Deshamanya
Deshamanya ( si, දේශමාන්ය, translit=Dēshamāṉya; ta, தேசமான்ய, translit=Tēcamāṉya; Pride of the Nation) is the second-highest national honour of Sri Lanka awarded by the Government of Sri Lanka as a ...
Philip Revatha Wijewardene, better known as Ray Wijewardene, (
Sinhala:පිලිප් රෙවත විජයවර්ධන) (20 August 1924 - 18 August 2010) was a Sri Lankan engineer, aviator, inventor, and Olympic athlete. He was an expert on
tropical agriculture
Worldwide more human beings gain their livelihood from agriculture than any other endeavor; the majority are self-employed subsistence farmers living in the tropics. While growing food for local consumption is the core of tropical agriculture, ...
and
natural resource management
Natural resource management (NRM) is the management of natural resources such as land, water, soil, plants and animals, with a particular focus on how management affects the quality of life for both present and future generations ( stewardship) ...
, subjects that he created a logical system to study. He invented devices to assist small farmers in developing countries.
Early life
Wijewardene was born in
Colombo, Ceylon
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
, on 20 August 1924. He studied at
CMS Ladies’ College, Colombo and
St Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia, both private
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
schools. He proceeded to
Peterhouse
Peterhouse is the oldest constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Today, Peterhouse has 254 undergraduates, 116 full-time graduate students and 54 fellows. It is quite o ...
,
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, UK, where he studied aeronautical, mechanical and agricultural engineering and earned the degree of M.A. (Cantab). He qualified as a
Chartered Engineer
Regulation and licensure in engineering is established by various jurisdictions of the world to encourage life, public welfare, safety, well-being, then environment and other interests of the general public and to define the licensure process thro ...
in the U.K. and Sri Lanka, and later followed a course in business administration at
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...
.
Career
During the 1970s, Wijewardene worked as an expert on tropical farming systems with the
UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
. He was head of
agricultural engineering
Agricultural engineering, also known as agricultural and biosystems engineering, is the field of study and application of engineering science and designs principles for agriculture purposes, combining the various disciplines of mechanical, civil, ...
at the Mechanization and Automation Research Centre (MARDI) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 1973 to 1974. He served as head of agricultural engineering and research at the
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a nonprofit organization that works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture, with the ultimate ...
(IITA) in Ibadan, Nigeria (1975–1980).
Wijewardene worked with Sri Lanka's business, research, and policy communities in his areas of expertise. He held appointments such as Chairman of the Tea Research Board, Commissioner Sri Lanka Inventors Commission and was a member of public sector bodies concerned with agriculture, science and technology. He was Chancellor of the
University of Moratuwa
(''Vidyaayev Sharvadhanam'')
, motto_lang = Sanskrit
, mottoeng = Wisdom is all Wealth
, established =
, type = Public
, chancellor = K. K. Y. W. Perera
, vice_chancellor = N. ...
(2002–2007).
Professional achievements
In 1955, Wijewardene designed a two-wheeled,
walking tractor to help small farmers in the tropics to mechanise their work. In an early attempt to mechanise farm labour during the
Green Revolution
The Green Revolution, also known as the Third Agricultural Revolution, was a period of technology transfer initiatives that saw greatly increased crop yields and agricultural production. These changes in agriculture began in developed countrie ...
, it was manufactured and marketed worldwide by the Landmaster company. He promoted the tractor with farmers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America for a decade. Wijewardene later questioned its value for poor farmers cultivating small holdings in the developing world.
His lifelong interest was to help small farmers to grow more food with fewer external inputs. He searched for natural ways to manage
soil fertility
Soil fertility refers to the ability of soil to sustain agricultural plant growth, i.e. to provide plant habitat and result in sustained and consistent yields of high quality. and weeds. He promoted a
soil conservation
Soil conservation is the prevention of loss of the topmost layer of the soil from erosion or prevention of reduced fertility caused by over usage, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil contamination.
Slash-and-burn and other unsust ...
technique called Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT), originally developed in the Philippines. SALT involved land terracing, the use of
leaf mulch, and re-introducing trees into rain-fed farming.
After returning to Sri Lanka in 1980, Wijewardene spent the rest of his years researching and promoting ecologically
sustainable agriculture
Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an understanding of ecosystem ser ...
and
renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...
technologies. He experimented with rain-fed farming and
agroforestry
Agroforestry is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland. Trees produce a wide range of useful and marketable products from fruits/nuts, medicines, wood products, etc. This intentional ...
methods on his coconut estate in Kakkapalliya, in Sri Lanka's Intermediate Zone. He did field tests for dendro thermal power, the generation of electricity from firewood. This technology is increasingly used by industry. He introduced inter-cropping
gliricidia
''Gliricidia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae and tribe Robinieae. Its native range is Mexico to Peru, but ''Gliricidia sepium'' has been widely introduced to other tropical zones.
The species ''G. sepium'' is a sm ...
with coconut, vastly increasing coconut yields.
Sporting accomplishments
Wijewardene engaged in the water sports of rowing and sailing and represented Sri Lanka in international competitive events. He competed in the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
in Mexico in 1968, and won a Silver medal at the
6th Asian Games in Bangkok in 1970. He was a member of both the
Colombo Rowing Club
The Colombo Rowing Club (commonly known as CRC) is the premier boat club in Sri Lanka having been founded in 1864. Its clubhouse and boat house are located on the edge of the northern Beira Lake, at Sir Chittapalam A. Gardiner Mawatha (formerly P ...
and the Ceylon Motor Yacht Club.
As an aviator, he held a pilot license to fly
fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air flying machine, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using wings that generate lift caused by the aircraft's forward airspeed and the shape of the wings. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinc ...
,
helicopters
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
and
autogyros
An autogyro (from Greek and , "self-turning"), also known as a ''gyroplane'', is a type of rotorcraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. Forward thrust is provided independently, by an engine-driven propeller. Whi ...
. He experimented with building and flying
ultralight aircraft
Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with ailer ...
and
helicopters
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
, and trained pilots and aircraft technicians.
Honours
*
Vidya Jyothi The Vidya Jyothi ( si, විද්යාජෝති; ta, வித்யா ஜோதி, translit=Vityā Jōti) is a Sri Lankan national honour awarded "''for outstanding scientific and technological achievements''". It is the highest natio ...
- 1988 - Government of Sri Lanka
*
Deshamanya
Deshamanya ( si, දේශමාන්ය, translit=Dēshamāṉya; ta, தேசமான்ய, translit=Tēcamāṉya; Pride of the Nation) is the second-highest national honour of Sri Lanka awarded by the Government of Sri Lanka as a ...
- 2005 - Government of Sri Lanka
Legacy
In 2014, a postal stamp honouring him was released in Sri Lanka. The Ray Wijewardene Charitable Trust was established in 2011 to support and reward Sri Lankan engineers.
Family
Wijewardene's father was Don Edmund Wijewardene (brother of
D. R. Wijewardena
Don Richard Wijewardena ( Sinhala:දොන් රිච්ඩ් විජෙවර්ධන) (23 February 1886 – 13 June 1950) was a Sri Lankan press baron who was involved in the Sri Lankan independence movement. A successful entrepreneur ...
) and his mother was Corin Amanda Jennings, both of whom were
gynaecologists
Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined are ...
. In 1949 Wijewardene married Seela, the daughter of Benjamin de Mel (a brother of Sir
Henry De Mel) and Marjorie Perera Abeywardene (a granddaughter of Sir
Charles Henry de Soysa
Charles Henry de Soysa Dharmagunawardana Vipula Jayasuriya Karunaratna Disanayaka popularly known as Charles Henry de Soysa, Justice of the peace#Sri Lanka, JP (3 March 1836 – 29 September 1890) was a Demographics of Sri Lanka, Ceylonese entrepr ...
).
The Perera Abeywardena Family
, defonseka.com. Retrieved 17 November 2015 Anoma, Roshni and Mandy are their daughters. Anoma is an artist, and Mandy is married to prominent Sri Lankan author Suresh Mudannayake (known as Ashok Ferrey). His cousins were Upali Wijewardene
Philip Upali Wijewardene (17 February 1938 – 13 February 1983: si, උපාලි විජේවර්ධන) was a Sri Lankan business magnate. Considered one of the best-known entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka, he had accumulated a net worth of ...
and Junius Richard Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene ( si, ජුනියස් රිචඩ් ජයවර්ධන, ta, ஜூனியஸ் ரிச்சட் ஜயவர்தனா; 17 September 1906 – 1 November 1996), commonly abbreviated in Sri Lanka as ...
.
Publications
* ''Systems and energy in tropical farming'', American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 1978
* ''Letters: Exploding ‘roaches'', New Scientist, 5 December 1992
References
External links
*
Legacy website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wijewardene, Ray
Sailors at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Finn
1924 births
2010 deaths
Alumni of Peterhouse, Cambridge
People from Colombo
Agricultural engineers
Sri Lankan male sailors (sport)
Olympic sailors for Sri Lanka
Sinhalese sportspeople
Asian Games silver medalists for Sri Lanka
Asian Games medalists in sailing
Sailors at the 1970 Asian Games
Medalists at the 1970 Asian Games
Harvard Business School alumni
Sri Lankan mechanical engineers
Deshamanya
Vidya Jyothi
Ray
Sri Lankan expatriates in the United Kingdom
Sri Lankan expatriates in the United States