Scaling up climate services for agriculture in Mali Initial findings from piloted implementation of PICSA approach in Africa RISING project intervention zone, southern Mali

The Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA) approach, designed by the University of Reading (UoR), focuses on improving farmers' livelihood and resilience against the effect of climate change. It provides farmers with accurate, locally specific climate and weather information; coupled with diverse, locally pertinent options for crops, livestock and other livelihood activities; and the use of participatory planning tools to improve and enlighten their decision making based on their individual situations. PICSA is a step by step approach, primarily designed for field extensionists to help them integrate new tools in their activities with farmers and improve the efficiency and impact of those activities on farmer's enterprises

Near-complete genome sequences of multiple genotype 1 African swine fever virus isolates from 2016 to 2018 in Cameroon

African swine fever virus has been endemic in Cameroon since 1982. Here, we announce the sequences of Cameroon/2016/C1, Cameroon/2016/C5, Cameroon/2017/C-A2, Cameroon/2018/C02, and Cameroon/2018/CF3, five genotype 1 African swine fever virus genomes collected from domestic pigs between 2016 and 2018

Compositions and mobility of major, dD, d18O, trace, and REEs patterns in water sources at Benue River Basin-Cameroon: Implications for recharge mechanisms, geoenvironmental

Hydrogeochemical data are required for understanding of water quality, provenance and chemical composition for the 2117700 km2 Niger River Basin. This study presents hydrogeochemical analysis of the Benue River Basin, a major tributary of the Niger River. The distribution of, major ions, Si, δD and δ18O, Trace and Rare Earth Elements (TE and REEs, respectively) composition in 86 random water samples, revealed mixing of, groundwater with surface water to recharge shallow aquifers by July and September rains. Equilibration of groundwater with kaolinite, and montmorillonites by, incongruent dissolution imprints hydrochemical signatures that vary from Ca+Mg-NO3 in shallow wells to Na+K-HCO3 in boreholes and surface waters, with undesirable concentrations of fluoride identified as major source of fluorosis in the local population. Our results further indicate nonisochemical dissolution of local rocks by water, with springs, wells and borehole waters exhibiting surface watergaining, weakest water-rock interaction, and strongest water-rock interaction processes, respectively. Poorly mobile elements (Al, Th and Fe) are preferentially retained in the solid residue of incongruent dissolution, while alkalis, alkaline earth and oxo-anion-forming elements (U, Mo, Na, K, Rb, Ca, Li, Sr, Ba, Zn, Pb) are more mobile and enriched in the aqueous phase, whereas transition metals display an intermediate behaviour. Trace elements vary in the order of Ba > Sr > Zn > Li > V > Cu > Ni > Co > As > Cr > Sc > Ti > Be > Pb > Cd, with Potentially Harmful Elements such as Cd, As, and Pb mobilized in acidic media attaining near undesirable levels in populated localities. With the exception of Y, REEs distribution in groundwater in the order of Eu > Sm > Ce >Nd > La > Gd > Pr > Dy > Er > Yb > Ho > Tb > Tm, differ slightly with surface water composition. Post-Archean Average Australian Shale normalized REEs patterns ranging from 1.08-199, point to the dissolution of silicates as key sources of trace elements to groundwater, coupled to deposition by eolian dust

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N8) Virus, Cameroon, 2017

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N8) viruses of clade 2.3.4.4 spread into West Africa in late 2016 during the autumn bird migration. Genetic characterization of the complete genome of these viruses detected in wild and domestic birds in Cameroon in January 2017 demonstrated the occurrence of multiple virus introductions