Conditions In Ethiopia Research Articles

Liquid bio-slurry enhances the productivity of N-fertilized maize under field conditions in Ethiopia

Enhancing maize production and productivity is critical for ensuring small-scale farmers' food security. Yet, declining soil fertility poses a substantial challenge to cereal production, including maize, in developing countries. Farmers are currently finding liquid bio-slurry to be a valuable organic amendment because it improves maize productivity and food security by altering the physicochemical properties of the soil. However, extensive research on liquid bio-slurry as an organic amendment in Ethiopia is still limited. Hence, a field experiment was conducted at two sites to identify the optimal combination of inorganic nitrogen (N) and liquid bio-slurry to improve maize productivity. The trial involved the application of two mineral N fertilizers and five different rates of liquid bio-slurry in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results revealed that the main effects of mineral N and liquid bio-slurry were significant (p< 0.05) on most of the parameters examined. The interaction between mineral N x liquid bio-slurry had a significant (p< 0.05) effect on plant height, ear length, number of rows ear-1, number of kernels ear-1, above-ground dry biomass yield, hundred-grain weight, grain yield, and straw yield. The highest grain yield (8,220 kg ha-1) was achieved by combining 46 kg N ha-1 with 18 t liquid bio-slurry ha-1. Therefore, 46 kg N ha-1 with 18 t liquid bio-slurry ha-1 is highly recommended for increasing maize yield in the study sites and other areas with similar agroecological zones.

Small-Scale Irrigation: Improving Food Security under Changing Climate and Water Resource Conditions in Ethiopia

Small-Scale Irrigation: Improving Food Security under Changing Climate and Water Resource Conditions in Ethiopia

Genotype by environment interactions and stability for grain yield and other agronomic traits in selected sorghum genotypes in Ethiopia

AbstractEnvironmental changes pose major impacts on the performance of crop genotypes with important implications for crop improvement strategies. Hence, breeders pay attention to the effects of genotype by environment interaction (GEI) to mine genetic resources and select adapted genotypes. Twenty sorghum genotypes selected from a large collection of Ethiopian sorghum landraces and two improved varieties were evaluated using a randomized complete block design with three replications at eight locations representing different environmental conditions in Ethiopia. The study aimed at assessing GEI and identifying stable and high‐yielding genotypes of sorghum for grain yield and major agronomic traits. Analysis of variance and additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) revealed highly significant (p ≤ 0.001) variance due to genotypes, environments, and GEI among all traits except for days to maturity. Plant height, days to maturity, panicle width, panicle weight, and grain yield were highly affected by environment and GEI, while days to flowering, panicle length, and 1000‐grain weight were mainly affected by genotypic variations. The data also suggest the importance of considering GEI in screening for high‐yielding and stable sorghum genotypes across environments. Among testing sites, Chawaka, Gute, and Uke were ideal environments for grain yield and Asosa was the most discriminative environment. Three genotypes (ETSL100808, Merera, and ETSL100474) were superior and stable across test environments for grain yield and related traits. Overall, based on mean grain yield and disease reaction, AMMI, GGE (genotype and genotype by environment interaction) biplot, and regression models, ETSL100808 was the most stable, high‐yielding, and disease‐tolerant sorghum genotype, suggesting its potential both in breeding program, as donor of traits, and for direct release as a variety.

Causes of child labor and working conditions in Ethiopia: evidence from temporary inter-rural child labor migrants from Sekela district

Child labor migration is a critical issue that has received limited attention from academic and policy domains in many developing countries. This article analysis the causes of child labor migration and working conditions at the destination of temporary inter-rural child labor migration from Sekela district, Northwest Ethiopia. Mixed research methods is employed. Quantitative data is collected from randomly selected 204 respondents engaged in child labor migration. Focus group discussion, informal conversational interviews, and observation are also undertaken to gather qualitative data. Most child labor migrants participate in child labor migration due to localized economic constraints, which are reflected through a desire to have modern goods and cloth, food scarcity, and resource degradation. Also, the expansion of commercial farms at destination areas directly or indirectly due to the globalized market indicates that migrant children’s local labor cannot be delinked from material realities created by both national and international economic policy. The income from child labor migration supports children and their households’ livelihood, though it is at the expense of children’s education as well as exposure to worse working conditions at their destination in terms of exploitation, underpayment, malnutrition, breaching of an agreement by employers, and harassment. Hence, to exploit the benefits and minimize the risks, balanced measures should be taken at the origin and destination. Education programs should be supportive in increasing food productivity and assisting households to diversify their means of income by allowing them to participate in non-farm activities. It is also essential to the establishment of support groups in migrant destination places and the expansion of labor inspectorates who continuously supervise the safety of child labor migrants.

Barriers and enablers to improving integrated primary healthcare for non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions in Ethiopia: a mixed methods study

BackgroundThe Ethiopian Primary Healthcare Clinical Guidelines (EPHCG) seek to improve quality of primary health care, while also expanding access to care for people with Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health Conditions (NCDs/MHCs). The aim of this study was to identify barriers and enablers to implementation of the EPHCG with a particular focus on NCDs/MHCs.MethodsA mixed-methods convergent-parallel design was employed after EPHCG implementation in 18 health facilities in southern Ethiopia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 primary healthcare clinicians and one healthcare administrator. Organisational Readiness for Implementing Change (ORIC) questionnaire was self-completed by 124 health workers and analysed using Kruskal Wallis ranked test to investigate median score differences. Qualitative data were mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Science (CFIR) and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) were employed to select implementation strategies to address barriers.ResultsFour domains were identified: EPHCG training and implementation, awareness and meeting patient needs (demand side), resource constraints/barriers (supply side) and care pathway bottlenecks. The innovative facility-based training to implement EPHCG had a mixed response, especially in busy facilities where teams reported struggling to find protected time to meet. Key barriers to implementation of EPHCG were non-availability of resources (CFIR inner setting), such as laboratory reagents and medications that undermined efforts to follow guideline-based care, the way care was structured and lack of familiarity with providing care for people with NCDs-MHCs. Substantial barriers arose because of socio-economic problems that were interlinked with health but not addressable within the health system (CFIR outer setting). Other factors influencing effective implementation of EPHCG (TDF) included low population awareness about NCDs/MHCs and unaffordable diagnostic and treatment services (TDF). Implementation strategies were identified. ORIC findings indicated high scores of organisational readiness to implement the desired change with likely social desirability bias.ConclusionAlthough perceived as necessary, practical implementation of EPHCG was constrained by challenges across domains of internal/external determinants. This was especially marked in relation to expansion of care responsibilities to include NCDs/MHCs. Attention to social determinants of health outcomes, community engagement and awareness-raising are needed to maximize population impact.

Cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover: Aphididae) influence associated to water hyacinth nutrient (Pontederia crassipes Mart.: Pontederiaceae) in lath house conditions in Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia

The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover is a polyphagous herbivore known worldwide. The aphid infestation could be considered as a challenge to crops, but an opportunity for alien invasive weed management. Hence, this study was initiated to investigate the potential of cotton aphid on the management of water hyacinth. Aphid-infested water hyacinth plants were used as a stock for rearing the aphid in a lath house at Ethiopian Sugar Corporation, Research and Development Center, Wonji. After rearing, randomly collected 30 aphids were placed onto water hyacinth plants cultivated under three nutrient levels. Aphid population, water hyacinth biomass and percent nitrogen and phosphorus were analyzed. The water hyacinth treated with a high nutrient level had the highest (295.0) mean aphids on apical leaves followed by the middle (178.3) and basal (104.7) leaves. The water hyacinth subjected to medium and no aphid treatment had the highest dry (44.3 g) biomass. However, when treated with a low nutrient level and aphids resulted in the lowest dry (31.9 g) biomass. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were found high in the water hyacinth that received a high nutrient and no aphid treatment. The presence of the aphids reduced the biomass and nutrient concentration of the invasive weed. The findings of the current study revealed that the cotton aphid affected the water hyacinth in the lath house conditions in Ethiopia.

Improvement of Raw and Pasteurized Milk Quality through the Use of Lactoperoxidase Systems (LPSs) along the Dairy Value Chain, under Real Conditions in Ethiopia.

Lactoperoxidase systems (LPSs) can enhance the microbiological quality of raw milk when there is lack of cooling facilities. In this study, a total of 250 milk samples were collected from farmers, collectors, and factories. Experimental samples were both LPS-activated morning and overnight milk. The samples were tested with several chemical and microbiological tests, such as total bacterial count (TBC), total coliform count (TCC), and Escherichia coli count (EC). Results indicated that all LPS-activated milk samples had a higher quality than all the control samples. For instance, both the morning and overnight farm milk samples had mean TBCs of 5.79 log and 6.55 log cfu/mL, which is significantly (p < 0.05) lower than the control samples' mean TBC of 6.73 log and 7.31 log cfu/mL, respectively. When this was compared with the Ethiopian Standard, 51.4% of morning and 39.5% of overnight farm milk with LPS activation met the acceptable quality, while only 28% of morning and 15.7% of overnight control milk met the standard. Moreover, LPS activation has also significantly improved the shelf life of collectors' raw milk and pasteurized milk at the factories. Therefore, a better hygienic practice with LPS application can be practiced in conditions that lack cooling infrastructure and electricity.

Phenotypic and genomic characterisation of performance of tropically adapted chickens raised in smallholder farm conditions in Ethiopia.

In sub-Saharan Africa, 80% of poultry production is on smallholder village farms, where chickens are typically reared outdoors in free-ranging conditions. There is limited knowledge on chickens' phenotypic characteristics and genetics under these conditions. The present is a large-scale study set out to phenotypically characterise the performance of tropically adapted commercial chickens in typical smallholder farm conditions, and to examine the genetic profile of chicken phenotypes associated with growth, meat production, immunity, and survival. A total of 2,573 T451A dual-purpose Sasso chickens kept outdoors in emulated free-ranging conditions at the poultry facility of the International Livestock Research Institute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, were included in the study. The chickens were raised in five equally sized batches and were individually monitored and phenotyped from the age of 56days for 8weeks. Individual chicken data collected included weekly body weight, growth rate, body and breast meat weight at slaughter, Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) titres and intestinal Immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels recorded at the beginning and the end of the period of study, and survival rate during the same period. Genotyping by sequencing was performed on all chickens using a low-coverage and imputation approach. Chicken phenotypes and genotypes were combined in genomic association analyses. We discovered that the chickens were phenotypically diverse, with extensive variance levels observed in all traits. Batch number and sex of the chicken significantly affected the studied phenotypes. Following quality assurance, genotypes consisted of 2.9 million Single Nucleotide Polymorphism markers that were used in the genomic analyses. Results revealed a largely polygenic mode of genetic control of all phenotypic traits. Nevertheless, 15 distinct markers were identified that were significantly associated with growth, carcass traits, NDV titres, IgA levels, and chicken survival. These markers were located in regions harbouring relevant annotated genes. Results suggest that performance of chickens raised under smallholder farm conditions is amenable to genetic improvement and may inform selective breeding programmes for enhanced chicken productivity in sub-Saharan Africa.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health care and people with mental health conditions in Ethiopia: the MASC mixed-methods study

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching effects on the mental health of populations around the world, but there has been limited focus on the impact on people with existing mental health conditions in low-income countries. The aim of this study was to examine impact of the pandemic on mental health care and people with mental health conditions in Ethiopia.MethodsA convergent mixed methods study was conducted. We systematically mapped information from publicly available reports on impacts of the pandemic on mental health care. Monthly service utilisation data were obtained from Amanuel Mental Specialised Hospital, the main psychiatric hospital, and analysed using segmented Poisson regression (2019 vs. 2020). In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 purposively selected key informants. Framework analysis was used for qualitative data. Findings from each data source were integrated.ResultsIn the early stages of the pandemic, participants indicated a minimal response towards the mental health aspects of COVID-19. Mental health-related stigma and discrimination was evident. Scarce mental health service settings were diverted to become COVID-19 treatment centres. Mental health care became narrowly biomedical with poorer quality of care due to infrequent follow-up. Households of people with pre-existing mental health conditions in the community reported worsening poverty and decreased access to care due to restricted movement, decreased availability and fear. Lack of reliable medication supplies increased relapse and the chance of becoming chained at home, abandoned or homeless. Caregiver burden was exacerbated. Within mental health facilities, prisons and residential units, infection control procedures did not adequately safeguard those with mental health conditions. Meanwhile, the needs of people with mental health conditions in COVID-19 quarantine and treatment facilities were systematically neglected. Only late in the day were integrated services developed to address both physical and mental health needs.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic had substantial negative impacts on the lives of people with mental health conditions in Ethiopia. Future emergency response should prioritise the human rights, health, social and economic needs of people with mental health conditions. Integration of mental and physical health care would both expand access to care and increase resilience of the mental health system.

Modelling the current and future distribution potential areas of Peperomia abyssinica Miq., and Helichrysum citrispinum Steud. ex A. Rich. in Ethiopia

BackgroundThe aim of this study is to investigate how climate change influences the distribution of economically and environmentally important species of P. abyssinica and H. citrispinum in Ethiopia. The species distribution modeling intends to forecast species' ecological niche ranges and habitat suitability by employing a variety of environmental parameters as predictors, which is vital for conservation planning and restoration success. Six representative concentration pathways (RCP 2.6, 4.5, and 8.5 for the years 2050 and 2070) with the same resolution of 2.5 min that shows the emission scenarios were used for the prediction. To predict the current and future distributions of H. citrispinum and P. abyssinica 56 and 45 occurrence records from National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, GBIF, and available literatures were used respectively.ResultsThe MaxEnt model predicted habitat suitability for H. citrispinum species with an Area Under Curve (AUC) value of 0.961 ± 0.027, and 0.809 ± 0.045 for P. abyssinica, indicating excellent discriminatory ability or accuracy under the current climate scenario. The Future distribution of suitable habitat for both H. citrispinum and P. abyssinica plant species was accurately predicted with AUC values of 0.960 ± 0.017 and 0.780 ± 0.35, respectively under future climatic scenarios. The jackknife test result indicates that environmental variables such as topographic position index (92.5%), precipitation of the driest quarter (3%) and precipitation in the coldest quarter (1.8%) are associated with the distributions of H. citrispinum, while topographic position index (36.6%), precipitation of driest quarter (21.4%), precipitation of warmest quarter (16.2%) and precipitation seasonality (13.9%) were found to be limiting environmental variables for P. abyssinica under current and future climatic conditions in Ethiopia. The prediction map and interception calculation for both present and projected (in the 2050s and again in the 2070s) climate change scenarios indicate significant habitat loss, decreased, and fragmentation under all RCPs (2.6, 4.5, and 8.5) scenarios for P. abyssinica while habitat gain, and increasing for H. citrispinum in Ethiopia.ConclusionsTopographic position index (TPI) is the most impactful predictor variable on the distribution of the two species. Consequently, potentially habitable areas (with diverse aspects and slopes) are increasing for H. citrispinum while decreasing for P. abyssinica.

Stability analysis for fodder yield of oat (Avena sativa L.) genotypes using univariate statistical models under diverse environmental conditions in Ethiopia

Oat (Avena sativa L.) is one of the most important dual-purpose cereal crops cultivated under diverse environmental conditions in Ethiopia. The fodder dry matter yield stability analysis was conducted using twenty-four oat genotypes across nine environments in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The study aimed to evaluate the magnitude of genotype by environment interaction and determine the stability of oat genotypes for fodder yield using 14 univariate stability parameters. The pooled analysis of variance revealed that the genotype, environment, and their interaction effects had variation (p < 0.001) for fodder yield. The contribution of environment for the total fodder yield variation was the highest (67.45%) followed by the interaction (22.73%) and genotypic (9.82%) effects. The results of stability analysis showed that high fodder yield-producing genotypes had stable performance using the stability parameters of genotypic superiority index (Pi), yield stability index (YSI), coefficient of determination (R2), and coefficient of variability (CVi), demonstrating that selection of oat genotypes using these stability parameters would be effective for fodder yield improvement. Moreover, Spearman's rank correlation coefficients indicated that the stability parameters of Pi, YSI, R2, and CVi had a significant positive association with fodder dry matter yield (FDMY). On the contrary, the FDMY had non-significant inverse relations with the remaining stability parameters except Bi, suggesting that the selection of oat genotypes using these stability parameters would not be effective for fodder yield improvement. Therefore, G6, G7, G9, G10, and G23 were desirable genotypes for fodder yield improvement programs in Ethiopia.

Cluster and principal component analysis of maize inbred lines in low moisture stress areas in Ethiopia

This study used to cluster and principal component analysis to assess the agronomic and physiological variability of 40 maize inbred lines under low moisture stress conditions in Ethiopia. The study was conducted at Melkassa locations during the 2017 main season. The analysis of variance showed the mean square due to genotype was highly significant (p &lt; 0.01) for all traits which indicates the existence of sufficient genetic variability and potential for selection and improvement on the characters. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct groups of inbred lines, The members of clusters 1 and 4 may be combined in future breeding programs to obtain genotypes/hybrids that can perform well under drought stress conditions. The inter-cluster D2 values varied from 48.65 to 4407 indicating the high range of diversity present among the genotypes. while principal component analysis showed the first six PCs having Eigen value &gt;1 explaining principal components that accounted for 77.7% of the total variation among the inbred lines. The first three principal components PC1, PC2, and PC3 with values of 25.25%, 18.03, and 11.7% respectively more contributed. Grain yield, plant height, ear height, and the number of leaves per plant were the most important traits influencing the variability among the inbred lines.

Synergies of feed, management trainings, and genetics on milk production of dairy cows in the tropics: The case of Ethiopian smallholder farmers

Efforts made so far to increase milk production of indigenous cattle by upgrading with exotic genotypes through crossbreeding under smallholder farmer conditions in Ethiopia have resulted in limited improvement. This study was conducted to determine if combining improved feed and management-related trainings with Holstein genetics will synergistically increase the milk production of dairy cows, and to examine the degree to which the increase or improvement is related to the level of exotic genetics involved. A total of 96 smallholder dairy farmers were purposively selected and allocated to one of three treatments reflecting differing degrees of capacity building support: (1) no training and no material support (Control); (2) training provided by another project (PAID) but without material support; (3) enhanced training plus material support (Feed-Mgt). Sixteen extension development agents and eight livestock experts were selected to provide training and weekly on-farm data collection, monitoring, technical support, and messaging reinforcement visits. Enhanced training addressed a broad range of topics related to feed and feeding, improved forage production, milk production and handling, construction and use of improved dairy housing, disease control, and dairy farm record keeping. Material support was in the form of formulated dairy concentrate feed and improved forage planting materials (seeds/seedlings). Data collection included variables describing animal performance, management practice adoption, and milk and butter quality. Tail hair samples for genetic profiling of breed makeup were also collected from all cows in the study. Results showed that there was a very significant effect of treatment (P &amp;lt; 0.001) on milk production, as well as treatment by week interaction (P = 0.034), with the effect of treatment markedly increasing over time (P = 0.032). That is, cows in Feed-Mgt group had up to 26.6% greater milk production compared to those in the Control group. Region and region by treatment interaction have no effects. Cows used in the experiment had varying proportions of Holstein-Friesian genome that ranged between 0 and 100%, suggesting prevalence of indiscriminate crossbreeding. Cows with a high proportion of Holstein genetics in treatment 3 produced more milk as compared to those in control group. Besides, supplemental feed improved body condition, reduced number of services per conception and resulted in higher lactation length of cows on treatment 3 compared with those on treatments 1 and 2 (P &amp;lt; 0.001). Overall, our findings suggest that an integrated approach of improved feed, feeding practices, and management training for smallholder dairy that goes beyond the improvement of genetics will increase milk production, improve milk quality and body condition, and resulted in higher length of lactation.

Identification of Host Critical Stage Affected by Orobanche crenata and Variation in the Resistance of Faba Bean Genotypes under Infested Field and Controlled Conditions in Ethiopia

Orobanche crenata is a serious parasitic weed and a major constraint on legume crops, particularly for faba bean, which causes about 75–100% of yield losses in Ethiopia. Twenty faba bean genotypes were evaluated in Orobanche infested fields and pot experiments in Tigray, Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to determine the critical stage of host plants affected by parasite and to evaluate resistance level of faba bean genotypes. The degree of infection and host resistance level was evaluated at three host growing stages (flowering, pod setting, and maturity stages) using different traits like number of Orobanche emerged per plant, per plot, incidence, and severity. The agronomic data such as stand count at emergence, flowering, pod setting, maturity, plant height, pod number, seed per pod, hundred seed weight, and grain yield were recorded from five and three randomly selected plants in the field and pot experiments, respectively. The analysis of variance showed that there were high significant variations p &lt; 0.01 in measured traits between the three host growing stages and between genotypes in agronomic traits. The effect of O. crenata on host plant was started from the flowering stage, but the pod setting stage is economically important stage at which actual effect of the parasite was observed both at field and pot experiments. Based on the result of the study, all tested traits at field and pot experiments allowed separating the faba bean genotypes into three groups: partially resistant and or tolerant genotypes “Ashange, Dide’a, and Obse,” moderately susceptible genotypes “Holleta, Selale, Wayu, Welki, Mesay, Bulga, Degaga, Gachena, Mosise, and Shalo,” and highly susceptible genotypes “Moti, Gebelcho, Dosha, Tumsa, Hachalu, and Tesfa Aloshe.”

Homeland politics, imagined homeland, and the formation of Oromo diaspora identity

ABSTRACT This article looks at how homeland politics have shaped the perceptions of the homeland and host countries among the Oromo diaspora community. Unfavorable political conditions in Ethiopia have encouraged ethnic Oromo living in North American diaspora communities to construct alternative physical and social landscapes that evoke feelings of nostalgia while maintaining their engagement with homeland affairs. These imagined landscapes have gradually become an integral part of their enduring memories, and most of the forced emigres are now keen to involve themselves in the social and economic issues of their place of birth, rather than simply focusing on their daily routines in their host countries. This demonstrates an ongoing nexus between the country of origin and host countries that maintains and encourages transnationalism.

Effects of Phosphate Solubilizing Rhizobia on the Growth of Teff (Eragrostis teff) under Greenhouse Conditions in Ethiopia

Phosphorus is the second most important nutrient for plant growth, but its availability is very low in the soil. This study was designed to identify phosphate-solubilizing Rhizobia from rhizosphere soil in Gorogutu and Deder districts of Ethiopia. The study evaluates the effects of phosphate-solubilizing Rhizobia on Teff (Eragrostis teff) growth under greenhouse conditions. The greenhouse experiment was assembled in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments including the control with three replications. A total of 30 Rhizobia isolates were obtained from rhizosphere soils in two districts (Gorogutu, and Deder) and screened for phosphate solubilization using Pikovskaya’s Agar. Based on their phosphate solubilization indices, 4 potential isolates (PS-6, PS-22, PS-27, and PS-30) were selected for further study in the greenhouse. Phosphate solubilizing isolates in pot experiment under greenhouse were applied at a rate of 0.5 g per pot and Teff disinfected seeds were suspended in 30 ml thick cell suspension of phosphate solubilizing Rhizobia (1012 cells/ml) in the presence of 0.5% peptone (antidiuretic hormone for 30 minutes), but not the control. The result showed that almost all inoculants, after 30- and 90-days inoculation, have significantly improved the growth parameters of Teff (Eragrostis teff) under greenhouse conditions. Moreover, all the isolates showed a positive impact on all the growth parameters. The results from this experiment are useful in Ethiopia for biofertilizer development and for teff growth under organic farming systems. Therefore, isolates PS-6 and PS-22 are highly recommended to be prospective commercial biofertilizers at field conditions in different teff agroecologies.

Estimating the Best Exponent and the Best Combination of the Exponent and Topographic Factor of the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation under the Hydro-Climatic Conditions of Ethiopia

The effect of the topographic factor of the Modified Universal Soil Equation (MUSLE) on soil erosion and sediment yield is not clear. Except for the coefficient, soil erodibility, cover, and conservation practice factors of the MUSLE, an individual effect of the exponents and topographic factors of the MUSLE on soil erosion and sediment yield can be seen by applying the model at different watersheds. A primary objective of this paper is to estimate the best exponents and topographic factors of the MUSLE under the hydro-climatic conditions of Ethiopia. For the sake of the calibration procedure, the main factors of the MUSLE that directly affect the soil erosion process, such as cover, conservation practice, soil erodibility, and topographic factors, are estimated based on past experiences from the literature and comparative approaches, whereas the parameters that do not directly affect the erosion process or that have no direct physical meaning (i.e., coefficient a and exponent b) are estimated through calibration. We verified that the best exponent of the MUSLE is 1 irrespective of the topographic factor, which results in the maximum performance of the MUSLE (i.e., approximately 100%). The best exponent that corresponds to the best equation of the topographic factor is 0.57; in this case, the performance of the model is greater than or equal to 80% for all watersheds under our consideration. We expect the same for other watersheds of Ethiopia, while for other exponents and topographic factors, the performance of the model decreases. Therefore, for the conditions of Ethiopia, the original exponent of the MUSLE is changed from 0.56 to 0.57, and the best equations of the topographic factor are provided in this paper.

The quality of service provision to newborns in the primary healthcare, West Gojjam zone, North-West of Ethiopia: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundDuring 2019, neonatal conditions in Ethiopia accounted for 55% of under-5 deaths, with 33 neonatal deaths occurring for every 1000 live births. More than 80% of all newborns deaths are caused by preventable and treatable conditions with available interventions. In Ethiopia, mortality rates for newborn babies have remained stubbornly high over the decades.ObjectiveThis research aimed to assess the quality-of-service provision for newborns in the primary healthcare units in the North-West of Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional survey design was employed. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were administered to 221 health workers and health extension workers, and health facility readiness assessment was done in 142 health facilities including 3 Primary hospitals, 76 Health centres and 63 Health posts from April to July 2017. Data was entered into the EpiData 3.1, exported to SPSS and STATA for analysis. Descriptive and regression multivariate analysis was applied.ResultsOut of the 10 quality of newborn care variables, 8.7 [95%CI: 6.03–11.303], the highest mean was achieved by primary hospitals, followed by urban health centres with a 6.4 mean [95%CI:5.168–7.601]. However, nearly half of the rural health centres were providing quality of newborn care at the mean of 5.7 [95%CI: 5.152–6.18], and below half was provided by health posts, 4.5 [95%CI: 3.867–5.116]. From the seven emergency newborn care signal functions, primary hospitals had a higher mean score, 6.3 [95%CI: 6.007–7.325] and rural health centres had the lowest mean score, 2.3 [95%CI: 2.043–2.623]. The availability of essential equipment is also significantly associated with the quality of neonatal care provision in the health facilities (p < 0.05). Overall, the effectiveness of the neonatal healthcare services has a significant association with the health facility readiness score [95%CI: 0.134–0.768].ConclusionThe quality of newborn care was high at the higher-level health facilities and lower in the lower-level health facilities such as rural health centres and health posts, where these facilities are an entry point to the health system and are expected to provide the essential newborn care services to the majority of the rural communities. In addition, the provision of emergency newborn care signal functions was critically low in rural health centres where these are referral receiving health facilities from health posts. Thus, rural health centres and health posts should be targeted to improve their readiness to provide the quality of services for newborns as per their expected level of care.

Correlation and path coefficient analysis of green pod yield and yield attributing traits of chili (Capsicum annum L.) genotypes in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, chili (Capsicum annum L.) is an important dietary component. Chili is produced as a source of income for smallholder farmers covering a large share of the national as well as export market. A field experiment was conducted to study the association of green pod yield (FYD) and 11 yield-related traits in 29 chili genotypes under flood irrigation conditions in Ethiopia. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three biological replicates. Phenotypic and genotypic correlations and path coefficients were analyzed for FYD and 11 yield-related traits. The genotypic and phenotypic correlation coefficients showed that all investigated traits, except days to 50% flowering and days to the first harvest, showed a positive and significant correlation with FYD. The phenotypic path coefficient analysis revealed that the number of flowers per plant (NFP, 0.4114), and fruit length (FL, 0.3678) showed a significant (p < 0.01) positive direct effect on FYD. The genotypic path coefficient showed a significant (p < 0.01) positive direct effect of NFP (0.7968), number of primary branches (0.3982), and FL (0.3982) on FYD. The traits with positive direct phenotypic and genetic effects on fruit yield indicate that improving these traits could increase fruit yield.

Enhancing Ethiopia’s Resilience to Drought and Hydrological Variability with Inter and Intera-Basin Water Transfer

It is hardly possible to think of sustainable development of society without access to safe and adequate water. Perhaps that is the reason that most of the civilizations have developed on the banks of rivers or other water bodies. However, water availability varies in space and time. At various places, its availability is either too much or too less. Further, in countries where poverty is a chronic problem, access to safe and adequate water and sanitation facilities is low. The severity of water shortage is pronounced in Sub-Saharan regions and mild in other parts of Africa. Ethiopia, a country of ancient culture is located in the north-eastern part of the horn of Africa. The water resources development and management conditions in Ethiopia are no better than any other Sub-Saharan African region, if not worse. Less than half of the population has access to safe and adequate drinking water. Only one-third (approximately) of the population has access to adequate sanitation services. Further, during the last century, Ethiopia has experienced recurring droughts. During such periods, water-related diseases become rampant. Most of the surface water sources dry up and the remaining water bodies get contaminated. Further, the major river basins in Ethiopia are transboundary in nature with wide variation in water availability. Keeping this in mind, the present study advocates the inter-linking of rivers for rational and equitable distribution of water resources in various river basins to the extent possible. A proposal has been prepared on the basis of water availability which can be further examined for its technical and economic viability.