Symbiotic Effectiveness of Elite Rhizobia Strains Nodulating Desi Type Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Varieties

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), is a multi-functional crop with important role in the diet as affordable protein source and in sustaining soil fertility through nitrogen fixation. However, its productivity in Ethiopia of 1.9 t ha-1 is lower than its potential of 5 t ha-1 under well managed conditions, partly due to soil fertility limitations. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate effectiveness of elite rhizobia strains on productivity of chickpea. Four rhizobial inoculant treatments and one control with three chickpea varieties were used. Inoculated plants had significantly (p<0.05) better performance with most of the symbiotic traits, grain yield and yield related traits than non-inoculated treatments. Shoot nitrogen yield was increased in the range of 13.0 – 31.34% by inoculation with strain ICRE-025 over the two test sites. The highest level of N fixation was achieved in genotype ICC-4918 by inoculation with EAL-029 and ICRE-025. Investigations at both test sites demonstrated that inoculation of chickpea varieties with native rhizobial strains were effective and useful for optimized chickpea production

Response of chickpea to varying moisture stress conditions in Ethiopia

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an economically important crop grown by nearly one million Ethiopian smallholder farmers. The crop is often considered as “stress-loving,” but moisture stress at flowering and grain filling stages could be detrimental. Yield of chickpea is commonly affected by terminal drought stress in the rainfed production system in Ethiopia. The lack of proper field-screening methods has hindered the development of drought-tolerant varieties. This study demonstrates a simple and practical field-level screening method for drought tolerance traits in the conventional breeding programs. A field experiment was conducted using 28 elite chickpea cultivars during the 2018–2019 main cropping season to study their response to moisture regimes of varying drought intensities. We used yield and its components as proxy parameters of screening to select tolerant cultivars. The study revealed significant variation among the cultivars in their response to different moisture regimes. The kabuli cultivars were found more sensitive compared with the desi types. Yield penalty exceeded 70% under severe drought. Conversely, cultivars tested under mild and severe stress drought showed average yield gain of 22 and 48%, respectively, relative to the irrigated treatment. Overall, over 50% yield gain can be obtained in drought-affected rainfed production areas in Ethiopia using supplemental irrigation during pod setting to grain filling stages. For post-rainy-season crops relying on residual soil moisture, such as chickpea, breeding for shorter duration and resilient cultivars are reliable management approaches to minimize drought-caused yield losses

Correlation and Path Coefficient Analysis for Various Quantitative Traits in Desi Chickpea Genotypes under Rainfed Conditions in Ethiopia

Chickpea is rich in protein and micronutrients and plays a significant role in human diet especially as accompaniment to staples, but grain yields in Ethiopia are still below the crop potential. Field experiments were conducted during 2007/8-2009/10 to determine relationships among yield and some yield components using correlation and path coefficient analysis in desi chickpea grown under rainfed conditions. Correlation studies revealed that seed yield was significantly and positively correlated with days to flowering, days to maturity, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, stand count at harvest, plant height and biomass. The path coefficient analysis based on seed yield, as a dependent variable, revealed that biomass had the greatest direct effect on seed yield (0.0146) and followed by stand count at harvest and plant height. Both correlation and path analyses indicated that biomass, stand count at harvest and plant height were the major direct contributors to seed yield. Thus, the present study suggests that more biomass production, stand count at harvest and plant height are major yield factors in selecting high yielding desi chickpea cultivars

Stability Analysis in Chickpea Genotype Sets as Tool for Breeding Germplasm Structuring Strategy and Adaptability Scoping

Chickpea research program has come across realizing the importance of restructuring the working germplasm pool in Ethiopia where we have 39 divergent agroecological zones (AEZ). Though chickpea is not suit to all, it adapts in more than 30% of the agroecologies having different scale of responses. Hence, as show case we have tried to scan the agroecologies discrimination power based on crop using three sets of bred-crop responses. Evidently enough, germplasms in all the sets have revealed differential responses for economical yield and associated traits, from the three set of 57 entries put under 47 environments. The AMMI stability value and stability index have been able to discriminate genotypes with designated position; and supposed the breeding program would signify values by attempting both environment and genetics still as key considerable factors

Genotype by environment interaction on yield stability of desi type chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) at major chickpea producing areas of Ethiopia

This study was conducted to determine the interaction between chickpea genotypes with the environment (GxE) on the yield stability and adaptability of desi type chickpea genotypes (Cicer arietinum L.). Seventeen chickpea genotypes were evaluated for two cropping years (2012/2013 – 2013/2014) at four locations i.e., eight environments (locations x years combination). Chickpea grain yield was significantly (p<0.01) affected by genotypes, the environments and GxE interaction, indicating that the varieties and the test environments were diverse. GxE was further partitioned by principal component axes. The first two principal components cumulatively explained 53.1% of the total variation, of which 32.7% and 20.4% were contributed by IPCA1 and IPCA2, respectively. This implies that the interaction of 17 chickpea genotypes with eight environments was predicted by the first two principal components. AMMI1 biplot analysis showed five adaptive categories of genotypes based on similarities in their performance across environments. The AMMI2 biplot generated using genotypes and environmental scores for the first two IPCAs revealed positioning of the five genotype groups (GC) into four sectors of the biplot. Among them, two genotypes in GC 5 (G5 and G11) exhibited high yields across environments, low IPCA1 scores, low AMMI stability value (ASV) and yield stability index (YSI). G5 was released as a new variety, ‘Dimtu’ and registered in the Official Varieties Catalogue of Ethiopia, 2016

Farm Level Strategic Response to Pesticide Regulations and Its Impact on Performance of Small Scale Vegetable Farmers in Tanzania

Aims: To analyze the impact of different farm-level strategic response to pesticide regulations on farm performance of small scale vegetable farmers. Study Design: A cross-section survey of 167 small scale farmers was carried out to estimate the impact of pesticide regulations on farm performance. A structured interview was used to obtain descriptive information in the field. Place and Duration of Study: Data collection for the study took place between January and April 2016 in the selected small scale vegetable farms in Mvomero and Kilosa districts in Morogoro region, Tanzania. Methodology: The Hirschman’s framework was used to examine the strategic options through which small scale vegetable farmers respond to the private and public pesticide standards focusing on whether the strategy is loyalty, voice, exit and neglect. The logistic regression was used to estimate the impact of loyalty and exit strategies on the income and pesticide expenditure of small scale vegetable farmers. The instrument variable was used to account for endogeneity problem in regression function of pesticide use. Results: About, 80% of the small scale vegetable farmers responded to pesticide regulations through “loyalty and exit” while 20% of the farmers deployed “neglect” option with no voice response. The regression results revealed that the loyalty and exit strategies are significantly but positively and negatively associated with pesticide expenditure and income of small scale vegetable farmers respectively. The small scale vegetable farmers who opted for loyalty and exit strategies not only have an increased amount spent on pesticides but also earn less income from vegetable production than those with a neglect strategic response. Conclusion: The loyalty and exit strategies showed no desired impact on farm performance in terms of pesticide expenditure and income for small scale farmers. In an effort to build capacity, the small scale farmers should focus on strategies that exhibit loyalty and voice behavior

Patient perceived barriers to surgical follow-up: Study of 6-month post-operative trichiasis surgery follow-up in Tanzania.

BackgroundPost-surgical follow-up is a challenge in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding barriers to trachomatous trichiasis (TT) surgical follow-up can inform program improvements. In this study, patient perceived barriers and enabling factors to follow-up after TT surgery are identified.MethodsA longitudinal study was carried out in a community-based cohort of persons who received TT surgery in Bahi district, Tanzania. Questionnaires were administered before TT surgery and again after the scheduled 6-month follow-up. Those who did not return were examined at their homes.ResultsAt baseline, 852 participants were enrolled. Of these, 633 (74%) returned at 6 months and 128 (15%) did not and were interviewed at home. Prior to surgery, attenders were more likely to report familiarity with a community health worker (CHW) (22% vs. 14%; p = 0.01) and less likely to state that time constraints are a potential reason for failure to follow-up (66% vs. 74%; p = .04). At follow-up, non-attenders were more likely to endorse barriers pertaining to knowledge about the need for follow-up, lack of transportation, and satisfaction with surgery. There was no difference in post-operative TT between attenders and non-attenders (23% vs. 18% respectively; p = 0.25).ConclusionsThe outcome of surgery was not a barrier to follow-up. However, better integration of CHWs into their communities and work at coordinating post-surgical care may improve follow-up rates. Moreover, provision of transportation and implementation of effective reminder systems may address patient-perceived barriers to improve follow-up