Species Composition of Fruit Flies (Tephritidae: Diptera) and Extent of Infestations on Mango (Mangifera indica L.) in Western Ethiopia

The family Tephritidae is comprised of different genera and species of fruit flies, with a varied composition causing yield losses in different parts of the world. This study was conducted with the objective of determine the species composition of fruit flies and extent of infestation on mangoes by fruit fly in western Ethiopia. Fruit flies were collected using two methods; parapheromones and rearing of the adult flies from infested mango fruits in western Ethiopia at different sites of the mango farm. A total of 1348 with nine fruit fly species were trapped by the paraphermones, namely Bactrocera invadens, Bactrocera cucurbitae, Dacus telfaireae, Dacus masaicus, Ceratitis fasciventris, Ceratitis (Ceratalaspis) sp, Ceratitis cosyra, Ceratitis fasciventris, and Dacus bivittatus. The relative abundance of flies /trap/day ranged from 0.1-24.91flies per trap per day However, only three fruit fly species, Bactrocera invadens, Ceratitis fasciventris and Ceratitis cosyra, were reared from infested mango fruits in descending order of dominance, respectively. There were variations among the area in terms of mango fruit infestation levels 16.667%-55.556% in western Ethiopia in 2010. Farmers have not recognized the fruit flies as a problem and did not associate the fruit rotting to this pest. As a result they do not practice any management practice against fruit flies. It is recommended that the farmers should get training so that they recognize and understand fruit flies, and introduce to basic management of fruit flies and integration of   sanitation and prompt harvesting, use of baits in order to produce and supply quality fruits for both local and export markets. The need for further investigation on species composition of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) attacking mangoes and other fruits, population studies of fruit fly species, evaluations of different monitoring and management techniques, and detailed studies yield loss are recommended. Keywords: fruit fly species, bait, Tephritidae, parapheromone

Sheep and Goat Production, Challenges and Opportunities in Southern Ethiopia

The study was conducted in Gedeb, Bule, Amaro, Gelana, Abaya and Dilla Zuria of southern Ethiopia to identify and describe Sheep and Goat production systems, production potentials and challenges. After a pilot survey, study districts were stratified based on agroecology and their potential. From each stratum, six districts were selected randomly and three kebeles were selected from each district; finally180 households participated in data collections. The overall mixed farming system was dominant and the average landholding per household was more than 4 hectares; the mean landholding per household in Gelana and Abaya districts was significantly higher (P<0.05) than those of other districts. Sheep production was dominant in Bule (33.3%) followed by Gedeb (30%), while Goats were slightly dominant in Amaro and Gelana, overall mean was significant (P<0.05) across the districts and breed. The number of the animal was significantly different in all districts. Almost all respondents were kept small ruminant for income generation. Grazing of natural pasture and crop residue were common in Bule and Gedeb, while communal land grazing and browsing were common for Abaya and Gelana. Overall most of the respondents were kept their animal adjacent to their family house (37.8%) followed by a separate room (27.8%) and living with family (24.4%). Lack of extension and credit support (21.7%) was a major problem across the district followed by disease, parasite, Lack of input and technologies and market problems (17.2%). Conducive environment, animal productivity and human population growth were major opportunities of small ruminant production in the study area. All respondents were responded small scale enterprises were not established. This study concludes that even if the environment of study areas were conducive for production of small ruminants, the production system is still backyard and there are no small scale enterprises engaged in small ruminant production, thus, extension service and credit should be facilitated and establishment of small scale on small ruminant production must be established in study districts. Keywords: Goat, Sheep, Southern Ethiopia. DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/10-19-03 Publication date:October 31st 202

Severity of Chocolate Spot (Botrytis fabae) Disease on Yield and Yield Components of Faba Bean (Vicia Faba L.) Varieties at Guduru District, Horro Guduru Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia

Chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae Sard.) is one of the major diseases threatening faba bean (Vicia faba L.) production and limiting its productivity in Ethiopia. The yield losses reach up to 100% on susceptible cultivars. Although a number of faba bean varieties with good yield potential have been released, their reaction to this major disease and yield performance are little understood in western Ethiopia. Thus, chocolate spot severity on 14 improved faba bean varieties and one local cultivar were tested under natural infections at Guduru district in Horro Guduru Wollega zone of western Ethiopia. The experimental site was located at longitude 36o39’28.8”-37o40’11.2”E and latitude 9o9’24.6”-10o20’59.9”N with altitudes range from of 1500-2450m and annual range of rainfall 900mm-2000mm with temperature range of 15oC -25oC as well as 262km distance from Addis Ababa capital city of Ethiopia. The field experiments consisted of 15 treatments (14 varieties and a local cultivar) are laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications during the 2017/18 crop season. The data were analyzed by SAS computer software version 9.1.3. The onset and progress of chocolate spot severity was assessed (with a 1-9 scale) and yield and yield components were recorded and statistically analysed. The varieties varied significantly (P < 0.05) in disease severity, grain yield, pod per plant, plant height and hundred seed weight. Degaga, Gora, Bulga-70 and Holeta-02 varieties were exhibited moderate to lower resistance to chocolate spot disease, whereas, Mesay, local cultivar and Kasa varieties were highly susceptible to chocolate spot disease.  The yield performance of Gora and Degaga were also superior at the study area 993.33kg/ha and 941.83kg/ha, respectively and thus, are recommended for faba bean production in western Ethiopia. The effect of chocolate spot disease on yield and yield components from coefficient determination of linear regression show that grain yield was more stressed by disease than other yield components. Generally, the study indicated that improved faba bean varieties reacted differently to chocolate spot disease. Keywords: Botrytis fabae, yield, disease severity, Vicia faba

Production, Purification and Characterization of Xylanase from Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus Sp.)

Back gound: Xylanase is lignocellulolytic enzyme produced by Microorganisms, marine algae, protozoans, crustaceans, insects and snails. Fungal xylanases are attractive to be used in various industrial applications, but xylanase from oyster mushroom collected from Eucalyptus tree bark around Holetta is not screened and characterized. Therefore the objectives of this study were, to evaluate the in vitro production of xylanase by Pleurotus spp. using different lignocellulosic substrates, and to partially purify and characterize the xylanase produced by Pleurotus spp. with respect to changes in pH, temperature, and concentration of different substrates (wheat straw, teff straw, bean straw and Eucalyptus tree bark) to identify the most suitable medium for the production of xylanase. Results: The highest enzyme production was obtained on bean straw (2.38U/ml and 1.77 U/ml in solid state fermentation and submerged fermentation, respectively) and the lowest was obtained in media containing Eucalyptus tree bark (0.36 U/ml and 0.58 U/ml in solid state fermentation and submerged fermentation, respectively). Optimal production of xylanase was obtained when Pleurotus ostreatus was grown in solid state fermentation using wheat straw supplemented with 5% birch wood xylan, peptone and KCl salt at pH 4.0 and a temperature of 30∘C under stationary conditions for four days. The xylanase from P. ostreatus was partially purified to homogeneity using different concentrations (30 to 80% (wt/vol) of ammonium sulphate. Xylanase having highest specific activity (11.47U/ml) and total protein content of 0.631mg/ml was recovered from the culture supernatant when precipitated with 40% (wt/vol) ammonium sulphate. The optimum activity was observed at 50∘C and pH 6.0. The enzyme was very stable at a wide range of temperature and pH. Its apparent Km and Vmax were 186.67 µg/ml and 11.58µmole/min, respectively, showing its high affinity towards its substrate. Conclusions: Based on these results, the enzyme seems to be very stable at a wide range of temperature and pH in addition to having high affinity toward its substrate. These characteristics hopefully would make this enzyme potentially very attractive for animal feed processing and other industrial applications Keywords: Pleurotus spp. Solid state fermentation, Xylanase, Wheat straw

Determinants of Smallholders’ Beef Cattle Market Participation: In Selected Districts of West Shewa Zone, Ethiopia

The study was aimed at analyzing determinants of smallholders’ beef cattle market participation and quantity supplied to the market in Toke Kutaye and Bako Tibe Districts, West Shewa Zone, Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia. The primary data for this study were collected from 376 sampled household producers by using interview schedule, site visit and personal observation. Data analysis was made using descriptive and inferential statistics and heckman two-step selection model. The results of the heckman two-step selection model indicated that beef cattle market participation and quantity supplied to the market is significantly determined by education level, household size, using veterinary services, grazing land owned, selling price of cattle, frequency of farmer gets market information, body condition of cattle and total number of cattle owned. It was concluded that there is poor market information and infrastructure, lack of access to services and weak linkage of producers with next actors. Access to market information and infrastructure and veterinary services improves market participation and supplying of cattle. Therefore, the required recommendations were improving farmers’ access to market information and infrastructure by improving linkages between the producers and service provider institutions, creating strong horizontal and vertical linkage between the farmers and other chain actors and enabling them to produce market oriented products and supplying to the market. 

Genetic diversity and population structure of Ethiopian lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) landraces as revealed by ISSR marker

Characterization of genetic resources maintained at genebanks has important implication for future utilization and collection activities. The objective of this study was to assess the level of geneticdiversity, genetic structure and genetic distance, and to indirectly estimate the level of gene flow among populations of Ethiopian lentil landraces using intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker. Forthis purpose, seeds of seventy landrace accessions collected from seven different administrative regions of Ethiopia were obtained from Inistitute of Biodiversity Conservation and grown at SinanaAgricultural Research Center (Bale-Robe, Ethiopia) on-station field plot. DNA was extracted from a bulk leaf sample of fifteen randomly selected seed-raised plants using a triple CTAB extraction technique.ISSR data were generated using four primers. The total genetic diversity ( T H ), the intrapopulation genetic diversity ( S H ) and the interpopulation genetic diversity ( ST D ) were 0.175, 0.095 and 0.079,respectively. High intrapopulation genetic diversity was observed for Gonder, Shewa and Wello populations, while Arsi, Bale, Tigray and Gojam populations showed low intrapopulation diversity.There was high genetic differentiation (GST = 0.455) but intermediate gene flow level (Nm = 0.60) among populations. The genetic distance ( D ) between populations ranged from 0.012 – 0.228. Cluster analysisrevealed two groups of Ethiopian lentil landrace populations. The results provide important baseline for future germplasm conservation and improvement programs

A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol on hypertension prevalence and associated factors among bank workers in Africa

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis will investigate the pooled prevalence of hypertension and associated factors among bank workers in Africa. Methods: Studies published with full texts in English will be searched in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, African Journals Online, and Google Scholar databases. Checklists from the Joanna Briggs Institute will be used to assess the studies’ methodology quality. Data extraction, critical appraisal, and screening of all retrieved articles will be conducted by two independent reviewers. Statistical analysis will be performed using STATA-14 software packages. A random effect will be employed to demonstrate pooled estimates of hypertension among bank workers. For determinants of hypertension, an effect size with a 95% confidence interval will be analyzed. Results: Data extraction and statistical analyses will begin after identifying the most pertinent studies and evaluating their methodological quality. Data synthesis and the presentation of the results are scheduled for completion by the end of 2023. After the review is completed, the results will be presented at relevant conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal. Conclusion: Hypertension is a major public health concern in Africa. More than 2 out of 10 people aged older than 18 years suffer from hypertension. A number of factors contribute to hypertension in Africa. These factors include female gender, age, overweight or obesity, khat chewing, alcohol consumption, and family history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. To address the alarming rise in hypertension in Africa, behavioral risk factors should be given primary attention. Protocol registration: This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol is registered in PROSPERO with the registration ID and link as follows: CRD42022364354;[email protected]://www.york.ac.uk/inst/cr

Prevalence and distribution of schistosomiasis in Afder and Gode zone of Somali region, Ethiopia

Background: There is no recent information about the prevalence and distribution of schistosomiasis in the Somali national regional state of Ethiopia. Ethiopia launched the national integrated neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) Master Plan in June 2013. The Master Plan identified mapping NTDs as a prerequisite for launching control programs. Therefore it is important to understand the prevalence and distribution of schistosomiasis in respective regions. Materials and Methods: From February to March 2011, a cross-sectional survey was done in school-aged children from six districts of Afder Gode zone. Urine samples were collected and examined for ova of Schistosoma haematobium using the sedimentation technique and stool samples were collected and examined for S. mansoni using the Kato-Katz technique. A semistructured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. Results: Of the 523 children, 513 (98%) of them participated in the study. The prevalence of S. haematobium was 16.0% (95% confidence interval (CI); 12.8-19.2). The rate of the disease was not uniform across the various six communities studied (x2 = 208.8, P < 0.0001). Musthail district had the highest prevalence with 64.2% (95% CI; 60.0-68.3) followed by Kelafo with 11.8% (95% CI; 9.0-14.6). No infections of S. mansoni were found in these settings. There was no difference in the prevalence of infection across age groups. Boys were more likely to be infected by S. haematobium than girls (odds ratio = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.1-2.7). Conclusion: S. haematobium infection is prevalent in the region with varying distribution across the districts. According to the World Health Organization, mass drug administration should be considered in some of the districts