Explaining bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) yield differences by soil properties and fertilizer rates in the highlands of Ethiopia

Ethiopia faces major food security challenges. In spite of a modest level of fertilizer use, the percentage of wheat that is imported is substantial. The Ethiopian government has invested in the fertilizer sector, thereby also moving away from di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) to multi-nutrient blends (NPSZnB). Wheat fertilizer experiments were established in seven locations (three replications) in the highlands that represented the wide range of soils found in this area. The crop was exposed to DAP, NPS and to five levels of NPSZnB (50–300 kg/ha). All treatments included 100 kg/ha urea. The average wheat grain yield at the experimental sites, when all fertilizer treatments were averaged, ranged from 7 tons/ha. Soil sampling revealed that organic carbon (28%), total nitrogen and pH, and on the negative side, Fe and Mn concentrations, were significant drivers of yield differences. Fertilizers alone (when averaged for all experimental sites) could only explain 8% of yield differences, proving the ineffectiveness of blanket fertilizer recommendations. Blend fertilizers including micronutrients (NPSZnB) performed slightly but not significantly better than NPS alone or DAP alone. However, since the NP contents in the blend are slightly below those in NPS and DAP (particularly for P), a slight positive effect of Zn or B can be observed. On the other hand, Zn concentration in soils did not correlate significantly to wheat yields. Hence, determining the added effects of Zn and B remains subject for further research. Maximum yield gains to fertilizer application can only be achieved when fertilizers and soil property differences are analyzed jointly. In that case, 79% of yield differences were explained. Grouping soils into ‘recommendation windows’ then helps to come up with relevant and cost-effective fertilizer strategies. A simple calculation comparing the cost of wheat import with the cost of fertilizers needed to reach the current wheat consumption level in Ethiopia shows that the latter is by far the most cheaper option, but in need of smooth functioning of the entire value chain.</p

Grafting By Epidermal Scraping In Stable Vitiligo: A Therapeutic Option

Vitiligo is an acquired depigmentation characterized by partial or total loss of epidermal melanocytes. Many therapeutic modalities have been proposed for its treatment. In cases of stable vitiligo surgical treatments are preferred. Grafting by epidermal scraping is a variant of micrografts by punch technique. It is a new, simple and low cost technique, with high rates of repigmentation. The objective of this report is to demonstrate the authors' experience with this technique and discuss the results in an initial series of two cases (three lesions).8217317

An analysis of net farm income to guide agricultural policies in the Ethiopian highlands

As part of a larger food security project under Ethiopia’s Agricultural Growth Program (CASCAPE), 928 farms in the Ethiopian Highlands were surveyed between 2012 and 2017. The aim was to determine whether the Net Farm Income (NFI) is a relevant indicator that drives food security at the household and the farm level, and to determine its drivers across six study regions of Ethiopia (i.e., Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Haramaya, Bahir Dar, Jimma, and Mekelle). The effect of different socio-economic and environmental drivers on NFI was determined using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, k-means clustering and comparison of high and low NFI quartiles per region. Results: The average annual NFI in Ethiopia was just below 1000 US$ per farm household, with Addis Ababa region leading. Jimma and Bahir Dar were just above average, and the others were at the lower end. In the correlation analysis, NFI was best explained by farm size, net cash flow and the use of nitrogen fertilizer. Male-headed households earned considerably more than female-headed households. The k-means clustering yielded two major farm types on the basis of significant differences in rainfall, farm size, education level, crop diversity, cash flow and N fertilizer use. An analysis of richest 25% versus poorest 25% per region showed Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Jimma and Mekelle regions all had significant differences between the two quartiles in farm size, crop diversity and N fertilizer use, whereas Hawassa and Haramaya regions seem more homogeneous. Conclusions: The survey results present new entry points for informed decision making through targeted, area-specific food security policies in the Ethiopian Highlands by virtue of insight in the regional spread of NFI and its driving forces. Important deductions from the results are policy actions that are obtainable from the results. For example, the farm-size variable provides an indicator on the type of policy action that is required to determine the farm sizes that generate sufficient returns on the overall farming investment. Next, cash-flow is a variable that speaks to the idea on the amount of hard-cash needed by a household to enable it get meaningful returns on cash invested on farming, or a guaranteed minimum return on any specific crop(s) or animal production. Nitrogen fertilizer as an analysis variable is predominantly a crop productivity indicator. In order for the farming to be sustainable, there is need for policy articulation on the amount of nitrogen required for specific yields and crops. Finally, location and rainfall parameters require recommendations on location specific crop management policies that correspond to the rainfall amount, soil types, ecological zones and distance from the markets as maybe gleaned from the results