Launching ceremony of the spatial maps of mineral elements in paddy fields of Sri Lanka was held on 24^th February, 2023 at Board Room of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya. These spatial maps were developed under a project which was funded by the Accelerating Higher Education Expansion and Development (AHEAD) from the World Bank through the Ministry of Education, University Grant Commission. A group of scientists from the University of Peradeniya and the Department of Agriculture equally contributed to this project.

Total of 9,067 soil samples were collected through this project from rice-cultivating lowlands in the country and tested for the concentrations of essential mineral elements required for the growth of rice plants (phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, molybdenum, iron), and cobalt,aluminum and sodium. Additionally, the concentrations of toxic trace elements were also tested (arsenic, cadmium, lead). Soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC) in soil samples were also measured.Spatial maps of these were generated and published through the official website of the Department of Agriculture to make those data available to stakeholders. You can access the maps either using;

1. Go to the “Department of Agriculture” website, then click on “Maps”, under this click on “Paddy Soil Fertility Maps”.
2. Use the weblink: https://doa.gov.lk/soil-fertility-map/
3. Search the keywords “soil fertility maps” in Google

You will be able to access the spatial maps of above elements in the paddy fields of Sri Lanka, summary statistics of the distribution of those elements, and critical values. As the project team, we encourage you to use this database for your information and decision making.

If you require further information, please be kind enough to contact Prof. LDB Suriyagoda lalith.suriyagoda@agri.pdn.ac.lk