The Knuckles Mountain Range in Sri Lanka has long been a cradle of biodiversity and a protector of the inhabitants nestled along its slopes. Named for its peaks that resemble a clenched fist, the UNESCO World Heritage site spans over 18,500 hectares and is home to a rich tapestry of dense forests and diverse wildlife.
Local communities have traditionally practiced sustainable farming, maintaining a balance with the environment. However, in recent years, this delicate balance has been threatened by climate change, soil degradation and water scarcity, increasingly affecting the livelihoods of small-scale farmers.
But, a significant advancement in the country’s capacity to assess and monitor soil health took place in May 2024, when a new soil spectral laboratory was inaugurated at the Central Research Station of the Department of Export Agriculture (DEA) in Sri Lanka’s Matale District, tucked within the Knuckles Mountain Range.
This facility marks a critical step toward addressing land degradation and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Farmers in Kandy, Sri Lanka, using traditional methods to thresh rice paddy, with the help of buffaloes for trampling. Photo by CIFOR-ICRAF
The laboratory was funded through a six-year Green Climate Fund (GCF) project to strengthen the adaptive capacity of small-scale agricultural producers. The GCF-funded Knuckles Project seeks to address climate-induced irrigation and drinking water shortages, improve the resilience of farming and land-management practices and climate-proof the underlying ecosystems in the Amban Ganga highlands and lowlands. The initiative encompasses the Knuckles Mountain Range’s upper watershed and downstream areas, a densely forested region with 34 peaks, critical watersheds, and rich biodiversity.
In Matale, the newly established spectral soil laboratory is now part of a global network of mid-infrared laboratories, joining over 30 others worldwide under the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) spectral laboratory network.
“Most households in Sri Lanka rely on small-scale farming for their livelihoods,” explains Lakshman Rodrigo, the Sri Lanka Knuckles Project project manager. “Improving soil health is critical, and the use of soil spectroscopy in the GCF Knuckles Project helps link landscape management with soil health monitoring. While the initial focus is on one region, the benefits of improved soil health are expected to extend across the entire country.”
Participants sorting and logging in soil samples. Photo by CIFOR-ICRAF.
Establishing a spectral laboratory
To enhance soil and land health, the project employs a robust methodology to quantify and map key soil health indicators, which are essential for monitoring progress and ensuring sustainable land management practices. As part of this process, field surveys using the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF) are being implemented across five 100 km2 sites. The collected soil samples will be analyzed in the newly established spectroscopy laboratory, contributing to the creation of a detailed soil information system.
This aspect of the GCF project is structured in several phases.
In the initial phase, field teams implement the LDSF and collect soil samples. Simultaneously, the initiative focuses on the fundamental aspects of laboratory setup. This phase includes comprehensive guidance on sample preparation, sample logging, and associated workflows—crucial elements for the laboratory’s operational success.
Following this, local participants join an intensive two-week training workshop focused on infrared spectroscopy to learn both foundational and advanced skills necessary for the laboratory’s full functionality. The latest training was held from 27 May to 6 June 2024 at the DEA premises in Matale with a gender balanced group of 14 students.
Participants of the spectroscopy training program. Photo by CIFOR-ICRAF
Participants were trained in setting up and operating the spectrometer and milling machine, along with essential procedures such as sample processing, logging, and archiving. The training also included practical sessions and discussions on data processing, management, and analysis, emphasizing the importance of accurate and reliable soil data.
“This is a very exciting project,” enthused lead trainer Elvis Weullow, who is also the senior soil laboratory enterprise manager at CIFOR-ICRAF, which supported the procurement and installation of an Infrared Alpha spectrometer and a sample milling machine. “We welcome the new laboratory to our network and look forward to positively impacting soil health across Asia.”
Acknowledgements
The project, Strengthening Climate Resilience of Subsistence Farmers and Agricultural Plantation Communities residing in the vulnerable river basins, watershed areas and downstream of the Knuckles Mountain Range Catchment of Sri Lanka (Knuckles Project), is designed to enhance the ability of populations, especially that of the smallholder subsistence farmers to address climate-induced shortages of irrigation and drinking water by improving the resilience of farm and land management practices and climate proofing the underlying ecosystems in the Knuckles and Amban Ganga highlands and lowlands.
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