Deep Tillage Improves Degraded Soils in the (Sub) Humid Ethiopian Highlands

Intensification of rainfed agriculture in the Ethiopian highlands has resulted in soil degradation and hardpan formation, which has reduced rooting depth, decreased deep percolation, and increased direct runoff and sediment transport. The main objective of this study was to assess the potential impact of subsoiling on surface runoff, sediment loss, soil water content, infiltration rate, and maize yield. Three tillage treatments were replicated at five locations: (i) no tillage (zero tillage), (ii) conventional tillage (ox-driven Maresha plow, up to a depth of 15 cm), and (iii) manual deep ripping of the soil’s restrictive layers down to a depth of 60 cm (deep till). Results show that the posttreatment bulk density and penetration resistance of deep tillage was significantly less than in the traditional tillage and zero-tillage systems. In addition, the posttreatment infiltration rate for deep tillage was significantly greater, which resulted in significantly smaller runoff and sedimentation rates compared to conventional tillage and zero tillage. Maize yields were improved by 6% under deep tillage compared to conventional tillage and by 29% compared to no tillage. Overall, our findings show that deep tillage can be effective in overcoming some of the detrimental effects of hardpans in degraded soils

Dynamics of soil quality in a conserved landscape in the highland sub humid ecosystem, Northwestern Ethiopia

Several studies have assessed the dynamics of soil quality induced by soil and water conservation (SWC), but many showed disagreement over the efficacy of SWC interventions in the Ethiopian highlands. This study used a before and after soil and water conservation practices (SWCP) comparison approach to evaluate the effect of SWCP on soil quality dynamics. Fifty-four composite and 10 undisturbed soil samples were collected in 2012 (before SWCP) and 2022 (after SWCP). Statistical mean, analysis of variance, and principal component analysis were applied to test the significant differences among treatments. The findings demonstrated that SWCP has significantly improved most of the soil quality indicators such as soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, pH, total porosity, field capacity, and available water, and reduced the value of bulk density and coarse fragments. The interaction effect of landscape position and types of structures provided statistically significant results for soil organic matter, total nitrogen, magnesium, calcium, and base saturation. Soil and stone-faced soil bunds treated at lower landscapes were superior in improving soil quality attributes. The soil quality indexing showed, the overall soil quality improvement as a result of SWCP was about 32.15%. The level of improvement for different SWCPs was 32% for stone faced soil bunds and 33% for soil bunds. The findings revealed that SWCP implementation can improve soil quality. Soil organic matter is a key biological quality component that contributed 25% to the soil quality index and highly impacted soil physicochemical properties. We suggest additional assessment of best and integrated land management practices to ensure further improvement in soil quality, crop productivity, and ecosystem services in the subhumid ecosystems

Berken plow and intercropping with pigeon pea ameliorate degraded soils with a hardpan in the Ethiopian highlands

Closing the yield gap and enhancing efficiency in rainfed maize production systems in Ethiopia requires urgent action in increasing the productivity of degraded agricultural land. The degradation of land through continuous compaction and decline in the organic matter has resulted in a wide-spread formation of a hardpan that restricts deep percolation, prevents plant root development, and, ultimately can lead to increased erosion. Studies exploring practical low-cost solutions to break the hardpan are limited in Ethiopia. The main objective was to evaluate soil mechanical (i.e. modified plow or Berken plow) or biological intervention (i.e. intercropping with pigeon pea) effectiveness to enhance soil water management and crop yield of rainfed maize systems whilst reducing soil erosion and runoff. Five farm fields, each including four plots with different tillage treatments, were monitored during two rainy seasons in 2016 and 2017. The treatments were: (i) farmers practice under conventional (CT) tillage; plots tilled three times using an oxen driven local plow Maresha, (ii) no-till (NT), (iii) Berken tillage (BT), plots tilled three times using an oxen pulled Berken plow, and (iv) biological (CT + Bio), taprooted pigeon pea intercropped with maize on plots conventionally tilled. Results showed that mean tillage depth was significantly deeper in the BT (28 cm) treatment compared to CT and CT + Bio (18 cm) treatments. Measured soil penetration resistance significantly decreased up to 40 cm depth under BT and maize roots reached 1.5 times deeper compared to roots measured in the CT treatment. Under BT, the estimated water storage in the root zone was estimated at 556 mm, 1.86 times higher compared to CT, 3.11 times higher compared to NT and 0.89 times higher compared to CT + Bio. The positive effects on increased water storage and root development resulted in an average increase in maize grain (i.e. 15%, 0.95 t ha- 1) and residual above ground biomass (0.3%, 6.4 t ha- 1) leading to a positive net benefit of 138 USD ha- 1 for the BT treatment compared to the CT treatment. The negative net benefit obtained under CT and CT+Bio was mainly related to the high labor cost related to plowing, weeding, planting, and fertilizer application whilst in the NT this was related to the significantly lower maize yields. The positive effects in the BT treatment, and to some extent the CT+Bio treatment show great potential for smallholder rainfed maize systems where degraded soils with hardpans and high variability in rainfall prevail

ChatGPT Evaluation: Can It Replace Grammarly and Quillbot Tools?

This study aims to assess the capabilities of ChatGPT in comparison to widely utilized writing assistance tools such as Grammarly and Quillbot. The evaluation involves an examination of ChatGPT's performance across multiple dimensions, encompassing grammar and style correction, plagiarism detection, and overall enhancement of writing quality. Employing a series of tests and comparative analyses, this research investigates the potential suitability of ChatGPT as a viable alternative to Grammarly and Quillbot in supporting writers and enhancing the quality of written content. The outcomes and insights derived from this evaluation offer valuable guidance for individuals and professionals seeking effective writing assistance tools. This article comprehensively reviewed 10 distinct cases of Question(, covering aspects like grammar, parts of speech, proofreading, rephrasing, plagiarism detection, citation, audience engagement, writing style, tone (with a focus on optimism), and the creation of a short story complete with a title. This evaluation encompassed an assessment of various artificial intelligence tools, with specific attention given to ChatGPT. The results of this assessment demonstrated enhanced efficiency and effectiveness in achieving desired writing goals, with notable exceptions observed in addressing plagiarism and citation-related issues

Data_Sheet_1_Dynamics of soil quality in a conserved landscape in the highland sub humid ecosystem, Northwestern Ethiopia.PDF

Several studies have assessed the dynamics of soil quality induced by soil and water conservation (SWC), but many showed disagreement over the efficacy of SWC interventions in the Ethiopian highlands. This study used a before and after soil and water conservation practices (SWCP) comparison approach to evaluate the effect of SWCP on soil quality dynamics. Fifty-four composite and 10 undisturbed soil samples were collected in 2012 (before SWCP) and 2022 (after SWCP). Statistical mean, analysis of variance, and principal component analysis were applied to test the significant differences among treatments. The findings demonstrated that SWCP has significantly improved most of the soil quality indicators such as soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, pH, total porosity, field capacity, and available water, and reduced the value of bulk density and coarse fragments. The interaction effect of landscape position and types of structures provided statistically significant results for soil organic matter, total nitrogen, magnesium, calcium, and base saturation. Soil and stone-faced soil bunds treated at lower landscapes were superior in improving soil quality attributes. The soil quality indexing showed, the overall soil quality improvement as a result of SWCP was about 32.15%. The level of improvement for different SWCPs was 32% for stone faced soil bunds and 33% for soil bunds. The findings revealed that SWCP implementation can improve soil quality. Soil organic matter is a key biological quality component that contributed 25% to the soil quality index and highly impacted soil physicochemical properties. We suggest additional assessment of best and integrated land management practices to ensure further improvement in soil quality, crop productivity, and ecosystem services in the subhumid ecosystems.</p

Impact of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC)’s multidimensional approach on rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care units in 22 hospitals of 14 cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

To analyze the impact of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) Multidimensional Approach (IMA) and use of INICC Surveillance Online System (ISOS) on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates in Saudi Arabia from September 2013 to February 2017. A multicenter, prospective, before–after surveillance study on 14,961 patients in 37 intensive care units (ICUs) of 22 hospitals. During baseline, we performed outcome surveillance of VAP applying the definitions of the CDC/NHSN. During intervention, we implemented the IMA and the ISOS, which included: (1) a bundle of infection prevention practice interventions, (2) education, (3) outcome surveillance, (4) process surveillance, (5) feedback on VAP rates and consequences and (6) performance feedback of process surveillance. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed using generalized linear mixed models to estimate the effect of intervention. The baseline rate of 7.84 VAPs per 1000 mechanical-ventilator (MV)-days―with 20,927 MV-days and 164 VAPs―, was reduced to 4.74 VAPs per 1000 MV-days―with 118,929 MV-days and 771 VAPs―, accounting for a 39% rate reduction (IDR 0.61; 95% CI 0.5–0.7; P 0.001). Implementing the IMA was associated with significant reductions in VAP rates in ICUs of Saudi Arabia