Improvement of sheep skin quality after treatment with diazinon against cockle

Cockle, otherwise known as ekek locally, has been economically the most important skin defect among the tanneries in Ethiopia for the last three decades. The disease has been experimented on since 1996 when FAO sponsored the trials on sheep and goat skin improvement trial (TCP/ETH/4558&6712) and found that diazinon improved the skin quality of treated sheep at least by 1 grade. However, the trials had not been sustainable to find out what the skin quality of the lambs of the dams that had been treated with diazinon would look like. The trial carried out at Debre Birhan Agriculture Research Centre filled this gap and showed repeatedly that sheep treated against lice and keds with diazinon improved the skin quality of the adult by 1 grade and those of their lambs by 3-5 grades. It started with 367 Menz and 265 Horro sheep in October 2009 and completed in January 2011. Lice and keds count of the trial sheep was carried out before and after treatment with diazinon. After the treatment, the parasite count dropped to 0 and there was a significant difference between the skin grades of the sheep before and after treatment with diazinon at 95% confidence level. The dramatic skin quality improvement appeared in the lambs which, compared to the adult sheep skins, had improved by 89% to 90%

Evaluation of Two Estrus Synchronization Protocols in Dairy Cattle at North Shoa Zone Ethiopia

This study was initiated to change the hesitation of the farmer on the effectiveness of estrus synchronization under their (Ethiopian small holder) livestock management system using two synchronization protocols. Non-pregnant animals with normal reproductive tract and that fulfilled the preconditions for estrus synchronization were considered for treatment & assigned into two synchronization protocols (single PGF2α injection; and double PGF2α injection). Among 94 (27 heifer and 67 cows) synchronized cows using one and two injections of PGF2α protocols 26 heifers and 63 cows (89/94.7%) were exhibited estrus by visual observation and rectal palpation the remaining 5 (5.3%) did not illustrate heat. The overall pregnancy was 59.6 % with overall birth 94.3 %. High pregnancy was obtained in the double injection of PGF2α treatment group (63.1 %) than animals treated with one shot protocol 55.8 % there were statistically significant difference between treatments (p<0.05). Higher pregnancy was obtained from cross breed animals than local breeds. More over most of the animals come to estrus greater than 96 hrs. There was also significant difference between technicians on detecting the CL and conception. The estrus response, conception rate, pregnancy rate and calving rate was higher in both protocols so producers or farmers can use either the two protocols to achieve remarkable result but tight follow-ups and more resources are need to be exploited at farmer level

Epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineages and strain clustering within urban and peri-urban settings in Ethiopia

Background Previous work has shown differential predominance of certain Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) lineages and sub-lineages among different human populations in diverse geographic regions of Ethiopia. Nevertheless, how strain diversity is evolving under the ongoing rapid socio-economic and environmental changes is poorly understood. The present study investigated factors associated with M. tb lineage predominance and rate of strain clustering within urban and peri-urban settings in Ethiopia. Methods Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) and Cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBLN) patients who visited selected health facilities were recruited in the years of 2016 and 2017. A total of 258 M. tb isolates identified from 163 sputa and 95 fine-needle aspirates (FNA) were characterized by spoligotyping and compared with international M.tb spoligotyping patterns registered at the SITVIT2 databases. The molecular data were linked with clinical and demographic data of the patients for further statistical analysis. Results From a total of 258 M. tb isolates, 84 distinct spoligotype patterns that included 58 known Shared International Type (SIT) patterns and 26 new or orphan patterns were identified. The majority of strains belonged to two major M. tb lineages, L3 (35.7%) and L4 (61.6%). The observed high percentage of isolates with shared patterns (n = 200/258) suggested a substantial rate of overall clustering (77.5%). After adjusting for the effect of geographical variations, clustering rate was significantly lower among individuals co-infected with HIV and other concomitant chronic disease. Compared to L4, the adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval (AOR; 95% CI) indicated that infections with L3 M. tb strains were more likely to be associated with TBLN [3.47 (1.45, 8.29)] and TB-HIV co-infection [2.84 (1.61, 5.55)]. Conclusion Despite the observed difference in strain diversity and geographical distribution of M. tb lineages, compared to earlier studies in Ethiopia, the overall rate of strain clustering suggests higher transmission and warrant more detailed investigations into the molecular epidemiology of TB and related factors

Technology generation to dissemination:lessons learned from the tef improvement project

Indigenous crops also known as orphan crops are key contributors to food security, which is becoming increasingly vulnerable with the current trend of population growth and climate change. They have the major advantage that they fit well into the general socio-economic and ecological context of developing world agriculture. However, most indigenous crops did not benefit from the Green Revolution, which dramatically increased the yield of major crops such as wheat and rice. Here, we describe the Tef Improvement Project, which employs both conventional- and molecular-breeding techniques to improve tef\u2014an orphan crop important to the food security in the Horn of Africa, a region of the world with recurring devastating famines. We have established an efficient pipeline to bring improved tef lines from the laboratory to the farmers of Ethiopia. Of critical importance to the long-term success of this project is the cooperation among participants in Ethiopia and Switzerland, including donors, policy makers, research institutions, and farmers. Together, European and African scientists have developed a pipeline using breeding and genomic tools to improve the orphan crop tef and bring new cultivars to the farmers in Ethiopia. We highlight a new variety, Tesfa, developed in this pipeline and possessing a novel and desirable combination of traits. Tesfa\u2019s recent approval for release illustrates the success of the project and marks a milestone as it is the first variety (of many in the pipeline) to be released

Network analysis of dairy cattle movement and associations with bovine tuberculosis spread and control in emerging dairy belts of Ethiopia

Background: Dairy cattle movement could be a major risk factor for the spread of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) in emerging dairy belts of Ethiopia. Dairy cattle may be moved between farms over long distances, and hence understanding the route and frequency of the movements is essential to establish the pattern of spread of BTB between farms, which could ultimately help to inform policy makers to design cost effective control strategies. The objective of this study was, therefore, to investigate the network structure of dairy cattle movement and its influence on the transmission and prevalence of BTB in three emerging areas among the Ethiopian dairy belts, namely the cities of Hawassa, Gondar and Mekelle. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted in 278 farms to collect data on the pattern of dairy cattle movement for the last 5 years (September 2013 to August 2018). Visualization of the network structure and analysis of the relationship between the network patterns and the prevalence of BTB in these regions were made using social network analysis. Results: The cattle movement network structure display both scale free and small world properties implying local clustering with fewer farms being highly connected, at higher risk of infection, with the potential to act as super spreaders of BTB if infected. Farms having a history of cattle movements onto the herds were more likely to be affected by BTB (OR: 2.2) compared to farms not having a link history. Euclidean distance between farms and the batch size of animals moved on were positively correlated with prevalence of BTB. On the other hand, farms having one or more outgoing cattle showed a decrease on the likelihood of BTB infection (OR = 0.57) compared to farms which maintained their cattle. Conclusion: This study showed that the patterns of cattle movement and size of animal moved between farms contributed to the potential for BTB transmission. The few farms with the bulk of transmission potential could be efficiently targeted by control measures aimed at reducing the spread of BTB. The network structure described can also provide the starting point to build and estimate dynamic transmission models for BTB, and other infectious disease

Economic, environmental and social indicators of sustainability among smallholders in Ethiopia: Based on tool for agroecological performance evaluation data

This data article is a result of research conducted by a multidisciplinary team of researchers with the aim of analyzing agroecological transition and performance of agroecology in Ethiopia. It was conducted in four districts of Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's (SNNP) regional states - Fedis district (East Hararghe Zone) and Miesso district (West Hararghe Zone) from the Oromia region, and Kindo Koysha district (Wolaita Zone) and Meskan district (Gurage Zone) of SNNP region. The rationale behind generating this dataset lies on the fact that there is scanty empirical evidence on the multidimensional performance of agroecology in the country. Available evidence only provides data on limited indicators of sustainability. Hence, there is a lack of comprehensive data on the economic, environmental and social indicators of sustainability and agroecological transition in the context of smallholder farming systems in the country. To fill this gap, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) commissioned a consultancy project that employed the Tool for Agroecological Performance Evaluation (TAPE) to assess several dimensions and indicators of agroecological transitions and generate globally comparable data. A random sample of 619 farms were selected from 12 Kebeles (i.e., the lowest administrative unit), and trained enumerators gathered primary data based on a modified TAPE questionnaire using Kobo Toolbox. Participation of smallholders was on a voluntary basis and informed consent was obtained from the respondents. The survey questionnaire contained information on basic socio-economic and demographic characteristics, access to services and infrastructure, livelihood and Income-Generating Activities (IGAs), social and ecological indicators. Data on the 10 elements of agroecology was also collected. The collected data were entered into a STATA software, cleaned and analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The outputs were summarized in Tables, Charts and Graphs. Since the data contained in this data article are disaggregated by study district, categories of agroecological transition, production typology and land size groups, this can foster the promotion of specific projects and programs that can address expressed needs of smallholder farmers. It can also facilitate agro-ecological based implementation of development interventions to encourage agroecological transition, sustainable development and food systems. The dataset can also enable researchers, practitioners and other decision-makers to make comparative analysis on the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainability. The analyzed data is provided in this data article. The raw data used to prepare figures is provided as a supplementary material. A copy of the questionnaire, raw dataset, and description of variables are available online on Mendeley Data

Perception and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among smallholder farmers in eastern Ethiopia

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of human life. Its effect was particularly severe in sectors that are directly related to agricultural production and food security. This research was conducted to uncover the perception of smallholder farmers in eastern Ethiopia about the pandemic, prevention and control measures, and its impact on their livelihood. Through a semi-structured interview schedule conducted on 176 randomly selected rural households, we found a varying level of practicing the recommended COVID-19 prevention and control measures. The study also found that the response of the media, family members and religious organizations to the pandemic was rated as “very good”. The most important impact of the pandemic was associated with household’s inability to obtain a reasonable price for their agricultural produce, and inability to attend religious gatherings/prayers. Other impacts of the pandemic were fear of losing friends and getting sick/losing life. Considering the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, a reinforced awareness creation campaign, behaviour change communication by extension workers, and continued provision of basic health and sanitation facilities was recommended. Such interventions should focus on improving the access of smallholders to Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs). Continued engagement with diverse media platforms and developing trust is also needed to increase the spread of reliable COVID-19 related information. Moreover, safeguarding the agricultural sector against risks and uncertainties has to be prioritized through strengthening early warning system, distributing improved/early-maturing seeds and fertilizers, providing insecticides/pesticides, linking smallholders to market outlets, and emergency food aid via the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP)

Status of youth access to and participation in development interventions: Data from agro-pastoral areas of east and west hararghe zones, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

The rationale behind generating this dataset lies on the fact that there are limited data on the status of agro-pastoral youth participation in programs, projects and development interventions by the public sector, NGOs and other stakeholders. Moreover, the relationship between youth participation in interventions and changes in their livelihoods has not been properly investigated, documented and shared. Traditionally, field-based research has focused on household heads and excluded male and female youth in many contexts. The unavailability of such data severely limited the capability of various actors to make evidence-based and informed decision. It also hampered the design and implementation of youth-focused development interventions. To this end, a survey was conducted among agro-pastoral youth residing in four Woredas of East and West Hararghe Zones of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. A total of 398 male and female youth were randomly selected and interviewed using 12 enumerators and 5 supervisors. Participation was on a voluntary basis and informed consent was obtained from the respondents. The survey questionnaire contained information on basic socio-economic and demographic features, access to services and infrastructures, youth livelihood and income-generating activities (IGAs), and youth participation in programs, projects and development interventions, among others. The collected data were entered into a STATA software, cleaned and analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The outputs of the analyses were summarized in Tables, Charts and Graphs. Since the youth represent the majority of the working force in Ethiopia, they deserve a special attention. If handled properly, they can be a force for positive change. Therefore, such dataset is needed to help local level planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of youth livelihood transformation projects and programs. Since the data contained in this article are disaggregated by gender, Woreda and Zone, this can foster the promotion of specific projects and programs that can address expressed needs of male and female youth in agro-pastoral areas. It can also facilitate agro-ecological based implementation of development interventions. The dataset can also enable researchers, practitioners and other decision-makers to make comparative analysis on agro-pastoral youth employment, engagement in on-farm and non-/off-farm IGAs, determinants of youth participation in development programs and interventions, and impact of youth participation on livelihood transformation. The summarized dataset is provided in this article. A copy of the questionnaire is provided as a supplementary material