Prof. Bandara Gajanayake 

Professor

Department of Plantation Management
Faculty of Agriculture & Plantation Management
Wayamba University of Sri Lanka,
Makandura, Gonawila (NWP

Office: +94 3122 99246
Mobile: +94 7662 55959
Email: gajawyb@yahoo.com

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Bandara Gajanayake is a Professor of Plantation Management at the Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Management, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, with over two decades of experience in agricultural higher education, plantation systems research, climate-smart agriculture, and academic leadership. He obtained his PhD and Master’s degree in Agronomy from Mississippi State University and earned his MPhil in Agricultural Economics and Business from the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya. He began his academic career at the University of Peradeniya before joining Wayamba University of Sri Lanka in 2001.

His research focuses on climate-smart plantation agriculture, crop physiology under abiotic stress, sustainable plantation systems, tea production and marketing, precision agriculture, and agro ecosystem resilience. His scholarly work includes internationally recognized research integrating machine learning, spectral phenotyping, and climate adaptation strategies for plantation crops.

Prof. Gajanayake has also contributed extensively to curriculum development, student career guidance, and institutional leadership through roles as former Head of Department, Programme Coordinator, Warden, and Director of Career Guidance and Social Reconciliation. He is currently serving as an Executive Member of the UGC National Subject Benchmark Committee for Agriculture and Crop Science, contributing to the development and enhancement of national academic standards, outcome-based curricula, and quality assurance frameworks in agricultural higher education in Sri Lanka

  • Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science” (SLAAS)
  • Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI)
  • National Institute of Plantation Management (NIPM)
  • Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation

  • Climate Change & Climate Smart Agriculture

  • Tea production and Marketing

  • Quality management in plantations

  • Resource Management in Plantations

  • Best graduate student of the year award, 2012, School of Agriculture & Life Sciences and MAFES, at the annual research banquet, at the MSU Henry Hunter center, Starkville, MS, USA. on April 3, 2012.

  • Outstanding graduate students enrolled in agronomic, crop, soil or environmental science (SASES) as identified by Triple Societies (ASA, CSSA and SSSA). April 2013 (CSA news)

  • Second place award for outstanding PhD paper presented at the National Sweetpotato Collaborators Group meeting, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. February 4-5, 2012.

Selected publications in refereed journals

  • Gajanayake, B., Brian W. Trader, K. Raja Reddy, and Richard L. Harkess. 2011. Screening Ornamental Pepper Cultivars for Temperature Tolerance using Pollen and Physiological Parameters. HortScience 46 (6): 878-884

  • Gajanayake, B., K. Raja Reddy, M.W. Shankle, and R.A. Arancibia.  2013. Early season soil moisture reduces sweetpotato storage root initiation and development. HortScience 48 (12):1457-1462.

  • Gajanayake, B., K. Raja Reddy, M.W. Shankle, and R.A. Arancibia. 2014. Growth, developmental, and physiological responses of two sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L. [Lam]) cultivars to early season soil moisture deficit. Scientia Horticulturae.168: 218-228.

  • Gajanayake, B., K. Raja Reddy, and Mark W. Shankle. 2015. Quantifying Growth and Developmental Responses of Sweetpotato to Mid-and Late-Season Temperature. Agronomy Journal 107 (5): 1854-1862.

  • Gajanayake, B. and Reddy, K. R. (2016). Sweetpotato responses to mid-and late-season soil moisture deficits. Crop Science, 56(4), 1865-1877.

  • Gajanayake, B., K.R. Reddy, M.W. Shankle, R.A. Arancibia and A.O. Villordon. 2014. Quantifying storage root initiation, growth, and developmental responses of sweetpotato to early season temperature. Agronomy Journal. 106(5): 1-10.  

  • Singh, K., Wijewardana, C., Gajanayake, B., Lokhande, S., Wallace, T., Jones, D., & Reddy, K. R. (2018). Genotypic variability among cotton cultivars for heat and drought tolerance using reproductive and physiological traits. Euphytica 214(3): 57.

  • Reddy, K.R.., R. Seepaul, W.B. Henry, B. Gajanayake, S. Lokhande, and D. Brand.2014. Maize (Zea mays L.) yield and aflatoxin accumulation responses to exogenous glycinebetaine application. International Journal of Plant Production 8 (2): 271-289.

  • Saminathan, T., A. Alvarado, C. Lopez, S. Shinde, B. Gajanayake, V.L. Abburi, V.G. Vajja, G. Jagadeeswaran, K. R. Reddy, P. Nimmakayala,   and U. K. Reddy (2019). Elevated carbon dioxide and drought modulate physiology and storage-root development in sweet potato by regulating microRNAs. Functional & integrative genomics, 19(1), 171-190.   

  • Galagoda, R.K.B., K.G.M.C.P.B. Gajanayake, and A. C. S. Silva. 2006. Planning ecotourism in up-country tea estates in Sri Lanka: Testing a Tourism Potential Index. Tourism and Hospitality Planning and Development 3 (1). 65-74.

Conference proceedings

  • Dharmaratne, P.P., B. Gajanayake, K.M.H.I. Karunarathna and L.B.M.D.L. Priyadarshan 2017. Enhancing the Quality of Virgin Coconut Oil by Reducing Sediments: A Case study at Cocotana Coconut product mills, Katana. 2017. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Agriculture and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, 19th January 2017, Matara, Sri Lanka. Pp. 177-179.

  • De Silva, J.A.Y.P., L.B.M.D.L. Priyadarshna and  B. Gajanayake. 2017. An Investigation of Microbiological Contaminations during manufacturing process of Desiccated Coconut: A Case study at St. Josephs DC Mills, Katana. 2017. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Agriculture and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, 19th January 2017, Matara, Sri Lanka. Pp. 192-194.  

  • Singh, K., S. Lokhande, B. Gajanayake, D. Brand, T. Wallace and K.R. Reddy. 2013. Screening Cotton Cultivars for Abiotic Stress Tolerance Using Reproductive and Physiological Parameters. In: P. Dugger and D.A. Ritcher (Eds.), Proceeding of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences, Memphis, Tn. Pp.117-122.   

  • Brian W. Trader, Mengmeng Gu, Alvin May, Karande Gajanayake, and Dinum Perera. Drenches of Trinexapac-ethyl reduce height of ornamental grasses. 2009. Proceeding of the SNA Research Conference, Tennessee State University, School of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, McMinnville, TN. 54: 391-394.  

  • Reddy, K.R., R. Seepaul, B. Gajanayake and D. Brand. 2009 Growth and in vitro temperature-dependent functional algorithms for corn, cotton, soybean and big bluestem seed germination. Proceedings of the 39th Biological Systems Simulation Conference: Simulation of Food, Feed, Fiber, and Fuel Production Systems in the 21st Century May 11 – May 13, 2009 Griffin, Georgia, USA Biological Systems Simulation Group (BSSG) and The University of Georgia, Griffin, GA. Pp. 16-17.  

  • Hasinthara, H.A.W.H., B. Gajanayake and K.D.K. Wanasinghe 2018. Stability of Soilon Primary Tea Packing Material with Changing Flavour Strength under Different Storage Conditions. 2018. Proceedings of the 17th Agricultural Research Symposium, Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Management, Wayamba University, Sri Lanka, 28th – 29th November 2018 (21-25).

  • Gamage, K.M., B. Gajanayake, S. Sivalingham and W.A.D.V. Weerathilake 2018. Different types of activated biochar in cocopeat grow bags as substrates on early stage growth and development of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill). 2018. Proceedings of the 17th Agricultural Research Symposium, Faculty of agriculture and plantation management, Wayamba University, Sri Lanka, 28th  – 29th November 2018 (242-246).

  • Demel, M.S.V., N.W.B.A.L. Udayanga and B. Hapuarachchi, D. Perera and B. Gajanayake 2018. Socioeconomic vulnerability of two agricultural communities to climate change: A case study in Vanathawilluwa in Puttalam district of Sri Lanka. 2018. Proceedings of the 17th Agricultural Research Symposium, Faculty of agriculture and plantation management, Wayamba University, Sri Lanka, 28th  – 29th November 2018 (124-128).

  • Gunawardena, W.D.T, A.S.Y.P. Ranasingha H.D.S.N. Wijesooriya and B. Gajanayake 2018. Performance evaluation of newly developed compost turning machine. 2018. Proceedings of the 17th Agricultural Research Symposium, Faculty of agriculture and plantation management, Wayamba University, Sri Lanka, 28th  – 29th November 2018 (139-143).

  • Gunawardena, L.A.S.I., P.M.E.K. Pathiraja, N.W.B.A.L. Udayanga and B. Gajanayake 2018. Vulnerability of Coconut small holders to climate change in Kurunegala district. 2018. Proceedings of the 17th Agricultural Research Symposium, Faculty of agriculture and plantation management, Wayamba University, Sri Lanka, 28th  – 29th November 2018 (144-148).

Books and book chapters

  • Bandara Gajanayake (2018) Colombo Tea Auction : Major Marketing Mechanism to Dispose Bulk Tea In. J. Wijayasiri, Arunathilake, N. & Kelegama, S. (Eds.), Sri Lanka Tea Industry in Transition: 150 Years and Beyond (pp. 175-193), Institute of Policy Studies, Colombo, Sri Lanka. ISBN: 978-955-7397-06-1

  • Principles of Marketing (for Plantation Managers). 2006, as a self learning module to plantation managers who follow the External Degree in Plantation Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Management, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Makandura, Gonawila (NWP)

  • The Export Crop Sector (for Plantation Managers). 2006, as a self learning module to plantation managers who follow the External Degree in Plantation Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Management, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Makandura, Gonawila (NWP)

  • Plantation Crop Agronomy: Part 01:Tea Crop Sector: (for Plantation Managers). 2006, as a self-learning module to plantation managers who follow the External Degree in Plantation Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Management, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Makandura, Gonawila (NWP).

Postgraduate supervision

Student: Ruvani Subhathma Wickramarathna Godage [Wayamba University of Sri Lanka] – On going

Title: An Investigation into the knowledge and perceptions of coconut growers in Sri Lanka on climate change and adaptation strategies

 

Research Grants

CARP Competitive Contract Research Grant Award- LOCAL

Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy [CARP/12/604/456]  (2004-2006)

Research: “An economic assessment of marketing of Sri Lankan tea through Colombo auction and other identified marketing channels”

Date of award: 29th October 2004.

 

Wayamba University of Sri Lanka (WUSL) – [SRHDC/RP/04/18-11]  (2018-2019)

Research: “An investigation into the knowledge and perceptions of coconut growers in Sri Lanka on climate change and adaptation

 

Post held

Director, Career Guidance Unit, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka (2017-2019)

Coordinator, Outreach Center, Faculty of Agriculture & Plantation Management (2016-2018)

Academic Warden (2015-Uptodate)