Prevalence of ticks on local and crossbred cattle in and around Asella town, southeast Ethiopia

The prevalence of bovine tick species in and around Asella town was studied over a period of eight months from October 2007 to May 2008. Adult ticks were collected from 384 local and crossbred cattle which were kept under extensive management system and at different agro-ecological zones. A total of 6298 adult ticks were collected from half body part of cattle, and were identified to genera and species level. Five tick species of four genera were identified, in which two species belong to genus Amblyomma, and one species each in the genus Boophilus, Rhipicephalus and Hyalomma. Of all the total ticks collected, Amblyomma, Rhipicephalus, Boophilus and Hyalomma constituted 60.1%, 22%, 15.4% and 2.5%, respectively. The tick species encountered were A. variegatum (48.2%), Rhipicephalus evertsi-evertsi (22%), Boophilus decolaratus (15.4%), A. cohaerence (11.9%) and Hyalomma marginatum rufipes (2.5%). The burden of ticks on cattle had statistically significant difference (

Evaluation of disease incidence and severity and yield loss of finger millet varieties and mycelial growth inhibition of Pyricularia grisea isolates using biological antagonists and fungicides in vitro condition.

Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct a survey on the disease incidence and severity at 5 agroecological zones of Ethiopia. Moreover, the study was also designed to carry out pathogenicity test, estimate yield losses caused by test pathogen and in vitro evaluation of fungicides and biocontrol agents against finger millet blast isolates. Methodology and Results: The incidence of finger millet blast was assessed as the percentage of plants with visible symptoms in a field and greenhouse. Blast severity was also evaluated as the percentage of leaf area with symptoms. From the surveyed areas, maximum disease incidence and severity were recorded in west Wollega zone with 63.03 and 34.60%, and lowest disease incidence and severity was recorded in Awi zone with 46.7 and 15.7%, respectively. A total of 42 isolates of P. grisea were collected and isolated from infected finger millet plants and wild relatives from five agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia. The pathogenicity test conducted in greenhouse on three finger millet varieties also indicated that among P. grisea isolates, Pg.11, Pg.41 and Pg.40 showed the highest disease incidence on all the three varieties with 74.8, 69.5 and 66.5%, respectively. Moreover, the highest disease severity with 27.7 and 27.8% were observed by isolates Pg.11 and Pg.41, respectively. In vitro evaluation and testing of Trichoderma viride have showed maximum mycelial growth inhibition with 77.1% and 74.1% by isolates Pg.41 and Pg.22, respectively; while Pseudomonas fluorescens showed maximum mycelial growth inhibition by isolates Pg.40 (57.2%), followed by Pg.26 (56.1%). The efficacy tests of four fungicides evaluated for their antifungal activity showed Sancozeb (85.50- 88.40%) as the most effective fungicide to inhibit mycelial growth of P. grisea.Conclusion and application of findings: The highest percent of mycelial growth inhibition of P. grisea isolates was observed by T.harzianum and T. viride and followed by Pseudomonas fluorescens. Sancozeb was the most effective fungicide and also showed the highest mycelial growth inhibition on the isolate of P. grisea and followed by ridomil, bayleton, and curzate. From in vitro evaluation of the effectiveness of biological agents and fungicides against the mycelia growth of P.grisea isolates, fungicides were most effective for the control of blast disease of finger millet than biological agents.Keywords: Biocontrol, Blast disease, Eleusine coracana, Fungicide, Pyricularia grisea

Head Injury-A Neglected Public Health Problem: A Four-Month Prospective Study at Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia

Background: Trauma, especially head trauma, is an expanding major public health problem and the leading cause of death of the young and productive part of the world’s population. Research is mainly done in high-income countries where only a small proportion of the worldwide fatalities occur. The intention of this study was to analyze head injury in a setting where most patients in low- and middleincome countries receive treatment, a referral hospital with general but no neurosurgical service like Jimma University Specialized Hospital. The study aims to provide surgeons, hospital managers and health planners working in similar set-ups with baseline information for further investigation and prevention programs intending to reduce the burden of head injury.Methods: All head injury patients presented to Jimma University Specialized Hospital between March and June 2010 were included in this prospective research. Epidemiological, clinical and management data were collected for the study.Results: Out of 52 patients, 47 were males. The median age was 20.0 years (SD=13.3). Fights (n=20, 38.5%) and road traffic accidents (n=19, 36.5%) were the most common causes of head injury. Half of the patients sustained mild and 36.5% sustained severe head injury. The initial GCS had a significant correlation with the outcome. The mortality rate was 21.2%. Of all patients 76.9% were managed conservatively.Conclusion: Prevention of road traffic accidents and improvement of conservative care were identified as major methods to reduce the burden of head injury in a set-up similar to Jimma. Further studies on head injury patients in low-income countries should be done.Keywords: Head injury, Traffic accidents, Violence, Lo

Spectral soil analysis for fertilizer recommendations by coupling with QUEFTS for maize in East Africa: A sensitivity analysis

Laboratory analysis of soil properties is prohibitively expensive and difficult to scale across the soils in sub Saharan Africa. This results in a lack of soil-specific fertilizer recommendations, where recommendation can only be provided at a regional scale. This study aims to assess the feasibility of using spectral soil analysis to provide soil-specific fertilizer recommendations. Using a range of spectrometers [NeoSpectra Saucer (NIR), FieldSpec 4 (vis-NIR) with contact probe or mug light interface, FTIR Bruker Tensor 27 (MIR)], 346 archived soil samples (0–20 cm) with known soil chemical properties collected from Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania were scanned. Partial least square regression (PLSR) was used to develop prediction models for selected soil properties including pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen, Olsen P, and exchangeable K. These predicted properties, and associated uncertainty, were used to derive fertilizer recommendations for maize using the Quantitative Evaluation of the Fertility of Tropical Soils (QUEFTS) model parameters for sub-Saharan Africa. Most soil properties (pH, SOC, total nitrogen, and exchangeable K) were well predicted (Concordance Correlation Coefficient values between 0.88 and 0.96 and Ratio of Performance to Interquartile values between 1.4 and 5.9) by all the spectrometers but there were performance variations between soil properties and spec- trometers. Use of the predicted soil data for the development of fertilizer recommendations gave promising results when compared to the recommendations obtained with the conventional soil analysis. For example, the least performing NeoSpectra Saucer over/under-estimated up to 8 and 24 kg ha-1N and P, respectively, though there was insignificant variation in estimation of P fertilizer among spectrometers. We conclude that spectral technology can be used to determine major soil properties with satisfactory precision, sufficient for specific fertilizer decision making in East Africa, possibly even with portable equipment in the fiel

Landscape positions dictating crop fertilizer responses in wheat-based farming systems of East African Highlands

Improving fertilizer use efficiency has remained a challenge, particularly for small-scale farming in undulating ‘abnormal’ landscapes of East Africa. Milne's 1930s concept on ‘Catena’ was considered as a breakthrough in understanding soil variability and its implication on productivity in East African highlands. However, there is limited information on how the ‘Catena’ features could be used for fine tuning fertilizer recommendations. We initiated multiple on-farm replicated experiments in three wheat-growing districts (Endamohoni, Lemo and Worreilu) in the Ethiopian highlands in 2014, 2015 and 2016 to assess landscape positions affecting crop-nutrient responses, identify yield limiting nutrients across the ‘Catena’ (N, P, K, S and Zn) and quantify effects of landscape positions on resources use efficiency. We clustered farmlands across the ‘Catena’ (Hillslopes, Midslopes and Footslopes) based on land scape positions in the respective locations. Wheat yield was more strongly and significantly affected by landscape positions (P N92 P46) while differences between landscape positions diminish at lower rates. Yield benefits due to application of K was significant only in the dry years (P < 0.05), while there was hardly any yield benefit from the application of zinc and sulfur. The crop nitrogen recovery fraction and crop water productivity decreased with an increasing slope regardless of nutrient combinations. The results indicated that the landscape position could be considered as a proxy indicator for targeted fertilizer application, particularly in farms with undulating topographic features. Hillslopes are better served by the application of organic fertilizers along with conservation measures as applying higher rates of mineral fertilizer in hillslopes would rather increase the risk of downstream nutrient movement

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Best Management Practices On Soil Erosion Reduction Using the SWAT Model: for the Case of Gumara Watershed, Abbay (Upper Blue Nile) Basin

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of best management practices (BMPs) to reduce soil erosion in Gumara watershed of the Abbay (Upper Blue Nile) Basin using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The model was calibrated (1995–2002) and validated (2003–2007) using the SWAT-CUP based on observed streamflow and sediment yield data at the watershed outlet. The study evaluated four individual BMP Scenarios; namely, filter strips (FS), stone/soil bunds (SSB), grassed waterways (GW) and reforestation of croplands (RC), and three blended BMP Scenarios, which combines individual BMPS of FS and RC (FS & RC), GW and RC (GW & RC), and SSB and GW (SSB & GW). Mean annual sediment yield at the baseline conditions was estimated at 19.7 t ha−1yr−1, which was reduced by 13.7, 30.5, 16.2 and 25.9% in the FS, SSB, GW, and RC Scenarios, respectively at the watershed scale. The highest reduction efficiency of 34% was achieved through the implementations of the SSB & GW Scenario. The GW & RC, and FS & RC Scenarios reduced the baseline sediment yield by 32% and 29.9%, respectively. The study therefore concluded that the combined Scenarios mainly SSB & GW, and GW & RC can be applied to reduce the high soil erosion in the Gumera watershed, and similar agro-ecological watersheds in Ethiopia. In cases where applying the combined scenarios is not possible, the SSB Scenario can yield significant soil erosion reduction

The Covid-19 Pandemic and Household Rice Consumption Patterns in Ethiopia: The Case of Addis Ababa

The outbreak of COVID-19 also resulted in moderate changes to the operation of the domestic rice value chain in Ethiopia. These were caused by changing responses of value chain actors (domestic and others engaged in rice imports) to the COVID-19 prevention measures put in place by the government. These changes increased the price of rice, which favoured rice producers and adversely affected urban consumers. This research note assesses household rice consumption patterns in Addis Ababa by comparing the situation before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a representative sample of households

Accelerating technical change through ICT: Evidence from a video-mediated extension experiment in Ethiopia

Despite enthusiasm around applications of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to smallholder agriculture in many lower-income countries, there are still many questions on the effectiveness of ICT-based approaches. This study assesses the impacts of video-mediated agricultural extension service provision on farmers’ adoption of improved agricultural technologies and practices in Ethiopia using data from a two-year randomized experiment. Our results show that the video-mediated extension approach significantly increases uptake of recommended technologies and practices by improving extension access and farmer knowledge. Specifically, we find that video-mediated extension reaches a wider audience than the government’s conventional extension approach and leads to higher levels of farmer understanding and uptake of the subject technologies in those locations randomly assigned to the program. While our results also point to greater extension access and greater knowledge among female spouses in locations where both male and female spouses were targeted by the program, we do not find clear evidence that a more inclusive approach translates into higher uptake of the subject technologies. Finally, we find that the video-mediated approach becomes less costly as the scale of operation increases

Scoping Study on Ethiopian Sesame Value Chain

The Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is the largest non-profit public agricultural research group globally. Recently, it has restructured itself into One-CGIAR with the intention of integrating its capabilities, knowledge, assets, people, and global presence for a new era of intercon nected and partnership-driven research towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One-CGIAR led the development of about 30 initiatives that aimed at addressing one more of the key impact areas of SDGs. One of these initiatives is “Rethinking Food Markets and Value Chains for Inclu sion and Sustainability,” referred to as rethinking markets in short. Rethinking Markets Initiative aims to provide evidence on what types of bundled innovations, incentive structures, and policies are most effec tive for creating more equitable sharing of income and employment opportunities in growing food markets, while reducing the food sector’s environmental footprint. The initiative has four work packages addressing different but interrelated issues and that are being implemented in one or more countries. Work Package 1 (WP1) is about making globally integrated value chains inclusive, efficient, and environmentally sustainable