Characteristics and Classification of the Soils of Gonde Micro-Catchment, Arsi Highlands, Ethiopia

Samples were collected from genetic horizons of representative soil profiles to study the morphological and physicochemical characteristics and to classify the soils of Gonde micro-catchment in Arsi highlands (Ethiopia) located at 70° 32’ 24” to 70° 34’ 28” N and 39° 13’ 15” to 39° 19’ 02” E. The study identified Humic Eutric Nitisols, Humic Epidystric Nitisols, Humic Orthidystric Nitisols, Humic Umbrisols and Grumic Mesotrophic Vertisols. Vertisols were found on flat slopes with imperfect drainage. Nitisols occupied the rolling and undulating slopes marked with reddish, very deep and well-drained soils. Umbrisols were distributed on the summit and shoulder positions of the landscape. Variability in soil characteristics largely depended on drainage, topography and land use patterns. Uncultivated Humic Umbrisols showed darker colour, soft consistence and lower bulk density values, whereas cultivated Nitisols had high bulk density values and reddish brown colours. The texture of surface horizons ranged from loam in Umbrisols to clay loam in Vertisols and Nitisols. Organic carbon was highest in Vertisols (6.35%) and ranged from 2.76–4.35% in Nitisols. Total nitrogen varied from 0.24–0.69% for the surface horizons. The highest cec (49 Cmolc (+) / kg of soil) was recorded in A horizon of Umbrisols and the lowest (21 Cmolc (+) / kg of soil) in Humic-Epidystric Nitisols. The exchangeable K was in high range, while available P was low to medium ranging from 1.18–8.04 mg/kg for surface horizons. All studied soils were acidic (pH 5.1–5.6). In general, soils had low base saturation suggesting that the soils of the study area were more constrained by low fertility condition than physical properties alone

Modeling and Analysis of Photo-Voltaic Solar Panel under Constant Electric Load

This paper presents modelling electrical performance of a typical PV panel/module (which is Kyocera 200GT) for constant electric loads (which are 2Ω, 4Ω, 6Ω, and 8Ω) under weather condition of a tropical region. The specific case of the city Jigjiga (9.35°N,42.8°E), located in the Eastern region of Ethiopia is considered. Electrical characteristics of the PV module are determined on the basis of detailed numerical algorithm, which was designed based on tested numerical technique from reviewed articles. The overall evaluation of the hourly variation in the electrical performance of the PV module is done by means of graphical technique, which determines the operating point of the PV module on voltage vs. current plane for each load, and the performance of the PV panel is compared for each load. The 4Ω electric load resulted in highest daily energy output of the PV panel on a daily basis for 11 days of the month of January (out of 12 considered days), but in the last day it resulted in a poorer performance with respect to the other two electrical loads (i.e., 6Ω and 8Ω electric loads)

Pullet production and supply business development by women’s groups in selected kebeles of Dale pilot learning woreda: Experiences from IPMS

Shortage of pullet supply and high mortality of local chicks arising from diseases and inadequate feed were the main challenges identified through a rapid diagnostic survey on the poultry value chain in Dale. Accordingly, women group-based commercial pullet rearing as an input for smallholder poultry production was initiated by the Office of Agriculture and Rural Development (OoARD) and IPMS. To develop the program, a credit scheme was initiated by the Regional Rural Finance Fund Administration, using IPMS’s credit innovation funds. With assistance of OoARD, eighty women subdivided into five (village) groups, collectively purchased 4000 day-old chicks (50/woman) and other inputs such as feed, vaccines, hay box brooder and watering equipment. The women were trained and developed their skills through their group structures. The required vaccinations were also given by the women themselves under the auspices of the group structures that taught them how to make best use of available vaccine size (500 doses/vial). After 4–5 months, 3470 pullets survived and were kept by the women or sold to others for egg production. Empirical results show that: i) the group approach helped to improve linkages, communication, and access to knowledge, technology, finance, inputs (day-old chicks and feed), veterinary service, and market; ii) the groups were able to successfully produce and supply pullets thus making an additional income of Ethiopian birr (ETB)1 833/hh; iii) the approach stimulates growing demand for the 5 months-old pullets, especially by government/donor financed programs. While being technically and economically viable, the system requires institutional upgrading so as to ensure sustainability of input supply (chicks, feed and vaccine/drugs) at the nearest market both for pullet and egg producers. The commitment shown by WoARD to provide technical backstopping in all aspects of poultry production also leaves much to be desired. These are crucial at least for the first few cycles, while more emphasis should be given to promoting improved local birds. As the follow-up studies on subsequent egg production showed, considerable attention needs to be paid to building the capacity of poultry farmers to engage in semi-commercial egg production, since egg production was still far below its potential. The study also shows that a difference of as high as 35% existed between egg production level by households who had purchased the pullets privately and households who had received the pullets through food security funded projects in Dale area

Pullet production and supply business development by women’s groups in selected kebeles of Dale pilot learning district (PLW): Experiences from IPMS

Shortage of pullet supply and high mortality of local chicks arising from diseases and inadequate feed were the main challenges identified through a rapid diagnostic survey on the poultry value chain in Dale. Accordingly, women group-based commercial pullet rearing as an input for smallholder poultry production was initiated by the Office of Agriculture and Rural Development (OoARD) and IPMS. To develop the program, a credit scheme was initiated using IPMS’s credit innovation funds. With assistance of OoARD, eighty women subdivided into five (village) groups, collectively purchased 4000 day-old chicks (50/woman) and other inputs such as feed, vaccines, hay box brooder and watering equipment. The women were trained and developed their skills through their group structures. The required vaccinations were also given by the women themselves under the auspices of the group structures. After 4–5 months, 3470 pullets survived and were kept by the women or sold to others for egg producers. Empirical results show that: i) the group approach helped to improve linkages, communication, and access to knowledge, technology, finance, inputs (day-old chicks and feed), veterinary service, and market; ii) the groups were able to successfully produce and supply pullets thus making an additional income of Ethiopian birr (ETB) 833/hh; iii) the approach stimulates growing demand for the 5 months-old pullets, especially by government/donor financed programs. While being technically and economically viable, the system requires institutional upgrading so as to ensure sustainability of input supply (chicks, feed and vaccine/drugs). The commitment shown by WoARD to provide technical backstopping in all aspects of poultry production also leaves much to be desired. These are crucial at least for the first few cycles, while more emphasis should be given to promoting improved local birds. As the follow-up studies on subsequent egg production showed, considerable attention needs to be paid to building the capacity of poultry farmers to engage in semi-commercial egg production, since egg production was still far below its potential. The study also shows that a difference of as high as 35% existed between egg production level by households who had purchased the pullets privately and households who had received the pullets through food security funded projects in Dale area

Effect of Some Threshing Parameters on Sesame Separation

The threshing section on combine harvester or thresher machine affects grain and stalk separation performance. In this study, effect of some threshing parameters such as drum speed, feed rate and concave open on closed capsules sesame straw sieve in developed threshing unit. Threshing drums used were a rasp bar with tooth type. Three threshing drum speeds of 500, 700 and 900 min-1 (6.5, 9.1, 11.7 m/s) were used to investigations. Three feed rate as 90, 180 and 270 kg/h and three concave open as 20, 35 and 50 mm were used in this study. Four sieves were used for separation of straw. Their mesh numbers are 7, 10, 14 and 18. Results show that the best performance for separation of sesame straw were gave at the maximum drum speeds, minimum feed rates and concave opens experienced in this study

Flow Regime Classification and Hydrological Characterization: A Case Study of Ethiopian Rivers

The spatiotemporal variability of a stream flow due to the complex interaction of catchment attributes and rainfall induce complexity in hydrology. Researchers have been trying to address this complexity with a number of approaches; river flow regime is one of them. The flow regime can be quantified by means of hydrological indices characterizing five components: magnitude, frequency, duration, timing, and rate of change of flow. Similarly, this study aimed to understand the flow variability of Ethiopian Rivers using the observed daily flow data from 208 gauging stations in the country. With this process, the Hierarchical Ward Clustering method was implemented to group the streams into three flow regimes (1) ephemeral, (2) intermittent, and (3) perennial. Principal component analysis (PCA) is also applied as the second multivariate analysis tool to identify dominant hydrological indices that cause the variability in the streams. The mean flow per unit catchment area (QmAR) and Base flow index (BFI) show an incremental trend with ephemeral, intermittent and perennial streams. Whereas the number of mean zero flow days ratio (ZFI) and coefficient of variation (CV) show a decreasing trend with ephemeral to perennial flow regimes. Finally, the streams in the three flow regimes were characterized with the mean and standard deviation of the hydrological variables and the shape, slope, and scale of the flow duration curve. Results of this study are the basis for further understanding of the ecohydrological processes of the river basins in Ethiopia

catena-Poly[[[{5,5′-dimeth­oxy-2,2′-[ethane-1,2-diylbis(nitrilo­methyl­idyne)]diphenolato}manganese(III)]-μ-acetato] methanol monosolvate]

The title MnIII compound, {[Mn(C18H18N2O4)(CH3COO)]·CH3OH}n, was synthesized by a reaction between mangan­ese(II) acetate and ethyl­enebis(4-meth­oxy­salicylaldimine). The structure is made up of bis­(4-meth­oxy­salicyldene)ethyl­enediaminatomanganese(III) units bridged by acetate groups, with Mn—N = 1.9786 (9), Mn—O = 1.8784 (10) and Mn—Oacetate = 2.056 (9) and 2.2571 (9) Å, forming a one dimensional polymer (–Mn–acetate–Mn–acetate–) along [100]. The MnIII atom is in a Jahn–Teller-distorted octa­hedral environment with cis angles ranging from 81.87 (4) to 96.53 (4)° and trans angles ranging from 166.11 (3) to 173.93 (3)°. The methanol solvent mol­ecule is hydrogen bonded to the phenolate O atom. In addition to this classical hydrogen bond, there are weak C—H⋯O inter­actions. The structure was determined from a crystal twinned by pseudo-merohedry