Agro-ecological Zones Of Ethiopia Research Articles

Review on the Economic Impacts of Lumpy Skin Disease of Cattle and its Prevention and Control Strategies in Ethiopia

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an infectious disease of cattle, caused by a Lumpy Skin Disease Virus. It is an economically important viral disease of cattle affecting all ages and breeds that can be prevented by vaccination in endemic regions including Ethiopia. LSD is an OIE listed disease because of considerable financial losses and in Ethiopia due to the endemic nature of LSD; the country is facing serious difficulties in exporting live cattle and their products. In addition, this situation contributes a negative impact on the national economic growth through the loss of meat and milk production and poor quality of skin and hides. Serious economic losses can follow outbreaks that have a high morbidity and high mortality rates of 40 percent or more have been encountered. There is no specific antiviral treatment available for LSD-infected cattle. The disease is now the problem of almost all the regions and agro ecological zones of Ethiopia. Major outbreaks of LSD have been occurred in different regions of Ethiopia. Two vaccines, however, Neethling and Kenya sheep and goat pox virus, have been used widely in Africa with success. Preventing movement the diseased animals along with vector control, regular annual vaccinations and awareness creation for cattle owners play great role in disease prevention and control. The disease outbreak was observed in the cattle regardless of previous vaccination with Kenyan sheep- and goat pox vaccine the occurrence of LSD outbreak scale, despite the use of a vaccination regime, is suggestive of vaccine failure. Apparent emerging vaccine failure is a serious problem for efficient control of LSD, as the disease has been manifested by high morbidity and mortality rates, regardless of vaccination status. Consequently continuous surveillance on the status of the disease and genetic information on circulating field viruses is mandatory in order to take effective measures for the control of the disease in the country.

Review on the Economic Impacts of Lumpy Skin Disease of Cattle and Its Prevention and Control Strategies in Ethiopia

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an infectious disease of cattle, caused by a Lumpy Skin Disease Virus. It is an economically important viral disease of cattle affecting all ages and breeds that can be prevented by vaccination in endemic regions including Ethiopia. LSD is an OIE listed disease because of considerable financial losses and in Ethiopia due to the endemic nature of LSD; the country is facing serious difficulties in exporting live cattle and their products. In addition, this situation contributes a negative impact on the national economic growth through the loss of meat and milk production and poor quality of skin and hides. Serious economic losses can follow outbreaks that have a high morbidity and high mortality rates of 40 percent or more have been encountered. There is no specific antiviral treatment available for LSD-infected cattle. The disease is now the problem of almost all the regions and agro ecological zones of Ethiopia. Major outbreaks of LSD have been occurred in different regions of Ethiopia. Two vaccines, however, Neethling and Kenya sheep and goat pox virus, have been used widely in Africa with success. Preventing movement the diseased animals along with vector control, regular annual vaccinations and awareness creation for cattle owners play great role in disease prevention and control. The disease outbreak was observed in the cattle regardless of previous vaccination with Kenyan sheep- and goat pox vaccine the occurrence of LSD outbreak scale, despite the use of a vaccination regime, is suggestive of vaccine failure. Apparent emerging vaccine failure is a serious problem for efficient control of LSD, as the disease has been manifested by high morbidity and mortality rates, regardless of vaccination status. Consequently continuous surveillance on the status of the disease and genetic information on circulating field viruses is mandatory in order to take effective measures for the control of the disease in the country.

Quantifying Vulnerability to Poverty in the Drought-prone Lowlands of Ethiopia

AbstractA forward-looking measure of ‘vulnerability to poverty’ is estimated and a concerted effort is made to understand the sources of vulnerability in the drought-prone lowlands of Ethiopia. Using the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey and the Welfare Monitoring Survey of 2015–16, which include additional zones in the Afar and Somali regions increasing the representativeness of the survey in pastoral areas, the analysis reveals that vulnerability is remarkably higher in the drought-prone lowlands than in the other ecological zones, even though differences in poverty rates are modest. The analysis also reveals important distinctions in the sources of vulnerability. In the drought-prone lowlands, (i) the prevalence of both poverty-induced and risk-induced vulnerability is the highest among all the ecological zones and (ii) the importance of vulnerability due to aggregate shocks, such as droughts, relative to vulnerability due to idiosyncratic shocks is higher than in the other ecological zones. These findings attest to the unique nature of the drought-prone lowlands in comparison to the other agroecological zones of Ethiopia and the need for adaptive social protection programmes targeting not only the chronically poor but also the vulnerable.

Effects of Land-Use and Environmental Factors on Snail Distribution and Trematode Infection in Ethiopia

Freshwater snails are intermediate hosts for several snail-borne diseases affecting humans and animals. Understanding the distribution of snail intermediate hosts and their infection status is very important to plan and implement effective disease prevention and control interventions. In this study, we determined the abundance, distribution, and trematode infection status of freshwater snails in two agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia. We sampled snails from 13 observation sites and examined them for trematode infections using a natural cercarial shedding method. A redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to examine the relationship between snail abundance and environmental variables. Overall, a total of 615 snails belonging to three species were identified. Lymnea natalensis and Bulinus globosus were the dominant snail species, representing 41% and 40% of the total collection, respectively. About one-third of the total snail population (33%) shed cercariae. The cercariae species recorded were Xiphidiocercaria, Brevifurcate apharyngeate distome (BAD), Echinostome, and Fasciola. Snail species were found in high abundance in aquatic habitats located in the agricultural landscape. Therefore, land-use planning and protection of aquatic habitats from uncontrolled human activities and pollution can be considered as important strategies to prevent and control the spread of snail-borne diseases in the region.

Yield response of tef (Eragrostis tef) to nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur under balanced fertilization on Vertisols in different agroecological zones of Ethiopia

Summary Nutrient deficiency is a major constraint in tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) production in Ethiopia. In the past, a blanket recommendation of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers has been applied regardless of the diversity of agroecological zones and soil types. As crop responses declined with widespread deficiencies of nutrients, farmers have lost interest in applying the recommended fertilizer rates. The present study was conducted with the objective of quantifying the response of tef to different rates of N, P, potassium (K) and sulphur (S) fertilizers under balanced application of the nutrients other than the one under investigation. In each region, the same set of trials was implemented on farmers’ fields for three years. All trials were implemented on Vertisols across four agroecological zones (AEZs). The treatments were seven rates of N, six rates each of P and S and eight rates of K with a basal application of zinc (Zn) and boron (B). The results showed that the most limiting nutrient is N followed by P in each agroecological zone on the Vertisols. There was clear evidence of increases in grain yield with increasing rates of N and P, but the responses to K and S rates did not follow clear trends across AEZs. With balanced application of the other nutrients, 23–92 kg N ha−1 increased grain yield by 11–92%, while 10–40 kg P ha−1 increased yields by 12–33% over the control in the different AEZs. Based on results from dose–response models, it is concluded that the agronomic optimum rates for tef production are 69 kg N, 20 kg P, 30 kg K and 10 kg S ha−1 in the cool sub-moist mid-highlands and the tepid sub-humid mid highlands; 92 kg N, 30 kg P, 15 kg K and 10 kg S ha−1 in tepid moist mid highlands but 69 kg N, 10 kg P, 15 kg K and 10 kg S ha−1 in the tepid sub-moist mid highlands. On Vertisols not covered by this study, these recommendations should be subject to appropriate soil and plant analysis. We also recommend further studies on the nutrient requirement of tef on other soil types and AEZs.

Repeated Cuttings Under Farmer Management Effect on Growth and Yield Performance of <i>Pennisetum Glaucifolium</i> Varieties in Major Agro-Ecological Zones of Ethiopia

Repeated Cuttings Under Farmer Management Effect on Growth and Yield Performance of <i>Pennisetum Glaucifolium</i> Varieties in Major Agro-Ecological Zones of Ethiopia

Morphological characterization of indigenous goat population in Ethiopia using canonical discriminant analysis

This study was conducted to characterize the indigenous goat population in five zones vis-à-vis South Gondar (S-Gondar), Jimma, Sidama, Gamo, and North Shoa (N-Shoa) representing various agroecological zones of Ethiopia using morphometric traits. Seven morphometric traits were measured from 2540 goats of both sex from various age groups ranging from yearling to four years and above. The traits scored were live weight (LW), body length (BL), wither height (WH), heart girth (HG), rump length (RL), rump width (RW) and ear length (EL). A multivariate canonical discriminant analysis in combination with cluster and discriminant analysis was applied to identify the combination of variables that best differentiate the five goat populations based on morphometric traits. Results indicated that the N-Shoa goats demonstrated the largest LW, HG and RL and could be considered as large-framed goat types. The S-Gondar goats had the highest WH describing them as the tallest goat types. Jimma goats had the smallest morphometric measurements and could be classified as small-sized goat types. Gamo goats had the lowest WH with a relatively larger RW being the shortest amongst the studied goat breeds. The cluster analyses showed that goats of Jimma tended to group separately whilst those of N-Shoa and S-Gondar as well as Sidama and Gamo clustered closely. The stepwise discriminant analysis indicated that RL followed by RW were the most discriminating variables to separate the five goat populations. The canonical discriminant analysis determined four canonical variables (CAN) of which CAN1 (RL and HG) and CAN2 (RW, EL, and LW) accounted for 80.2 and 14.3 % of the total variation, respectively. The canonical discriminant analysis further showed that the Gamo goat is distinct from the other four populations. All Mahalanobis distances among goat population were significant (p < 0.001) being the shortest between Sidama and N-Shoa goats (3.92) followed by that of S-Gondar and Jimma (4.17). The largest distance was noted between N-Shoa and Gamo (68.2) followed by that of Sidama and Gamo goats (53.3). Distances among the other zones were intermediate ranging from 10.7 to 16.2. The respective 99.7, 98.7, 98.6, 97.4 and 95.5 %, of the Gamo, Jimma, S-Gondar, N-Shoa and Sidama goats were correctly assigned to their source population with an overall success rate of 98 %. The present work revealed that characterization of indigenous livestock based on morphological traits through the application of multivariate analysis is a viable option in regions where molecular tools are inaccessible provided the sample sizes of animal population are large enough to effectively represent the study regions for reliable results.

Ethiopian Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used for the Treatment of Cancer; Part 3: Selective Cytotoxic Activity of 22 Plants against Human Cancer Cell Lines.

Medicinal plants have been traditionally used to treat cancer in Ethiopia. However, very few studies have reported the in vitro anticancer activities of medicinal plants that are collected from different agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia. Hence, the main aim of this study was to screen the cytotoxic activities of 80% methanol extracts of 22 plants against human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), as well as human breast (MCF-7), lung (A427), bladder (RT-4), and cervical (SiSo) cancer cell lines. Active extracts were further screened against human large cell lung carcinoma (LCLC-103H), pancreatic cancer (DAN-G), ovarian cancer (A2780), and squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (KYSE-70) by using the crystal violet cell proliferation assay, while the vitality of the acute myeloid leukemia (HL-60) and histiocytic lymphoma (U-937) cell lines was monitored in the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) microtiter assay. Euphorbia schimperiana, Acokanthera schimperi, Kniphofia foliosa, and Kalanchoe petitiana exhibited potent antiproliferative activity against A427, RT-4, MCF-7, and SiSo cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 1.85 ± 0.44 to 17.8 ± 2.31 µg/mL. Furthermore, these four extracts also showed potent antiproliferative activities against LCLC-103H, DAN-G, A2780, KYSE-70, HL-60, and U-937 cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 0.086 to 27.06 ± 10.8 µg/mL. Hence, further studies focusing on bio-assay-guided isolation and structural elucidation of active cytotoxic compounds from these plants are warranted.

Smallholder banana - based farming system dynamics of Arba Minch Zuria District, the case of Gamo Zone, Ethiopia: Qualitative exploration

Different types of crops are produced in different agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia where specific biophysical conditions define the success of their production. This banana-based smallholder farming systems explorative study objective was to explore existing banana-based farming system dynamics and examine push–pull factors accelerating these dynamics. To achieve the objectives of study, three Kebeles of Arba Minch Zuria district were selected purposively. Both primary and secondary data were collected and analyzed using qualitative data analysis method. The results show that cropping systems of the study area have been changed a lot during the last years; going from seasonal crops farming to perennial fruit crops-based farming. An early farming practice of the study area was cultivating seasonal crops like maize, teff, sweet potato, and cotton. Later on farmers have shifted to perennial cash crops like banana and mango. Most farmers in the study area use cow dung, crop residues, poultry droppings, and house cleans to improve soil fertility of their banana field. During establishment of banana farmland, farmers inter-crop vegetable and cereal crops to maximize their farm income. When banana develop three to four suckers per hill and full canopy, farmers make their banana farm monoculture. Access to irrigation water, minimum input requirement nature of perennial crops, market demand, and existence of regular market were considered as pulling factors to shift farming system from seasonal cropping to banana-based perennial farming. Whereas soil salinity, lack of quality planting materials, poor sucker management, banana fruit market fluctuation, rainfall variability, lack of value addition practice, and weak market integration were considered as common pushing factors for banana production and marketing in Arba Minch Zuria district.

Indigenous Knowledge of Farmer on Grain Storage and Management Practice in Ethiopia

Maize is the primary staple crop grown, nearly in all agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia. Despite the steady production of maize, post-harvest losses of maize remained a serious challenge. In Ethiopia, traditionally farmers use different storages structure for their grain. Gombisa is one of above ground storage structure used by most of farmers. However, those traditional storage structures were not effective in protecting the grain from insect, microbial infestation and environmental factors. Farmers have indigenous knowledge of storage management practices to cop up with this post-harvest loss. The traditional wisdom and methods of storage can protect commodities from insect infestation for substantially longer periods. Among the farmers’ practices; sun drying, use of botanicals, hanging over fire, mixing with wood ash, mixing with partially ground chillies (hot pepper), and storing unshelled maize were some of the storage practice proven effective in minimizing storage infestation. Some of these practices were also effective in controlling mould development that leads to the occurrence of aflatoxin. This review suggested that, modifying traditional storage structure and providing improved storage systems that are affordable for smallholder farmers, could be a possible option to mitigate post-harvest loss.

Growth performance of DZ-white and Improved Horro chicken breeds under different agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia

Growth performance of DZ-white and Improved Horro chicken breeds under different agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia

Effect of Commercial and Non-conventional Feeds, Leaves of Indigenous and Improved Multipurpose Tree Supplementation on Feed Intake, Digestibility and Growth Performance of Sheep

Background: Acute shortage of feed and very poor quality of the available feeds during the dry season are the prime limiting factors for increasing the production and productivity of small ruminants in most agroecological zones of Ethiopia. Thus, the study evaluated the effect of concentrate mixture of wheat bran and Sesame seed cake (T1), Atella (T2), Faidherbia albida (T3) and Sesbania sesban leaves (T4) on feed intake, digestibility, body weight change and economical profitability of local sheep. Methods: Twenty-four yearling intact local male sheep with mean Initial Body Weight (IBW) of 18 ±1.55 kg (mean ± SD) were used for the experiment. The study was conducted using randomized complete block design and sheep were blocked into six based on their IBW. Sheep within a block were randomly assigned to treatments. The experiment had 90 days feeding trial and 7 days digestibility trial after 15 and 3 days acclimatization period, respectively. The amount of supplements offered was 300 (T1), 330 (T2), 360 (T3) and 280 (T4) g/day on DM basis, each calculated to supply 73.6 g/day Crude Protein (CP). Results: Hay intake in T1, T2 and T4 (397˗400 ±1.44g/day) were significantly (P &lt; 0.001) higher than T3 (375±1.44 g/day). Total DM intake was in the order of T2 = T3&gt;T1&gt; T4 (p&lt;0.001) (698, 730, 735 and 677 g/day for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. Digestibility of CP was in the order of T1 &gt; T2&gt;T4 &gt; T3 (p&lt;0.001), while the value in T2 differed only with T3 (75.6, 73.4, 60.2 and 67.9 for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively). Average Daily Gain (ADG) was 50, 45, 38 and 42 g/day for T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively and differed only between T1 and T3. The partial budget analysis indicated that, sheep supplemented with Atella returned higher net income (5.46 US$) than T1 (1.93 US$), T3 (2.56 US$) and T4 (3.2 US$); similarly, MRR was also higher in T2 (93.7%) compared to T3 (56.1%) and T4 (50.4%). Conclusion: Sheep producers can use the supplement feeds in the order of T2, T4 and T3, respectively, based on their availability.

Nutrient response functions of tef crop in different agro ecological zones of Ethiopia

Optimum fertilizer-use decision requires supporting tool such as crop-nutrient response functions. The objectives of this research in Ethiopia were to develop tef nutrient response functions for selected AEZ, assess variability in nutrient response functions among the AEZ, and predict and evaluate the goodness-of-fit between observed and calculated tef grain yield for N and P nutrient rates. Geo-referenced tef fertilizer trials data of 147 and 139 trials for N and P, respectively, documented by OFRA project from past and recent trial results were used for analysis. Trials conducted on Vertisols and Cambisols were considered. The independent variables that influence the dependent variable (yield) were elevation, location, soil properties, climate, and their square or two-way interactions. Data were subjected to Generalized Linear Model at p ≤ 0.05. The asymptotic crop-nutrient response function was adopted. The nutrient response functions were determined for each AEZ and so used to predict tef yield response to N and P nutrient rates. The goodness-of-fit between predicted and observed yield data were evaluated using R2, RMSE, and slope of fitting lines. The highest and lowest coefficients of tef nutrient response functions were reported for AEZ6 and AEZ3, respectively. The paired mean differences comparisons of the coefficients of tef crop-nutrient response functions among some AEZ were shown significant differences. The yield predicted using tef crop-nutrient response functions with respect to N and P nutrient rates ranged from 0.55 to 18 ton ha−1 which is highly significant difference. The goodness-of-fit between the predicted yield using nutrient response functions and observed yield showed R2 > 0.91, RMSE < 0.2 and slope near 1. Such values indicate that the nutrient response functions predictive ability is acceptable for optimum nutrient rates decision-making in the study area conditions. The tef crop-nutrient response functions (predictive equations) can thus be used to estimate tef yield response to the nutrient rates instead of conducting field trials.

It Takes a Village: Creating a Short-Term Study Abroad in Ethiopia

A USDA “International Science and Education” grant allowed the University of Nebraska Lincoln to develop a curriculum-based, short-term study abroad focused on food security, health, and nutrition in two highly diverse, agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia. Incorporating best practices for creating a rigorous academic experience, we employed a “learn on the job” approach to implement the five-week program using an anthropological lens. We share the design, experiences, and student outcomes of our Ethiopian education abroad, describing the “who, what, and where” of our recently-established program and provide reflections of the three-year journey.

Impact of Improved Wheat Varieties Adoption on Productivity: Disparity among Agroecological Zones of Ethiopia

Impact of Improved Wheat Varieties Adoption on Productivity: Disparity among Agroecological Zones of Ethiopia

Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and rickettsial pathogens in ixodid ticks infesting cattle and sheep in western Oromia, Ethiopia.

Although ticks are widely distributed in all agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia, information on tick-borne pathogens is scarce. This study was conducted to determine the presence of Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Rickettsia spp. in Rhipicephalus evertsi and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus collected from cattle and sheep at Bako, western Oromia, Ethiopia, using polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Anaplasma ovis and Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia ruminantium and Ehrlichia spp. were detected in Rh. decoloratus, whereas only A. ovis was detected in Rh. evertsi. Both tick species were found to harbor DNA belonging to Rickettsia spp., and Rickettsia africae. Our findings highlight the risk of infection of animals and humans with these zoonotic tick-borne bacteria in Ethiopia.

PHENOTYPIC DIVERSITY ANALYSIS OF ETHIOPIAN HOT PEPPER (Capsicum annum L.) ACCESSIONS FOR POD AND QUALITATIVE TRAITS

Diverse environmental conditions and variation in farming systems are expected as a base for wide variability in hot pepper germplasm in Ethiopia. Forty-eight accessions were collected from different agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia where hot pepper is extensively produced and high phenotypic diversity is expected to exist (Meskan, Mareko, Halaba,, Hawassa and Abishege, Asossa , Bale, West Hararghe) and one standard cultivar (Mareko Fana) were used for this study. Therefore, this research was conducted to estimate phenotypic diversity of 49 genotypes for qualitative and fruit quality related traits. Data for qualitative and fruit quality related traits were subjected to analyses of variance separately. The frequency distribution of the genotypes displayed high polymorphism for all traits except for anthocyanins on the stem, leaf colour and dry fruit colour. Moreover, the diversity for qualitative traits was ranging from 0.65 to 0.98 with an overall average Shanon diversity index of 0.88. The highest diversity index was obtained from calyx attachment (98%), anthocyanins on the fruit, canopy and fruit shape, followed by growth habit and fruit shape at blossom end (93%). The Shanon diversity index of H’ of within (88%) and between (12%) regions of collections were obtained, where anthocyanins on the fruit, green fruit color, fruit shape at blossom end and canopy shape and growth habit contributed very high for differentiation between regions of collections. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of fruit quality traits showed 55% of the total variance encountered by the first two components in which, fruit volume and surface area, TSS%, pedicel length were associated with the first components, while only fruit shape index were associated with the second component. The cluster analysis using fruit quality traits, the genotypes were distinctly grouped into six clusters with similarity value ranging from 0.15 to 1.27 and inter cluster D² values of 13 to159, with the maximum distance recorded between IV and V (159) and III and V (158) clusters. Therefore, this study demonstrated the existence of high phenotypic diversity among genotypes for qualitative and fruit quality related traits in Ethiopian collections that could be properly conserved and exploited for future variety improvement program.

Assessment of the prevailing handling and quality of eggs from scavenging indigenous chickens reared in different agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia

A survey based experiment was conducted from November 2010 to April 2011 in 196 households to assess egg handling and qualities of scavenging chickens reared in highland, midland and lowland agro-ecological zones of Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. For egg quality determination, among 196 households, 30 of them who keep only local chickens were identified from each agro-ecology from which 588 eggs (196 eggs from each agro-ecology) were collected. The flock size in highland, midland and lowland agro-ecologies was 8.5, 7.4 and 8.4 chickens, respectively. The results indicated that about 95% and 70% of the respondents fumigate day old chicks with smoke and clip tail feathers, respectively. The average age at first egg lay was 6.94, 6.43 and 6.57 months for highland, midland and lowland agro-ecologies, respectively. The survivability of chickens in highland, midland and lowland agro-ecological zones was 55.0%, 61.4% and 55.1%, respectively. On the average 79.1% hatchability, 58.3% chick survivability was found in the study area. The observed values of egg weight, egg length, egg width, yolk height, albumen height and Haugh unit were significantly (p< 0.05) different between the investigated agro-ecologies. Accordingly, all these traits were (p< 0.05) higher in midland than those of highland and lowland agro-ecological zones. Agro-ecology did not affect shape index, shell thickness, yolk width and yolk index values. The respective average egg weight, shell thickness and shape index values were 39.6 g, 0.296 mm and 73.2%. The average values of yolk height, yolk width and Haugh unit were 16.1 mm, 36.8 mm and 73.2, respectively. In conclusion, the midland agro-ecological system appears to favor the survivability and expression of external and internal egg quality traits of scavenging rural chickens.

Infection prevalence of hydatidosis (&lt;i&gt;Echinococcus granulosus&lt;/i&gt;, Batsch, 1786) in domestic animals in Ethiopia: A synthesis report of previous surveys

Hydatidosis/echinococcosis (Echinococcus granulosus, Batsch, 1786) is considered to be a serious problem for both public health and the livestock economy in Ethiopia. The present paper reviews and summarizes available data on the disease. Abattoir survey data collected over a period of 15 years (1985-1999) were analyzed to assess the infection prevalence of hydatidosis in domestic animals in three different agroecological zones of Ethiopia. Accordingly, 8036/22,863 (35.15%) cattle, 768/6518 (11.78%) sheep, 36/1753 (4.9%) goats, 70/417 (16.79%) camels and 0/150 (0%) pigs slaughtered in 21 different abattoirs located in various parts of the country were found harbouring hydatid cysts. A statistical discernible significant difference (p

Mycotoxins and surface and internal fungi of maize from Ethiopia

Invasion of maize grain by fungi leads to losses in quantity and quality but also to contamination by mycotoxins, fungal metabolites, which are harmful to human and animal health. The problem of mycotoxins is higher in developing countries because of poorly managed environmental factors and due to the gap in supply and demand of food that forces people to consume what they might have otherwise rejected. The objective of this study was to determine the fungi and major mycotoxins that are naturally occurring in maize from Ethiopia where little information existed so far. Maize grain samples of 2004/2005 harvest were collected from small scale farmers′ storage in Adama, Ambo and Dire Dawa representing three agroecological zones of Ethiopia. Surface and internal fungi of samples were determined employing dilution plate method on DG-18 agar. Samples were also analyzed for aflatoxins (AFT) and fumonisins (FUM) using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and for deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV) using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Species of Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium occurred in 94%, 76.5% and 64% of the samples, respectively. Fusarium verticillioides and Aspergillus glaucus were among the dominant species. A. flavus was less frequent. The mean levels of total fungal density ranged from 2.9x10 3 cfu g -1 in maize samples from Dire Dawa, 1.9x10 4 cfug -1 for samples from Adama to 3.8x10 5 cfu g -1 for samples from Ambo. Aflatoxins were detected in 88% of the samples at 27 μg kg -1 in one sample and less than 5 μg kg -1 in others. Fumonisins occurred in two samples from Dire Dawa at 700 and 2400 μg kg -1 , and at 300 μg kg -1 in one sample each from Adama and Ambo. Five samples contained DON at 50 - 700 μg kg -1 . NIV was detected at 50, 130 and 210 μg kg -1 . The mycotoxins analyzed played a minor role in the contamination of maize of 2004/05 harvest in Ethiopia. Further monitoring of mycotoxins in maize from different regions of the country is justified in order to conclusively determine the actual risks from mycotoxins and possibly low mycotoxin-risk maize production areas.