Divisions of HORDI - Gannoruwa

Division of Vegetables
Division of Fruits
Division of Root and Tuber Crops / Floriculture Unit
Division of Soil Chemistry
Division of Entomology
Division of Plant Pathology
Division of Mushrooms
Division of Tissue Culture & Biotechnology
Division of Economics and Database Management
Technology Transfer
Central Agricultural Library

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Division of Vegetables
Experiments are focused mainly on mid and low country vegetables that are suitable for local consumption as well as for export market. Main emphasis is given on breeding, varietal development and varietal evaluation of local and introduced varieties of tomato, winged bean, green chilli, capsicum, okra, bitter gourd, mae and leafy vegetables. Breeder seed production of recommended vegetable varieties are also being carried out by this division. Research is also in progress on off-season cultivation of tomato and other vegetables under protected culture (Poly tunnel).

Division of Fruits
This division undertakes research programme on Banana, Rambutan, Durian, Papaya and Avocado for local and export market. Mixed orchards established at Gannoruwa with different varieties of Rambutan, Banana and Durian help this development programme. Other activities include selection of varieties suited to different climatic conditions, development of propagation methods, studies on orchard management, tree training methods and pruning techniques of fruit crops etc.

Division of Root and Tuber Crops/Floriculture Unit
Variety selection for yield, quality and farmer-acceptability. Exploration & utilization of potential endemic and indigenous ornamental plants. Management of the model 'Home garden' of HORDI

Division of Soil Chemistry
The main functions of this Division are to provide analytical service facilities and generate information for the periodic revision of fertilizer recommendations for fruits and vegetables.
The laboratories of this Division are well equipped for the analysis of soil, fertilizer, plant and water. The Pesticide Unit has facilities to analyze pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables.
The field experimentations conducted by this Division are mainly designed to study the response of fruit and vegetable crops to macro and micronutrients with the view to revise current fertilizer recommendations. The Division is also working on the integrated use of chemical and organic fertilizers.
Since the inception of the Soil Testing Programme of the DOA, this Division has been serving agriculturists in the mid and upcountry regions by providing them with soil test based fertilizer recommendations for food crops.

Division of Entomology
The functions of the Division of Entomology are to develop effective methods to control the different species of pests that infest fruits and vegetables and cause severe economic loss to the farming community. This is done mainly by conducting insect management studies using environmentally friendly biological, cultural and chemical methods of control.
Officers of this Division are also involved in training extension personnel and farmers on modern and safe pest control methods, and in demonstrating the new methods.
The reference insect collection maintained by this Division helps in insect identification and is also of use to students interested in Entomology.

Division of Plant Pathology
The main responsibilities of this division involve carrying out research work on different diseases prevalent in fruits and vegetables, identification of these diseases and to formulate control measures.
The Services of this Division are also extended to the Plant Quarantine Service and the Seed Certification Service to test the health of imported seed material.
New methods of disease management developed by the Division are disseminated by conducting training programmes to extension officers, farmers, private sector, students and other interested groups.

Division of Mushrooms
Development of technology for Oyster, Button, Straw and Milky mushroom and promote it as a womens' enterprise.

Division of Tissue Culture & Biotechnology
Meristem shoot tip or bud cultures provide and effective means for rapid propagation of many plant species. The advantage in employing this technique is the efficient clonal propagation of a large number of disease-free plants that can be used in commercial agriculture.
The division of Tissue Culture makes use of these bio-technology methods for clonal propagation of some horticultural crops such as Banana, Pineapple and Papaya. The plantlets produced by these techniques are distributed mainly to researchers and a limited number to farmers as planting materials. In addition, research activities are being focused on the development of more effective tissue culture systems for other horticultural crops. The division also undertakes activities to popularize these techniques among students from Universities, School of Agriculture and other academic Institutions.

Division of Economics and Database Management
Agriculture Research is conducted to determine the efficacy of one or more factors, which could be natural or introduced by man to enhance production. The end result of such experimentation will be the recommendation of a technology for adoption. The results obtained in these experiments are different with variations caused in biological systems and environments( seasons and years). Hence, there should be a mechanism to validate or reject the results. The scientific way of dealing with this is to study the probability of obtaining the same results in the future to and avoid chance occurrences as conclusions. Biometry is a subject that uses the probability theory in statistics to analyze biological data that are generated in such experiments to validate findings. The activity in this Programme will be in assisting researchers to design experiments and later analyze the results of these experiments on a scientific basis to draw conclusions.
The work envisaged by the proposed institutes is that information regarding, extents of cultivation, production figures, quantities imported and exported, costs of cultivation and economics of cultivation, prices of commodities, market information, human resources and infrastructure are readily available for development planning. Information database management such records are maintained and updated from time to time for easy and instant retrieval when necessary.
The Division of Agricultural Economics maintains a statistical data base on horticultural crops which includes information on cultivated extents, production, yield, consumption, imports, exports, prices, seeds and planting materials and cost and returns of cultivation.
The Division is also involves in conducting baseline surveys, economic evaluation of different farming systems, socio economic studies and market research. This information is used by HORDI to formulate policy decisions on horticultural crops and develop relevant research programmes. The baseline studies and economic evaluation of different farming systems provide information to the scientists in formulating research, training and extension programmes. Socio economic studies help to estimate the cost and returns of cultivation and direct the research towards farmer acceptable technology development. The information on marketing of horticultural produce and products help the producers and other market participants through influencing the development of cost effective technologies and efficient marketing systems.
The Division also involved in the preparation of Research Plan at HORDI, using new techniques such as INFORM and CADMAR which can be used in prioritizing and monitoring of Research Programmes.

Technology Transfer
Coordination between Government and Non Governmental organizations and other public organizations is done by the Extension and Communication Unit of HORDI. In addition this unit is also act as a liaison between HORDI and the Extension and Communication Centre of DOA and other Provincial Extension systems in transferring any new technology developed by HORDI Scientists to farmers and other interested groups.

Central Agricultural Library
The Central Agricultural Library at Gannoruwa is the oldest Agricultural Library in Sri Lanka. The library has a collection of about 16,000 books and a large number of journals and magazines. The library frequently receives new scientific research information published by various International Research Institutes and other organizations.

History of the Central Library of the Department of Agriculture
The present Central Agriculture Library of the Department of Agriculture located at Gannoruwa Peradeniya is one of the oldest libraries in Sri Lanka. This library has special place among the agriculture libraries, due to its large collection of old and valuable books. The history of this library is closely linked with the establishment of botanic gardens and the Department of Agriculture. It has a history older than the Department of Agriculture, as botanic gardens became much earlier than the Department. The origin of the Central library is with the establishment of botanic garden at Slave Island in 1810. Than this library moved to Uggalboda, Kalutara in 1813 and to botanic gardens Peradeniya in 1821. .( Hand Guide to the Royal botanic Gardens by J. C Willis 1898 ) The library was under the direct supervision of the Director of botanic gardens during this period. Mr. Alexender Moon was the Director of botanic gardens from 1821 to 1824.( Hand Guide to the Royal botanic Gardens by J. C Willis 1898 ) Mr. Alexender Moon published 'A Catalog of Ceylon Plants' in 1824. (Hand Guide to the Royal botanic Gardens by J. C Willis 1898 ) Then from 1849 to 1880 the library was under Dr.. G.H.K. Thwaites. During Dr. G. H. K Thwaites was the Director of botanic gardens; very valuable books and journals were added to the library.( Reports of the Royal Botanic Gardens 1843 to 1860 ) Dr. Henry Trimen succeeded Dr. G. H. K Thwaites in 1880. He was Director of botanic gardens from 1880 to 1896. Dr Henry Trimen in 1883 started publishing 'A hand book to the flora of Ceylon'. This is the result of long-term dedicated work of the Dr. Henry Trimen. A hand book to the flora of Ceylon is a serious of books giving descriptions of all known plants of Ceylon, with account of their uses, habitats and native names. However, before completing the last publication Dr. Henry Trimen died in 1896. The last part of the book completed by Sir. J.D. Hooker attached to Kew gardens London. A set of original ' A hand book to the flora of Ceylon' is retain in the Central library. However, some of the copies are in now decaying stage, as they are more than 150 years old. During this period the library was built with mainly systematic botany indicating the main research interests of successive directors of botanic gardens.

With the establishment of the Department of Agriculture in 1912 the composition of the library also changed according to needs of the Department. The library moved to the present head office premises with the formation of the Department. Then in 1971 the library was moved to the present building at Gannoruwa. The first librarian was Mr. J. Jackson Smale, who assumes duties in 1938. Then Mr. H.P.T Samarasekara succeeded Mr. J. Jackson Smale in 1946. Mr H.P.T. Samarasekara served as the chief librarian till his retirement in 1971. During his period research activites of the Deparment decentralized with the formation of Reginal Research Stations. With this new development library service also started in the regional research stations. From 1971 to 1981 the Central library was managed with out profesingelly-qualified librarian. From 1979 to 1981 a scientific officer Mr. A Palamakumbura managed the library. In 1981 Mrs. S.C. Gunasekara was appointed as the librarian to the central library. During Mrs. S. Gunasekara's period Mr. Y.Rrathanawibushana scientific officer also appointed to the library in view of give better service to the library users. Both Mrs. S. Gunasekara and Mr. Y.Rratnawibushana obtain their postgraduate qualifications on library Science and resigned from the department and migrated. Mrs. I.H..M.S. Herath took over as the chief librarian for central library in 1996. At present there are about 26 libraries in the Department of Agriculture. Those 26 libraries consist of Regional Research libraries, School of Agriculture libraries, and libraries attached to the botanic gardens. Most of the regional libraries are managing by scientific officers. At present there are five qualified librarians in the department.