Effectiveness of modular training at Farmers’ Training Center: The case of Fogera District, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia

Subsistence farming, climatic change, environmental degradation and low adult literacy ratio are problems of livelihoods. To increase productivity and alleviate poverty in rural areas, farmers need to have training to improve knowledge, attitudes and skills on better farming practices. Attending modular training might lead farmers to produce market oriented commodities. Such trainings are offered in the Farmers’ Training Centers, which are being functional at Peasant Association level throughout Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were to analyze whether modular training addresses the knowledge gap of the farmers and enable them to use the acquired knowledge; institutional linkages and positive deviances of FTCs in performance and their contributions. A total of 120 respondents were selected. Interview schedules, focused group discussions, key informant interviews, personal observations and case studies were conducted for quantitative and qualitative data collection. RAAKS tools, SWOT analysis, Likert scale and teacher-made-test tools were also employed. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools like, percentage, frequencies, chi-square and t-test. The result of the study revealed that, in the study area, Fogera, 7 PAs had delivered modular trainings. Even though, the training time and season was sufficient and convenient, less participation of females and being more theoretical and lecture type of methodology of the training were the major deficiencies. But trained farmers acquired better knowledge, skill, and attitude significantly than untrained farmers. Actors have been identified with different intensity of linkages. Many development actors assessed as strong, medium, weak and no linkage among and between them. The study indicated that, it requires enhancing the linkage of actors and their roles involved in training system. There are actors missed to support and integrate FTCs such as, Fogera Wet-land project, GTZ, CARE, private investors, research centers and ORDA. Positive deviances of FTCs were assessed, and found that there were no as such significant deviations documented at FTC level. Case studies and key informants revealed that, there are individual smallholder farmers who could perform and emerge better than the others as positive deviants and raised their level of living that could be scaled-up

Bryophyte extracts with activity against plant pathogenic fungi

The effects of extracts from 17 different bryophyte species were investigated against economically important plant pathogenic fungi. In vitro experiments showed that ethanol extracts of bryophytes inhibited mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria solani. Extracts from Bazzania trilobata, Diplophyllum albicans, Sphagnum quinquefarium, Dicranodontium denudatum, and Hylocomium splendens inhibited fungal development by over 50%. Green pepper plants sprayed with the extracts from 17 bryophytes (at 1% mv-1), with the fungicide dichlofluanide (50 ppm), and untreated plants were compared. Treatments were applied 4 hours prior to inoculation with conidial suspension of the grey mould (B. cinerea). Significant variations between treatments were detected. Extract treatments reduced the grey mould severity ranging from 15 to 23%, whereas dichlofluanide showed efficacy up to 92%. Three dose levels of five candidate extracts sprayed at three pre-infectional time intervals were compared under low and high inoculum pressures of the late blight, Phytophthora infestans, of tomatoes and powdery mildew, Blumeria graminis, of wheat. In general, extracts from B. trilobata and D. albicans showed better efficient disease protection than that of S. quinquefarium, D. denudatum, and H. splendens. The direct mode-of-action of treatments on the surface of leaves gave inefficient disease protection, evidenced on treated plants at 4 hours before the inoculation. However, plants treated by the same extracts at least 2 days before inoculation exhibited less than 90% disease severity. Therefore, products of bryophytes deserved to be reliable sources as biocontrol agents and may play significant roles for future practical applications in a socially and ecologically healthy crop management system. Key words/phrases: Alternaria solani, Blumeria graminis, Botrytis cinerea, Bryophyte extracts, Phytophthora infestans SINET: Ethiop. J. Sci Vol.26(1) 2003: 55-6

Farm diversification in the central highlands of Ethiopia: Patterns determinants and its effect on household income

Crop-livestock production is the major farming system in the highlands of Ethiopia. This study aimed to describe crop-livestock diversification pattern, examine determinants of diversification patterns, and evaluate effects of diversification on household income. Principal component analysis (PCA), seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) and ordinary least square (OLS) regression models were employed. Five major crop-livestock diversification patterns: sheep and goat, staple crops, chicken, vegetables, and animal feed-based farming were identified. The SUR model revealed that sex, education, income, extension contact, land size, market and road distance, irrigated land, and household size were significant factors that influence crop-livestock diversification patterns. It is also found that sheep and goat, vegetable, and chicken-based farming were significant production patterns that had positive effects on household income. We suggest that adoptive and adaptive agricultural practices such as small-scale irrigation, chicken rearing and sheep-based production patterns are the most potential farming systems in the highlands of Ethiopia

Management, use and ecology of medicinal plants in the degraded dry lands of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

An ethnomedicinal study was conducted to document the indigenous medicinal plant knowledge on the management, use, and ecology of locally important medicinal plants in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Ethnobotanical data were collected from 250 people, using semi-structured questionnaires, field observation and informal discussion. The ethnomedicinal use of 259 plant species mainly herbs (31 to 51%), shrubs (31 to 46%) and trees (13 to 39%) used to treat 147 human and livestock ailments were documented in the study area. The most frequently used plant part were roots (49%), followed by leaves (37%) and bark (14%)... Crushing (59%), homogenizing with ingredients (17%) and chewing (14%) were the commonly used forms of herbal preparation. Drinking (45%), smoke inhalation (12%) and tie and hold on (10%) were the most frequently used methods of application. Most of the medicinal plants are collected from the wild. The use of more than one species was reported for remedy preparations and some health problems were treated by more than one medicinal plant. Our result showed that the local communities give less attention for the management of medicinal plants as local communities consider medicinal plants as wild, have unattractive market value and lack of knowledge. The mismanagement together with loss of habitat showed that ethnomedicinal plant species used by healers are under serious threat which indicates the need for urgent attention towards their documentation, conservation and sustainable utilization

Impacts of Soil and Water Conservation Practices on Crop Yield, Run-off, Soil Loss and Nutrient Loss in Ethiopia: Review and Synthesis

Research results published regarding the impact of soil and water conservation practices in the highland areas of Ethiopia have been inconsistent and scattered. In this paper, a detailed review and synthesis is reported that was conducted to identify the impacts of soil and water conservation practices on crop yield, surface run-off, soil loss, nutrient loss, and the economic viability, as well as to discuss the implications for an integrated approach and ecosystem services. The review and synthesis showed that most physical soil and water conservation practices such as soil bunds and stone bunds were very effective in reducing run-off, soil erosion and nutrient depletion. Despite these positive impacts on these services, the impact of physical soil and water conservation practices on crop yield was negative mainly due to the reduction of effective cultivable area by soil/stone bunds. In contrast, most agronomic soil and water conservation practices increase crop yield and reduce run-off and soil losses. This implies that integrating physical soil and water conservation practices with agronomic soil and water conservation practices are essential to increase both provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. Additionally, effective use of unutilized land (the area occupied by bunds) by planting multipurpose grasses and trees on the bunds may offset the yield lost due to a reduction in planting area. If high value grasses and trees can be grown on this land, farmers can harvest fodder for animals or fuel wood, both in scarce supply in Ethiopia. Growing of these grasses and trees can also help the stability of the bunds and reduce maintenance cost. Economic feasibility analysis also showed that, soil and water conservation practices became economically more viable if physical and agronomic soil and water conservation practices are integrated