Coffee seedlings growth and nutrient accumulation affected by application of different rates of nitrogen, zinc and boron fertilizers at Dilla, Ethiopia

A proper coffee seedling management is required for successful field establishment. Pot experiment was conducted to evaluate different rates of nitrogen (N), zinc (Zn) and boron (B) on the seedling growth of coffee varieties. It was conducted under lath house condition in complete block design (CBD) with three replications. Two varieties with three levels of nitrogen (0g, 0.295g and 0.59g), zinc, (0mg, 1.62mg, 3.24mg) and boron (0 mg, 0.77mg 1.54mg) were considered. The results indicated that the application of nutrients significantly affected the agronomic performances of coffee seedlings. The average number of roots plant-1 was significantly affected by varieties and zinc rates. The highest result (42 roots plant-1 ) was recorded by the application of 3.24mg Zn plant-1 .The highest seedling height (48.2cm) was observed by the application of 1.54mg B plant -1 and 0.59 g N plant -1 on coffee Fayate variety while 48.1cm was observed by the application of 0.295g N plant -1 and 0.77mg B plant -1 on variety Odicha. The highest main branch length, 6.9cm and, 6.8cm, were obtained by the application of 0.59g N plant -1 , 1.54mg B plant -1 and 1.62mg Zn plant -1 on variety Odicha and Fayate, respectively. Regardless of varietal differences, the highest above ground biomass yield was obtained by the application of 0.59g N plant -1 (21.2g plant-1 ), 0.77mg B plant -1 (19.3g plant1 ) and 1.62mg Zn plant-1 (17.8gm plant -1 ). The highest biomass yield obtained from variety Odicha (18.2g plant-1 ) followed by variety Fayate (15.9g plant). Three way interaction of variety, nitrogen and boron resulted in significant (p<0.05) effects on coffee seedlings biomass. The application of 0.59g N plant-1 and 0.77mg B plant-1 gave the best results on both varieties despite their differences. In most of the cases, 0.59g N, 0.77mg B and 1.62mg Zn plant-1 showed significantly the highest results which is recommended for the best and wider coffee seedling multiplication

Effect of Type of Planting Material and Population Density on Corm Yield and Yield Components of Taro (Colocasia Esculenta L.)

Field experiment was conducted to examine the effect of type of planting material and plant population density on the yield and its components during the main rainy season at Areka Agricultural Research Center from April 2006 to January 2007 in a split- plot design with three replications. The treatments included a factorial combination of two type of planting material of variety Boloso -1 and 16 densities through different arrangements (35, 50, 65, and 80cm) inter and (50, 70, 90 and 110cm) intra row spacing. The result showed that type of planting material had a significant (p<0.05) effect on 50% emergence, number of leaves, leaf area, weight of corm and dry matter percentage per plant and total, marketable and unmarketable yield (tha-1). Corms achieved 50% emergence earlier than cormels, they also recorded higher mean height, leaf number, shoot number, leaf area, corm weight and corm diameter per plant as well as higher total and marketable yield (tha-1). Plant population density had a highly significant (p<0.001) effects on number of suckers, corm diameter, number of corm, weigh of corm, leaf area index per plant and total, marketable and unmarketable corm yield (tha-1). Total yield, marketable and unmarketable yield of corm yield increased with increasing planting density while the mean corm weight per plant decreased at higher densities. The highest average total yield (49.85tha-1) were obtained at 25,973 plants ha-1 with marketable yield of 37tha-1 that is followed by 40.5tha-1 were obtained at 31,745 plants ha-1 with marketable yield of 27 tha-1. Type of planting material and population density interaction had a significant (P<0.001) effect on total and marketable corm yield (tha-1) with their maximum density at 25,973 plants ha-1. Therefore, to maximize yield and still to properly earth up, population density of 25,973 plants ha-1 (35cm x 110cm) could be recommended. In conclusion, total and marketable yields were maximized at 25,973 plants ha-1 for both corm and cormel type of planting material for marketable and unmarketable (for planting) taro production. Keywords: Density, Planting material, Taro, Spacing, LAI, Yield, Yield componen

Morpho-agronomic variability, traits association and path analysis in Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus Schleid.) genotypes from Ethiopia

Forty-five rosemary genotypes collected from different parts of Ethiopia were evaluated for quantitative morphological traits to estimate the genetic variability, heritability and association of characters. The genotypes displayed significant differences for all of the studied traits, showing the presence of wide variability among the tested genotypes. The genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were found to be medium and high for all growth and yield traits except for leaf length. Moderately high to high broad-sense heritability (0.66 -0.97) coupled with moderate to high genetic advance as a percent of the mean (10.37 -79.14) values were found for all traits.  Correlation coefficient and path coefficient analysis revealed that characters vis. branch number plant-1, fresh leaf weight plant-1, dry leaf weight plant-1, fresh leaf yield ha-1, and essential oil content had a high positive direct effect and significant positive association with essential oil yield ha-1. Thus direct selection for these traits would be quite effective for essential oil yield enhancement in rosemary. In general, the studied accessions were diverse in nature and could be exploited in the conservation, breeding and commercialization of the crop

Genetic divergence in Ethiopian coriander accessions and its implication in breeding of desired plant types

The genetic divergence among 49 Ethiopian coriander ( Coriandrum sativum L.) accessions was assessed using employing Mahalanobi's distance (D2) analysis based on 15 characters. The accessions were grouped in to eight clusters. Cluster II and III were the largest each with 12 accessions, followed by clusters I and V each consisting of seven accessions. The highest inter-cluster distance (480.5) was observed between clusters I and VIII, followed by clusters V and VIII (462.2), and then clusters II and VIII (336.1). Hence, crossing between accessions included in these clusters may give high heterotic response, and thereby better sergeants. Maximum contribution toward total genetic divergence was possessed by thousand seed weight (15.67%), followed by basal leaf number (13.48%), plant height (10.29%), seeds umbellet-1 (9.81%) and umbel number plant-1 (7.84%). Based on means of all characters, accessions in clusters III, VII and VIII could be regarded as useful sources of genes for yield and its components, and the accessions from these clusters, therefore, could be used in improvement programmes to develop desirable types in coriander.La divergence g\ue9n\ue9tique parmi 49 accessions de coriandre \ue9thiopienne ( Coriandrum sativum L.) \ue9tait \ue9valu\ue9e utlisant l'analyse de la distance de Mahalanobi (D2) bas\ue9e sur 15 caract\ue8res. Les accessions \ue9taient group\ue9es en huit clusters. Les clusters II et III \ue9taient les plus larges avec 12 accessions chacun, suivi des clusters I et V avec sept accessions chacun. La distance la plus \ue9lev\ue9e entre les clusters (480.5) \ue9tait observ\ue9e entre les clusters I et VIII, suivi par les clusters V et VIII (462.2) et enfin les clusters II et VIII (336.1). Ainsi, le croisement entre accessions de ces clusters pourrait offrir une r\ue9ponse h\ue9t\ue9rotique \ue9lev\ue9e et par l\ue0 de meilleurs s\ue9gr\ue9gants. Une contribution maximale sur la divergence g\ue9n\ue9tique totale \ue9tait due au poids de mille grains (15.67%), suivi par le nombre de feuilles basales (13.48%), la hauteur de plants (10.29%), grains par inflorescence (9.81%) et le nombre d'inflorescences par plant (7.84%). Bas\ue9 sur les moyennes de tous les caract\ue8res, les accessions des clusters III, IV et VIII pourraient \ueatre consid\ue9r\ue9es comme de sources importantes de g\ue8nes pour le rendement et ses composantes, et les accessions de ces clusters, pourraient parcons\ue9quent \ueatre utilis\ue9es dans de programmes d'am\ue9lioration pour d\ue9velopper de types d\ue9sirables dans le coriander

CORRELATION STUDIES AND PATH COEFFICIENT ANALYSIS FOR SEED YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS IN ETHIOPIAN CORIANDER ACCESSIONS

Coriander ( Coriandrum sativum L.) is an annual spice herb that belongs to the family Umbelliferae. Even though Ethiopia is a centre of primary diversity for the crop, the current knowledge about its biology, variety development and agronomy is neither complete nor conclusive under Ethiopian conditions. To contribute to filling some of the existing gaps, a field experiment was conducted during the main rainy season of 2007-2008 at Wondo Genet and Kokate, southern Ethiopia. Data for 15 agronomic and quality traits were measured and statistically tested. More of the traits were found having high correlation coefficients at genotypic level than the phenotypic level, demonstrating intrinsic associations among the traits. Seeds plant-1 and thousand seeds weight were associated significantly and positively with seed yield plant-1 at phenotypic and genotypic levels. Essential oil and fatty oil contents were negatively associated with most of the trait studied. Path analysis revealed that days to end 50% flowering, longest basal leaf length, plant height, days to 50% maturity and seeds umbellet-1 exerted positive direct effect on seed yield plant-1, indicating that selection using these traits would be effective in improving seed yield in coriander.Le Coriander ( Coriandrum sativum L.) est une herbe d\u2019\ue9pice annuelle qui appartient \ue0 la famille Umbelliferae. M\ueame si l\u2019Ethiope est un centre de sa diversit\ue9 primaire, la connaissance actuelle de sa biologie, son d\ue9veloppement vari\ue9tal et son agronomie ne sont jamais exhaustif ni conclusive en conditions ethiopiennes. Pour contribuer \ue0 combler cette br\ue8che, un essai en champ \ue9tait effectu\ue9 durant la principale saison de pluie 2007-2008 \ue0 Wondo Genet et Kokate, Sud Ethiopie. Les donn\ue9es de 15 traits agronomiques et traits de qualit\ue9 \ue9taient mesur\ue9es et statistiquement test\ue9es. Laplupart des traits ont manifest\ue9 des coefficients de corr\ue9lation \ue9lev\ue9e au niveau g\ue9notypique qu\u2019 au niveau ph\ue9notypique, t\ue9moignant des associations intrins\ue8ques parmi les traits. Le nombre de grains par plante et le poids de mille grains \ue9taient significativement associ\ue9s et positivement avec le rendement en grains par plante aux niveaux ph\ue9notypiques et g\ue9notypiques. Les teneurs en huile essentielle et mati\ue8re grasse \ue9taient n\ue9gativement associ\ue9es \ue0 laplupart des traits \ue9tudi\ue9s. L\u2019analyse du passage a r\ue9v\ue9l\ue9 que les jours \ue0 50% de la floraison, la plus longue base de la longueur des fueilles, la hauteur de plants, les jours \ue0 50% de la maturit\ue9 et le nombre de grains par umbellet ont excerc\ue9 un effet positif direct sur le rendement en grains par plant, indicant que cette s\ue9lection par l\u2019utilisation de ces traits pourrait \ueatre efficace en amelioration du rendement en grains coriander

Development of SSR markers and genetic diversity analysis in enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman), an orphan food security crop from Southern Ethiopia

Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman; Musaceae) is a multipurpose drought-tolerant food security crop with high conservation and improvement concern in Ethiopia, where it supplements the human calorie requirements of around 20 million people. The crop also has an enormous potential in other regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is known only as a wild plant. Despite its potential, genetic and genomic studies supporting breeding programs and conservation efforts are very limited. Molecular methods would substantially improve current conventional approaches. Here we report the development of the first set of SSR markers from enset, their cross-transferability to Musa spp., and their application in genetic diversity, relationship and structure assessments in wild and cultivated enset germplasm

Indigenous knowledge, use and on-farm management of enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) diversity in Wolaita, Southern Ethiopia

Background Ensete ventricosum(Welw.) Cheesman is a major food security crop in Southern Ethiopia, where it was originally domesticated and during millennia became pivotal crop around which an entire farming system has developed. Although its cultivation is highly localized, the enset-based farming system provides sustenance to more than 20 million people. Precise ethnobotanical information of intra-specific enset diversity and local knowledge on how communities maintain, manage and benefit from enset genetic resources is imperative for the promotion, conservation and improvement of this crop and its farming system. Methods This study was conducted in Southern Ethiopia among the Wolaita 'enset culture' community. The research sample consisted of 270 households from 12 Kebeles(villages) representing three agro-ecological ranges. By establishing Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) based interactions and applying ethnobotanical interviewing methods of free-listing and open-ended questionnaires, information on the use and management of enset diversity, and its associated folk-biosystematics, food traditions and material culture was collected and analyzed. Results While enset agriculture is seen as cultural heritage and identity for the Wolaita, enset intra-specific diversity holds scenic, prestige and symbolic values for the household. In the present study we recorded 67 enset landraces under cultivation, and through a comprehensive literature review we identified 28 landraces reported from other areas of Wolaita, but not encountered in our survey. Landraces, identified using 11 descriptors primarily related to agro-morphological traits, are named after perceived places of origin, agro-morphological characteristics and cooking quality attributes. Folk classification of enset is based on its domestication status, 'gender', agro-ecological adaptability and landrace suitability for different food and other uses (fiber, feed, medicinal). Enset as a food crop is used to prepare 10 different dishes in Wolaita, 8 of which are exclusively prepared using enset, and their consumption ranges from daily staple to specialty food in festive occasions and ceremonies. On-farm landrace diversity and richness is guided by household needs; its dynamics is managed through regular propagation, harvesting restrain, control of landrace composition and arrangement in the enset homegardens. Conclusions This study reported on the knowledge system, socio-cultural process and community practices that drive the maintenance of intra-specific on-farm enset diversity in Wolaita, Southern Ethiopia. The information is crucial for developing community based complementaryin situ andex situconservation strategies to foster conservation of enset genetic resources and associated indigenous knowledge system

Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

As mortality rates decline, life expectancy increases, and populations age, non-fatal outcomes of diseases and injuries are becoming a larger component of the global burden of disease. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016) provides a comprehensive assessment of prevalence, incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for 328 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2016

Measuring progress and projecting attainment on the basis of past trends of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are grounded in the global ambition of “leaving no one behind”. Understanding today’s gains and gaps for the health-related SDGs is essential for decision makers as they aim to improve the health of populations. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016), we measured 37 of the 50 health-related SDG indicators over the period 1990–2016 for 188 countries, and then on the basis of these past trends, we projected indicators to 2030