They are climate, wind directions, topography and soil of the area. Based on these factors, farmer can choose suitable crops to grow in selected land. For examples, if the land is located in the coconut triangle in Sri Lanka, it is better to select coconuts. If the land is in the hill country wed zone such as Nuwara-eliya district, tea cultivation can be considered. If land is located in Kegalle/Rathnapura/Kaluthara districts, thefarmer will be better-off by growing rubber. Similarly, Paddy cultivation can be considered in marshy lands.

 Use of New Technology, Administration and Expansion

 Paddy cultivation has beengrowing in Sri Lanka, since the period of Sinhalese kingdom. Further, ancient farmers of Sri Lanka used to grow maize, Kurakkan, Amu, Meneri, sesame etc. for their daily consumption. This peasant agriculture is common feature in North, North central and Eastern provinces. Farmers who grow these traditional crops use only primitive technology. As a result of this, this cultivation has been unable to provide sufficient foods for the growing population in Sri Lanka. Necessity to understand this such a situation and hence, taking suitable precautions to improve subsistence agriculture in Sri Lanka will enhance food security for the poor. While taking suitable steps to improve those crops under subsistence agriculture for the benefit of future generations, it is essential task to grownew crops aimed at the world market to earn foreign reserves.

Tea, Rubber and Coconut have been traditional commercial crops since the British colony era. Even though, there is a setback of these traditional commercial crops at present, those crops contribute to agricultural export earnings in considerable percentage.

In order to secure and improve productions of export agriculture, comprehensive attention must be paid by the government as well as private sector in Sri Lanka. Application of new technology, strengthening of administration, and extending of cultivated area are required to implement to obtain vertical and horizontal development in plantation industry in Sri Lanka. 

Small farmers require to adopt new technology of farming, better administrative methodologies and extending the area as possible as to achieve targets. 

Protecting the Soil  

Sri Lanka is an island. It has a limited land area. Every day, a small amount of soil is washed-away to sea through rivers. Soil erosion will be a serious problem in future, if people ignore it today. Farmers must conserve soil. It will secure the fertility of the land. It reduces land slips. Every farmer knows the important maintaining and developing the soil condition to reap good harvest. They should know how to conserve the land from erosion. There are several ways that can be used by a farmer to conserve soil, inorder to avoid soil degradation and to secure an organic condition. They are; rotation of crops, avoiding unnecessary tillage, protection of mulch, cross slope farming and allowing to grow cover cropping.

Rotation of crops is an important factor to preserve the soil condition. This will be explained below in detail. Farmers plough ground at land preparation to cultivate. This is associated with soil erosion. Organic fertilizer deposited in the surface of the soil will be washed away during rainy season from ploughed area. Therefore, conservation tillage is suggested. Conservation tillage includes: timely tillage, use of less destructive tillage tools and reducing the number of times of tillage on the same land.

Building boundaries across the water path is another way to reduce soil erosion. It will help to block the runaways of silt and soil from leaving the land. Some organic and fertile soil particles will remain to stay at the land with the boundaries.

Allowing to grow cover cropping, reduces the raindrops touching the soil and stops the running away of soil with water. Mulching also serves in this manner. Hay or straw can be used to cover the soil in order to block the soil erosion. On the other hand, if the land is in shape of a slope, farming should be done across the slope. This is called as cross slope farming.

Good practices of farming 

Farmers are responsible to improve the fertility of the soil and follow good farming practices to obtain a high harvest. As such, they are liable to follow methodologies such as rotation of crops, fertilizing, weeding and applying pesticide to turn away harmful insects. 

1. Rotation of Crops

This is a tool that the farmers can follow to increase soil organic materials, soil structure and rooting depth. Crop rotation is difficult to apply for perennial crops. However, crop rotation is accomplished by growing secondary crops, which enhance soil health. Rotation of crops will reduce weed growing, insect attack and increase soil fertility.

2. Fertilizing

When the cultivation is continued in the same areafor several years, fertility will be reduced. Therefore, cultivators need to apply fertilizer to soil as required to grow plants. Two types of fertilizers are available in the world. They are chemically produced fertilizer and compost. Use of compost reduces the harmfulness to the environment.

3. Applying pesticide

This is very harmful for human beings. Use of chemical pesticide will cause a lot of diseases to the human body. Pesticides can be made using local seeds or leaves. They are environment friendly and help to keep away harmful insets.

4. Weeding

Sometimes, farmers may use weedicide to remove unnecessary plants from their farm. Such weedicides are dangerously harmful to humans as well as the environment. If weeds are obstacles for cultivation, farmers can use manual labour for grass cutting. Straws that come out from bush cuttings, increase organic materials in the soil. During this activity, farmers are reminded again to secure the soil.

Protecting plants

At the earlier stage of plants, animals as well as insects can attack to leaves, stems roots or yams. Animal attackers are Elephants, Pigs, Porcupines, Monkeys, Squirrels, Deer, peacocks etc. sometime insects are not visible to human eyes. They may attack to leaves. Therefore, farmers must cautious on these attackers to reduce damages. As an example, to protect coconut plants from pigs and Porcupines half of tar barrels can be used. To protect cultivation from insects, use of advices from agricultural officers is recommended.

Protecting harvest 

Thefts can steal harvest when you are not there. You must protect production from thieves. For this purpose, you can hire caretaker for the cultivated land. Protecting land from others can be done building suitable fence around the land. 

Overall supervision 

Supervision of the farm can be discussed under various topics. At the preparation of land for the crops, land owner requires to use machinery or labor or both. Utilization of these equipment or skill labors are need to apply under supervision of the owner based on instructions given by experts of crops or guide lines known to him. Moreover, more people are needed to here for the planting as well as harvesting. This stage is also invited to have paid clear attentions. Next, when the growing of plants continues supervision will help to reduce damage by diseases and animals and natural disasters. 

Human resources handling 

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