Research

Below are my published research works. For the most up-to-date list, please visit my Google Scholar page.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

  1. Yasas Gamagedara, Gary Feng, Travis Waiser, Michael Williams, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor S. Martins, and Nuwan K. Wijewardane, (2025), Spectroscopy-based models outperform pedotransfer functions for estimating soil hydraulic properties (Accepted).

  2. Yasas Gamagedara, Gary Feng, Travis Waiser, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor S. Martins, and Nuwan K. Wijewardane, (2025), Application of Calibration Transfer Techniques between Different Mid-Infrared Spectrometers/Modules to Improve Accuracy in Estimating Soil Properties, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 89, e70147. DOI: 10.1002/saj2.70147

  3. Yasas Gamagedara, Nuwan K. Wijewardane, Gary Feng, Cathy Seybold, Michael Williams, Mary Love Tagert, and Vitor S. Martins, (2024), Can We Use a Mid-Infrared Fine-Ground Soil Spectral Library to Predict Non-Fine-Ground Spectra?, Geoderma, 443, 116799, ISSN 0016-7061. DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116799

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Working Reports/ Case Studies

  1. Anurudda Karunarathna, Thilini Rajapaksha, Yasas Gamagedara, Shenal Kaldera, and Nadeesha Vidanage, (2021), Challenges and Opportunities of Source-Segregated Waste Collection in Sri Lanka, IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET). Report

  2. Anurudda Karunarathna, Thilini Rajapaksha, Yasas Gamagedara, Shenal Kaldera, and Nadeesha Vidanage, (2020), Effective Plastic Waste Management in Sri Lanka, IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET). Report

  3. Anurudda Karunarathna, Thilini Rajapaksha, Yasas Gamagedara, Shenal Kaldera, and Nadeesha Vidanage, (2020), Towards Sustainable Operation & Management of Centralized Composting in Sri Lanka, IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET). Report

  4. Aheeyar, M., Manthrithilake, H., Ranasinghe, C., Rengaraj, M., Gamagedara, Y., and Barron, J., (2019), Mechanizing Water Lifting through Pumps: A Case Study in Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 61p. (IWMI Working Paper 188). DOI: 10.5337/2019.206

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Conference Papers

  1. Gamagedara, Y., Wijewardane, N.K., (2025), Comparative Analysis of Raw and Preprocessed Vis–NIR and MIR Spectra for Soil Property Estimation. Biology and Life Sciences Forum 2025, 54, 21. DOI: 10.3390/blsf2025054021

  2. Karunarathna, A., Gamagedara, Y., Mannapperuma, N., Ariyawansha, R., and Basnayake, B.F.A., (2018), Development of a Methane (CH4) Surface Emission Map: A Case Study at Karadiyana Dump Site, Sri Lanka, The 10th Asia-Pacific Landfill Symposium, Tokyo, Japan, 24 – 26, November 2018, pp 291-296. Article

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Three-minute Thesis

  1. Yasas Gamagedara, (2025), Predicting Soil Properties using Spectroscopy, The Graduate School, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, November 18-19, 2025

  2. Yasas Gamagedara, (2024), Prediction of Soil Properties using Mid-Infrared Soil Spectra, Mississippi Agriculture Consortium, 1st Annual Networking Event, Mississippi State, Starkville, Mississippi, March 6, 2024.

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Poster Presentations

  1. Yasas Gamagedara, Gary Feng, Travis Waiser, Michael Williams, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor S. Martins, and Nuwan K. Wijewardane, (2025), Is Spectroscopy Better than Pedotransfer Functions for Soil Hydraulic Property Estimation?, Soil Health Institute’s Virtual 10th Anniversary Meeting, December 3-4, 2025.

  2. Yasas Gamagedara, Gary Feng, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor S. Martins, and Nuwan Wijewardane, (2025), Use of Correction Techniques to Improve Compatibility Between Mid-Infrared Spectrometers in Predicting Soil Properties, ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (CANVAS 2025), Salt Lake City, Utah, November 9-12, 2025.

  3. Yasas Gamagedara, Gary Feng, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor S. Martins, and Nuwan K. Wijewardane, (2025), Estimating Soil Hydraulic Properties with MIR Spectroscopy: A Robust Alternative to Pedotransfer Functions, Mississippi Water & Energy Conference, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, October 28-30, 2025.

  4. Yasas Gamagedara, Gary Feng, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor S. Martins, and Nuwan K. Wijewardane, (2025), Comparative Analysis of Raw and Pre-processed MIR and Vis-NIR Spectra for Soil Property Estimation, The 3rd International Online Conference on Agriculture (IOCAG2025), October 22–24, 2025.

  5. Yehani Ekanayake, Yasas Gamagedara, Nuwan K. Wijewardane, Vitor S. Martins, and Xin Zhang, (2025), Predicting Soil Fertility Properties from Fresh Soil Mid-Infrared and Visible–Near Infrared Spectra Using Machine Learning, 2025 Fall Graduate Student Research Symposium, Graduate Student Association of Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, October 18, 2025.

  6. Yasas Gamagedara, Travis Waiser, Michael Williams, Gary Feng, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor S. Martins, and Nuwan K. Wijewardane, (2025), Performance of MIR vs Vis-NIR Spectroscopy in Dynamic Soil Property Estimation, National Cooperative Soil Survey National Conference, hosted by Oregon State University, Online, June 23-25, 2025.

  7. Yasas Gamagedara, Gary Feng, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor S. Martins, and Nuwan Wijewardane, (2025), Rapid & Cost-Effective Ways to Estimate Soil Properties in Mississippi Using Spectroscopy, Spring Symposium on Food Science & Industry in Mississippi: Adding Value & Feeding the World, Food Science Innovation Hub – Office of Research & Economic Development, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, April 22, 2025.

  8. Yasas Gamagedara, Gary Feng, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor S. Martins, and Nuwan Wijewardane, (2025), Accurate Prediction of Soil Properties Using Mid-Infrared Spectrometers with Spectral Pre-Processing, 89th Annual Meeting of Mississippi Academy of Sciences, Biloxi, Mississippi, March 19-21, 2025.

  9. Yasas Gamagedara, Nuwan Wijewardane, Gary Feng, Mary Love Tagert, and Vitor S. Martins, (2024), Enhancing Soil Property Prediction Accuracy Using Calibration Transfer in Mid-Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy, 2024 Spring Graduate Research Symposium, Graduate Student Association of Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, February 15, 2025.

  10. Yasas Gamagedara, Nuwan Wijewardane, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor S. Martins, and Gary Feng, (2023), Investigating the Feasibility of Using Mid-Infrared Fine-Ground Soil Spectra to Predict Non-Fine-Ground Soil Spectra, 2023 Fall Graduate Research Symposium, Graduate Student Association of Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, October 21, 2023.

  11. Yasas Gamagedara, Nuwan Wijewardane, Cathy Seybold, Travis Waiser, and Michael Williams, (2023), Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy for Estimating Hydrological Soil Properties in Mississippi & Texas, National Cooperative Soil Survey National Conference, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bismarck, North Dakota, July 9–13, 2023.

  12. Yasas Gamagedara, Gary Feng, and Nuwan K. Wijewardane, (2022), Comparison of Vis-NIR & MIR Spectroscopy for Estimation of Total Carbon & Nitrogen using a Mississippi Soil Dataset, Summer Science & Engineering Symposium, Mississippi Academy of Sciences & Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, June 8, 2022.

  13. Gamagedara K.Y.B., Karunarathna A.K., and Mannapperuma M.M.N.R.C., (2016), Development of a Methane (CH4) Emission Concentration Map: Case Study at Karadiyana Dumpsite, Proceedings of the 3rd Faculty of Agriculture Undergraduate Research Symposium, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 16th December 2016. pp 154.

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Oral Presentations

  1. Yasas Gamagedara, Gary Feng, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor S. Martins, and Nuwan Wijewardane, (2025), Use of Correction Techniques to Improve Compatibility Between Mid-Infrared Spectrometers in Predicting Soil Properties, ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (CANVAS 2025), Salt Lake City, Utah, November 9-12, 2025.

  2. Yasas Gamagedara, Gary Feng, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor S. Martins, and Nuwan K. Wijewardane, (2025), Leveraging MIR Spectroscopy and Machine Learning to Predict Soil Hydraulic Properties, 2025 Fall Graduate Student Research Symposium, Graduate Student Association of Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, October 18, 2025.

  3. Yasas Gamagedara, Nuwan Wijewardane, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor Martins, and Gary Feng, (2024), Harmonizing Spectral Data Between Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometers to Accurately Predict Soil Carbon, 2024 Fall Graduate Research Symposium, Graduate Student Association of Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, October 5, 2024.

  4. Yasas Gamagedara, Nuwan Wijewardane, Mary Love Tagert, Vitor Martins, and Gary Feng, (2024), Potential of Calibration Transfer Between Lab and Portable Mid-Infrared Spectrometers in Soil Spectroscopy, ASABE Annual International Meeting, Anaheim, California, July 28-31, 2024.

  5. Nuwan Wijewardane and Yasas Gamagedara, (2023), Predicting Non-Fine-Ground Spectra using Fine-Ground Soil MIR Models: Comparison of Four Calibration Transfer Techniques, ASABE Annual International Meeting, Omaha, Nebraska, July 9-12, 2023.

  6. Gamage H.G.V.D., Karunarathna A.K., and Gamagedara K.Y.B., (2020), Test of Root Tensile Strength of Candidate Plant Species for Soil Bioengineering in Shallow Landslides, Proceedings of the 6th Faculty of Agriculture Undergraduate Research Symposium, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 16th July 2020. pp 205.

  7. Gamagedara K.Y.B., Alahakoon A.M.Y.W. Karunarathna A.K., Kirindage K.G.I.S., and Attanayake C. P., (2019), Thermo-Pyrolysis Conversion of Sewage Sludge into Biochar and its Characterization, Proceedings of Peradeniya University International Research Sessions, Volume 22, pp 50.

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Non Technical

  1. Gamagedara K.Y.B., 2017, Assessing Methane Emission from a Dumpsite for the Betterment of Adjacent Dwellers and the Environment, Hanthana Blossoms: Best Research Briefs, Volume 1, Issue 1, at Faculty of Agriculture Undergraduate Research Symposium, University of Peradeniya.

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