Research interests

• Economically optimal response strategies for new weed incursion risks
• Economic impacts of alternative water resource management policies and plans

Background

Rohan Jayasuriya is a post-doctoral research fellow at CRC for Australian Weed Management and senior research economist at Orange Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries.

He joined NSW Agriculture* in 1998 as a resource management economist and has undertaken research into the economic impacts of alternative water resource management policies and plans and was involved in the provision of economic policy and planning advice in relation to water resource management and other natural resource management issues relevant to the agricultural sector.

He is currently involved in development of a decision–support framework that can assist policy makers in determining economically optimal response strategies in managing new weed incursion risks in cropping systems. He has over 20 years of experience in agricultural extension and socio-economic research in Sri Lanka and Australia, and has written around 40 scientific papers, including peer-reviewed journal publications.

*NSW Department of Primary Industries was formed on July 1, 2004 through an amalgamation of NSW Agriculture, NSW Fisheries, State Forests of NSW and the NSW Department of Mineral Resources.

Qualifications

• B.Sc. (Hons) in Agriculture – Sri Lanka 1984 
• M.Phil. Agricultural Economics – Sri Lanka 1989 
• Ph.D. Resource Economics – La Trobe University, Australia 1998

Current projects

• Spatial modelling of weeds in cropping systems
• Bioeconomic simulation modelling in evaluating invasive weed control 
• Regional and farm level modelling of economic impacts

Recent Publications

Jayasuriya RT, Jones RE, and van de Ven R (2011) A bioeconomic model for determining the optimal response strategies for a new weed incursion. Journal of Bioeconomics, Volume 13 (1) pp. 45-72.

Jayasuriya RT, van de Ven R, and Jones RE (2010) Mathematical modelling of a new weed incursion and its control in large area cropping systems. Plant Protection Quarterly, Volume 25 (4) pp. 165-172.

Jayasuriya RT, Jones RE, and van de Ven R (2008) A decision support system for determining the optimal response strategies for new weed incursion risks in the Australian grains industry. CRC for Australian Weed Management, Technical Series, No 14, Adelaide, Australia.

Jayasuriya RT, van de Ven R, and Jones R (2008) Spatial modelling of new weed incursions in cropping systems. In van Klinken, R.D., Osten, V.A., Panetta, F.D. and Scanlan, J.C. (eds), 16th Australian Weeds Conference Proceedings, 18-22 May 2008, Cairns, North Queensland, Australia, pp. 54-56.

Jayasuriya RT and Jones RE (2008) A bioeconomic model for determining the optimal response to a new weed incursion in Australian cropping systems. Paper presented to the 52nd Annual Conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Canberra, ACT, 5-8 February.

Singh RP, Mullen JD, and Jayasuriya RT (2005) Farming systems in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area in NSW. Economic Research Report No 10, Yanco Agricultural Institute, NSW Agriculture.

Jayasuriya RT (2005) Farming systems in Australia. Paper published in the FAO’s Peer Reviewed Electronic Journal – ‘AGRIPPA’.  Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Rome.

Jayasuriya RT (2004) Modelling the regional and farm-level economic impacts of environmental flows for regulated rivers in NSW, Australia. Agricultural Water Management, Volume 66 (1) pp. 77-91.

Jayasuriya RT (2003) Measurement of the scarcity of soil in agriculture. Resources Policy, Volume 29 (3-4) pp. 119-129.

Jayasuriya RT (2003) Economic assessment of technological change and land degradation in agriculture: application to the Sri Lanka tea sector. Agricultural Systems, Volume 78 (3) pp. 405-423.

Jayasuriya R (2002) Modelling the  economic impact of environmental flows for regulated rivers in NSW, Australia. Paper presented at the Fifth International River Management Symposium: Brisbane 3-6 September. Published in the special Riversymposium edition of the International Water Association's Journal, Water Science and Technology, 2003 - Volume 48 (7) pp. 157-164.

Crean J, Jayasuriya R and Jones R (2001) Regional agricultural implications of environmental flows in the Murrumbidgee Valley, Australia. In "Water policy Reform: Lessons from Asia and Australia", ed. Donna Brennan. Proceedings of an International Workshop (Invited Paper) held in Bangkok, Thailand 8-9 June. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Proceedings No. 106, pp. 281-98.

Jayasuriya R, Crean J, and Hannah R (2001) The on-farm impacts of environmental flow rules in the Lachlan Valley. Report to the Lachlan River Management Committee, Economic Services Unit, NSW Agriculture, August.

Jayasuriya R and Crean J (2001) The on-farm impacts of environmental flow rules in the Murrumbidgee Valley. Report to the Murrumbidgee River Management Committee, Economic Services Unit, NSW Agriculture, June.

Jayasuriya R, Crean J, and Hannah R (2001) Economic assessment of water charges in the Lachlan Valley. A report to the Department of Land and Water Conservation, Economic Services Unit, NSW Agriculture, February.

Professional associations and activities

• A member of Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Inc.
• A member of the International Water Association (IWA)
• A member of La Trobe University Alumni Association, Australia
• A life Member of Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science

Fields of Research

• 140201 Agricultural Economics

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Weeds Research 
• Agricultural Water Management 
• Farming Systems