Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, UoP

𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬! ✨🌱

Yesterday (June-08), the Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, UoP, was pleased to welcome the A/L Agriculture students and teachers of St. Sylvester's College, Kandy, for a day of practical learning and exploration.

Guided by our academic and technical staff, students gained hands-on experience in laboratory and field activities, including measuring soil properties and examining soil profiles. 🔬🌍

We sincerely thank the students and teachers of St. Sylvester’s College for their enthusiasm and active participation. 🌾👏
Wishing all students the very best in their upcoming A/L examinations and future studies! 🚜📚✨

Wishing our students, staff, and the entire university community a very Happy Sinhala & Tamil New Year! 🌸🌞

May this season of renewal bring joy, prosperity, and success to you and your families. Let’s welcome the year ahead with hope and unity. ✨🙏

සුබ අලුත් අවුරුද්දක් වේවා!
இனிய புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்!

Congratulations Kevin Perera 🎉, a former Temporary Lecturer of the Department of Soil Science, on starting your PhD at Massey University 🎓
Best wishes from the Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture 🌱

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲: 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 ✨

𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 welcomed the year 2026 today with a 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐚 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. The event served to strengthen the bonds of togetherness among our staff members, as we reaffirm our shared commitment to academic excellence in the year ahead.

𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝! 🌟

Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya

The Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, congratulates Prof. Udaya Vitharana on winning the President’s Award for Scientific Research 2025.

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞: 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝-𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 🍽️🙏

Yesterday, December 23rd, the Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐩 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐡 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬.🤝💪 We were privileged to be joined by the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture.

𝐖𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, your solidarity has been our greatest strength.❤️

𝐀𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝, 𝐰𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭.

🌍 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 – 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 🌱⁣
⁣
Soil is the foundation of life. Over 𝟗𝟓% 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 depends on it, and it provides most of the essential nutrients plants need to grow. Yet, climate change and human activities are degrading this vital resource, reducing water availability, soil fertility, and even the nutrient quality of our food.⁣
⁣
This year’s theme, “𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬,” reminds us that soil isn’t only found in farms and forests. Even in urban areas, healthy soil plays a key role in absorbing rainwater, regulating temperature, storing carbon, and improving air quality.⁣
But when city soils are sealed under concrete and asphalt, these natural functions disappear—making our cities hotter, more polluted, and more prone to flooding.⁣
⁣
On this World Soil Day, let’s rethink our urban spaces from the ground up. Let’s promote greener, more resilient, and healthier cities for future generations.⁣
⁣
🌱 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐢𝐥, 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭.⁣

— Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya

🌿 A warm welcome to our new Soil Science majoring students! 🌿

As part of their orientation, they had the opportunity to visit laboratories, observe field trials, and explore soil monoliths at HORDI.

Wishing you all the very best as you begin this exciting and enriching journey in soil science!

Congratulations to Prof. Udaya Vitharana and the team on their latest publication, "Drivers of the Variability of Soil Phosphorus Fractions in Boreal Forested Watersheds." 👏 A great contribution to advancing our understanding of forest soil nutrient dynamics! 🌲📚

Drivers of the variability of soil phosphorus fractions in boreal forested watersheds In the boreal forest, phosphorus (P) is tightly cycled and can be heterogenous in its distribution across the landscape. Characterizing chemical, physical, and landscape-scale drivers of variability in both concentration and forms of soil P can help us understand how P dynamics will respond to envir...