Project Plant

RESUME

JANAKIE BALASURIYA

Address: **, ****** ******** • Christchurch 8053, New Zealand •

Telephone • +64 3 3527528 • Mob: 021*******

E-mail • ********@*****.***, ********@*****.**.**,

Permanent resident of New Zealand, Sri Lankan nationality

PROFILE

Holder of Master of Philosophy (3 yrs) from Cranfield University, UK, Master of Philosophy (3 yrs) and Bachelor of the Science in Agriculture (4 yrs), from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Excellent communication skills in both oral and written language; Lengthy experience in research, research management, consultancy, administration, publication, public relation, data collection & data analysis, preparation of budgets and co-ordination; Experienced in working with multinational/international companies and environments; Looking forward for employment in administration, management, decision making, problem solving or policy formulation..

HIGHLIGHTS

Advanced skills with Microsoft Office 2010 & lower versions as well, Windows7 as well as Vista and XP, Internet, Emailing, Use of data base.

Experience in National & International development projects

Excellent publication skills- writing research papers, reports, updates.

Research and Management experience in industrial & agricultural research, Molecular Biology in public & commercial sectors

Excellent planning and organizational skills as well as effective communication skills both oral and written

Proven ability to work independently, meet dead-lines, and make decisions, as well as work as a supportive team member

Disciplined nature with ability to adapt readily to new situations

Desire to learn new skills

Very good public relation skills

Very good personality with professional attitudes as well as friendly and down to earth disposition.

Experience in working & living in multinational environments

EDUCATION & TRAINING: DEGREES:

Master of Philosophy – Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Food production and Rural Land Use, Cranfield University, UK

Master of Philosophy – Post Graduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

BSc (Agriculture)- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Certificate of Training

Plant Tissue Culture Methods and Applications, University of the Philippines at Los Banos, The Philippines.

Biodiversity Skills Enhancement, IUCN, Sri Lanka.

Farming Systems with special reference to rain-fed cropping systems, International Crop research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, India.

SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE

Research and consultancy in Land based natural resources, sustainable agriculture and agro-industry

Project Administration – Institutional (National & International)

Consultancy – National and International Research and Develeopment projects

Advisory & extension services – Tea Industry, Small industries, Commercial enterprises

Agricultural Crop Research – Effects of environment on plant growth, development, yield components, dry matter production & partitioning, Clonal & varietal selection – 8 yrs

Plant protection & Health – identification and isolation, control and eradication of pests, diseases and weeds

Soil and moisture conservation, erosion control, soil rehabilitation

Sustainable agriculture dealing with grains, legumes, vegetables, spices, fruits, flowers and industrial crops and integrated farming

Industrial research in New Zealand - DNA extraction, mapping, PCR work, Biotron research – Lincoln University, Lincoln, NZ (a collaborative project with Fontera)

Agri-business – Green houses, irrigation equipments, fertilizer formulations, pest and disease control (Crop protection)- Sri lanka

Examination supervision – Auckland University, New Zealand

Research with out-growers of the sugar industry-planting, harvesting, weed management, nutrition, varieties.

Research Publications, Seminars & Workshops

Production– Food Company (UK)

Production for Export market – Nepenthese

Collaborative research work with CSIRO, Australia – as Principal Investigating Officer for provenance testing of Australian tree species – Grevelia robusta

Reviewer of scientific papers – Agriculture and Forestry Forum of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science.

Project Leaderships

1. Project leader of Soil rehabilitation of up-country tea lands – Tea Research Institute

2. Project leader of Shade, fuel and shelter-belt trees-Tea Research Institute

3. Principal investigation officer of the provenance testing of Australian tree species (Grevellia spp) in Sri Lanka-a collaborative project with ATSC of the CSIRO, Australia.

4. Convenor/ Secretary of the Soil Rehabilitation Task Force of Tea Research Institute

EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND

Data entry - Red Cross New Zealand, Christchurch, New Zealand (earth quake relief- fund allocation).

Checker/Opener in Local Government elections 2010, Christchurch, New Zealand..

Research Technician (Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology), Agriculture and Life Sciences Division, Lincoln University, New Zealand (Aug. 2009- Jan. 2010).

Volunteer Co-worker, Corbenic Camphill community, Scotland, UK –February to July 2010.

Examination Supervisor in Auckland University, New Zealand from October 2008 to March 2009

Support Worker, HealthcareNZ August 2008-March 2009 (Auckland).

EOSL Tutor (private) Auckland– July 2008 to March 2009.

Tutor – Business Administration Systems – Royal Business School, Auckland, NZ (covering leave)

Consultant Agronomist to Agriworld (PTE) Ltd (1999-2008)

Consultant Agronomist to National Institute of Plantation Management, Sri Lanka (2000-2002)

Consultant to Enterprise Service Systems Promotion (German Government) project in Sri Lanka- (2001).

Consultant Agronomist to the Integrated Rural Development Project of Netherlands Government in Sri Lanka (1998-1999).

Agronomist designated as Research Assistant in Agronomy of the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka (1990 -1998)

Research Agronomist (Management Grade-M5) of Pelwatte Sugar Company,Managed by Booker Tate, UK) (1987 -1990)

Lecturer in Agricultural Botany, School of Agriculture of Trinity College, Kandy, Sri Lanka (1986 -1987)

Research Officer (Bio-Technology), Royal Botanical Gardens, Sri Lanka (1984 -1986)

Academic Staff member of the Dept. of Agricultural Biology, U. of Peradeniya (1985)

Research Assistant, World Bank sponsored Village Irrigation and Rehabilitation Project of the Dept. of Agricultural Economics & Extension of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. October 1979 to March 1980

ACHIEVEMENTS /MEMBERSHIPS

• President’s Research Award (2001) for an Internationally published research paper on Hard Sciences

• Inclusion in the researchers’ roster as a productive element of the country’s scientific community.

• A member of Agronomy,Crop Science & Soil Science Society of America

• Member of Tropical Agriculture, UK.

• Secretary of Post Graduate Research Students’ Association of Silsoe Campus, Cranfield University, UK

• Editor of the News Letter of Post Graduate Research Students’ Association of Silsoe Campus, Cranfield University, UK

• Member of Alumni of Cranfield University, Bedford, UK.

Institutions with which I worked (research)

Division of Agriculture & Life Sciences of Lincoln University, (Plant Sciences), Canterbury, New Zealand

National Institute of Plantation Management, Sri Lanka.

Agronomy Division of the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka (Government)-Agronomist

AgriWorld (Pte) LTD., Sri Lanka.

Pelwatte Sugar Company managed by Booker-Tate, UK (Commercial)-Research agronomist

Royal Botanic Gardens, Sri Lanka (Government)-research officer

Plant Breeding International Cambridge, UK- carried out my research work (postgrad. studies)

GTZ project (Socio-economic) of Germany and Integrated Rural Development Programme of the Government of the Netherlands (Consultant) –both projects in Sri Lanka.

INTERESTS

Reading, travelling, music, volunteer and charity work, outdoor games, scrabble, painting, gardening, dancing..

PUBLICATIONS

• The partitioning of dry matter to roots in clonal tea (Camellia sinensis) at different altitudes of Sri Lanka and its relevance to yield and pruning of the bushes. Tropical Agriculture. University of West Indies. Trinidad, Trinidad. Vol. 77 No. 3 July 2000, 163-168

• Shoot population density and shoot weight of clonal tea (Camellia sinensis) at different altitudes in Sri Lanka - European Journal of Agronomy, Elsevier Science, 11 (1999) 123-130.

• Effect of elevation on net total dry matter production and yield of two clones of tea in Sri Lanka. Tropical Agriculture Research. 10: 27-47. 1998

• Effect of Saturation Vapour Pressure Deficit of air on Shoot growth of clonal tea. Sri Lanka Journal of Tea Science Mar/Sept. 1997.

• Effect of altitude on shoot development of clonal tea with special reference to Clonal Selection and Harvesting intervals. Sri Lanka Journal of Tea Science 1996 Mar/Sept.

• Harvesting based on phyllochrons. Proceedings of the 193rd Experiment and Extension Forum held on 30th August 1996 at Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, Talawakelle.

• Effect of plant population on water use of mature clonal tea. Sri Lanka Journal of Tea Science. 1991 Sept.

• Citrus production and propagation. Summary report. North-West land and water resources development project. (eds. C.A. Robertson and B.W.Eavis). Ministry of Lands and Land development, Colombo, Land resources Development (ODA) and Institute of Geological Sciences, UK.

Foreign Consultancy Project Reports:

• Breaking the deadlock: Appropriate interventions to make the home-gardens profitable and sustainable. Report on evaluation of the Agricultural Program of IRDP-Nuwara Eliya. (Netherlands Government)

• Study on Selected Enterprise Associations in Kandy District-Development of Criteria and a Method to select enterprises for promotion by ESSP. Sri Lankan-German Enterprise Service Systems Promotion (a GTZ Project.).

THESIS

• Effect of Altitude on the Productivity of Clonal Tea (Camellia sinensis) with special reference to Genotype x Environment Interactions.

• Evaluation of Citrus Propagation and Cultivation Techniques.

• Comparative Evaluation of the Physico-chemical Characteristics of the Red and White varieties of Rice (grains).

Referees:

1.Dr. H.M.Gamini Herath,

Associate Professor, School of Accounting, Economics and Finance,

Deakin University, Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds, Geelong, 3217, Victoria, Australia.

Tel: 61-3-5227 3306

Fax: 61-3-5227 1255

Email: *******@******.***.**

2. Wicky Wickramatunga – Employer

Managing Director,

AgriWorld (PTE)Ltd. 90, Cotta Road, Colombo 08, Sri Lanka

Tel: +94-011-*******. Mob: +94 (0-777-***-***.

Email: ********@******.**

3. Dr. Peter Buchanan

Landcare Research

Private Bag 92170

Auckland Mail Centre

Auckland 1142

Phone: +64 9 574 4100

DDI: +64 9 574 4166

Mobile: 027-***-****

Fax: +64 9 574 4101

Email: *********@****************.**.**

4.Derrick Moot

Professor in Plant Science

Faculty of Agriculture & Life Sciences

FSC 106

Lincoln University

PO Box 84

Canterbury 7647.

Phone: +64 3 321 8990

Fax: +64 3 325 3880

Email: *******.****@*******.**.**

5.Belinda Helm

Service Co-ordinator

CCS Disability Action

220-224 Lichfield Street

PO Box 8066

Riccarton

Christchurch

Phone: 03 365 5661 Ext: 3877

Email: *******.****@*******************.***.**

Contact this candidate