Assessment of Banana Postharvest Handling Practices and Losses in Ethiopia

The study was conducted to assess the status of post-harvest handling practices and loss of banana in Ethiopia. The farm level post harvest handling and loss data were collected from 3 major banana producing zones, 5 districts, 10 farmer villages and 14 large-scale commercial farms.  The market level post-harvest handling and loss data also encompassed 19 major towns or market outlets scattered throughout Ethiopia. As such a total of 150 small-scale and 14 large-scale growers, 59 wholesalers/ripeners, 53 retailers and 53 consumers were interviewed using structured questionnaires. Secondary data was also collected from written documents and focus group discussions (stakeholders) across the survey areas. Results of the study indicated that the aggregate post-harvest loss of banana was estimated to be 45.78%, of which about 15.68% was incurred at farm, 22.05% at wholesale (including transport from farm gate and ripening), and 8.05% at retailer or purchase to end-user sale levels. Of the causes of postharvest loss accounted during banana transport from the farm gate, impact and finger breakage damages purely accounted to 20% while the remaining 80% also included physiological and other mechanical damages like compression, abrasion, bruising and puncturing. Being a delicate and highly perishable crop, results of the multiple regression analysis indicate that market distance, duration of transport, storage condition, storage duration, duration of ripening, type of ripening rooms, means of bunch transport, experience in banana marketing, etc. were found to be important determinants of the post-harvest loss of banana in Ethiopia. The study  generally indicate that even though the country has vast potential for banana production, the supply chain is facing several limitations and constraints that include high yield variability, crop management practices, and high produce perish ability and post-harvest losses throughout the handling stages. These points out the need for increased research and extension services as well as improvement in postharvest handling (transportation, storage, packaging and ripening) and marketing infrastructure and facilities. Keywords: Banana, supply-chain, post harvest handling, postharvest loss, determinant

Combined Effects of 1-MCP and Export Packaging on Quality and Shelf-life of Cavendish Banana (Musa sp.)

The effect of four concentration levels of 1-methylcyclopropene-1-MCP (17.5µl/L), 10.5µl/L, 3.5 µl/L and  0 µl/L or untreated control) in combination with three levels of export standard banana packaging materials with modified atmosphere (MA) storage effect was investigated under ambient conditions (22+1 °C and 80 + 5% RH) on shelf life and physicochemical quality attributes of Cavendish banana (Musa AAA Group, Cavendish Subgroup, cultivar ‘Poyo’, syn: ‘Robusta’). 1-MCP treatment with increased levels of concentration and increased levels of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) generally extended shelf life and maintained better quality of fresh banana fruits when applied separately and in combination. The longest shelf life (36 days) with the lowest changes in physicochemical properties was obtained when fruits were kept in corrugated cardboard boxes with inner sealed or non-perforated  polyethylene bags (PEP) after treatment with the highest concentration of 1-MCP 17.5µl/L. This could be credited to the higher inhibitory effect of 1-MCP on both the synthesis and action of ethylene when applied at the stated level of concentration and the stronger modified atmosphere (MA) condition created by the inner non-perforated PEP kept within the corrugated cardboard boxes. Thus, this technique could be considered as a less sophisticated and less costly postharvest handling alternative (storage and transportation) under ambient conditions to the temperature controlled (14oC) reefer container-based system currently employed in Ethiopia and elsewhere for fresh banana exports. Keywords: Cavendish banana; 1-Methylecyclopropene (1-MCP), export standard packaging; shelf-life, physicochemical qualit

Looking at African Value System through Cultural Dimensions: How Do African Countries Culturally Differ Among Themselves and from the United States?

The study through a variety of cultural dimensions, measures the cultural differences and similarities of four different African countries: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa. The national cultures of the four African countries are analyzed through a methodology for systematically assessing cultural differences. The African countries are compared with that of the United States of America. The output of the study clearly shows that there are cultural differences among the African countries as well as between the African countries and the United States. African respondents demonstrated significantly higher cultural traits in collective & hieratical relations, being/feeling & risk avoidance related activities, in categorization of human nature as good or bad as well in subjugative relations to their environments than respondents of U.S. origin. The study also found that cultural variations exist among certain demographic groups within African countries

Induction and Mentorship of Junior Faculty Members: A Managerial Challenge in the Institutions of Higher Education in Eritrea

Cultivation of professionalism and dispositional values in junior faculty members in institutions of higher education (IHE) is a global challenge. Junior faculty members complain of the managerial inefficiency and lack of modeling in their career development. This paper explored how Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) are inducted into the system and mentored at work in the IHE in Eritrea. It assesses the institutional significance and challenges of mentoring junior faculty members in IHE. The research was conducted in 7 IHE involving 165 participants. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through Likert scale questionnaire and in-depth interviews. A One-Way ANOVA was used to assess the GTAs’ knowledge of assigned duties and responsibilities, access to institutional information and resources, the quality of guidance and support provided and above all the mentoring state of affairs across the colleges. Results revealed that junior faculty shoulder vital responsibilities but they receive poor induction and mentoring at individual and institutional levels. A large number of junior faculty members revealed a need of serious professional molding to effectively shoulder more responsibilities in the colleges. Keywords: induction, mentoring, junior faculty members, Eritrea DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-13-01 Publication date:May 31st 202

Clay Pot Pitcher Irrigation: A Sustainable and Socially Inclusive Option for Homestead Fruit Production under Dryland Environments in Ethiopia (A Partial Review)

This paper aims to highlight the significance, in terms of household food and nutrition security, of such longstanding but yet neglected traditional method of irrigation system, more particularly for socially inclusive homestead-level fruit production across the dryland parts of Ethiopia. In so doing, attempts were made to review relevant findings and experiences elsewhere in world and recount their implications with achievements of the local interventions carried out in some dryland localities of Ethiopia. While similar attempts have been carried out by other institutions as well, the paper focuses on the interventions and accomplishments of the UN initiated Millennium Village Project (MVP), put into operation in Hawzen district, Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia. The findings of both the review work and practical appliances through the project correspondingly indicate that the system can help promote and integrate fruit production successfully into the existing cereal dominated dryland cropping systems in Ethiopia so as to bring about ecological, aesthetical, economical and nutrition improvements invariably for the rural communities located across all landscapes, climatic conditions and topographic regimes. The system can be made more useful when combined with small-scale water harvesting technologies (e.g. seasonal run-off collection ponds, roof-water reservoirs and use of treadle pumps attached to hosepipes) located close to household backyards. As a future line of investigation, the findings also emphasized the need for further research to improve the design, durability and overall efficiency of the existing clay pot pitchers. Keywords: Pitcher irrigation, dryland, homestead fruit production, sustainability, social inclusivenes

School Principal’s Role in Facilitating Change in Teaching-Learning Process: Teachers’ Attitude. A Case Study on Five Junior Schools in Asmara, Eritrea

The research tried to examine the role of school principal in facilitating change in teaching-learning process. Moreover, it has focused on the main roles of principal in implementing LCIP. The research employed both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study used a random sample of 62 teachers from a purposefully selected five junior schools in Asmara to ensure the representation of the population with different socio-economic background. The instrument for collecting data was a questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was utilized based on frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation to analyze the data collected.  For the open ended questions, narrative analysis was used to examine the responses of the teachers.  The results of the study revealed that teachers believe that the principals in junior schools in Asmara have been facilitating implementation of the change introduced by the Ministry of Education in LCIP. They believe that principals have been striving on facilitating the change through exerting the proper leadership style, provision and mobilization of resources, playing supervisory role, enhancing the provision of school based training and development programs and creating appropriate communication channels. Keywords: Principal’s Role, Facilitating Change, Teaching-Learning Process, Teacher’s Attitude, Schoo

An iconic traditional apiculture of park fringe communities of Borena Sayint National Park, north eastern Ethiopia

Background: Traditional apiculture has been practised in Ethiopia over a long historical period and still remains a benign means to extract direct benefits from natural ecosystems. While its contribution to economic development and watershed protection is increasingly recognized its cultural significance is however, seldom noticed. This study was conducted using an ethnobotanical study approach to document the honey bee flora and associated indigenous knowledge of local communities in Borena Sayint National Park (BSNP), north eastern Ethiopia. Methods: Data were collected from 170 informants through semi-structured interviews and guided field walks, focus group discussion with 37 informants and 14 key informants and analyzed using standard analytical tools including ranking, comparisons and multivariate analyses. Results: In total, 152 bee forage species in 133 genera and 74 families were documented. The Asteraceae and Rosaceae were represented with six species each over the other plant families. Percentage of mentions per species ranged between 76.9 and 13.5 % for the most salient bee forage species. Dombeya torrida, Erica arborea, and Olinia rochetiana captured high community consensus as measured by rank order of popularity and designated as local appellation names of honey. Cluster analysis of priority ranking data showed relationships between key informants with respect to preferences, but ordination analysis did not indicate environmental proximity as a determinant of their responses. Five honey harvesting seasons occur each corresponding to the floral calendar of a dominant bee forage species that stipulate relocation of hives to appropriate locations within the national park. Conclusion: The apicultural tradition is iconic with economic value and forming part of the local peoples' cultural identity apt to be preserved as a bequest for posterity

Vegetation of Chencha Highlands in Southern Ethiopia

The relationship between environmental factors and plant communities identified using multivariate numerical analyses were investigated in the highlands of southern Ethiopia. Vegetation data were obtained from relev és placed in belt transects along altitudinal gradients on the mountain slopes following the Arbaminch-Chancha road. The relev és were placed in the two transects which ran for about 30 km from 1180 m to 2250 m along the slope representing a 25 m vertical distance between each relev és. The relationship among plant communities and environmental factors were established using one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Community transition and species diversity are affected, inter alia, by environmental factors including soil properties, slope and aspect which varied significantly (