk. The system also provides a valuable regular income to the poor village people. Experience also shows that the collection of the limited quantities of milk from the scattered small farms are best handled by co-operatives to improve the income of farmers and to provide processors and consumers with a regular milk supply. A data collection survey was carried out during March to November 1999 in the Batticaloa district to determine the role of the dairy co-operatives in the dairy industry. It was found that the district had six co-operative societies. Most of them were situated far from the farms. These co-operatives purchased milk from widely scattered suppliers and sold it to processing factories. However, the Bt/Livestock Breeders Co-operative Society that is located in the Batticaloa town was not involved in milk collection even though it had the second highest membership. The study revealed that the services provided by these co-operatives were unsatisfactory and the members could not get the services all the time. Also, most members felt that the extension services provided were inadequate. An important finding was the massive contribution made by the middlemen to the dairy co-operatives and it appeared to threaten the future of dairy farming in the Batticaloa district. In two of the co-operative societies, 40% and 72% of members were found to be middlemen, who supplied 64% and 83%, respectively, of the total milk collected by these societies. Dairy co-operative members faced several problems such as difficulties in obtair.ing loans, scarcity of grazing-land, delay of payments, low price for milk and having to travel a long distance to the collecting centres. They also faced problems of not being informed of meetings and other activities of the co-operative society. The co-operative society administration W:4S also confronted with problems. These included difficulties in recovery of loans, transport of milk, and non co-operation of members and veterinary officers. This study concludes that the dairy co-operative movement in the Batticaloa district is unsatisfactory and unsuccessful because of the limited participation of members in the dairy co-operative activities.
Impacts of Bethma Cultivation on Agricultural Production Efficency
(Unviersity of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Thiruchelvam, S.; Somaratna, H. M.
Bethma (share) cultivation system is a traditional custom in areas under the command of small tanks in Sri Lanka whereby water supplies, which are not adequate for the full command area, are allocated to part of the area, and all farmers are given proportional land shares in the irrigated part. Since only half the extent could be cultivated with the available water in the Kalawewa reservoir during the Yala 'season, the Mahaweli System H area embarked on a water management programme that involves Bethma cultivation from the 1983 Yala season. There has been a growing concern regarding the relatively low agricultural production efficiency in the shared land under Bethma. However, no attempt has been made to study this problem in this system. This study examined agricultural production technical efficiency and the factors affecting technical efficiency under the Bethma cultivation in Madatugama block of the Mahaweli System H area. A two stage stratified random sampling procedure was used to select 40 owners and 40 share cultivators of chillie and big onion in the 101 and 103 irrigation management units of Madatugama Irrigation Block. Data on chillie and big onion production and cost of cultivation in Yala 2000, and farmers' participation in farmer organization activities were collected during September 2000. Output index of chillie and big onion was regressed as a function of land area, labour, cost of seeds, agrochemicals and power. Technical efficiency was regressed as a functions' of farmers' age, education and debt level. Dummies were used for part time employment ownership and farmers' participation in farmer organizations. This stochastic frontier production function was estimated in a single stage using FRONTIER Version 4.1 for each irrigation management unit separately. The results of the stochastic frontier model exhibited a higher average technical efficiency of 87% with no significant difference between the owner and share cultivators in Unit 101. However, there was 24% less technical efficiency among the sharecroppers than the owner cultivators in Unit 103. The model further revealed that with higher farmer participation, the mean technical efficiency increased with a lower coefficient of variance. High debt level and poor participation in farmer organizations had a significant influence on low technical efficiency among the sharecroppers in Unit 103. The descriptive analysis on farmer organization performance on implementation of the Bethma cultivation programme indicated that the existing technical, legal and institutional frameworks were not adequate. Based on these results, it was concluded that the impact of Bethma cultivation on agricultural production efficiency had a mixed success. The owner cultivators are more technically efficient and the sharecroppers have the scope to increase their output level. This conclusion indicates the need for strengthening farmer organizations and provision of advisory services to farmers to increase the agricultural production efficiency in the Bethma system.
Increasing the Precision in Tree Crop Experimentation
(Unviersity of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Waidyarathne, K. P.; Peiris, T. S. G.; Samita, S.
Blocking is done to increase the precision of experiments in tree crop experiments, blocking is done based on visual observation of the properties of the experimental field. Blocking is most effective when the experimental area has a predictable pattern of variability, because only the variation within a block becomes part of experimental error However, with tree crops, tree to tree variation is very high and blocking alone cannot control the variability. Nearest neighbour (NN) method is a technique useful in minimizing residual error. In this study the efficiency of four types of NN models were compared with randomized complete block design (RCBD) model using two sets of secondary data of coconut. Secondary data were obtained from Coconut Research Institute (CRI) at Lunuwila Data and information used were collected from Fertilizer and Progeny trials. The response variable used in both experiments was nut yield per palm per year. The two sets of data were initially analyzed using the RCBD model. After that data were analyzed considering the neighbouring effects and ignoring the block effect using various neighbour models The coefficient of variation (CV) was used to compare different models for their efficiency in reducing residual variance in the presence of spatial variation. With the intention of removing spatial effect. palm wise data were adjusted by considering four neighbours. Results in this study showed that all four models were effective in reducing variation caused by spatial heterogeneity. The precision of experiment is given by the coefficient of variation. The precision being higher when the coefficient of variation is low and vise versa. When data were analyzed for mean yield of plot, all four neighbour models reduced CV. The percentage reduction varied from 5.3% to 92.6%. The lowest CV was obtained, when data were adjusted for the direction of spatial variation. The NN models could be used as a corrective measure when field blocking alone does not prove effective in removing the effect of field variation. This methodology can be tested for other secondary data on coconut as well as for other tree crop data.
Insecticidal Activity of Latex of Euphorbia Antiquorum on Agricultural Insect Pests
(University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) De Silva, W. A. P. P.; Manuweera, G. K.; Karunaratne, S. H. P. P.
Euphorbia antiquorum (Euphorbiacea) (Sinhalese name: Daluke), a plant native to Sri lanka, has various medicinal uses. Its latex has been described as having emetic, purgative, diuretic and poisonous properties. The latex is used to control paddy pests such as Scirpophaga insertulas and Sitophelus orizae in rural areas of Sri Lanka. This study was undertaken to investigate the potential use of E. antiquorum latex as an insect pest control agent and to isolate the compounds that are responsible for insect control. Latex of E. antiquorum was collected from Ebbagala (Kurunegala District) and dissolved separately in 7 solvents dichloromethane, distilled water, n-hexane, petroleum ether, methanol, diethyl ether and acetone. Activity of each solution was tested against laboratory colonies of the aphids Myzus persicae and Aphis gossipii, using a potters 'sprayer. Both species showed 100% mortality at levels of 10,000ppm of the xylene solution. At this concentration the degree of activity was much lower in acetone (20% mortality), distilled water (8% mortality) and methanol (38% mortality) solutions. The latex when dissolved in dichloromethane, n-hexane and diethyl ether formed a white precipitation when applied on insects. Insecticidal activity of the xylene solution (10,000ppm)was further tested on paddy bug Leptocoriza oratorius (48% mortality) black bug Scotinophara lurida (0% mortality) brown plant hopper Nilaparvata lugens (50% mortality) and cabbage looper Chrysodeixis erisoma. Predatory ladybird beetles, Harmonia octomaculata and Menochilus sexmaculates showed 0% mortality whereas predatory the spider Lycosa pseudoannulata showed 100% mortality at this concentration. control experiments were done using seven solvents dichloromethane, distilled water, n-hexane, petroleum ether, methanol, diethyl ether and acetone. Of the seven latex solutions, latex in xylene gave clear spots on thin layer chromatography (TLC). Column chromatography (florisil 60-80 mesh size) was used for the separation of xylene solution. Sample was eluted with n-hexane (120ml) and 5ml fractions were collected. Bioassays were carried out using Myzus persicae with each fraction (0.25microliter) of each solution was topically applied on to the thorax of the insect using a microapplicator). Fraction 17 had the highest bioefficacy (80%mortality). Separated fractions were studied by TLC and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Fraction 17 showed one clear spot on TLC and showed three separated peaks on HPLC. LD50 values for the xylene latex solution (10,000ppm) and the 17th fraction were 0.06721ppm and 3.221ppm respectively when tested on Myzus persicae.
Investigation of Root Anatomy of Rice (Oryza Sativa) and Maize (Zea Mays) Grown in Aerated and Stagnant Conditions
(Unviersity of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Naganathan, M.; Gunawardena, A. H. L. A. N.
Plants in the environment face different types of stresses such as salinity, drought, an water logging. Water logging is considered as a major stress in some areas. Plants have sever mechanisms to survive under flooded condition. Development of adventitious roots, superficial roots, increased branching of roots and the formation of Aerenchyma are considered to be the mechanisms to survive under flooded conditions. Aerenchyma facilitates gas diffusion between roots and the aerial environment. Some cells in the cortical region die to form aerenchyma. Bo the casparian bands and the suberin deposits in endo- and exodermis and suberized sclerenchyma layer act as main barriers to water flow and air movement in monocot roots. As a result radial oxygen loss is prevented. Rice and Maize plants were grown hydroponically in an incubator at 25C under aerated and stagnant conditions. Root lengths were measured daily and a mark was given at a distance of 10 mm from the root tip of the plants. Free hand cut sections of roots were taken using a razon blade and stained with Sudan 7B. These sections were viewed under light microscope an photographed. Some sections were stained with Berberine Aniline Blue and observed under Fluorescent microscope. Root growth was high under aerated condition in maize compared to the stagnant condition over time. However, in rice, root growth was more or less similar in aerated and stagnant conditions. Increased pH was observed under aerated condition, while a declined pH in stagnant condition over time. The different layers of a monocot root (epidermis, exodermis, scierenchyma layer, cortical parenchyma, endodermis, pericycie and stele core) were observed clearly. Formation of aerenchyma was observed in maize roots grown in stagnant conditions, but not in aerated condition. In rice roots aerenchyma was observed in both aerated and stagnant conditions. Initiation of aerenchyma was observed in the mid cortex region in rice and maize root (stagnant condition). Both the casparian bands and suberization in endodermis and exodermis, were prominent in rice and maize roots grown under stagnant condition than in aerated condition. In addition, a very thick scierenchyma layer also was present in rice roots grown under stagnant condition. The results of this anatomical study will be useful in plant breeding programs especially in the production of varieties with constitutive aerenchyma and in the production of drought tolerant varieties.
Nutrient Deficiencies in Agricultural Soils of the Wet and Intermediate Zones of Sri Lanka
(University of Peradeniya,Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Kumaragamage, D.; Indraratne, S. P.
The inherent low fertility status of most agricultural soils in Sri Lanka makes nutrient deficiencies a serious problem for profitable crop production. At present, few farmers are using soil test-based fertilizer recommendation, considering only N, P, K and Mg deficiencies. Soils are usually not tested for deficiencies of S and micronutrients and these nutrients are therefore not supplied by majority of the farmers. Deficiencies of Sand micronutrients however have been often reported for various crops in different' parts of the country. This study was conducted to examine the available nutrient status and identify the nutrient deficiencies in major agricultural soils of Sri Lanka. Soil analyses along with sorption studies and a greenhouse experiment using a modified missing element technique were conducted to identify nutrient deficiencies in 20 soils located in the Wet and Intermediate zones of Sri Lanka. Soils used included Alfisols, Ultisols, Inceptisols and Entisols, which were under major agricultural crops. Soil samples were analyzed for important physical and chemical properties and available nutrients, i.e, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and B using standard techniques. Sorption studies were carried out to determine the capacity to retain nutrients by soils. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using a modified missing element technique, in which, the nutrients were supplied based on the nutrient content and adsorption characteristics of soils. The fourteen treatments included an optimum treatment (where all nutrients and CaCO3 were provided), twelve treatments with one for each missing element (N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, B and Mo) and one treatment without CaC03. Sorghum was used as the indicator plant. Treatments were arranged in a randomized block design with four replicates. The plants were harvested and dry weights were taken after 4 weeks. According to soil analysis, all soils were acidic in reaction with pH values ranging from 4.7 to 6.8 with low cation exchange capacities and low organic matter contents. Soil analysis for nutrients indicates that experimental soils are very poor in fertility. All soils were deficient in N and B. Most of the soils were deficient in P, K and S as well. Only one soil showed sufficient level of K while only 3 and 4 soils showed sufficient levels of P and S, respectively. Few soils were deficient in Ca and Mg, while in some, micronutrients were at deficient levels. Results of the greenhouse study clearly indicated deficiency of N, P and in some soils S and micronutrients. The dry weights of the final harvest were significantly (p
Observations on Ehrlichia Canis in Imported Dogs
(University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Jayathilaka, P. S.; Dangolla, A.; Silva, I.
Ehrlichiosis is a common clinical disease encountered in police dogs in Sri Lanka. The present investigation was carried out to detect the early stages of the infection by determining the first appearance of the morula stages of Ehrlichia canis in blood of dogs that were imported to Sri Lanka. The relationships between the presence of the parasite with haematological changes such as thrombocytopaenia and micro agglutination of erythrocytes, clinical signs, and mild exercise were also studied. The findings of the study were meant to improve the health of the dogs in the kennels division of the Police Department. The blood sampling of dogs imported from Australia in November 1999 (group A) and in October 2000 (group B) were commenced in February and November 2000, respectively. The blood samples from Group A dogs were taken till June 2000, and those from Group B were taken till February 2001. Mild exercise was introduced in March 2000 and in December 2000 for the Group A and B dogs, respectively. Thin smears from peripheral blood were prepared from the ear tips, once every fortnight. Smears were stained with Leishman stain and were microscopically examined for the presence of the morula stages ofElrlichia canis and the indirect platelet counts and other haematological changes were also monitored. No direct relationships were observed between the presence of the parasite in the peripheral blood, mild exercise or specific clinical signs. Therefore, it seems inappropriate to treat the dogs showing evidence of the parasite in peripheral blood with drugs. Although tetracylicines are used conventionally and sometimes indiscriminately as a treatment for Ehrlichiosis, it may be clinically and economically beneficial to avoid such treatment wherever possible, in order to minimize the side effects of the drug and to allow the host to develop immunity. It was also evident that some dogs were more susceptible to infection than others, despite the presence of the same infection pressure and environment. The morulae were first seen at 8 and 6 weeks after importation in Groups A and B, respectively. Dogs with morula stages did not always show severe thrombocytopaenia (50,000 platelets) and microagglutination of erythrocytes. Interestingly, thrombocytopaenia and micro agglutination were absent in the dogs that did not have morulae in their peripheral blood. Accordingly, the absence of thrombocytopaenia and micro agglutination appears to be very good indications of absence of morulae, while their presence mayor may not indicate the disease. However, clinical signs of Ehrlichiosis appeared after the dogs were trained for police commands and police work, possibly related to stress. Detailed studies to alleviate stress of training are needed. Diarrhoea was the only clinical condition reported during the sampling period and that too was cured by dietary management and without any medication.
Occurrence and Pathology of Ascites and Right Ventricular Failure in Broilers
(University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Ekanayake, S.; Horadagoda, N. U.; Jayasekera, M. U.; Abeynayake, P.; Guneratne, S. P.; Ranathunge, L.
Ascites and Right Ventricular Failure (ARVF) is a metabolic disease of fast growing broiler chicken which is associated with multitude of factors such as genetic selection, high quality feed, high altitude and increased sodium content in feed and water. The disease is clinically evident from the age of one month onwards and is characterized by distension of the abdomen, dispnoea, cynosis, reluctance to move, and a poor growth rate. The mortality in ARVF is variable but it can be as high as 25%. Although cases of ARVF has been observed in Sri Lanka there had been no systematic investigations performed on the occurrence of the disease and the associated lesions. In the present study, these aspects have been examined in a population of adult boilers of 35 to 38 days old reared in the mid-country region of Sri Lanka. A total of 15,116 birds were examined over a two-month period at a broiler processing plant. Birds with gross lesions characterised by abdominal distensions with fluid were collected prior to evisceration. The selected carcasses (de-feathered) were subjected to detailed post- mortem examinations and data were collected on carcase weight, sex, characteristics of the pericardial and ascitic fluid, and changes in the heart, lung and liver. For purposes of comparison, similar data were also obtained from 146 apparently healthy carcasses of adult birds. ARVF was observed in 24 birds (0.16 %). The most prominent lesions were the accumulation of increased quantity of yellow to amber coloured ascitic fluid (14 - 140 ml), which often contained fibrin clots and flakes. The gross lesions in the lungs included severe congestion and oedema. The pericardial cavity was distended with a variable volume of clear to straw coloured fluid (1 - 12 ml) and there was marked dilatation of the right ventricle. The liver of diseased birds was found to be enlarged and fibrinous deposits were present on the capsule. The carcass weight of the affected birds was lower (mean ± sem; 1136 ± 47.1 kg) than the unaffected ones (1295 ± 14.8 kg). Among the affected birds, the occurrence of the disease was significantly high in males (66.6 %) compared with the females (33.3 %). Studies are also in progress to determine the prevalence of the disease at different times of the year and to identify the aetiological factors responsible for ARVF in Sri Lanka.
Quality characters of beef and buffalo ham
(Unviersity of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Jayawardane, B. C.; Adikari, A. M. J. B.; Cyril, H. W.
Ham is typically known to be a product derived from the hind leg of pork carcass. However, the new trend is to produce ham from other meat types as well such as beef, chicken, turkey and lamb. Many studies have shown that both beef and buffalo meat are freely available in the local market although slaughtering of buffalo is banned in Sri Lanka. Even though a few studies have been conducted on quality characters of beef and buffalo meat, there is little information available on its processed product Thus present study was conducted to compare beef and buffalo meat in terms of quality of raw meat and processed product (ham). The experiment was conducted at Meat Science Laboratory of the Department of Animal Science, University of Peradeniya. The proximate analysis was carried out for meat types to determine the contents of moisture (MC), crude protein (CP), crude fat (CP) and total ash. Quality characters of meat types such as pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), tenderness and colour were also measured. Ham was prepared from beef and buffalo meat using three brine solutions (T 1,T2 and T3 with 10%, 20% and 30% brine from total weight of meat, respectively) Proximate composition, pH, Me, WHC, tenderness and colour of different ham samples were determined. A sensory evaluation was conducted for ham using 32 panelists. Taste panel scores and objective measurements were statistically analyzed using Friedman non-parametric test and ANOVA procedure, respectively to compare differences among meat types and ham types. Compared with buffalo meal, beef was significantly high (P<005) in MC and WHC and colour (Lightness and Yellowness) of beef were higher while Shear force value and redness were significantly higher (P0.05) The two meat types were not different (P>005) in terms of CP, CF, ash and pH values. Beef I ham samples recorded significantly higher values ofMC and WHC, and significantly [ower values I for texture compared with buffalo ham samples (P0.05). Taste panel analysis showed that in beef ham, T 1 (with the highest redness) received the highest preference (P<0.05) in terms of appearance and colour However, in buffalo ham, T3 was given the highest median score (P<0.05) for appearance and colour as the panelists showed less ~ preference for excess redness in T 1 and T2 samples. These findings show that beef and buffalo meat are comparable on its chemical composition and meat quality characters In overall, 10% and 30% brine solutions can be recommended for production of beef ham and buffalo ham, respectively.
Some aspects of breeding of the wild and neon strains of guppy
(University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Jayantha, U. L. D.; Dangolla, A.; Silva, I.
Thirty neon guppy (poecilia reticulata) from an aquarium in Kalutara and thirty wild guppy collected from a nearby drain were reared separately. Their F2 offspring fry were reared in separate tanks from birth (Day 1). They were sexed on Day 21, and the respective males and females of each strain were separately reared. On Day 60, three pairs of males and females from the two strains were identified. Each pair (3 wild and 3 neon pairs) was reared in a separate tank. Males were removed from these tanks on Day 7 and were never reintroduced and the females were monitored for 3 successive pregnancies. The offsprings were removed from the respective tanks on Day 1. The length of pregnancy in females, the fry size and the male: female ratios of the offspring were monitored in the two strains. The age at maturity of male fish was measured by the development of the gonopodium. The mean pregnancy period was found to be shorter in the wild strain (21 days) compared with the neon strain (30 days). The males of the wild strain reached sexual maturity earlier (21-35 days) compared with the males of the neon strain (28-50 days). However, the wild strain produced a lesser number of fry compared with the neon strain (mean fry size of 32 and 37, respectively). Despite the smaller fry size per pregnancy, it appears that the wild strain propagates faster when compared with the neon strain. This may reflect an effort by the wild strain to enhance its propagation efficiency in an artificial environment. It was evident that the semen from the first mating could be stored within the female guppy since both strains produced two subsequent fry without males being present. The male: female ratios of the first pregnancy in the wild and ornamental strains were 3:1 and 2:1, respectively. However in both strains, the ratio reduced to 1:1 in the third pregnancy. This shows that the initial natural selection process favours males over females. As the male guppy is colourful and therefore has a more demand compared with the females, development of a method to produce more male guppy would enhance the income generated from guppy farming.
Some constraints the production and marketing of eggs
(University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Dissanayake, D. R. A.; Mohamed, A. R.
A field survey was carried out from March to December 2000 to determine the constraints involved in the production and marketing of eggs in the Horana Electorate of the Western province. Out of the 92 Village Officer (Grama Niladari) divisions, 24 divisions were randomly selected for the study. Fifty farmers from these divisions were personally interviewed using a questionnaire. Inadequate experience in poultry farming was a major constraint and 48 % of the farmers were found to have less than three years experience. Sixty two percent of the farmers also had less than 500 birds at anyone time. The majority (90 %) of the farmers were unable to maintain a sustainable production throughout the year and 94 % of them were completely dependent on commercially prepared feeds. When farm-mixed rations were used, the average cost of production of an egg was found to be Rs 2.40. However, when commercially prepared feeds were used the average cost of production increased to Rs 3.10. The high feed cost and the fluctuation in the prices of eggs were the main problems that brought losses or reduced profits to the farmers during most parts of the year, except during the festive seasons. A proper assessment of the cost of production of eggs and the profitability of the industry at smallholder levels were found to be difficult due to non-maintenance of records by most of the farmers. Also non-availability of capital, land, labour shortage and problems of marketing eggs were found to hamper the expansion of the existing farms. Brown eggs were found to have a better market than white eggs both in terms of price and demand. Most farmers sold their eggs either directly to the wholesalers or to individuals, without paying any attention to the quality or grade of the eggs. No interest was also shown to obtain better prices by adopting such procedures as packing eggs in attractive egg boxes
Utilization of medicinal plants/cereals/legumes in formulation of instant Kola-Kenda (Green-Porridge) mixtures
(Unviersity of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2001-11-16) Gamlath, G. G. S.; Thevakaran, K.; Gunatilaka, K. D. P.; Illeperuma, C. K.
Kola-kenda is a traditional drink with many medicinal and nutritional benefits. However, habit of consumption of kola-kenda is disappearing fast due to difficulties in obtaining suitable leaves and inconveniences associated with traditional preparation methods. The study was conducted to establish the processing variables in the formulation of instant kola-kenda mixtures using unexplored medicinal herbs such as Curry leaves (Murraya koenigiiv, Kalukamberiya leaves (Solanum nigrum) and Heenbovitiya leaves (Obeckia octandra). The herbs were dried after steam blanching or water blanching The three pre-treatments for rice included precooking, wet milling or dry milling. Soya bean was either roasted or dried after boiling. The herbs were mixed separately with rice and soya bean (used in place of coconut) to develop nutritionally and organoleptically sound products. The best proportion cf ingredients in the mixtures were identified The best formula for each herb was selected based on physical (colour, viscosity and cooking time), nutritional (crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber and total ash contents) and sensory properties (appearance, taste, colour, aroma, consistency and overall acceptance) of the final product. A sample currently available in the market was used as the control for statistical comparisons. The best pretreatment combinations which received the significantly (P

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