Use of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in poor and remote regions – a case study from Lake Alaotra, Madagascar

The water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is one of the top ten most invasive aquatic plant species in the world. Due to its worldwide distribution, the plant has caused tremendous damage on ecosystems and human livelihoods alike. These negative impacts are especially problematic for developing countries such as Madagascar. Considering the weak economic situation of the country, using water hyacinth to generate economic profits remains the last option to manage the species. We investigated the use of water hyacinth at Lake Alaotra, the largest lake in the country. This lake and the surrounding area are of great ecological and economic relevance for Madagascar. However, the isolation of the region and poverty limit water hyacinth use only to alternatives suitable to the weak local infrastructure. The goal of this research is firstly to identify suitable water hyacinth use options according to the local conditions and to compare them with the locally used raw materials. The first part of this research identified drivers and barriers for using water hyacinth in the region according to the prevailing socioeconomic conditions. It identified especially the use of water hyacinth as raw material for fertilizers and handicrafts as suitable alternatives for Lake Alaotra. Within the second phase, water hyacinth handicrafts were produced and compared with the predominantly used traditional papyrus handicrafts regarding production path and related costs. It was found that assembling water hyacinth handicrafts was easier and faster and they could be sold at three times the sale prices of the traditional papyrus handicrafts. Within the last part, fertilizers based on water hyacinth (composts, green manure and ash) were locally produced and compared with the commonly used agricultural fertilizers NPK and cow dung. This was done by conducting a growth experiment with Chinese cabbage, a common fast-growing vegetable in the region. Additionally, the production and transportation costs of each type of fertilizer were also taken into account. The results showed high biomass gain of cabbage grown with water hyacinth composts which was also proved be cheaper than using NPK and cow dung. All in all, this research demonstrated the efficiency of water hyacinth use as compost and handicraft as a new source of income for the Alaotra region. However, the poverty and high vulnerability of the local population must be considered along the process for a successful implementation of water hyacinth use at Lake Alaotra. A participatory approach and by offering financial insurance to the farmers during the implementation phase could encourage them to test water hyacinth compost on their own fields. Due to the various external factors influencing the marketing of water hyacinth handicrafts, an intensive and sustained supervision should be provided to the craftswomen.Die Wasserhyazinthe (Eichhornia crassipes) gehört zu den zehn invasivsten Wasserpflanzenarten der Welt. Infolge ihrer weiten Verbreitung hat die Pflanze enorme ökologische, ökonomische und soziale Schäden verursacht. Diese negativen Auswirkungen sind besonders für Entwicklungsländer wie Madagaskar problematisch. In Anbetracht der schwachen wirtschaftlichen Situation des Landes stellt die Nutzung der Wasserhyazinthe zur Erzielung wirtschaftlicher Gewinne eine gute Alternative dar. In dieser Promotion wurde die Verwendung der Wasserhyazinthe als Rohstoff am Alaotra See, dem größten Süßwassersee Madagaskars, untersucht. Der See und das Umland sind für Madagaskar von großer ökologischer und ökonomischer Bedeutung. Die Isolation der Region und die vorherrschende Armut limitieren die Nutzung der Wasserhyazinthe jedoch nur auf solche Alternativen, die für die schwache lokale Infrastruktur geeignet sind. Ziel der Promotion war es zunächst geeignete Nutzungsmöglichkeiten für die Wasserhyazinthe entsprechend den lokalen Gegebenheiten zu identifizieren und diese mit den lokal verwendeten Rohstoffen zu vergleichen. Im ersten Teil der Studie wurden Treiber und Barrieren für die Verwendung entsprechend der, in der Region vorherrschenden sozioökonomischen Bedingungen identifiziert. Hierbei stellte sich insbesondere die Verwendung der Wasserhyazinthe als Rohstoff für Düngemittel und Flechtprodukte als geeignete Alternative heraus. In der zweiten Phase wurden Flechtprodukte aus der Wasserhyazinthe hergestellt und mit den traditionell hergestellten Flechtprodukten aus Papyrus hinsichtlich der Produktionswege und der damit verbundenen Kosten verglichen. Es zeigte sich, dass das Herstellen von Flechtprodukten aus der Wasserhyazinthe einfacher und schneller war und diese zum dreifachen Verkaufspreis (im Vergleich zu traditionellen Flechtprodukten) verkauft werden konnten. Im letzten Teil des Forschungsvorhabens wurden Düngemittel auf der Basis der Wasserhyazinthe vor Ort produziert und mit den gängigen Düngemitteln wie dem Mineraldünger NPK verglichen. Dazu wurde ein Wachstumsexperiment mit Chinakohl durchgeführt. Zusätzlich wurden die Produktions- und Transportkosten der hergestellten Düngemittel berücksichtigt. Die Verwendung von Wasserhyazinthenkompost stellte sich als effizienter und kostengünstiger heraus. Insgesamt zeigt die Promotion, dass die Nutzung der Wasserhyazinthe als Kompost und zur Herstellung von Flechtprodukten effizient und einfach ist und als neue Einkommensquelle für die Alaotra Region genutzt werden kann. Allerdings müssen für eine erfolgreiche Umsetzung der Wasserhyazinthennutzung die Armut und schwache Infrastruktur berücksichtigt werden. Ein partizipatorischer Ansatz und eine intensive Betreuung sind vor Ort zur Umsetzung der Nutzung der Wasserhyazinth notwendig

An alternative for agriculture at Lake Alaotra, Madagascar: organic fertilizer and soil amendment from the invasive water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

In the context of a globally increasing human population coupled with continuous environmental degradation, eco-friendly agricultural innovations are essential to reduce poverty and food insecurity in the world. This is particularly evident in developing countries where nature conservation and agricultural production remain in conflict. We investigated the effectiveness of using a locally free natural resource, the invasive plant species water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), as a source for organic fertilizer and soil amendment (composts, green manure and ash) at Lake Alaotra, one of the most important agricultural areas of Madagascar. Five different products were produced under the local conditions of Lake Alaotra. In addition, we conducted a growth experiment with Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis) to evaluate the effectiveness of the water hyacinth products in comparison to the mineral fertilizer NPK—nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium—and to cow dung. The results of our study show that it was easily possible to produce water hyacinth fertilizer/soil amendment under the remote conditions of Lake Alaotra. In addition, our results show that a higher biomass gain of Chinese cabbage treated with water hyacinth composts was achieved compared to NPK and cow dung. A higher biomass gain was mainly obtained due to an improvement of soil structure after compost addition. Water hyacinth green manure and ash showed low performance. Besides, applying composts was cheaper than buying NPK or cow dung. Our results show that water hyacinth can serve as a fertilizer and soil amendment and could help to improve agriculture at Lake Alaotra. RésuméDans un contexte d’accroissement mondial de la population humaine couplé d’une dégradation continue de l’environnement, les innovations agriculturales respectueuses de l’environnement sont essentielles pour réduire la pauvreté et l’insécurité alimentaire mondiale. Cette situation est particulièrement évidente au niveau des pays en voie de développement où la conservation de la nature et la production agricole sont en constant conflit. Nous avons étudié l’efficacité de l’usage d’une ressource naturelle locale, la plante envahissante jacinthe d’eau (Eichhornia crassipes) comme source de fertilisant organique (composts, engrais vert et cendre) au niveau du Lac Alaotra, une des plus importantes zones agricoles de Madagascar. Cinq types de fertilisants ont été produits à partir de la jacinthe d’eau selon les conditions locales du Lac Alaotra. De plus, nous avons conduit une expérience avec le chou de chine (Brassica rapa, ssp. chinensis) pour évaluer les performances des fertilisants de la jacinthe d’eau en comparaison avec les fertilisants locaux NPK (11% d’azote, 22% de phosphore et 16% de potassium) et le fumier de bétail. Nos résultats montrent que la production de fertilisants à partir de la jacinthe d’eau et son usage pour l’amendement du sol sont possibles et faciles à réaliser dans les conditions locales. De plus, un gain de biomasse important a été observé avec les choux traités avec les composts de jacinthe d’eau en comparaison avec le NPK et le fumier de bétail. L’important gain de biomasse est certainement dû à l’amélioration de la structure du sol après l’application du compost. L’engrais vert et les cendres de jacinthe d’eau ont montré cependant de maigres performances. De plus, l’utilisation du compost est moins chère par rapport à celle du NPK et du fumier de bétail. Nos résultats montrent que la jacinthe d’eau peut être appliquée en tant que fertilisant et pour l’amendement du sol, et par conséquent peut contribuer à l’amélioration de l’agriculture au niveau du Lac Alaotra

A STUDY ON RECTAL CARRIAGE OF MULTIRESISTANT GRAM-NEGATIVE BACILLI IN CHILDREN ATTENDING PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL AMBOHIMIANDRA, MADAGASCAR

Introduction: Gram-negative bacilli are often responsible for rectal colonization in children. These bacilli normally sensitive to third generation cephalosporins (3GC) have acquired disturbing antibiotic resistance in recent years, hence the interest of our study. The aims are to monitor the epidemiological evolution resistance of Enterobacteriaceae with antibiotics in particular β-lactams, estimate the prevalence of enterobacteria responsible for rectal colonization and their resistance to 3GC. Material and methods: This is a descriptive prospective study of Enterobacteriaceae in children attending Ambohimiandra Hospital for a period of 3 months (from 01 August to 31 October 2015). We have done a rectal swab of all the children whom we have parental consent. The samples were processed at the Laboratory of Medical Biology Faravohitra. The parameters studied are the antecedent of therapy antibiotic, notion of recent hospitalization and the results of microbiological examinations. Results: Of the 55 bacteriological samples obtained, 39 strains of Enterobacteriaceae were isolated, Escherichia coli (n = 12), Enterobacter cloacae (n = 13), Citrobacter spp (n = 1), Salmonella spp. (N = 5) and Shigella spp (n = 2), Proteus mirabilis (n = 1). Six isolated strains (50%) of Escherichia coli showed resistance to ceftriaxone, of which 4 (33.33%) produced ESBL. Conclusion: Gram-negative bacilli responsible for colonization of the digestive tract have several resistances to β-lactams, in particular 3GC, by the production of enzymes (Expanded spectrum beta-lactamase or ESBL and cephalosporinase or CASE) which hydrolyze these antibiotics. Measures to combat the spread of these phenomena resistance must be implemented in the Malagasy community to limit them. KEYWORDS: Rectal porous; Gram negative bacillus; ESBL; Multiresistence

SEROPREVALENCE OF HIV, HBV, HCV, SYPHILIS AMONG DONORS OF BLOOD AT THE NATIONAL CENTER OF BLOOD TRANSFUSION ANTANANARIVO IN 2014

Introduction: Currently, routine screening for HIV, hepatitis B and C and syphilis is done in most blood banks in the world. Methods: We conducted a prospective descriptive study at the National Blood Transfusion Center (CNTS) Antananarivo for a period of 7 months from January to July 2014, which aims to assess the socio-clinical factors accompanying ineligibility of blood products and to determine the seroprevalence of HIV, hepatitis B, C and syphilis of the blood donors who have spent at CNTS HU JRA Antananarivo during this period. All donors who have abnormal results of microbiological examinations were included. The parameters used and studied were age, sex, marital status, blood and results microbiological examinations for HIV, hepatitis B, C, and syphilis. The prevalence of blood donors who presented a serological abnormality is 3.95% with a predominance of donors with hepatitis B (72.93%) followed by syphilis (18.29%) of the hepatitis C (6.95%) and HIV (1.80%) and a predominance of young people. Conclusion: At the CNTS Antananarivo, the HBV is the main definitive reason for exclusion of these donors. This high prevalence is a real public health problem for the country\u27s health authorities. The search for maximum safety in blood transfusion through firstly a better selection of blood donors by implementing a policy of strong loyalty and other early diagnosis of major diseases transmissible by blood and likely to infect the recipient. KEYWORDS: Antananarivo; Blood donor; Microbiology; Seroprevalence

SEROPREVALENCE OF HIV, HBV, HCV, SYPHILIS AMONG DONORS OF BLOOD AT THE NATIONAL CENTER OF BLOOD TRANSFUSION ANTANANARIVO IN 2014

Introduction: Currently, routine screening for HIV, hepatitis B and C and syphilis is done in most blood banks in the world. Methods: We conducted a prospective descriptive study at the National Blood Transfusion Center (CNTS) Antananarivo for a period of 7 months from January to July 2014, which aims to assess the socio-clinical factors accompanying ineligibility of blood products and to determine the seroprevalence of HIV, hepatitis B, C and syphilis of the blood donors who have spent at CNTS HU JRA Antananarivo during this period. All donors who have abnormal results of microbiological examinations were included. The parameters used and studied were age, sex, marital status, blood and results microbiological examinations for HIV, hepatitis B, C, and syphilis. The prevalence of blood donors who presented a serological abnormality is 3.95% with a predominance of donors with hepatitis B (72.93%) followed by syphilis (18.29%) of the hepatitis C (6.95%) and HIV (1.80%) and a predominance of young people. Conclusion: At the CNTS Antananarivo, the HBV is the main definitive reason for exclusion of these donors. This high prevalence is a real public health problem for the country's health authorities. The search for maximum safety in blood transfusion through firstly a better selection of blood donors by implementing a policy of strong loyalty and other early diagnosis of major diseases transmissible by blood and likely to infect the recipient. KEYWORDS: Antananarivo; Blood donor; Microbiology; Seroprevalence