Effect of water harvesting methods, nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer and variety on leaf tissue n, and p, and soil moisture content of date palm (phonix dactylifera l.)

A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of water harvesting methods, Nitrogen- Phosphorus fertilizer rate and variety on leaf tissue N, and P, and soil moisture content of date palm plants over a period of 32 months (May 2004- December 2006). The trial was sited at the Date palm Research Sub-station of the Nigerian Institute for Oil palm Research (NIFOR) Dutse (11o 50’N, 09o 25’E) in the Sudan Savanna ecological zone of Nigeria. The treatments consisted of six water harvesting methods (standard 30cm radius basin, single side pit, double side pits, perimeter square basin, side square basin and double square basin). Six NP-fertilizer rates (control, which is zero level fertilizer, 20g N + 10g P, 40g N + 20g P, 60g N + 30g P, 80g N + 40g P and 100g N + 50g P) and six date palm varieties (Palm 300, Tirgal, Dan Mali, Deglet Noor, Shuwarin C and Shuwarin B) arranged in a Latin square design. Two plants per experimental plot were sampled for plant tissue N, and P analysis, and soil moisture evaluation giving a total of 72 plants. Results from this study revealed that double square basin and double side pits proved more effective in enhancing more soil moisture and promoted plant tissue P. The application of NP- fertilizer at the rates of 80- 100g N and 40- 50g P/ plant significantly enhanced plant tissue N and P. Deglet Noor and Dan Mali out performed other varieties in terms of soil moisture exploitation and are safely recommended for better date palm production especially within the Sudan ecological zone of Nigeria where this experiment was conducted

Effect of water harvesting methods, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer on leaf length of different date palm (phoenix d-) varieties

field experiment was conducted to study the effects of water harvesting methods, NP - fertilizer rate and variety on leaf length of date palm plants over a period of 32 months (May 2004- December 2006). The trial was sited at the Date palm Research Sub-station of the Nigerian Institute for Oil palm Research (NIFOR) Dutse (11o 50’N, 09o 25’E) in the Sudan Savanna ecological zone of Nigeria. The treatments consisted of six water harvesting methods (standard 30cm radius basin, single side pit, double side pits, perimeter square basin, side square basin and double square basin). Six NP-fertilizer rates (control, which is zero fertilizer level, 20g N + 10g P, 40g N + 20g P, 60g N + 30g P, 80g N + 40g P and 100g N + 50g P) and six date palm varieties (Palm 300, Tirgal, Dan Mali, Deglet Noor, Shuwarin C and Shuwarin B) arranged in a Latin square design. Two plants per experimental plot were sampled for the measurement of leaf length, given a total of 72 plants. Results from this study revealed that double square basin, the control, the perimeter square basin and side square basin methods proved more effective in enhancing more soil moisture and produced longer leaves. The application of NP- fertilizer at the rates of 80- 100g N and 40- 50g P/ plant to young date plant of about three years significantly enhanced leaf length. Deglet Noor and Dan Mali produced longer leaves and are likely to be more productive. The combination of either double square basin or the control or the perimeter square basin or side square basin water harvesting method treatments, with 80- 100g N and 40- 50g P/ plant and either Deglet Noor or Dan Mali may be recommended for better date palm production within the Sudan ecological zone of Nigeria where this experiment was conducted, following further studies

Effect of water harvesting methods, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer rate on number of leaves of different date palm (phoenix d-) varieties

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of water harvesting methods, NP - fertilizer rate on leaf number of some young date palm plants over a period of 32 months (May 2004- December 2006).The trial was sited at the Date palm Research Sub-station of the Nigerian Institute for Oil palm Research (NIFOR) Dutse (11o50’N, 09o25’E) in the Sudan savanna ecological zone of Nigeria. The treatments consisted of six water harvesting methods (standard 30cm radius basin, single side pit, double side pits, perimeter square basin, side square basin and double square basin). Six NP-fertilizer rates (control which is zero level fertilizer, 20g N + 10g P, 40g N + 20g P, 60g N + 30g P, 80g N + 40g P and 100g N + 50g P) and six date palm varieties (Palm 300, Tirgal, Dan Mali, Deglet Noor, Shuwarin C and Shuwarin B) arranged in a Latin square design. Two plants per experimental plot were sampled for plant leaf number, giving a total of 72 plants. Results from this study revealed that the effects due of varying water harvesting methods were not significant on leaf number. The effects due to varying NP-fertilizer rates were also not significant on leaf number. A three year experiment was not long enough to cause pronounced effects. Deglet Noor and Dan Mali significantly recorded more leaf number while Shuwarin B, Tirgal and Palm 300 recorded the lowest leaf number. Application of NP- fertilizer at rates 80- 100g N and 40- 50g P/ plant/year on a three year Deglet Noor or Dan Mali date palm variety will enhance plant leaf number and yield and may be recommended for better date palm production, within the Sudan ecological zone of Nigeria where this experiment was conducted, following further studies

YIELD AND YIELD CHARACTERS OF SORGHUM (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench )VARIETIES AS INFLUENCED BY IRRIGATION INTERVAL AND PLANT DENSITY AT KADAWA IN THE SUDAN SAVANNAH

A two-years field experiment was conducted during 2008 and 2009 dry seasons at Irrigation ResearchStation Kadawa in the Sudan savannah to study the yield and yield characters of sorghum (Sorghumbicolor L. Moench) varieties as influenced by irrigation intervals and plant densities. The treatmentsconsisted of factorial combination of three sorghum varieties (KSV-4, KL-2 and NR 71168), three irrigationintervals (7, 14 and 21 days) and three plant densities (66,666, 53,333 and 44,444 ha-1). Splitplot design was used in the experiment and replicated three times with irrigation interval and varietyassigned to main plots and plant density allocated to the sub plots. The sub plots size was 4m x 3m(12m2), while the net plot was 6m2. Significantly longer panicles were found in KSV4 and KL-2 at 14days interval in 2008 and at 21 days interval in 2009. Higher grain weight per panicle was recorded inNR 71168 at 21 days irrigation interval in both years. NR 71168 variety out yielded other two varietiesin both years when irrigation interval was extended from 7 to 14 days. No significant response wasrecorded due to varying plant densities although, 66,666 gave higher grains output compared to otherplant densities studied. From this study it is concluded that NR 71168 variety at 14 days irrigation intervaland 66,666 ha-1 plant density under irrigation could be used at Kadawa in the Sudan savannahagro ecological zone of Nigeria

Contribution de la biologie moléculaire à la sélection animale: les marqueurs génétiques

Avec la domestication des animaux de rente, les éleveurs ont cherché d'une part, à accroître les performances de leurs animaux en sélectionnant dans la population mise à leur disposition les sujets les plus performants pour la (les) caractéristique(s) recherchée(s) et d'autre part, à réduire l'impact des zoonoses en sélectionnant les animaux résistants. Toutefois, si cette approche de la sélection a permis inconsciemment de favoriser au sein de la population les génotypes intéressants pour les critères recherchés, il importe de garder en mémoire que la production et la santé animale résultent non seulement du potentiel génétique mais également d'interactions entre l'alimentation, le statut physiologique, les facteurs environnementaux et le savoir-faire de l'éleveur

Essential Medicines at the National Level : The Global Asthma Network's Essential Asthma Medicines Survey 2014

Patients with asthma need uninterrupted supplies of affordable, quality-assured essential medicines. However, access in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited. The World Health Organization (WHO) Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Global Action Plan 2013-2020 sets an 80% target for essential NCD medicines' availability. Poor access is partly due to medicines not being included on the national Essential Medicines Lists (EML) and/or National Reimbursement Lists (NRL) which guide the provision of free/subsidised medicines. We aimed to determine how many countries have essential asthma medicines on their EML and NRL, which essential asthma medicines, and whether surveys might monitor progress. A cross-sectional survey in 2013-2015 of Global Asthma Network principal investigators generated 111/120 (93%) responses41 high-income countries and territories (HICs); 70 LMICs. Patients in HICs with NRL are best served (91% HICs included ICS (inhaled corticosteroids) and salbutamol). Patients in the 24 (34%) LMICs with no NRL and the 14 (30%) LMICs with an NRL, however no ICS are likely to have very poor access to affordable, quality-assured ICS. Many LMICs do not have essential asthma medicines on their EML or NRL. Technical guidance and advocacy for policy change is required. Improving access to these medicines will improve the health system's capacity to address NCDs.Peer reviewe

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century