Bitter Gourd : Mormodica charantia L.

Introduction

Bitter gourd is popular due to its medicinal properties. Origin of the crop is unknown, but it is widely spread throughout the tropics. The fruit is a good source of iron, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin B. In Sri Lanka Bitter gourd is eaten as a vegetable. It can be successfully grown on elevation from sea level to about 1200m. It can be cultivated in low country and mid country during both seasons. The identified districts for Bitter gourd production are Kurunegala, Hambantota, Ratnapura, Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Anuradhapura , Puttalam, and Amparai districts.

The identified districts of Kurunagala, Hambantota, Ratnapura, Kandy. and Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Anuradhapura, Puttalam and Amparai will be the major Bitter gourd cultivating areas in Sri Lanka.

Nutritive value

The fruit is used as vegetable as well as it can be used as a medicine for diabetics and vermifuge . Nutritional composition (values are per 100g of edible portion is given below)

Nutritional Composition (Which are per 100g of edible portion)

Energy	25 cal
Moisture	92.4 g
Protein	1.6 g
Fat	0.2 g
Carbohydrate	4.2 g
Calcium	20 mg
Phosphorus	70 mg
Iron	1.8 mg
Carotene	126 mcg
Thiamine	70 mcg
Riboflavin	90 mcg
Niacin	0.5 mg
Vitamin c	88 mg

Source Tables of Food Composition .Medical Research Institute, Colombo

Recommended Varieties
The recommended varieties are Thinnavely white and mc43. Although the other two genotypes are similar to Thinnaveli white and mc43 but dark green in colour are popular among the farmers.

Field Establishment
Planting Spacing: 1.5 X 1.0

Crop Management
Fertilizer (Kg / Ha)

	Urea	TSP	MOH
Basal	75	200	60
Top Dressing-1 (4 WAP)	75	----	60
Top Dressing-2 (8 WAP)	75	---	60

Harvesting & Post-harvest Technology

Peak production months

Bitter gourd peak production months during the Maha season are January, February and the first two weeks of March and April, May June and July for the Yaha season.

Post-harvest loss reduction and value addition

The post-harvest loss of bitter gourd is about 25%. Main reason for this much of loss is due to ripening and mechanical damage during transport. Reduction of post-harvest loss minimizes the unit production cost and bring down the price gap between grower and consumer.

Due to warty nature of the fruit the transport damage is very high. Further polysacks bags being used to pack them causes a severe damage to the fruit. If fruits are carefully transported, post-harvest loss can be minimized to a greater extent.

Bitter gourd can be stored at ambient temperature for 4-6 days if they are harvested in a slightly immature stage. However this storage life can further be extended by storing them at 13 deg C. The maximum storage life at low temperature is limited to 14-16 days.

Value addition of bitter gourd can be done by dehydration. Thin slices can be dehydrated and this technology is adopted in a small scale for domestic purposes. A better quality product can be prepared if driers are used for dehydration. In addition slices of this fruit can be preserved in brine solution.

Economics & Marketing

Extent and production
Bitter gourd cultivation extent and production during 1991-1999

Year	Extent (ha)			Production (t)
	Maha	Yala	Total	Maha	Yala	Total
1991	1962	1716	3678	10696	9856	20552
1992	1771	2017	3788	9202	12935	22137
1993	1970	1677	3647	11746	9910	21656
1994	1828	1586	3414	11091	9486	20577
1995	2141	1573	3714	12670	9223	22093
1996	1949	1648	3597	10909	9540	20449
1997	1992	1562	3554	10894	8689	19583
1998	1901	1606	3507	11430	9126	20556
1999	1968	1638	3606	11319	9226	20545

Source : Department of Census and Statistics.

During 1991 to 1999 the total cultivated extent ranged between 3414 ha and 3788 ha and total production 19583l and 22093t. There was no significant changes over this 9 year period with regard to total extent and total production. However during the Maha season cultivation, the extent and production were higher than the Yala season except during 1992. This might be due to the prevalence of favourable weather conditions during the Maha season.

Production cost
The unit production cost for the 1998 to 2001 is given in the table showing that the production costs were similar during 1998, 1999,and 2000. The projected unit area cost of production during 2001 is low , the reason being the inducement and encouragement given to the farmers to adopt the appropriate crop management technology through demonstration programme.

Operations	Labor Unit (Mandays)	Labor cost (Rs/ha)	Material cost (Rs/ha)	Total cost (Rs/ha)
Land preparation	28.92	4338	3813	8151
Trellising	39.73	5959	4177	10136
Seed	19.74	2961	2663	5624
Fertilizer Application	15.58	2337	2831	5168
Manual weeding	34.82	5223	-	-5223
Pest & disease	35.71	5357	11700	17057
Harvesting	77.61	11642	-	11642
Total	252.11	37817	25184	63000

Average yield	15t/ha
Price of produce	14 Rs/kg
Net income	147000 Rs/ha
Unit cost of production	4.20 Rs/kg

Export improvement
There is an export potential for mature fruits with fresh appearance and dehydrated fruits (dry split or sliced fruits).

How to Write a Research Proposal

Paul T. P. Wong, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Research Director, Graduate Program in Counselling Psychology
Trinity Western University
Langley, BC, Canada

Most students and beginning researchers do not fully understand what a research proposal means, nor do they understand its importance. To put it bluntly, one's research is only as a good as one's proposal. An ill-conceived proposal dooms the project even if it somehow gets through the Thesis Supervisory Committee. A high quality proposal, on the other hand, not only promises success for the project, but also impresses your Thesis Committee about your potential as a researcher.

A research proposal is intended to convince others that you have a worthwhile research project and that you have the competence and the work-plan to complete it. Generally, a research proposal should contain all the key elements involved in the research process and include sufficient information for the readers to evaluate the proposed study.

Regardless of your research area and the methodology you choose, all research proposals must address the following questions: What you plan to accomplish, why you want to do it and how you are going to do it.

The proposal should have sufficient information to convince your readers that you have an important research idea, that you have a good grasp of the relevant literature and the major issues, and that your methodology is sound.

The quality of your research proposal depends not only on the quality of your proposed project, but also on the quality of your proposal writing. A good research project may run the risk of rejection simply because the proposal is poorly written. Therefore, it pays if your writing is coherent, clear and compelling.

This paper focuses on proposal writing rather than on the development of research ideas.

Title:

It should be concise and descriptive. For example, the phrase, "An investigation of . . ." could be omitted. Often titles are stated in terms of a functional relationship, because such titles clearly indicate the independent and dependent variables. However, if possible, think of an informative but catchy title. An effective title not only pricks the reader's interest, but also predisposes him/her favourably towards the proposal.

Abstract:

It is a brief summary of approximately 300 words. It should include the research question, the rationale for the study, the hypothesis (if any), the method and the main findings. Descriptions of the method may include the design, procedures, the sample and any instruments that will be used.

Introduction:

The main purpose of the introduction is to provide the necessary background or context for your research problem. How to frame the research problem is perhaps the biggest problem in proposal writing.

If the research problem is framed in the context of a general, rambling literature review, then the research question may appear trivial and uninteresting. However, if the same question is placed in the context of a very focused and current research area, its significance will become evident.

Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules on how to frame your research question just as there is no prescription on how to write an interesting and informative opening paragraph. A lot depends on your creativity, your ability to think clearly and the depth of your understanding of problem areas.

However, try to place your research question in the context of either a current "hot" area, or an older area that remains viable. Secondly, you need to provide a brief but appropriate historical backdrop. Thirdly, provide the contemporary context in which your proposed research question occupies the central stage. Finally, identify "key players" and refer to the most relevant and representative publications. In short, try to paint your research question in broad brushes and at the same time bring out its significance.

The introduction typically begins with a general statement of the problem area, with a focus on a specific research problem, to be followed by the rational or justification for the proposed study. The introduction generally covers the following elements:

1. State the research problem, which is often referred to as the purpose of the study.
2. Provide the context and set the stage for your research question in such a way as to show its necessity and importance.
3. Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing.
4. Briefly describe the major issues and sub-problems to be addressed by your research.
5. Identify the key independent and dependent variables of your experiment. Alternatively, specify the phenomenon you want to study.
6. State your hypothesis or theory, if any. For exploratory or phenomenological research, you may not have any hypotheses. (Please do not confuse the hypothesis with the statistical null hypothesis.)
7. Set the delimitation or boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a clear focus.
8. Provide definitions of key concepts. (This is optional.)

Literature Review:

Sometimes the literature review is incorporated into the introduction section. However, most professors prefer a separate section, which allows a more thorough review of the literature.

The literature review serves several important functions:

1. Ensures that you are not "reinventing the wheel".
2. Gives credits to those who have laid the groundwork for your research.
3. Demonstrates your knowledge of the research problem.
4. Demonstrates your understanding of the theoretical and research issues related to your research question.
5. Shows your ability to critically evaluate relevant literature information.
6. Indicates your ability to integrate and synthesize the existing literature.
7. Provides new theoretical insights or develops a new model as the conceptual framework for your research.
8. Convinces your reader that your proposed research will make a significant and substantial contribution to the literature (i.e., resolving an important theoretical issue or filling a major gap in the literature).

Most students' literature reviews suffer from the following problems:

• Lacking organization and structure
• Lacking focus, unity and coherence
• Being repetitive and verbose
• Failing to cite influential papers
• Failing to keep up with recent developments
• Failing to critically evaluate cited papers
• Citing irrelevant or trivial references
• Depending too much on secondary sources

Your scholarship and research competence will be questioned if any of the above applies to your proposal.

There are different ways to organize your literature review. Make use of subheadings to bring order and coherence to your review. For example, having established the importance of your research area and its current state of development, you may devote several subsections on related issues as: theoretical models, measuring instruments, cross-cultural and gender differences, etc.

It is also helpful to keep in mind that you are telling a story to an audience. Try to tell it in a stimulating and engaging manner. Do not bore them, because it may lead to rejection of your worthy proposal. (Remember: Professors and scientists are human beings too.)

Methods:

The Method section is very important because it tells your Research Committee how you plan to tackle your research problem. It will provide your work plan and describe the activities necessary for the completion of your project.

The guiding principle for writing the Method section is that it should contain sufficient information for the reader to determine whether methodology is sound. Some even argue that a good proposal should contain sufficient details for another qualified researcher to implement the study.

You need to demonstrate your knowledge of alternative methods and make the case that your approach is the most appropriate and most valid way to address your research question.

Please note that your research question may be best answered by qualitative research. However, since most mainstream psychologists are still biased against qualitative research, especially the phenomenological variety, you may need to justify your qualitative method.

Furthermore, since there are no well-established and widely accepted canons in qualitative analysis, your method section needs to be more elaborate than what is required for traditional quantitative research. More importantly, the data collection process in qualitative research has a far greater impact on the results as compared to quantitative research. That is another reason for greater care in describing how you will collect and analyze your data. (How to write the Method section for qualitative research is a topic for another paper.)

For quantitative studies, the method section typically consists of the following sections:

1. Design -Is it a questionnaire study or a laboratory experiment? What kind of design do you choose?
2. Subjects or participants - Who will take part in your study ? What kind of sampling procedure do you use?
3. Instruments - What kind of measuring instruments or questionnaires do you use? Why do you choose them? Are they valid and reliable?
4. Procedure - How do you plan to carry out your study? What activities are involved? How long does it take?

Results:

Obviously you do not have results at the proposal stage. However, you need to have some idea about what kind of data you will be collecting, and what statistical procedures will be used in order to answer your research question or test you hypothesis.

Discussion:

It is important to convince your reader of the potential impact of your proposed research. You need to communicate a sense of enthusiasm and confidence without exaggerating the merits of your proposal. That is why you also need to mention the limitations and weaknesses of the proposed research, which may be justified by time and financial constraints as well as by the early developmental stage of your research area.

Common Mistakes in Proposal Writing

1. Failure to provide the proper context to frame the research question.
2. Failure to delimit the boundary conditions for your research.
3. Failure to cite landmark studies.
4. Failure to accurately present the theoretical and empirical contributions by other researchers.
5. Failure to stay focused on the research question.
6. Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research.
7. Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues.
8. Too much rambling -- going "all over the map" without a clear sense of direction. (The best proposals move forward with ease and grace like a seamless river.)
9. Too many citation lapses and incorrect references.
10. Too long or too short.
11. Failing to follow the APA style.
12. Slopping writing.

POTENTIAL FOR AGRITOURISM DEVELOPMENT: EVEDANCE FROM SRI LANKA S. H. P. Malkanthi1 and J. K. Routry2

ABSTRACT 

Agritourism is increasingly recognized as an important strategy that can contribute to agricultural development through diversification of farming activities and providing opportunities to rest, relax, enjoy and study about farming for the visitors. At present, agritourism is promoted by most of the countries in the world aiming at sustainable rural development.

 Since Sri Lanka is an agricultural country, it is the time to analyze the potential of this strategy under local conditions. Thus the main aim of this research is to study the possibility of application of agritourism in Sri Lankan context. The study was conducted in five districts of the central part of the country using a field survey and some group discussions with farmers and respective state officials of these districts. 

Results revealed that there are several possibilities for the establishment of agritourism in the country. However, there are few problems militate against the success of the agritourism development. Provision of solutions for these main problems related to; infrastructure development, relevant training and education for the farmers, access to farm credit, proper measures to waste management as well as suitable environment protection methods in those areas will enhance the benefits of agritourism as a sustainable rural development strategy. Key words: Agritourism, farm diversification, rural development, Sri Lanka

INTRODUCTION 

Agritourism, farm tourism or agricultural tourism is the process of attracting visitors and travelers to agricultural areas, generally for educational and recreational purposes (Lamb, 2008; Veeck et al. 2006). Because of economic difficulties and changes in the farming and livestock industries in many countries in the world, many farmers especially those who have small-scale, family-owned farms have understood the necessity of supplement their agricultural business model and find new ways of generating income. Agritourism can contribute to the overall income, cash flow and profitability of a farm by providing alternative income via farm products, and farming activities (Colton and Bissix, 2005; Huybers, 2007; Keith et al. 2003; Sharply, 2002).

Further, agritourism can also be explained as a holiday concept of visiting an agribusiness operation for the purpose of enjoyment, education or involvement in the activities of the operation. . This includes you-pick operations, corn mazes, hay rides, pumpkin patches, dairy tours, and more (Adam, 2004). Therefore, agritourism may be any form of farm-based tourism operation that provides economic benefit to the farm owner(s) and
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provides on-farm entertainment, activity, or product for the visitor. Normally, agritourism is small-scale, low-impact and in most cases, it is mainly focused on education (Wicks, and Merrett, 2003; Wall, 2006).In agritourism a native or local farmer offers tours to their agriculture farm to allow visitors to view them growing, harvesting, and processing locally grown crops such as maize, sorghum or any produce the person would not come across in their areas. Often the farmers would provide farm-stay opportunities including educational programs and recreational activities (Nilsson, 2002; Weaver and Fennell, 1997).Small diversified farms may very much suitable for agritourism. Unlike the large-scale farms which produce bulk commodities, the small farm can recreate an earlier, simpler and human-scale vision of farming. The main qualification for the rural farmer who expects to make a living from the land through agritourism is the willingness and the ability to cater to visitors and meet their expectations of a farm visit (Nuntsu, et. al, 2004; Adam, 2004). Currently, more visitors than ever are enjoying at the diverse opportunities provided by agritourism, as the distance between the production and consumption of agricultural products grow (Lamb, 2008; Sharplay and Vass, 2006). Visitors are highly interested to know how crops are cultivated and livestock are raised. Moreover, they want to remember the traditional agricultural practices as well.
Important advantages of agritourism are 1) the ability to bring the main primary industry (agriculture) and the major service sector (tourism) together, by creating win-win situation for both sectors,2) enhancing the possibility of the enlargement of the tourism sector and 3) the ability to absorb the expanding tourism sector (Singh, 2007). Moreover, scope of the agritourism in the present context can be summarized as providing an inexpensive gateway for all the categories of visitors, giving solutions for the curiosity about the farming and farm life, meeting the increasing demand for wholesome family oriented recreational activities, provision of health conscious nature friendly tourism opportunities, providing a peaceful tranquility, interesting and natural tourism place for the visitors, and facilitating less crowded original conditions in rural areas for visitors to enjoy and be aware farming activities (Singh, 2007; Roberts and Hall, 2001). Many agritourism activities need only a small team of farm labors in order to be successful. For example, farm tours, farm stay with bed and breakfast, tractor or bullock cart rides, picking of grapes, mangoes, and other horticulture items, farm zoos, and many other activities may be operated with little additional expenditure on labor (Agritourism Development Organization in India, 2008; Taware, 2009).
According to Griver, (2009), agricultural tourism is a global trend which provides city dwellers an opportunity to escape from urban concrete environment and re-discover their roots in rural areas with farming. Furthermore, visiting farmers, agronomists and other agricultural experts can evaluate worldwide developments in agriculture which have been highly influenced by modern agricultural technology and management (School of Travel Industry Management, 2007). Agritourism and ecotourism are closely related, but, in reality agritourism is farm attractions, which visitors are encouraged to partake in farming and agricultural activities, while ecotourism seems to have been green washed by the tour companies (Crete, 2009).
Based on the above literature, agritourism is an important alternative for rural farmers including small-scale farmers in many countries of the world, as an extra source of income. There should be basic facilities to start and operate an agriourism
S. H. P. Malkanthi and J. K. Routry
47
destination and it has ability to generate lots of benefits for the owner and the surrounding community. However, as the economic, socio-cultural, environmental, geographical conditions are varying country to country, country wise analysis of the feasibility of agritourism development is an important attempt to understand the reality of application of agritourism in the Sri Lankan scenario. Sri Lanka and its agriculture sector
The island of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) lies three degrees north of the equator, 82 degrees east of Greenwich and 32 km southeast of India. Sri Lanka is in the Indian Ocean situated south and slightly east of the southernmost point of India, separated by the 23 km wide Palk Strait. Including 870 km2 of inland water, Sri Lanka has a total land area of 65,610 km2 (Wikipedia, 2010). The central and south-central regions are hilly and mountainous, while the rest of the island is mainly flat. The climate in Sri Lanka is tropical and monsoonal, but varies from warm in the coastal plains and lowlands to temperate in the hills and mountain regions( Atlapedia online, 2010). Sri Lanka‟s economy has traditionally been dominated by agriculture. It produces various plantation crops, including tea, rubber, coconut, cocoa and spices for the export market. However, it is presently undergoing diversification as other sectors, such as manufacturing, are also making significant progress. The agriculture sector constituted 12.6% of GDP in 2010 and provided employment to about 32.7% of the labor force (World Factbook, 2011). An estimated 1.8 million families are engaged in farming. In Sri Lanka, agriculture is dominated by smallholders as over 64% of the farming families cultivate holdings of less than 0.8 hectares. Around 40% of the cultivated area is occupied by plantation crops, tea, rubber and coconut (UNESCAP, 2006). Out of the total land area of 6.5 million hectares 1.5 million (24 %) are recognized as agricultural land; 13.96% of the land is arable, 15.24% is used for permanent crops and 70.8% for other uses (Department of Census & Statistics, 2006). Sri Lanka is considered as a valuable repository of crop germplasm and agro-biodiversity. It has a rich treasure of rice genes and over 2,800 varieties have been recorded in the country. Besides rice, germplasm of the country is also rich in cereals, legumes, bananas and other fruit crops, root and tuber crops, medicinal plants, leafy and other vegetables, spice crops etc. Selection and cultivation of crop plants over several thousands of years by various traditional and modern farming practices and the country‟s eco-edaphic variability are two reasons for high genetic diversity of crops in Sri Lanka (Living Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka (2009). Moreover, Sri Lanka has started organic farming which is having a very high attention of the health concerned consumers. According to IFOAM & FiBL (2006), there are 15,215 hectares of land under organic management, with a share of total agricultural land of 0.65% and a presence of around 3,300 organic farms. According to UNESCAP (2006), Sri Lanka is one of the major organic producers in Asia and one of the leading sources of organic tea. The organic market in the country has been described as a “niche market” (International trade centre, 2008). A number of organic products are increasingly being sold in major supermarkets. The main certified organic products are tea, desiccated coconut, cashew nuts, spices (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, pepper, clove and ginger), fruits (mango, papaya and passion fruit), and herbs (citronella and lemon grass). Most of these organic products are exported. 

Agritourism in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a tourist‟s paradise. It is one of the favorite travel destinations in south Asia. It is endowed with an abundance of tourism resources of considerable diversity, including beaches along its The Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2011, vol. 6, no148 coastal line, natural/ecological and wildlife attractions, indigenous culture, Buddhist heritage, and remnants left by Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch and British seafarers. From the beginning Sri Lanka has enjoyed a growing number of visitors and gradual growth in the tourism industry.
However, agritourism sector of the country is in its‟ initial stage. Only a few agritourism destinations are operating at present with general facilities and services. With, the remarkable increase in the interest surrounding the concept of agritourism of other countries is influencing the development of agritourism in Sri Lanka. It is a suitable destination for agritourism. It has diverse agro-climatic conditions suitable for growing different types of crops, fruits, vegetables and trees. Sri Lanka‟s complex paddy cultivation systems (developed over the course of 2500 years), huge very old irrigation tanks, many tea and rubber plantations, milking cattle on dairy farms, having a go at plucking tea leaves using the traditional „bag-on-the-head' method, rubber tapping under expert guidance, or even working in many scenic paddy fields (engaging ploughing using bullocks, work on paddy nurseries, transplanting seedlings in muddy fields) of Sri Lanka are just some examples of its diverse agricultural developments of the country (Advisory panel on community based sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka, 2008).
Nevertheless, farmers are simple and hospitable. Sri Lankan villages and farms can offer unique experiences including local food and accommodation. Rural areas are rich with traditional things and cultural activities. Thus agritourism can cater to a niche market of agritourists.

Objectives of the study

The broad objective of this study was to determine the possibility of agritourism development in Sri Lankan context. The specific objectives were assessment of the important information on farming population and farm lands, identify the profile of farming community and identify the attractive features of the area for tourists. Conducting a SWOT analysis for agritourism sector of the country to study the important factors for the agritourism development was also another specific objective of this study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

As agritourism is relatively a new concept in Sri Lanka, this study represents an exploratory approach with the intension of understanding the potential of agritourism development of the country. This study covered five districts (Badulla, Kandy, Moneragala, Nuwara Eliya and Ranapura) in the country. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. Primary data were gathered from the farmers of these five districts through a field survey. The total sample size was 100 farmers as 20 (5 small-scale, 10 medium-scale and 5 large-scale) farmers from each district. Stratified random sampling technique based on the scale of farming ( Small (<2 acres), medium (2-5 acres) and large (>5 acres)) was used to select the farmers for the survey. In addition to the survey, ten group discussions were held with farmers, as two from each district. Further, ten interviews with respective officials of Central, Sabaragamuwa and Uva provincial councils were conducted to learn about their views on agri tourism, farm facilities and conditions, and conditions for agritourism in these areas.
In this study, agritourism is defined as any activity, enterprise or business which is designed to increase farm and community income through combining the essential elements of the tourism and agriculture industries. As the study was exploratory in nature, data analysis was limited only for simple descriptive techniques. 

Calculation

S. H. P. Malkanthi and J. K. Routry 49 of some total, percentage and average values have been done in appropriate places. Secondary data such as total, rural and farming populations in each district were collected from the department of Census and Statistics and data regarding farm lands, profile of farmers were obtained from Planning Divisions of the Central, Sabaramamuwa and Uva provincial councils. Primary data collected from the field survey were used to asses the attractive features of the five districts and SWOT analysis of Agritourism development in the country. Group discussions and interviews were used to cross check and verify the information given by farmers. 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Results are arranged under five sections as population information, information on farm lands, profile of farming population, attractiveness of the areas for visitors, and SWOT analysis for agritourism in these districts. Discussions are followed by results Population information
These five districts are located in the middle of the country having various geographical and agro ecological conditions. They are favorable for various agricultural activities, and have unique features that are very much important for tourism industry. The total populations of these districts were varied from 435,000 to 1,415,000. In these five districts, majority of the population (average of the five districts was 72%) was in rural sector. Out of the rural population a significant number (28%) was farmers (Table 1). They have cultivated of different crops and reared various livestock. Table 01: Population information of the districts

Information on farm lands

As mentioned in the Table 2, this study was done for farmers, excluding plantation cultivators in theses districts. Highest and lowers number of farm families (59,360 and 21,025) were in the Ratnapura and Moneragala districts respectively. Number of farms in different districts varies in between 29,435 and 89,040. Majority of the farmers in all the districts had only one farm while very few farmers had two or three. Most of the farms (about 80%) were below three acres. Since a lot of lands were under plantation crops, land extents for other farming activities were very low in these districts. This is a very serious problem in the agriculture sector of the rural areas of the country. Nevertheless, very few farms (0.21%) had essential infrastructure facilities (water, electricity, and road) with them. Most of the farm lands are in rural and remote areas especially on hills and mountains where these facilities not available. Also, some of
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these farm lands are the lands encroached catchments by the farmers. But, some successful agritourism destinations in other Asian countries for example Malegaon in India, Chocochai farm in Thailand and Desaru Fruit Farm in Malaysia have land extends larger than 100 acres, all the essential facilities and connected by airways, railways or roadways.

Constrains of mushroom production in Srilanka

Introduction

What is  mushroom?

Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies produced by some fungi. Not all fruit bodies are true mushrooms. Puffballs and morels are edible fruit bodies that are sometimes called "mushrooms".

Mushrooms are very nutritious products that can be generated from lignocellulosic waste materials; and are in rich in crude fibre and protein. In fact, mushrooms also contain low fat, low calories and good vitamins. In addition, many mushrooms possess multi-functional medicinal properties

The ancient Egyptians believed mushrooms were the plant of immortality, and mushrooms fulfilled their nutrient requirement to keep the body healthy. Mushrooms have long been celebrated as a source of powerful nutrients.

Mushrooms come in many varieties and their nutritional values slightly differ from each other. Today, with the development of better technologies, scientists have found their real composition and nutritive values. So, mushrooms have come to occupy an important place in modern day diet. in several parts of the world.

The reservoir of edible mushrooms, like other micro-organisms of use for industrial purposes, is not unlimited. It is generally recognised that in order to maintain and breed high-yielding strains, the techniques employed in mushroom breeding should now and then be modified and improved in accordance with new findings and progress in the scientific world as a whole, and in microbiology and genetics in particular.

Significance of mushrooms cultivation

(1). Mushrooms can convert lignocellulosic waste materials into a wide diversity of products.

 (2). Mushrooms are relatively fast growing organisms.

(3). Mushroom cultivation can be labour intensive.

 (4). While land availability is usually a limiting factor in most types of primary production

 (5). Mushrooms have been accepted as human food from times immemorial, and can immediately supply additional protein to human food

(6). Edible mushrooms should be treated as healthy vegetables.

(7). In view of their pleasing flavour, their high protein, and tonic and medicinal values, mushrooms no doubt represent one of the world’s greatest untapped resources of nutritious and palatable food for the future

How to Identify Mushrooms

Appearance

Many mushrooms bear a superficial resemblance to one another. Through education and careful observation, collectors learn to distinguish species. You may need to collect both young and old mushrooms from a cluster or group to identify a species. Some important features may only be present at one stage of development.

Habitat and Substrate

Mushrooms are found almost everywhere, but not all mushrooms are found in all kinds of habitat. Where they grow, such as coniferous forest, oak forest, etc., is the mushrooms' habitat. Some mushrooms develop in only one kind of habitat, such as a bog, a forest, or an open lawn or meadow. What they actually emerge from, such as peat, a log, or soil, is the mushrooms' substrate.

Spore Prints

Information about the structure and color of a mushroom's spore deposit helps in identification. Most spores are too small to be examined without the help of a microscope. Collectors can discover the spores' color by making a spore print.
Cut the stem off the cap and place the cap gill side down on a piece of white paper. If the gills are light-colored, placing a wedge of dark paper under part of the cap will help show the print of the light-colored spores. The cap must remain moist. Store the mounted cap in a plastic sandwich bag or a container with a lid.

Advantages of Mushroom Growing

Ø  Involvement of small initial capital

Ø  Possible production all the year round

Ø  Use of Agricultural waste as substrate- mostly waste materials from farms, plantations or factories

Ø  Is a Biodegrader hence environmental con-server

Ø  Low production cost

Ø  Nutritional content

Ø  Better  livelihood

Ø  High market demand

Ø  Simple method

Consumption benefits of mushrooms

Ø  Healthy (not use agro chemicals)

Ø  Bitter taste

Ø  Better meal for vegetarians

Ø  Contain all essential amino acids

Ø  Has Vit.C, cynocobalimin (Vit,B12) content found only in animal products

Ø  Low in sodium ideal for people with heart and kidney ointments.

Ø  Have iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and folic acid.

Ø Mushrooms contain just as high an antioxidant capacity

Ø The fiber, potassium and vitamin C content in mushrooms all contribute to cardiovascular health.

                             

When we consider about this important mushroom cultivation it has deferent kind of constrains for  development of this cultivation. So lets discus about what are the major constrain effect for this mushroom cultivation.

·         Capital cost

Required isolated building ,racks other essentional material for this cultivation.

In this case although there are some farmers willing to start a mushroom cultivation  they abandon this idea.

As solutions

·         Introduce bank loan system for farmers with reasonable interest rate.

·         Link with agriculture department

Agriculture department is conducting different programme related with this subject. Ex;

      mushroom cultivation society with revolving founds

      subsidy programme

       demonstrations programme

·         Lack of skills on mushroom production

This is one of the major constrain against development of mushroom cultivation. Because proper  knowledge is a essential factor for get high yield.

As solutions

·         Provide booklet with related to how to produce mushrooms.

·         Provide proper training

·         Share knowledge from mushrooms farmers in area

·         Lack of quality mushroom spawn

Who are the farmers involving in this cultivation in currently this is a one of problem caused to discourage of those farmers about this cultivation. And this packet of spawn are available in few of places only .

As solutions   

§   Enhance distribution process through out the country

§  Motive for farmers/company for spawn production

·         Traditional believes

Some persons are believe this cultivation is causes for arrived of snake like animals.

And it causes for respiratory disease.

·         Lack of awareness of  benefits of mushroom

Mushroom cultivation is a most profitable business. When we consider about production cost of mushroom cultivation there is a  low cost compare with others.

Most of material possible to get at low cost.

Solutions

§  Make awareness programe through societies

·         Production process

In mushroom production process assist essential different practices. some farmers are weak to do such king of practices.

Solutions

§  Introduce new technologies

·         Lack of market

When we consider about our country there is good demand for mushroom in some particular area. But in some area has low demand for mushrooms.

Solutions

§  Introduce new buyers

      Ex-cargills

·         Mushrooms not possible to keeping over 3 days in refrigerators also. as a reason  may be loss the profit of farmers.

Solutions

§  Introduce new conservation method.

§  Promote value added products