Factors Affecting Female Students' Academic Achievement at Bahir Dar University <Special Issue : Study results of the Africa-Asia university dialogue for educational development network second phase>

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the on-campus and offcampus factors responsible for female students' low academic performance and consequently high attrition. Based on review of the related literature, basic research questions were formulated. For data gathering, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed. The quantitative data were obtained through questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted to validate the instrument using 30 second year university students and was followed by the main study. The final version of the questionnaire was administered for 600 undergraduate students at Bahir Dar University. The qualitative instrument constituted of document analysis, student records, and interview. The SPSS 13.0 was used for data analysis. Statistical techniques such as Percentage, Cross Tabulation, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, t-test and Regression Analysis have been used for data analysis. Though the rate of attrition decreases, the number of female students' attrition has increased. The problems female students encountered constitute personal, university related factors, academic factors and economic factors. Previous academic background (high school) is one of the major factors for their low academic performance. The off-campus factors that affect female students' academic performance include family background, Disco and traditional Music Houses and economic problems. In conclusion, the majority of problems female students encounter and those factors that affect female students' academic performance are personal and the other problems are caused by the university environment

Determinants of the Utilization of Desho Grass (\u3cem\u3ePennisetum pedicellatum\u3c/em\u3e) for Multiple-purposes in Ethiopia

In the densely populated, humid highland and midland regions of Ethiopia, the green canopy of desho grass (DG), local varieties of Pennisetum sp., spread across the escarpments. Planting of DG is an example of a locally tried and tested land management technique documented by the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as a successful technology to mitigate land degradation. This technology is in response to cropland encroachment onto communal grazing areas and overstocking of livestock that has led to overgrazing, causing further land degradation and serious pasture shortages. DG is used for multiple purposes in Ethiopia. It is mainly grown on small home plots and used for soil conservation practices, as livestock fodder and sold for income generation. Despite desho having alternative uses, there are no reported studies that have tried to understand the implications of these multiple uses in the predominant mixed crop livestock systems. The objective of this study was to characterize DG utilization by smallholder farmers in Ethiopia and explain the determinants of alternative and competing uses of the grass (as a feed, soil conservation or sold as fodder for income generation)

Soil erosion and conservation in Ethiopia : A review

This paper reviews Ethiopia’s experience and research progress in past soil and water conservation (SWC) efforts and suggests possible solutions for improvement. Although indigenous SWC techniques date back to 400 BC, institutionalized SWC activity in Ethiopia became significant only after the 1970s. At least six national SWC related programs have been initiated since the 1970s and their focus over time has shifted from food relief to land conservation and then to livelihoods. The overall current soil erosion rates are highly variable and large by international standards, and sheet, rill, and gully erosion are the dominant processes. The influence of human activities on the landscape has traditionally been deleterious, but this trend seems to have recently reversed in some parts of the country following the engagement of the communities in land management. The efficiency of SWC measures show mixed results that are influenced by the type of measures and the agro-ecology under which they were implemented; in general, the relative performance of the interventions is better in the drylands as compared to humid areas. Methodological limitations also occur when addressing the economic aspects related to benefits of ecosystem services and other externalities. Although farmers have shown an increased understanding of the soil erosion problem, SWC efforts face a host of barriers related to limited access to capital, limited benefits, land tenure insecurity, limited technology choices and technical support, and poor community participation. In general SWC research in Ethiopia is fragmented and not comprehensive, mainly because of a lack of participatory research, field observations, and adoptable methods to evaluate impacts. A potentially feasible approach to expand and sustain SWC programs is to attract benefits from global carbon markets. Moreover, a dedicated institution responsible for overseeing the research–extension linkage of SWC interventions of the country should be established

Effect of feeding improved grass hays and Eragrostis tef straw silage on milk yield, nitrogen utilization, and methane emission of lactating Fogera dairy cows in Ethiopia

Simple Summary In tropical regions, it is common practice to feed dairy cows poor-quality roughage, but this diet has been shown to decrease animal productivity and increase methane emissions. For these reasons, introducing alternative roughage feeds, such as nutritionally improved forages or bio-chemically treated straw, is essential for improving milk yield, dietary nitrogen utilization, and reducing enteric methane emission from dairy cows. Thus, we evaluated the effects of natural pasture hay, two improved grass hays (Napier andBrachiariahybrid grasses), and treated teff straw silage feeding as basal diets on nutrient digestibility, milk yield, nitrogen utilization efficiency, and enteric methane emissions using lactating Fogera dairy cows. Our results showed that improved grass hays and treated teff straw silage diet feeding increased milk yield, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen utilization efficiency as compared to natural pasture hay. Moreover, the cows fed with improved grass hays and treated teff straw resulted in changing the nitrogen excretion pathway from urine to feces, as well as reduction of the methane production per daily milk yield. Hence, these results provide a novel feeding regimen through feeding nutritionally upgraded forages as a basal diet, which improves milk yield, nutrient utilization efficiency, and reduction of methane emission for sustainable dairy production in tropical regions. The nutritionally imbalanced poor-quality diet feeding is the major constraint of dairy production in tropical regions. Hence, alternative high-quality roughage-based diets are required to improve milk yield and reduce methane emission (CH4). Thus, we tested the effects of feeding natural pasture hay, improved forage grass hays (Napier andBrachiariaHybrid), and treated crop residues (Eragrostis tefstraw) on nutrient digestibility, milk yield, nitrogen balance, and methane emission. The eight lactating Fogera cows selected for the experiment were assigned randomly to a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Cows were housed in well-ventilated individual pens and fed a total mixed ration (TMR) comprising 70% roughage and 30% concentrate. The four roughage-based basal dietary treatments supplemented with formulated concentrate were: Control (natural pasture hay (NPH)); treated teff straw silage (TTS); Napier grass hay (NGH); andBrachiariahybrid grass hay (BhH). Compared with the control diet, the daily milk yield increased (p< 0.01) by 31.9%, 52.9%, and 71.6% with TTS, NGH, and BhH diets, respectively. Cows fed BhH had the highest dry matter intake (8.84 kg/d), followed by NGH (8.10 kg/d) and TTS (7.71 kg/d); all of these intakes were greater (p= 0.01) than that of NPH (6.21 kg/d). Nitrogen digestibility increased (p < 0.01) from the NPH diet to TTS (by 27.7%), NGH (21.7%), and BhH (39.5%). The concentration of ruminal ammonia nitrogen was higher for cows fed NGH than other diets (p= 0.01) and positively correlated with plasma urea nitrogen concentration (R-2 = 0.45). Feeding TTS, NGH, and BhH hay as a basal diet changed the nitrogen excretion pathway from urine to feces, which can help protect against environmental pollution. Estimated methane yields per dry matter intake and milk yield were decreased in dairy cows fed BhH, NGH, and TTS diets when compared to cows fed an NPH diet (p< 0.05). In conclusion, feeding of TTS, NGH, and BhH roughages as a basal diet to lactating dairy cows in tropical regions improved nutrient intake and digestibility, milk yield, nitrogen utilization efficiency, and reduced enteric methane emission

Laser methane detector-based quantification of methane emissions from indoor-fed Fogera dairy cows

Publication history: Accepted - 14 December 2020; Published online - 1 January 2021.Objective: Portable laser methane detectors (LMDs) may be an economical means of estimating CH4 emissions from ruminants. We validated an LMD-based approach and then used that approach to evaluate CH4 emissions from indigenous dairy cows in a dryland area of Ethiopia. Methods: First, we validated our LMD-based approach in Simmental crossbred beef cattle (n = 2) housed in respiration chambers and fed either a high- or low-concentrate diet. From the results of the validation, we constructed an estimation equation to determine CH4 emissions from LMD CH4 concentrations. Next, we used our validated LMD approach to examine CH4 emissions in Fogera dairy cows grazed for 8 h/d (GG, n = 4), fed indoors on natural-grassland hay (CG1, n = 4), or fed indoors on Napier-grass (Pennisetum purpureum) hay (CG2, n = 4). All the cows were supplemented with concentrate feed. Results: The exhaled CH4 concentrations measured by LMD were linearly correlated with the CH4 emissions determined by infrared-absorption-based gas analyzer (r 2 = 0.55). The estimation equation used to determine CH4 emissions (y, mg/min) from LMD CH4 concentrations (x, ppm m) was y = 0.4259x+38.61. Daily CH4 emissions of Fogera cows estimated by using the equation did not differ among the three groups; however, a numerically greater milk yield was obtained from the CG2 cows than from the GG cows, suggesting that Napiergrass hay might be better than natural-grassland hay for indoor feeding. The CG1 cows had higher CH4 emissions per feed intake than the other groups, without significant increases in milk yield and body-weight gain, suggesting that natural-grassland hay cannot be recommended for indoor-fed cows. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the potential of using LMDs to valuate feeding regimens rapidly and economically for dairy cows in areas under financial constraint, while taking CH4 emissions into consideration.We acknowledge the support of the Andassa Livestock Research Center, Amhara Region Agricultural Research Institute, Ethiopia, and the College of Grassland Science of Lanzhou University, China, for providing the respiration chambers (registered as LZUCKY-S-DXCLZ-001 for Institute of Grassland and Livestock Production System, Lanzhou University). This study was supported by the Marginal Region Agriculture Project of Tottori University; the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) Project for Development of Next-generation Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Framework to Combat Desertification (JPMJSA1601) of the Japan Science and Technology Agency and Japan International Cooperation Agency; the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Science (XDA20100102); the Key R & D Program of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (2019BBF02001); and the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team at the University of China (IRT17R50)

Factors Affecting Female Students' Academic Achievement at Bahir Dar University

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the on-campus and off-campus factors responsible for female students' low academic performance and consequently high attrition. Based on review of the related literature, basic research questions were formulated. For data gathering, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed. The quantitative data were obtained through questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted to validate the instrument using 30 second year university students and was followed by the main study. The fi nal version of the questionnaire was administered for 600 undergraduate students at Bahir Dar University. The qualitative instrument constituted of document analysis, student records, and interview. The SPSS 13.0 was used for data analysis. Statistical techniques such as Percentage, Cross Tabulation, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, t-test and Regression Analysis have been used for data analysis. Though the rate of attrition decreases, the number of female students' attrition has increased. The problems female students encountered constitute personal, university related factors, academic factors and economic factors. Previous academic background (high school) is one of the major factors for their low academic performance. The off-campus factors that affect female students' academic performance include family background, Disco and traditional Music Houses and economic problems. In conclusion, the majority of problems female students encounter and those factors that affect female students' academic performance are personal and the other problems are caused by the university environment

Factors Affecting Female Students&apos; Academic Achievement at Bahir Dar University

Abstract The main purpose of this study was to investigate the on-campus and offcampus factors responsible for female students&apos; low academic performance and consequently high attrition. Based on review of the related literature, basic research questions were formulated. For data gathering, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed. The quantitative data were obtained through questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted to validate the instrument using 30 second year university students and was followed by the main study. The final version of the questionnaire was administered for 600 undergraduate students at Bahir Dar University. The qualitative instrument constituted of document analysis, student records, and interview. The SPSS 13.0 was used for data analysis. Statistical techniques such as Percentage, Cross Tabulation, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, t-test and Regression Analysis have been used for data analysis. Though the rate of attrition decreases, the number of female students&apos; attrition has increased. The problems female students encountered constitute personal, university related factors, academic factors and economic factors. Previous academic background (high school) is one of the major factors for their low academic performance. The off-campus factors that affect female students&apos; academic performance include family background, Disco and traditional Music Houses and economic problems. In conclusion, the majority of problems female students encounter and those factors that affect female students&apos; academic performance are personal and the other problems are caused by the university environment

Conference on International Agricultural Research for Development Study on the effects of incorporating various levels of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) on the performance of sheep

Abstract Poor feed quality and lack of water are the major constraints for livestock production under arid conditions. To solve these problems, looking for potential plants is mandatory (0.008, 0.016 and 0.006 l, respectivel