Highland Zones Research Articles

Family flock size and age-sex structure of indigenous village chickens.

Indigenous village chickens (IVCs) significantly contribute to rural development. There is considerable variation in family flock size and age-sex structure of IVCs. This study reports the family flock size, age-sex group structure, and demographic history of IVCs. This work involved a cross-sectional study conducted using face-to-face general informants' individual interviews with 119 smallholder farmers in highland and lowland agroecological zones. The average family flock size of the sampled households was small (mean = 7.28, range: 1-38). Female birds (hens and pullets) represented the largest proportion of the family flocks (50.2%). The proportion of chicks (26.4%) and pullets (14.4%) was lower than that of hens (35.8%), which creates a considerable challenge in producing replacement breeding flocks. Similarly, the proportion of cockerels (9.1%) was lower than that of cocks (14.3%). The average cock-to-hen ratio (one cock to seven hens) was better than the commonly recommended proportion (1 cock to 8-10 hens). As a result, smallholder farmers have not faced the problem of producing infertile eggs. The estimated effective population size (Ne) of 4.02 and the corresponding inbreeding coefficient of 0.12 at the family flock level show that to some extent inbreeding may occur at the family flock level; besides, the estimated Ne represents 55.2% of the census size. However, inbreeding could be offset by the high rate of flock turnover and uncontrolled mating among scavenging birds. Family flocks contain a few birds, which may lead to consanguineous mating. Inbreeding is, however, considerably reduced by uncontrolled breeding among birds that share a common scavenging ground. The driving factors behind the low proportion of chicks and juvenile birds and the family flock size need to be further investigated to improve the contribution of local chickens to rural livelihoods.

Analysing the Precipitation Concentration of the Highland and Lowland Zones of Ri Bhoi District, Meghalaya

Analysing the Precipitation Concentration of the Highland and Lowland Zones of Ri Bhoi District, Meghalaya

Smallholder farmers' vulnerability to climate change and variability: Evidence from three agroecologies in the Upper Blue Nile, Ethiopia

This study delves into the profound impact of climate change on agriculture in Ethiopia, particularly the vulnerabilities faced by smallholder farmers and the resulting implications for poverty. Focusing on three distinct agroecologies, namely: highland, midland, and lowland zones. The study employed a robust methodology, combining a cross-sectional survey, spatial-temporal trend analysis using GIS, and the development of an overall vulnerability index through the balanced weighted average method. The study, encompassing 646 households, combines data from a variety of sources and analytical tools like the vulnerability index, ArcGIS 10.8, and ERDA's IMAGINE 2015. Utilizing the LVI-IPCC scale, the study shows that climate change is an immediate vulnerability in all agroecological zones. It identifies highland areas as the most sensitive and exposed regions, while lowland households are found to be the most vulnerable in terms of overall vulnerabilities. The research reveals specific challenges faced by communities, such as inadequate health facilities and insufficient food and water supplies in both highland and lowland agroecosystems. Additionally, our investigation has observed a significant alteration in land use practices, specifically the shift from communal grazing land to private cultivation and plantations, emphasizing eucalyptus. This alteration enhances the ecosystem's vulnerability to climate disturbances. The study suggests targeted interventions, such as advocating for sustainable land-use practices, afforestation, and adopting climate-smart agriculture practices. It is important to implement policy measures that prioritize conserving and restoring shrubland, grazing land, and natural forests to ensure both long-term socio-economic and ecosystem resilience. The study's nuanced insights are instrumental in understanding the diverse challenges posed by climate change in Ethiopian agriculture, supporting informed policymaking and sustainable interventions.

Farming systems and soil fertility management practices in smallholdings on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

In the northern part of Tanzania, the slopes of Mount (Mt.) Kilimanjaro are the most important areas, both in terms of socio-economic development and ecological succession. The main agricultural systems in the area are banana-based (in the highlands) and maize-based (in the lowlands), with strong interlinkage between them via residual transfer from the lowlands to the mountains. This study assessed the soil fertility status between the two contrasting farming areas of highland and lowland farms in Hai district along the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. To achieve this, smallholder farmers along the slope [from above 1000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l) banana-based down to maize-based, i.e., less than 1000 m.a.s.l] who practice crop residual transfer from maize-based to banana-based farming systems were selected. Qualitative information regarding the demographics, farming practices, and soil fertility management in the two areas were gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire. Soils from both areas (highland and lowland farms) were collected and analyzed in the laboratory for the key soil properties. The demographic results show that agriculture is mostly done by adults and elders (>40 years old). Manure was most commonly reported to be used in the highlands, while inorganic fertilizers were mainly used in lowland areas. The major challenges for soil fertility management are a shortage of manure and high cost of inorganic fertilizers. The results of soil nutrients revealed that lowland zones (>1000 m.a.s.l) had significantly (p< 0.01) lower levels of nitrogen (0.14%) and organic carbon (OC) (1.22%) compared with highland zones. Extractable phosphorus (P) was significantly lower in both the highland and lowland zones, at 9.3 mg kg-1 and 8.2 mg kg-1, respectively, compared with other nutrients. However, potassium (K+) was significantly (p<0.01) lower [0.34 cmol (+) kg-1] in the highland zone compared to lowland areas. The data show that there is a severe depletion of soil nutrients in the lowland area of Hai district. Notwithstanding the efforts of the small-holder farmers; the study comes to the conclusion that increasing agricultural yield and the sustainability of farming systems require replenishing the nutrients in the soil along the slope of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Extreme rainfall indices and their consequences on the local farming crop calendar: An agro-climatic zone based study

<p>The goal of this study is to investigate the extreme rainfall indices and their consequences on the local farming crop calendar among the agro-climatic zones (ACZs) of the Abiya watershed. Climate Hazards Group Infrared Precipitation (CHIRPS) provided long-term (1981–2019) rainfall data for 50 sample grid points with a spatial resolution of 5 × 5 km. Different crops are affected differently by the same extreme rainfall event depending on when it occurred and how extreme it was; this means crop calendars for a specific time may be properly governed by extreme climatic conditions. There hasn’t been a sufficient published study on extreme rainfall indices and their consequences on crop calendars by considering various ACZ in Ethiopia. The study defined local crop calendar timing and the consequences of the extreme rainfall indices through focus group discussions. INSTAT+ software was applied to calculate eight extreme rainfall indices. The indices were evaluated using Mann-Kendall’s (MK) and Sen’s slope techniques to identify trends and determine variations in the magnitude, respectively. Increase and decrease indications for various crop calendars were found in each ACZ. Further, going-up signals were seen in the highlands, midlands, and all ACZs for land preparation time (LPT), sowing and management time (SaMT), and harvesting and threshing time (HaTP), respectively. While HaTT was found to be uniform in all ACZs, some of the declining trends in the indices were detected for LPT and SaMT in the cold-highland and highland zones. The perceived trend in indices across the whole ACZ will have direct and unintended consequences for watershed crop production. The findings imply that to reduce the unfavourable consequences of these extreme rainfall occurrences in the agricultural sector, it is necessary to develop suitable crop varieties and drought-tolerant crops, as well as an effective early warning system.</p>

Spatiotemporal analysis of rainfall and temperature variability and trends for climate resilient maize farming system in major agroecology zones of northwest Ethiopia

ABSTRACTSpatiotemporal studies of the annual and seasonal climate variability and trend on an agroecological spatial scale for establishing a climate-resilient maize farming system have not yet been conducted in Ethiopia. The study was carried out in three major agroecological zones in northwest Ethiopia using climate data from 1987 to 2018. The coefficient of variation (CV), precipitation concertation index (PCI), and rainfall anomaly index (RAI) were used to analyze the variability of rainfall. The Mann-Kendall test and Sen’s slope estimator were also applied to estimate trends and slopes of changes in rainfall and temperature. High-significance warming trends in the maximum and minimum temperatures were shown in the highland and lowland agroecology zones, respectively. Rainfall has also demonstrated a maximum declining trend throughout the keremt season in the highland agroecology zone. However, rainfall distribution has become more unpredictable in the Bega and Belg seasons. Climate-resilient maize agronomic activities have been determined by analyzing the onset and cessation dates and the length of the growth period (LGP). The rainy season begins between May 8 and June 3 and finishes between October 26 and November 16. The length of the growth period (LGP) during the rainy season ranges from 94 to 229 days.

Mountain Landscape and Human Settlement in the Pindus Range: The Samarina Highland Zones of Western Macedonia, Greece

Past human mountain settlement patterns and resource and high-altitude landscape exploitation are underexplored research fields in archaeology. This study presents data gathered during more than 20 years of fieldwork in the Pindus range of Western Macedonia (Greece), focusing in particular on Holocene land use. The investigated territory is located around the Vlach town of Samarina. The area is partly bounded by Mounts Vasilitsa, Gurguliu, Bogdani and Anitsa, and their interconnecting watersheds between ca. 1400 and 2000 m a.s.l. This research led to the discovery of many sites and findspots of lithic and ceramic artefacts attributed to the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, and several Historical periods. The radiocarbon results show an unexpected longue durée of Holocene human landscape use. The number of sites, their distribution, location, and subsistence strategies exhibit shifts between the Middle Palaeolithic and different periods of the Holocene, which are closely related to the exploitation of the mountain environment and its resources. Moreover, typical knapped stone artefacts have been used as a proxy for dating the glacial landforms which characterise the Samarina highland zone; we correlate them to the better-known moraine systems of Mount Tymphi in Epirus and contribute to the reconstruction of the Pleistocene glacial landscapes of the Pindus Range.

Assessing climate change vulnerability of smallholder farmers in northwest Ethiopia: application of a household intrinsic vulnerability index

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify the most vulnerable households and districts in Northwest Ethiopia and help decision-makers in developing and prioritising effective adaptive strategies and actions.Design/methodology/approachA multi-scale analytical tool and hazard-generic socio-economic indicators were developed to identify and prioritise the most vulnerable households and districts in Northwest Ethiopia. Categorical principal component analysis with 36 indicators was used to develop weights for different indicators and construct a household intrinsic vulnerability index. Data were collected through key information interviews, focus group discussions and a household survey with 1,602 randomly selected households in three districts of Northwest Ethiopia.FindingsDrawing on intrinsic vulnerability index computation, this study highlights that low levels of education, low access to climate information and credit services, long distance travelled to fetch water and frequent food shortages are the dominant factors contributing to high levels of intrinsic vulnerability at district level, while lack of livelihood support and income diversification are the key drivers of vulnerability at household level. The findings of this study further show that the majority of households (78.01%) falls within the very high to moderately high vulnerable category. Disaggregating the data according to agro-climatic zones highlights that the prevalence of high intrinsic vulnerability is most widespread in the lowland agro-climatic zone (82.64%), followed by the highland (81.97%) and midland zones (69.40%).Practical implicationsFrom a policy intervention vantage point, addressing the drivers of vulnerability provides a reliable approach to reduce the current vulnerability level and manage potential climate change-induced risks of a system. Specifically, reliable information on inherent vulnerability will assist policymakers in developing policies and prioritising actions aimed at reducing vulnerability and assisting in the rational distribution of resources among households at a local level.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing vulnerability literature by showing how hazard-generic socio-economic indicators in the vulnerability assessment adopted by the IPCC (2014) are important to identify drives of vulnerability which ultimately may feed into a more fundamental treatment of vulnerability.

Land‐use change impacts on soil and vegetation attributes in the Kanshi River basin, Potohar Plateau, Pakistan

AbstractSoil erosion and land degradation have intensified recently, resulting from large‐scale land‐use and land cover (LULC) change, deforestation and farm mechanization. This phenomenon motivates the rationale for the assessment of such land‐use changes and their impacts on soil and vegetation in the Kanshi River basin using various remote sensing techniques between 1987–2019. The image classification enabled the identification of dry and highland zones. It was observed that around 17% of natural vegetation cover disappeared and was converted into agricultural land. Significant increase in extensive agricultural practices, population growth, settlement, and the brick industry have increased soil erosion and changed the landscape of the Kanshi region during 1987–2019. Further, we classify gully erosion, rill erosion, sprinkle erosion, and sheet erosion have all been found at rates of 43%, 27%, 9%, and 21%, respectively. Similarly, soil classes in 2019 were doubled, with Sambrial association (1%), Rajar complex (36%), Dhulian association (15%), Gullied (15%), Missa complex, Rough mountainous (2%) and Rough broken (17%), compared to four classes in 1987: Gullied, Missa complex, rough broken land, and Torrent bed land. Whereas in 1987, four types of soils were observed. The recorded soil series had a limited water holding capacity and were well drained. Soil erosion is a natural and inevitable phenomenon; however, its intensity can be reduced by appropriate water resource management in this basin.

Association Between Nutrition Social Behavior Change Communication and Improved Caregiver Health and Nutrition Knowledge and Practices in Rural Tanzania.

BackgroundEfforts to improve infant and young child feeding practices include the use of nutrition behavior change communication among caregivers of children under 5 years. We assessed the association between monthly participation in community-level nutrition group meetings on caregiver health and nutrition knowledge and practices (KPs).MethodsData from a community-based cross-sectional survey conducted in the Eastern and Southern Highland Zones of Tanzania were used. Indices were developed for caregivers' knowledge of nutrition, health and childcare, household (HDD) and young child dietary diversity (CDD), and vitamin A (VA) intakes. The comparison of means and proportions was assessed using Student's t-test and the Chi-square test, respectively, between the caregivers participating in nutrition group meetings and non-participants. The impact of the number of nutrition meeting attendance on caregiver KPs scores was examined using multiple regression.ResultsOf 547 caregivers surveyed, 49.7% attended nutrition group meetings and received information on nutrition social behavior change communication (SBCC). Overall, 28% of participating women had a moderate level of nutrition knowledge, 62% had a high level of VA knowledge, and 57% had a high level of health and childcare knowledge. Participation in nutrition group meetings was significantly associated with the health and childcare knowledge score (HKS), HDD and CDD scores, and household and young child VA intake; the magnitude of the associations was greater for caregivers who attended at least four meetings.ConclusionThe findings emphasize the need for programs that seek to address the issues present in the use of nutrition SBCC at the community level to improve maternal or caregiver KPs and subsequently the nutrition status of infants and young children.

Water Stress Thresholds and Evaluation of Coefficient Ks for Perennial Ryegrass in Tropical Conditions

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is the predominant forage crop in the equatorial highland zones of Colombia due to its high nutritional value and versatility to produce both milk and meat. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the relative depletion of usable soil water and the Ks values of canopy expansion and closure stomatal of perennial ryegrass, as well as to identify the threshold values of water stress. The experiment was carried out in pots under a controlled environment condition. These pots were arranged in a completely randomized manner. The experiment consisted of five treatments—including control treatment—of water deficits in the soil that progressively increased the depletion level as the crop cycle developed. This generated a wide range of conditions in the growth stages. For each treatment, four repetitions were performed Biomass production was significantly affected by water stress. The results show that the upper and lower thresholds of Ks were 0.28 and 1.3 of the depletion level (p) of the total available water (TAW) in the soil for the expansion of the canopy (CE), and 0.25 and 1.1 p of the TAW for stomatal closure (gs). Quadratic functions were fitted for both the CE (R2 = 0.72) and CS (R2 = 0.73); moreover, the Ks function of FAO-AquaCrop with positive shape factor (sf) was as follows: sf = 11, RMSE 0.22 for CE, and sf = 4.3, RMSE 0.19 for gs. Our results indicate that ryegrass is moderately sensitive to water stress. The differences found between the Ks function of FAO and the experimental data call for the need to use modeling with parameters adapted for each case.

Exterior characteristics and body measurements of Bligon goat on the different agro-ecological zones in Bantul District, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract. Rahmawati RD, Atmoko BA, Budisatria IGS, Ngadiyono N, Panjono. 2021. Exterior characteristics and body measurements of Bligon goat on the different agro-ecological zones in Bantul District, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 143-150. The Bligon goat is one of the goat breeds those farmers mostly keep in Bantul District, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This study was conducted to determine the exterior characteristics of Bligon goat in different agro-ecological zones in Bantul District. A total of 478 Bligon goats taken from highlands (146 head), lowlands (163 head), and coastal (169 head) were observed and grouped by age (0-6 months), young (6-18 months), and adults (>18 months). The data observed included qualitative traits (body color distribution and ear shape) and quantitative traits (withers height, chest girth, body length, ear length, and body weight). Qualitative data were analyzed descriptively, and quantitative data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. The results showed that the head hair coat color of Bligon goats was mostly striped (pied), with the percentages in the highland, lowland, and coastal zones being 71.9%, 69.2%, and 67.7%, respectively. The body hair coat color in the highland (52.1%) and lowland (39.6%) were striped primarily, while on the coast, it was white (70.7%). The crest color in the highland (69.9%) and lowland (44.7%) were mostly a mixture of brown, black, and white, while on the coast, it was white (70.1%). The mane ruff (rewos) color in the highland (88.4%), lowland (57.9%), and coast (59.3%) were primarily a mixture of brown, black, and white. Ear shapes in the highland (92.5%) and lowland (73.6%) are open principally, while in the coastal areas are mostly folded (56.9%). The average body size of Bligon goats in the coastal zone was larger than in the lowlands (P<0.05), and in the lowlands was larger than in the highlands (P<0.05). It was concluded that the different agro-ecological zones in Bantul District have different exterior characteristics in Bligon goats both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Disentangling Ethiopian Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Populations Based on Standard Morphometric and Genetic Analyses.

Simple SummaryWe conducted this population study of Ethiopian honey bees, using morphometric and genetic methods, to decipher their controversial classification. These honey bees are highly diverse and showed differentiation based on size and genetic information according to prevailing agro-ecological conditions, demonstrating morphological and molecular signatures of local adaptation. The results of both morphometric and genetic analyses suggest that Ethiopian honey bees differ from populations in the neighboring geographic regions and are characterized by extensive gene flow within the country, enhanced by honey bee colony trade. Consequently, future research that includes studying traits of vitality, behavior and colony performance of honey bees in remaining pocket areas of highland agro-ecological zones could contribute to the development of appropriate conservation management.The diversity and local differentiation of honey bees are subjects of broad general interest. In particular, the classification of Ethiopian honey bees has been a subject of debate for decades. Here, we conducted an integrated analysis based on classical morphometrics and a putative nuclear marker (denoted r7-frag) for elevational adaptation to classify and characterize these honey bees. Therefore, 660 worker bees were collected out of 66 colonies from highland, midland and lowland agro-ecological zones (AEZs) and were analyzed in reference to populations from neighboring countries. Multivariate morphometric analyses show that our Ethiopian samples are separate from Apis mellifera scutellata, A. m. jemenitica, A. m. litorea and A. m. monticola, but are closely related to A. m. simensis reference. Linear discriminant analysis showed differentiation according to AEZs in the form of highland, midland and lowland ecotypes. Moreover, size was positively correlated with elevation. Similarly, our Ethiopian samples were differentiated from A. m. monticola and A. m. scutellata based on r7-frag. There was a low tendency towards genetic differentiation between the Ethiopian samples, likely impacted by increased gene flow. However, the differentiation slightly increased with increasing elevational differences, demonstrated by the highland bees that showed higher differentiation from the lowland bees (FST = 0.024) compared to the midland bees (FST = 0.015). An allelic length polymorphism was detected (denoted as d) within r7-frag, showing a patterned distribution strongly associated with AEZ (X2 = 11.84, p < 0.01) and found predominantly in highland and midland bees of some pocket areas. In conclusion, the Ethiopian honey bees represented in this study are characterized by high gene flow that suppresses differentiation.

Euphorbia tirucalli stem bark and phylloclades’ oil quality variability and implication for energy use

Liquid biofuels have emerged as a worldwide alternative fuel with potential to replace fossil fuels. Due to their wide availability as derivatives of organic materials from plants, they have attracted much attention and investment in developing countries including Tanzania, as alternative sources of energy. This study examined effects of oil quality from stem barks and phylloclades of Euphorbia tirucalli trees of different girth sizes (viz., 20 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm, 50 cm, 60 cm, 70 cm, and 80 cm) from semi-arid, coastal, and southern highlands in Dodoma, Dar es Salaam, and Mbeya Southern highland, agro-ecological zones in Tanzania. Using Soxhlet extraction method, oils were extracted from E. tirucalli stem barks with different girth sizes while oils from phylloclades were extracted from matured apical phylloclades collected from shoots of E. tirucalli trees from which the stem bark samples had been collected. Oil yields were determined by measuring the weight of oil (g) by the total weight of sample extracts used (20 g), and the average oil yield on each sample was determined. Oil quality was evaluated as oxidative stability index (OSI), acid values (AVs), and percent free fatty acids (%FFAs). Their results were then compared with the European Union (EU) oil quality standard specifications prescribed in EN 14214 of 6 h, 0.5 mg KOH/g, max and 0.020 maximum wt% limits, respectively. Differences in the quality of E. tirucalli (stem bark and phylloclades) oil were analyzed statistically with paired-sample t test (two-tailed) using the SPSS 15.0 software package. Results showed that the difference in OSIs from stem barks were not significantly higher (3–5 h) than phylloclades (3–4 h) at the p > 0.5 level. Also, the difference in AVs and %FFAs from the stem barks (7.6–7.4 mg KOH and 3.8–3.6%) was not significantly lower than those from the phylloclades (8.4–8.1 mg KOH and 4.3–4.0%) respectively. The quality of oil from stem bark and phylloclades samples at different stem girth sizes semi-arid agro-ecological zone was not significantly higher than from southern highland and coastal agro-ecological zones, respectively. Thus, there were no significant differences in the quality of E. tirucalli oil (stem bark and phylloclades) among stem girth sizes in different agro-ecological zones. The AVs and %FFAs of oils from stem bark and phylloclades were higher than the recommended standards, while the OSIs were below the biofuel standard limit. High AVs and %FFAs reduced oil quality by producing considerably low OSIs values than recommended standards. Finally, the study concluded that E. tirucalli oil requires purification to reduce levels of AV and %FFA contents so that the oil becomes suitable for application as liquid biofuel for energy generations.

Impact of the Drainage Slope Experimental Study on the Manning Roughness Coefficient

It was Determined the current persistence components were significant in hydraulic designs of highland zone with sharp slopes. It was defined to examine the consequence of gradient, rapidity, depth and dimension of coarseness on the manning coarseness factor in this superficial river area. This is an investigational education about manning coarseness defined for highland zones protected by elements in three diverse dimensions and three slopes for dissimilar hydraulic situations in a flume of 8.3 m long, 0.8 m width and 0.5 m height under bed gradient of 0.0005. The current variations in contradiction of the Manning coarseness quantity were exposed, which comprises above hydraulic components considered. The herbal management, water balance are significant component drainage slope experimental. It was determined soil superficial roughness and hydraulic roughness factor are significant hydraulic resistance feature components. Exactly approximating the hydraulic roughness factor is significant to considerate instruments of drainage slope.

Annual and Seasonal Rainfall Variability for the Kenyan Highlands from 1900-2012

The study investigated the rainfall variability for Nairobi, Nyeri, Thika, Meru, and Embu which are agriculturally potential zones located in the Kenya Highlands region. The rainfall data were retrieved from the archival documentaries and instrumental rainfall records for 112 years. Using the non-parametric Mann Kendal land regression analysis tests, the coefficient of variance and long-term trend analysis, revealed an insignificant trend in the annual rainfall for all areas under investigation. The study found out a significant deterioration in the long rains (MAM), while the short rains (OND) trend continued significantly increasing over most of the highlands, particularly in Embu and Nairobi since the 1970s. A significant decrease in the long rains was observed in Thika and Meru, which portrays a likely deterioration of agricultural outputs in these areas during the season. The study findings conclude that there are no major observed changes in the annual rainfall amounts in the Highland zones, except a slight increase attributable to the increase of the short rains in some areas. This is a useful record disclosing localized long-term rainfall trends, which can be utilized in simulating the future rainfall events for these areas.

English

Breeding for resistant varieties has been shown to be the most suitable method to control bean anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum though the method is challenged by the existence of many races of the pathogen. This work focused on characterizing races of C. lindemuthianum from potential bean agro ecological zones of Tanzania using a set of differential bean cultivars. From 144 anthracnose infected bean samples collected, 50 pure isolates were obtained and characterized whereby 42 races were identified. The most virulent race identified was race 3610 from the Southern Highland zone of Tanzania while the least virulent was characterized as race 0. Race 2 was the most widely spread (4.2 %) found in Northern, Southern highland and in Eastern zones of Tanzania. The work confirms that G2333 can still be used as a potential donor of resistant genes to varieties that are to be grown in Northern, Eastern and Lake zones but not for the varieties from Southern Highland and Western zones of Tanzania since isolates from these zones overcame resistant genes Co-42, Co-5, Co-7 in G2333. 95% of all races which were identified are new and were not specific to either Mesoamerican or Andean origin common bean. &nbsp; Key words: Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, races, resistant genes, differential cultivars, Anthracnose.

Insights into Ethiopian honey bee diversity based on wing geomorphometric and mitochondrial DNA analyses

Traditional beekeeping has been playing important socio-economic roles in Ethiopia for millennia. The country is situated in northeast Africa, where ranges of major evolutionary lineages of Apis mellifera adjoin. However, studies on the classification and distribution of subspecies and lineages of honey bees in the country are partly inconsistent, either proposing multiple subspecies and lineages or a unique A. m. simensis. This study was conducted with the aim of elucidating Ethiopian honey bees in reference to African subspecies and major global lineages using wing geometric morphometrics and COI-COII mitochondrial DNA analyses. For this purpose, 660 worker bees were collected from 66 colonies representing highland, midland, and lowland zones in different locations. Both methods indicated that the samples from this study form a distinct cluster together with A. m. simensis reference. In addition, forewing venation patterns showed that most of the Ethiopian samples are separate from all reference subspecies, except A. m. simensis. Analysis of COI-COII sequences revealed five DraI haplotypes (Y2, Y1, A1, and O5’), of which one was new denoted as Y3. Moreover, centroid size strongly associated with elevation. In conclusion, the results supported that Ethiopian honey bees are distinct both at lineage and subspecies levels; however, there is an indication of lineage O in the north.

Association Between Nutrition Social Behavior Change Communication and Improved Caregiver Health and Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices in Rural Tanzania

Abstract Objectives Efforts to improve infant and young child (IYC) feeding practices include the use of nutrition social behaviour change communication (SBCC) among caregivers of children under 5y. We assessed the association between monthly participation in community-level nutrition group meetings on caregiver health and nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs). Methods Data from community-based cross-sectional survey conducted in Eastern and Southern Highland Zones of Tanzania, were used. Indices were developed for caregivers’ knowledge on nutrition, health-and-childcare, household and young child dietary diversity, and vitamin A intakes. Impact of the number of nutrition meeting attendance on caregiver knowledge and practices scores were examined using multiple regression analyses controlling for potential caregiver socio-demographic confounders such as maternal age, marital status, education, employment, household size, and household wealth index. Results Out of 547 caregivers surveyed, 49.7% attended nutrition group meetings and received information on nutrition SBCC while 50.3% did not. Overall, 28% of participating women had a moderate level of nutrition knowledge, 62% had high level of vitamin A knowledge, and 57% had high level of health-and-childcare knowledge. Participation in nutrition group meetings was significantly associated with health-and-childcare knowledge score, household and young child dietary diversity scores, and household and young child vitamin A intake; magnitude of the associations were greater for caregivers who attended at least four meetings. Conclusions Our findings emphasize the need for programmes that seek to address the issues present in the use of nutrition SBCC at community level to improve maternal/caregiver KAPs and subsequently to improve nutrition status of infant and young children. Funding Sources UKAID.

SouthwestAsiancerealcrops facilitated high-elevation agriculture in the central Tien Shan during the mid-third millennium BCE.

We report the earliest and the most abundant archaeobotanical assemblage of southwest Asian grain crops from Early Bronze Age Central Asia, recovered from the Chap II site in Kyrgyzstan. The archaeobotanical remains consist of thousands of cultivated grains dating to the mid-late third millennium BCE. The recovery of cereal chaff and weeds suggest local cultivation at 2000 m.a.s.l., as crops first spread to the mountains of Central Asia. The site’s inhabitants possibly cultivated two types of free-threshing wheats, glume wheats, and hulled and naked barleys. Highly compact caryopses of wheat and barley grains represent distinct morphotypes of cereals adapted to highland environments. While additional macrobotanical evidence is needed to confirm the presence of glume wheats at Chap II, the possible identification of glume wheats at Chap II may represent their most eastern distribution in Central Asia. Based on the presence of weed species, we argue that the past environment of Chap II was characterized by an open mountain landscape, where animal grazing likely took place, which may have been further modified by people irrigating agricultural fields. This research suggests that early farmers in the mountains of Central Asia cultivated compact morphotypes of southwest Asian crops during the initial eastward dispersal of agricultural technologies, which likely played a critical role in shaping montane adaptations and dynamic interaction networks between farming societies across highland and lowland cultivation zones.