Effect of Furrow Method and Mulch on Bulb Yield and Water Productivity of Irrigated Onion under Central Highland Vertisol of Ethiopia

አህፅሮት ይህ የምርምር ሥራ በመስኖ በሚመረት ሽንኩርት ላይ በጣም ውጤታማ የውኃ ቆጣቢ ቴክኖሎጂዎችን ለመምረጥ እና የውኃ ምርታማነትን ለማሻሻል በደብረ ዘይት የግብርና ምርምር ማዕከል የተካሄደ ነው፡፡ ሙከራው የተካሄደው በሶስት የቦይ መስኖ ውኃ አሰጣጥ ዘዴዎች እና በሶስት አፈር የመሸፈን ዘዴዎች በተከፋፈለ መደብ ውስጥ ነው፡፡ ከጥናቱ ውጤት እንደተገኘው የተለያዩ የቦይ መስኖ ዘዴዎች በሽንኩርት ምርትና ውኃ አጠቃቀም ላይ ከፍተኛ ተፅዕኖ አሳድሯል፡፡ በተጨማሪም፣ የሽንኩርት ዕድገት፣ የምርት እና ምርታማነትን ከማሻሻል አንፃር የተለያዩ የትነት መከላከያ ልባስ ዘዴዎች መካከል የታየው ተፅዕኖ  ከፍተኛ እንዳልሆነ ውጤቱ አሳይቷል፡፡ ይሁንና በጣም ከፍተኛ የሆነ የሽንኩርት ምርት (39.5 ቶን በሄክታር) በተለመደው መደበኛ የመስኖ ዘዴ የተመዘገበ ሲሆን ተለዋጭ የቦይ መስኖ ውኃ አሰጣጥ (34.3 ቶን በሄክታር) ምርት በማስገኘት በሁለተኛነት ተመዝግቧል፡፡ ሆኖም ከፍተኛ የውኃ አጠቃቀም ውጤታማነት (9.7 ኪ.ግ/ኩዩቢክ ሜትር) የተገኘው በተለዋጭው የመስኖ ዘዴ ምክንያት ሲሆን ይህም ከተለመደው የመስኖ ውኃ አሰጣጥ የውኃ ፍጆታ (5.7 ኪግ/ኩዩቢክ ሜትር) ጋር ሲነፃፀር በጣም ከፍተኛ ነው፡፡ ስለሆነም የሽንኩርት ምርት እና የውኃ ምርታማነት ከተለምዶ የመስኖ ውኃ አሰጣጥ ዘዴ ከ18 እስከ 22 በመቶ ጭማሪ አሳይቷል፡፡ ተለዋጭ የቦይ መስኖ ውኃ አሰጣጥ ዘዴ ደግሞ ከተለመደው እስከ 42 በመቶ የውሃ አጠቃቀምን ምርታማነትን አሳይቷል፡፡ ስለዚህ የመስኖ ውሃ እጥረት ባለባቸው አከባቢዎች ተለዋጭ የቦይ መስኖ ውኃ አሰጣጥ ዘዴ የአፈርን በፕላስቲክ የመሸፈን ዘዴን በማቀናጀት በተለያየ ምክንያት የሚባክነውን የመስኖ ውኃ በከፍተኛ ሁኔታ መቀነስ እንደሚቻል የተገኘው ውጤት ያሳያል፡፡   Abstract The aim of this study was to select the most effective water-saving techniques and improve the water use efficiency of irrigated onions under limited agricultural water availability. The experiment was conducted in split plot design with three types of furrow irrigation methods and mulch types in three replications. The result revealed that different types of furrow method and mulch type are significantly affected (p<0.01) marketable yield of onion. It has been observed that the significantly highest marketable yield (39.5 t/ha) of onion was recorded due to CFI and followed by AFI method (34.3 t/ha). However, the highest WUE (9.7 kg/m3) was obtained due to AFI method when compared with the CFI method of 5.7 kg/m3. Hence, there was 18 to 22% increment of marketable yield and WUE of the onion by applying mulching over the non-mulching condition and also 42% improvement of WUE by using AFI over the conventional furrow method. Therefore, for maximizing the marketable yield of onion under limiting irrigation water resources, irrigation of onion could be done with AFI method with plastic mulch application to minimize evaporation loss and maximize water productivity of onion for similar agro-ecology and soil type

Farmers’ perception towards Awassi Menz crossbred sheep and management practice in North Shoa

The study was carried out in Basonawerena and Angolelatera districts in north shoa zone of Amhara region,Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were to assess the perception of the farmers on the distributed crossbredsand the management practice under take in the area. A total of 150 households were selected purposively toassess perception of farmers. Data were gathered through semi-structured questionnaire. The results showed thatthe major feed resources during dry and wet seasons were natural pasture and crop residue. The majority of thefarmers in both districts (94.44% in Basonaworena and 93.33% in Angolelatera) provide special management forthe crossbred lambs. The major diseases in both districts are Fasciola (liver fluke), pasteurolosis and sheep poxin order of importance. Farmers comparative ranking of crossbreds and local sheep showed that crossbred ramswere better in growth, wool production, and appearance but have higher feed requirements, whereas locals werebetter in meat quality (taste) and resistance to disease in both districts.Keywords: Perception, Crossbreeding and management practic

Quality management of education in Ethiopian public universities

Quality management of higher education is a vital concern today. The purpose of this study was to examine education quality management practices of Ethiopian public universities and to investigate a relationship between three dependent variables (planning for quality education, implementation of plans and performance improvement) and five independent variables (identification of quality education, considering customers’ needs, performance tracking, education quality management strategies and taking actions). Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected by means of questionnaires and interviews. Respondents of the questionnaire items were 170 education managers and student union representatives. In addition, ten senior instructors and ten senior students were interviewed. The responses obtained using questionnaires were analysed using frequencies, percentages, means, modes, chi-square tests and Spearman’s correlation. Responses obtained using open ended items on the questionnaires and interview responses were analysed qualitatively using themes of issues most frequently obtained. This study showed that: in most Ethiopian public universities the educational quality planning process is not participatory. There is a gap in using their plans in guiding their day to day activities. Most universities do not regularly collect data on satisfaction levels of their customers. Educational process changes are not tested on small scale before a wide spread application. It also showed that there is a strong positive relationship between performance improvement and the four independent variables namely: considering customers’ needs, performance tracking, teaching methodologies and taking actions in Ethiopian public universities. Consequently, recommendations have been given so as to improve education quality management practices of Ethiopian public universities. This study hopefully contributes a lot for performance improvement of similar higher education system.Educational Leadership and ManagementD. Ed. (Education Management

Assessment of the veterinary cost recovery scheme in the Amhara region, Ethiopia

This study was conducted in November, 2015 in selected Woredas of Amhara region with the aim of assessing the impact of veterinary cost recovery on efficiency of public private livestock services and to share the experience of the region with other regional states. Structured questionnaire and a field survey with focus group discussion were applied on a total of 475 randomly selected households. Animal health service in the Amhara region is clearly dominated by the public sector. Private-sector involvement was prominent only in the veterinary drug sales and treatment services. Seventy five percent of livestock owners responded that they received veterinary services from their residence within 1km radius. The results indicated that only 18% of respondents were satisfied by clinical examination provided by public sector. There was wide disparity in the effectiveness of delivery of animal health services between public and private sectors in the study Woredas. Majority of farmers were not been satisfied with the services provided by private sector. The supply of drugs is increasing especially after implementation of veterinary cost recovery scheme but with the limited ranges. Most respondents had positive views regarding availability of veterinary drugs (62.2%) and vaccines (78.1%). Many livestock owners believed that illegal veterinary drug sales have decreased after implementation of veterinary cost recovery scheme (VCRS). The fact that payment for veterinary services has already been adopted by livestock owners in the study Woredas could be considered as a good opportunity to start a full cost recovery scheme as well as pave the way for initiating veterinary privatization in some pilot Woredas.Keywords: Amhara Region; Drug sales; Private; Public; Revolving fund; Veterinary cost recovery schem

Practical experience of vaccinators and vaccine handlers in vaccine cold chain management: A phenomenological study

AbstractBackground: As the means of storing and transporting vaccines while maintaining their potency, cold chain storage is the most critical element of immunization. This study explores factors that contribute to vaccine wastage in public health facilities in Oromia Special Zone, Ethiopia, and focuses on how this knowledge can empower public health governors’ efforts in relation to effective vaccine cold chain management. Methods: A phenomenological study design was employed with key informants (n=13). Data-driven coding was used and content analysis was performed using NVivo 11 plus. A narrative strategy was also employed. Results: The present study identified a range of factors that contribute to vaccine wastage related to logistics, immunization practices, vial size, health professionals, and institutions. The presence of one these factors may trigger the appearance of another. The identified factors should be considered as complementary, and the notable consensus among key informants made the results generic and relevant to vaccination service around the world. Conclusions: Various factors contribute to vaccine wastage. The contributing factors for vaccine wastage identified in this study should be considered by health professionals and public health governors when drafting and implementing intervention strategies for improving vaccine cold chain management for similar health facilities operating around the world. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2021; 35(1):29-37] Key words: Vaccine wastage, contributing factors, cold chain management

Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of irradiated Salmonella Gallinarum against homologous challenge infection in Bovans brown chickens

Fowl typhoid is a systemic poultry disease caused by Salmonella Gallinarum (SG). It is responsible for significant economic loss, due to its severe  morbidity and mortality. An irradiated vaccine is one of the possible alternatives to prevent and control fowl typhoid. This study aimed to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy of irradiated SG using a randomized control trial in chicken. A field strain of SG was exposed to different doses of gamma irradiation to determine its effect on the viability of SG. Safety and immunogenicity were assessed by administering irradiated SG orally to 3 groups (5 each) of 5 weeks old Bovans brown chickens at 2400, 2500, and 2600 gray (Gy). The protective efficacy of 108colony forming units (CFU) of SG irradiated at 2400 Gy administered orally and subcutaneously was then evaluated using homologous challenge infection and compared with SG 9R commercial vaccine using 40, 5-week old Bovans brown chickens where the chickens were randomly assigned to 4 groups. Chickens in Group 1were exposed to 108 CFU of irradiated SG orally; Group 2 to the same dose subcutaneously; Group 3 to SG 9R strain commercial vaccine subcutaneously, Group 4 to phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) orally. Data related to survival, antibody response, and pathological lesions were recorded. Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Fisher’s exact tests were used to examine for statistical  significance. Irradiation at 2600 Gy caused complete inactivation of SG whereas SG exposed to 2400 Gy showed better immunogenicity and was safe for chickens. Antibody response in a group of chickens vaccinated with irradiated SG administered subcutaneously (SC) was significantly higher than  those vaccinated with the SG 9R vaccine on day 7 (p=0.003) and day 14 (p=0.002) post-immunization. Comparative evaluation of the protective efficacy based on the mortality rate of chickens after challenge showed that 2400 Gy irradiated SG vaccine administered SC and SG 9R vaccine-induced equal protection of 50% while the irradiated vaccine administered orally protected only 10% of chickens against homologous challenge infection. SG was not isolated from the liver, spleen, and feces of chickens that survived challenge infection until the end of the experiment. Irradiated SG administered SC is shown to be a promising vaccine against fowl typhoid. Further studies using a large sample size involving tuning of irradiation dose to improve immunogenicity and use of booster vaccination are recommended. Keywords: Chicken; Fowl typhoid; Gamma irradiation; Salmonella Gallinarum; Vaccin

Melhoria da qualidade ambiental de terras agricultáveis por meio da silvopastagem no sudeste dos Estados Unidos

Nossa hipótese é de que devido à habilidade das árvores seqüestrarem carbono (C) no perfil profundo do solo e remover o excesso de nutrientes dos solos, o sistema de silvopastagem agroflorestal poderia melhorar a qualidade ambiental de terras agricultáveis. Para testar esta hipótese, dois grupos de experimentos foram conduzidos em duas ordens de solos na Florida, Espodossolos e Ultissolos, com dois objetivos principais: i) determinar a acumulação de C do solo e investigar as fontes de C para as plantas nas frações dos solos, e ii) quantificar o fósforo solúvel em água (FSA) e estimar a capacidade de armazenamento de fósforo no solo (CAFS). O C total em ambos os solos foi maior sob o sistema de silvopastagem do que sob pastagens com menos árvores, particularmente nas profundidades mais baixas. A análise por assinatura de isótopo estável sugeriu que as plantas C3 (neste caso, slash pine, Pinis elliotti) contribuíram mais para a fração estável do carbono do que plantas C4 (neste caso, bahiagrass, Paspalum notatum) nas profundidades dos solos acima de 1 m. O FSA foi consistentemente maior em pastagens com poucas árvores, enquanto que a CAFS foi mais baixa neste sistema, sugerindo a grande probabilidade do fósforo ser mais facilmente movido do solo sob pastagens com poucas árvores do que nos sob silvopastagem. Deste modo, a presença de árvores em pastagens contribuiu para C mais estável nos perfis dos solos e o mais baixo FSA e a maior CAFS indicaram os grandes benefícios ambientais fornecidos pelos sistemas de silvopastagem comparados com as pastagens com poucas árvores em condições ecológicas similares.We hypothesized that, because of the ability of trees to sequester carbon (C) in the deep soil profile and remove excess nutrients from soils, the silvopastoral agroforestry system could enhance the environmental quality of the agricultural lands. To test this hypothesis, two sets of experiments were conducted in two soil orders in Florida, Spodosols and Ultisols, with two major objectives: i) determining the soil C accumulation and tracing the plant sources of C in soil fractions, and ii) quantifying water soluble phosphorus (WSP) and estimating the Soil P Storage Capacity (SPSC). Total C in both soil orders was greater under silvopasture than in treeless pastures, particularly at lower depths. Stable-isotope signature analysis suggested that C3 plants (in this case, slash pine, Pinus elliotii) contributed to a more stable C fraction than C4 plants (in this case, bahiagrass, Paspalum notatum) at soil depths up to 1 m. WSP was consistently higher in treeless pastures, while the remaining SPSC was lower in this land-use system, suggesting the greater likelihood of P moving out of the soil under treeless pasture than in silvopasture. Thus, the presence of trees in pastures contributed to more stable C within the soil profiles, lower WSP, and greater SPSC, indicating more environmental benefits provided by silvopastoral systems as compared to treeless pastures under similar ecological settings