Sesame (Sesame indicum L.) Crop Production in Ethiopia: Trends, Challenges and Future Prospects

The Aim of this paper is to review the importance of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) oil crop, production status in Ethiopia, constraints, potentials and future opportunities. Sesame is one of the most important high value oil crops in Ethiopia contributing high foreign currency. Sesame oil is useful edible oil and has wide applications. Different reports indicate that the sesame production is increasing from year to year which is mainly driven by high current market demand and suitability of environmental factors.For instance, the recent five years data indicated that the production is growing at the rate of about 54% in parallel with an increased area  coverage of about 45% during the same years indicating a yield gain from extensive farming system. The production is concentrated in South western and north western parts of Ethiopian. The three commonly used sesame commercial varieties in these areas are known by their brand name as Humera, Gondar and Wollega types. The presence of genetic diversity insesame genetic resources, proximity of Ethiopia to the international market, an increased demand for Ethiopian sesame, the presence of relatively high oil content of sesame cultivars and suitability of  environmental condition for sesame growth will give high opportunity for Ethiopia to improve the crop. Therefore, to increase yield potential and quality of sesame crop and achieve better profit requires the collaborative efforts of all stake holders in capacity building on sesame crop  improvement and post harvest handling of the crop, development of high yielding widely adapted cultivars with better resistance to diseases and pests, development of improved agronomic and managemental practices, environmental clustering for high oil quality and creating a capacity to process the sesame and/or oil seeds in the country

Participatory Barley Variety Selection and Farmers’ Selection Criteria in the Bale Highlands of Southeastern Ethiopia

The aim of the study was to identify farmers’ selection criteria, preferences and generate baseline information on the importance of participatory  barley breeding in Southeastern part of Ethiopia. The experiment was  conducted in non-replicated plots at each location on plot size of 16m2 in 2007 Bona and on 25m2 in 2008 Ganna and Bona cropping seasons. Yield data was taken in kg plot-1 and converted in to t ha-1 .Selection criteria was set together with farmers; and ranked by farmers and breeders. Farmers and breeders made visual score of each plot on 1-5 scale beside variety selection. Some farmers were supported by the staff in case of datarecording problem. The result showed that grain yield, disease resistance, effective tillers, early maturity and kernel size (plumpness) were among the most important selection criteria commonly used farmers. While, breeders preferred high yielding variety with insect and disease resistant and early maturing types. And farmers were able to identify the higher yielding barley varieties as breeders. Varieties such as Guta, Dinsho, Biftu and Abdane were selected as the best varieties preferred by most of the local farmers across locations except at Hora Soba (Upper Dinsho) site. Shage, Dimtu varieties and 27th IBON 73/99 (semi-dwarf advanced line) were preferred by the Hora Soba local farmers. Thus, attention should be given to seed multiplication and dissemination of barley varieties which have been highly preferred by the local farmers. It is important to consider farmers preferences in crop improvement to improve the adoption of  agricultural technologies which ultimately have significant contribution in production and productivity

Uptake and distribution of ions reveal contrasting tolerance mechanisms for soil and water salinity in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and tomato (Solanum esculentum)

Okra and tomatoes are major vegetable crops commonly grown under irrigation, and understanding whether they respond to salinity by withstanding (tissue tolerance) or avoiding (salt exclusion) accumulation of salt in the shoots will assist with management for optimizing yield under declining soil and water resources. Both crops were grown in non-saline (0.0 dS/m) and saline (3.0 dS/m) loamy sand and drip irrigated with water of 0.0, 1.2 or 2.4 dS/m. Differences in the growth and yields of the two crops under saline conditions were associated with uptake and distribution of cations, especially Na. The tomato employed tissue tolerance mechanism in response to salinity and produced fruits even when shoot/root Na concentration was >3.0; concentrations of Na in tomato tissues was in the order shoots > roots ≈ fruits. Okra was sensitive to shoot Na such that a shoot/root Na concentration as low as 0.13 reduced yield by as much as 35%; this crop employed salt exclusion mechanism and minimized shoot accumulation of Na, which was distributed in the order fruits > roots > shoots.Root and shoot concentrations of Na, P and S were correlated with flower abortion and negatively correlated with yield and yield components in both crops. Fresh fruit produced on the saline soil were reduced by 19% in tomato compared with 59% in okra, relative to yields on non-saline soil. Water salinity reduced fresh fruit yields in the tomato by as much as 36% with every unit (dS/m) rise in water salinity compared with 27% in okra. Soil salinity significantly reduced water-use by 6% in tomatoes and 29% in okra, but had no impact on water use efficiency (WUE) that averaged 3.9 g of fresh fruits/L for tomatoes and 1.75 g/L for okra. Every 1.0 dS/m rise in water salinity reduced water-use by 0.33 L in okra and 3.31 L in tomatoes, and reduced WUE by 2.61 g/L in tomatoes and 0.53 g/L in okra. Soil salinity explained <5% of the variance in yields in tomatoes and 10–20% in okra, while water salinity explained 48–68% of the variance in tomatoes and about 40% in okra. We conclude that (1) water salinity was more injurious to yield in both crops than soil salinity, and (2) yield losses due to salinity can be minimized through frequent leaching of soil salt under okra and increased irrigation intervals in tomatoes

Plasticity in stomatal density and morphology in okra and tomatoes in response to soil and water salinity

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum) were grown in saline (3.0 dS m-1 NaCl) and non-saline soil and irrigated with saline (2.4 dS m-1 NaCl) or non-saline water to determine the response of stomatal density and morphology to salinity. Stomata density (stomata number per unit leaf area) for tomato grown on saline soil was reduced by 33% (12 mm-2) compared with those on non-saline soils (18 mm-2); this reduction was more severe on the adaxial leaf surface where stomatal density was low. Similar reductions in stomatal density were observed in tomato irrigated with saline water. Stomata size in tomato was significantly reduced by about 20% with both types of salinity, thus the proportion of leaf surface area occupied by the stomata in salt-stressed plants, i.e., stomata area index (SAI), averaged 4.4% in salt-stressed plants compared with 5.5% in plants grown in non-saline conditions. Okra, on the other hand, maintained a similar stomatal density (average 22 mm-2) on both saline and non-saline soils, but saline irrigation marginally increased the density. In okra, the abaxial leaf surface accounted for about 68% of the total stomata under both saline and non-saline conditions. Individual stoma size in okra was increased by up to 15% on both leaf surfaces due to salinity, hence, the SAI increased from an average of 9.0% under non-saline conditions to 11.7% under saline stress. Notwithstanding the increase in SAI for okra, salinity reduced stomatal conductance by more than 50% in both crops. The stomatal conductance was generally much larger in okra than in tomato, and was as large in okra exposed to salinity as for tomato in the absence of salinity

Knowledge and perception of cereal farmers and extension agents on fungicide use in northern Ghana

BACKGROUND: Agricultural pesticide use in sub-Saharan Africa has doubled over the past three decades, with a greater relative increase for fungicides. As pesticide inputs continue to rise, so does the potential for the development of resistance. Here, we report on a survey conducted to understand pesticide resistance awareness, pesticide-use knowledge and practices of growers and agricultural extension officers (AEOs) in the cereals growing-belt of northern Ghana, with emphasis on fungicides. The results may inform development of strategies for improving pesticide literacy including resistance awareness, extension services and crop protection outcomes. RESULTS: The survey revealed a low level of pesticide-use knowledge for AEOs and growers. This was more so for growers with low education, predominantly women. Education level (and indirectly gender) influenced perceived effectiveness of fungicides and levels of adoption of cultural and agrochemical best practices. Only 28% of growers and 11% of AEOs practiced crop and fungicide rotations, respectively. More than half (53%) of the respondents indicated that fungicides used in northern Ghana are not effective. CONCLUSION: Given the low level of pesticide literacy of AEOs and growers, training programs on best practice for the use of pesticides, with targeted initiatives for female growers, would improve crop protection outcomes and safety. The limited adoptions of crop rotation and repeated use of fungicides with the same active ingredients, along with >50% of respondents reporting ‘fungicides not working’ suggest the potential presence of fungicide resistance cases in growers' fields in the Northern region of Ghana. Further work is needed to determine the incidence of resistance in the region. It is recommended that a key policy priority should focus on understanding broader agrochemical-use practices, crop losses and household-level food security in the presence of resistance risks. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry

Why do people not attend for treatment for trachomatous trichiasis in Ethiopia? A study of barriers to surgery.

BACKGROUND: Trachomatous trichiasis (TT) surgery is provided free or subsidised in most trachoma endemic settings. However, only 18-66% of TT patients attend for surgery. This study analyses barriers to attendance among TT patients in Ethiopia, the country with the highest prevalence of TT in the world. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Participants with previously un-operated TT were recruited at 17 surgical outreach campaigns in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. An interview was conducted to ascertain why they had not attended for surgery previously. A trachoma eye examination was performed by an ophthalmologist. 2591 consecutive individuals were interviewed. The most frequently cited barriers to previous attendance for surgery were lack of time (45.3%), financial constraints (42.9%) and lack of an escort (35.5% in females, 19.6% in males). Women were more likely to report a fear of surgery (7.7% vs 3.2%, p<0.001) or be unaware of how to access services (4.5% vs 1.0% p<0.001); men were more frequently asymptomatic (19.6% vs 10.1%, p<0.001). Women were also less likely to have been previously offered TT surgery than men (OR = 0.70, 95%CI 0.53-0.94). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The major barriers to accessing surgery from the patients' perspective are the direct and indirect costs of surgery. These can to a large extent be reduced or overcome through the provision of free or low cost surgery at the community level. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00522860 and NCT00522912

Multivariate analysis of morphological variation in enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) reveals regional and clinal variation in germplasm from south and south western Ethiopia

Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is cultivated by millions of people across Ethiopia in diverse agro-ecological and cultural settings, selecting for various agronomic traits. However, as for other underutilized crops, our understanding of the diversity and utilization of enset remains limited. This work sought to redress this limitation by estimating morphological diversity among enset accessions collected from major enset growing regions, including across altitudinal gradients. In total, landraces comprising 387 accessions originating from nine regions of Ethiopia were characterized using multivariate analysis of 15 quantitative traits. Cluster analysis grouped accessions in to five distinct classes with maximum number of accessions 338 in cluster (I) and minimum 1 in cluster (V). The clustering of accessions did not show grouping on the basis of region of origin. The first four principal components accounted for ~74% of the total variance. Linear discriminant analysis indicated that around 40.8% (160 accessions) and 45.2% (175 accession) of the studied accessions were correctly classified to their respective regions of origin altitude groups, respectively. The breadth of phenotypic differences in these 15 traits suggests significant degrees of genetic variation. These traits will be exploited to identify potential donors for future enset improvement efforts

Predictors of Trachomatous Trichiasis Surgery Outcome.

PURPOSE: Unfavorable outcomes after trachomatous trichiasis (TT) surgery are undermining the global trachoma elimination effort. This analysis investigates predictors of postoperative TT (PTT), eyelid contour abnormalities (ECAs), and granuloma in the 2 most common TT surgery procedures: posterior lamellar tarsal rotation (PLTR) and bilamellar tarsal rotation (BLTR). DESIGN: Secondary data analysis from a randomized, controlled, single-masked clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1000 patients with TT, with lashes touching the eye or evidence of epilation, in association with tarsal conjunctival scarring. METHODS: Participants were randomly allocated and received BLTR (n = 501) or PLTR (n = 499) surgery. Disease severity at baseline, surgical incisions, sutures, and corrections were graded during and immediately after surgery. Participants were examined at 6 and 12 months by assessors masked to allocation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Predictors of PTT, ECA, and granuloma. RESULTS: Data were available for 992 (99.2%) trial participants (496 in each arm). There was strong evidence that performing more peripheral dissection with scissors in PLTR (odd ratio [OR], 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-0.91; P = 0.008) and BLTR (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72-0.96; P = 0.01) independently protected against PTT. Baseline major trichiasis and mixed location lashes and immediate postoperative central undercorrection independently predicted PTT in both surgical procedures. Peripheral lashes in PLTR (OR, 5.91; 95% CI, 1.48-23.5; P = 0.01) and external central incision height ≥4 mm in BLTR (OR, 2.89; 95% CI, 1.55-5.41; P = 0.001) were independently associated with PTT. Suture interval asymmetry of >2 mm (OR, 3.18; 95% CI, 1.31-7.70; P = 0.01) in PLTR and baseline conjunctival scarring in BLTR (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.06-2.81; P = 0.03) were independently associated with ECA. Older age was independently associated with ECA in both PLTR (P value for trend < 0.0001) and BLTR (P value for trend = 0.03). There was substantial intersurgeon variability in ECA rates for both PLTR (range, 19.0%-36.2%) and BLTR (range, 6.1%-28.7%) procedures. In PLTR surgery, irregular posterior lamellar incision at the center of the eyelid (OR, 6.72; 95% CI, 1.55-29.04; P = 0.01) and ECA (OR, 3.08; 95% CI, 1.37-6.94; P = 0.007) resulted in granuloma formation. CONCLUSIONS: Poor postoperative outcomes in TT surgery were associated with inadequate peripheral dissection, irregular incision, asymmetric suture position and tension, inadequate correction, and lash location. Addressing these will improve TT surgical outcomes