Rift Valley Area Research Articles

Assessment of watermelon production, marketing and consumption in the Central Rift Valley areas of Ethiopia

Assessment of watermelon production, marketing and consumption in the Central Rift Valley areas of Ethiopia

Spatial analysis and mapping of intensity and types of agricultural salt-affected soils around Abaya and Chamo Lakes, South Ethiopia Rift Valley

PurposeSalt-affected soils have significant enough salt concentrations to impact other land and soil resource uses, plant health, soil characteristics, and water quality. Consequently, a study was carried out in the South Ethiopian Rift Valley area around the lakes of Abaya and Chamo to determine the intensity and the types of salt-affected soil and map their spatial distributions. MethodsAt 0–20 cm depths, a grid soil sampling scheme was employed to gather data from agricultural soils affected by salt. An adequately spaced grid cell of 200 m*200 m or seven transects, with seven samples collected every 200 m on each sampling site, was generated by the QGIS software's Fishnet tool, and an auger collected 226 soil samples from the proposed 245 soil sampling points. The analysis and interpretation of the data were done using both statistical and geostatistical methods. The un-sampled surface was predicted and mapped from laboratory point data using the standard Kriging algorithm in QGIS. ResultsAccording to the results, the soil in the study area was rated as strongly alkaline and moderately alkaline in the reaction. The coefficient of variation (CV) was the lowest for soil pH. Except for the Ganta Kanchama site, low CV (<10 %) confirmed the similarity of pH values throughout all research areas. The EC values depicted that the study area is slightly saline except for the Ganta Kanchame site, which rated moderately saline to strongly saline. The variability of soil EC rated moderate to strong variation for the studied area. The exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) values distribution between the study sites demonstrates considerable variability and difference. The area is dominated by low to high-risk rate soil sodicity, as evidenced by the soil ESP CV of the studied area, which was >100 % and showed significant variability among the samples. Out of 2274.65ha of the studied area, the type of salt 62.28 %, 26.09 %, 10.99 %, and 0.63 % were categorized as non-saline non-sodic, saline-sodic, sodic, and saline, respectively. Following saline-sodic, sodic, and saline soils, respectively, non-saline and non-sodic soils comprise most of the investigated areas. ConclusionsThe result indicates almost all the salt-affected areas were situated in relatively lower slope areas exhibiting a flat to almost flat slope (0–2%). The study's findings are that the studied area needs specific soil management strategies to boost the salinity and sodicity problems around the study area and recommended reclamation techniques as the extent of the problems.

Landslide susceptibility modeling in the Kulfo river catchment, rift valley, Ethiopia: An integrated geospatial and statistical analysis

Landslides occur when debris, rocks, or soil particles move downward. Examining the susceptibility of landslides is essential for safeguarding human well-being and assessing the consequences of landslides on the natural surroundings and ecosystems. This study utilized the frequency ratio technique to evaluate the probability of landslides happening in the Kulfo River watershed, situated in the Rift Valley area of Ethiopia. In order to ensure a comprehensive analysis, many data sources were employed, including satellite images, geological data, and historical records of landslides. This study developed a systematic approach to assess the probability of landslides by considering ten (10) influential factors: land use/land cover, slope, aspect, elevation, curvature, lithology, proximity to lineament, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The ten influential elements were prioritised based on literature review, expert knowledge, and preliminary study area analysis. The aforementioned causal elements are integrated with a comprehensive landslide inventory map. The sensitivity of the study's area to landslides was mapped using a frequency ratio (FR) model. Subsequently, it was classified as representing various degrees of vulnerability, spanning from extremely minimal to quite significant. The effectiveness of the suggested model was measured by evaluating the accuracy of the generated map of landslide susceptibility by the area under the curve (AUC) technique. Based on the most recent study results, the success rate curve has an area under the curve (AUC) of 79.6%, which indicates a highly satisfactory level of performance. Policymakers may utilize the findings of this study to make educated decisions on how to mitigate the risks of landslides in relation to land use and preparedness for disasters.

Identification, Prioritization and Mapping of Major Constraints and Potentials in the Medo Watershed the Case of West Arsi District in Central Rift Valley Area of Ethiopia

The concentration to characterize the biophysical and socio-economic features in the integrated watersheds is to identify and prioritize production constraints for designing appropriate research and development interventions. The objective of this study was to assess the current biophysical of characteristics of Medo watershed, West Arsi Zone of Oromia, Ethiopia. To do so relevant data and tools were used; ArcGIS, Microsoft Excel sheet and fundamental formulae were applied for the analysis are some. The results of the study indicated that the major land use types in the watershed are agricultural land covering 50%, vegetation (shrubs, forests and, plantations) covering 24% and settlement covering 16% out of the total land use. Slope gradient of Medo watershed ranges from zero to more than 20 and the slope gradient of 2-5 and 5-10 cover the greatest in area coverage representing 201 ha and 170 ha respectively. We can also observe that about 8% out of the total area is subjected to severe erosion. Sandy clay loam was the dominant soil textural classes in the surface soils and Phaeozems, Retinols and Andosols are the dominant soil types, which cover 57%, 36% and 7% of the sub-watershed area for lower, middle, and upper slope positions, respectively. Mean annual rainfall of the area ranges from 960.09 mm at lower part of the watershed to the 1304.93 mm at upper part of the watershed. Accordingly, Medo sub-watershed is laid in majority of at sub humid agro ecological zone. An assessment of the trees within the landscape of watershed showed some remnant natural forests and a wide variety of shrubby vegetation is encountered at all landscapes. About 40 percent of the watershed, is under high to extremely severe soil loss values (&gt;45 ton per hectare per year). The baseline study also identified that those natural resources degradation such as land, and or/ soil fertility, reduction, and recent changes in the areas’ weather condition in line of climate change prevailing in current years are few of the many factors that are contributing to the land and crop productivity reductions in the area. Therefore, prioritizing the identified problem and preparing intervention of different technologies and development plans to solve the problems by taking into consideration the existing opportunities of the watershed.

Evaluation and Participatory Variety Selection of Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) for Yield and Related Traits

Tomato is one of the most important commercial and food vegetable crops in Ethiopia. Even though, the crop is dominantly cultivated in the rift valley area it also produced in the study area for local market. The crop is produced by the farmers by using varieties which the source is not known and poor in yield and low in disease tolerance. Hence, participatory variety selection through demonstration of four tomato varieties was conducted at Wondo Genet and Wondo woredas during 2020/2021. The experiment was conducted on station for researchers’ data collection by replicating three times and non-replicated plot basis for farmers’ evaluation. Four tomato varieties; Gelelima, Chali, ARP-d2 tomato and Melka salsa were used for evaluation purpose. The researcher data and farmers preferences were analyzed using SAS software and pair wise ranking respectively. The result showed that highest marketable fruit yield (49.83t ha-1) was obtained from Gelelima and the lowest (39.10t ha-1) was from the Melka salsa variety. Pair wise raking of farmers preference also, shown that Gelelima was the first and best variety according to their criterion at both locations. Therefore, based on the result obtained it is better and recommended to produce Gelelima tomato variety for the farmers of Wondo Genet and Wondo woreda and other similar agro-ecologies.

Growth, Yield and Economic Advantage of Onion (Allium cepa L.) Varieties in Response to NPSB Fertilizer and Planting Pattern

Haphazard and low soil fertility, low yielding verities and poor agronomic practices are among the major factors constraining onion production in the central rift valley of Ethiopia. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted in East Showa Zone of Adami Tulu Jido Combolcha district in central rift valley areas at ziway from October 2021 to April 2022 to identify appropriate rate of NPSB fertilizer and planting pattern of onion varieties. The experiment was laid out in split plot design of factorial arrangement in three replications. The main effect of NPSB blended fertilizer rates and varieties (red coach and red king) significantly (p&lt;0.01) influenced plant height, leaf length, leaf diameter, leaf number and fresh leaf weight, shoot dry matter per plant, and harvest index. Total dry biomass, bulb diameter, neck diameter, average fresh bulb weight, bulb dry matter, marketable bulb yield, and total bulb yield were significantly (p&lt;0.01) influenced only by the main effect of NPSB blended fertilizer rates. In addition, unmarketable bulb yield was statistically significantly affected (p≥0.05) by the blended fertilizer rates and planting pattern. Moreover, days to 90% maturity of onion was affected by the main factor of NPSB fertilizer rate, variety and planting pattern. The non-fertilized plants in the control treatment were inferior in all parameters except unmarketable bulb yield and harvest index. Significantly higher marketable bulb yield (41 t ha-1) and total bulb yield (41.33 t ha-1) was recorded from 300 kg ha-1 NPSB blended fertilizer rate applied. Double row planting method and hybrid red coach onion variety had also gave higher growth and yields. The study revealed that the highest net benefit of Birr, 878,894 with lest cost of Birr 148,006 by the combinations of 150 kg blended NPSB ha-1 with double row planting method (40cm*20cm*7cm) and red coach variety which can be recommendable for higher marketable bulb yield and economic return of hybrid onion for small scale farmers in the study area. Also, for resource full producers (investors), highest net benefit of Birr 1,205,372 with higher cost (159,628 Birr) by application of 300 kg NPSB ha-1 is recommended as a second option. However, the research should be replicated both in season and areas to more verify the recommendations.

Effect of Land Use and Land Cover Change on Soil Erosion in Alaba Sub-Watersheds of Central Rift Valley Basin, Ethiopia

The magnitude of soil erosion rates has been accelerating in the Central Rift Valley Area of Ethiopia due to land use and land cover change (LULCC). This study aimed to analyze the trends and changes in land use and land cover dynamics and to analyze the impact of LULC change on soil erosion over the Alaba Sub-Watershed, Central Rift Valley Area of Ethiopia. This study would help to plan and use appropriate land use planning, soil, and water conservation practices, thereby reducing soil erosion in the study area. The soil loss rates were estimated using an empirical prediction model of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) outlined in the ArcGIS environment. During the study period between 1987 and 2018, the rate of change in cultivated land and bare land was raised by 9.09% and 1.08%, respectively. On the contrary, vegetation cover and grasslands had dropped by –2.03%, and -1.42% respectively. From trends of LULC changes, cultivated land revealed an increasing trend increasing from 181.28 hectares to 351.23 hectares for the period 1987 to 2018, respectively. On the other hand, vegetation and grasslands showed a declining trend from -271.92,-22.66 hectares to -305.91, -124.63 hectares, respectively. The findings of the study generally elucidate that the LULCC has a detrimental impact on soil erosion. The estimated total annual actual soil loss in the study landscape was 25707.77 tons in 1987, 29310.71 tons in 2000, and 31769.32 tons in 2018. It was also found that the mean annual soil loss rate of the study catchment was 22.69t/ha/yr., 25.87t/ha/yr. and 28.04t/ha/yr. in 1987, 2000, and 2018 respectively. About 35% and 42% of the Sub-watershed experienced high to very severe soil erosion in 1987 and 2018, respectively. The results indicate that the estimated erosion rate for about 39 % of the sub-basin area exceeds the maximum tolerable soil erosion threshold and this shows that the erosion risk condition is deteriorating in the study landscape. The top three priority levels delineated for urgent SWC measures represent those areas within the large increase in erosion risk levels, with an area of 188 hectares and accounting for 17 % of the sub-watershed area. Therefore, further detailed investigations based on data from primary and secondary sources would be important in identifying driving socioeconomic forces and consequences of LULCCs and suggesting possible alternative options to establish sustainable resource management practices in the study area.

Preverbal clitic clusters in the Tanzanian Rift Valley revisited

Abstract This paper examines preverbal clitic clusters in the Tanzanian Rift Valley, an area of high linguistic diversity with representatives of the Bantu, Cushitic, and Nilotic families, as well as Sandawe (possibly a distant member of the Khoi-Kwadi family), and the language isolate Hadza. An earlier work (Kießling, Roland, Maarten Mous &amp; Derek Nurse. 2008. The Tanzanian Rift Valley area. In Bernd Heine &amp; Derek Nurse (eds.), A linguistic geography of Africa, 186–227. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) identified preverbal clitic clusters as a widespread feature across many languages of the Rift Valley, and posited the preverbal clitic cluster as a feature characteristic of a ‘Tanzanian Rift Valley Area’. The current paper provides further detail on preverbal clitic clusters across the languages of the region and examines possible routes of development for these structures. From this analysis, the picture that emerges is complex: contact scenarios cannot be restricted to ones in which West Rift Cushitic or its predecessor languages are the only models for the development of a preverbal clitic cluster and, in the case of Sandawe (and perhaps the Datooga varieties), it appears as if the development of a preverbal clitic cluster cannot be linked to contact at all. In terms of what this means for the ‘areality’ of the Tanzanian Rift Valley, this paper forgoes discussions about geographical delineation or arguments for or against a ‘Tanzanian Rift Valley Area’ in favour of highlighting the individual historical events (c.f. Campbell, Lyle. 2017. Why is it so hard to define a linguistic area? In Raymond Hickey (ed.), The Cambridge handbook of areal linguistics, 19–39. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) that may have given rise to preverbal clitic clusters in the languages of our sample, as well as encouraging continued investigation into the nature of these histories, both from a linguistic and interdisciplinary perspective.

Description and Evaluation of the Present Resource Use, Management Practices, and Socio-Economic Conditions in the Medo Watershed, Central Rift Valley Area of Ethiopia

Characterizing the socio-economic systems in integrated watersheds is to identify and prioritize production constraints for designing appropriate R&amp;D interventions. The random sampling method was used to select 81 households, and both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Formal and informal surveys were conducted to gather information about the socioeconomic and institutional issues. Descriptive statistics and diversity indices were used for data analysis. According to the results of the study, agriculture is the largest source of income in the study areas, followed by off-farm activities such as daily labor, handcraft and pension. The dominant crops grown in the watershed are maize, teff, and haricot bean, respectively. Livestock rearing is also the major means of livelihood in the study area. About 37%, 19% and 17% of the farmers owned cows, sheep and goat, respectively, in the Edo watershed. The watershed is characterized by a dynamic farming system. For instance, about 63% and 32% in the introduction of new varieties and declining in soil fertility changes over the last decade were recorded, respectively. About 58% of the households indicated that there has been a decreasing and irregularity in rainfall, while 20% of the households reacted that there is the emergence of animal and plant diseases, increasing temperature, and decrease in river flow and springs over the last 10 years in the watershed. The baseline study also identified that water erosion, deforestation, and over-tillage are the major causes of the degradation of natural resources in the watershed. In general, this study concludes that land degradation and biodiversity loss are serious concerns in the watershed. Awareness creation and strengthening capacity of rural communities on integrating crops, livestock, and natural resource management technologies for effective soil and water conservation measures should be enhanced for sustainable livelihood improvement.

Evaluation of Drip Lateral Spacing on Yield and Economic Return of Onion (allium cepa l.) at Awash Melkassa, Ethiopia

Water availability is becoming a critical issue in Ethiopia in semi-arid climate mainly in Rift Valley areas. Field experiment was carried out during the dry cropping season of 2019/2020 to evaluate the performance of drip lateral spacing on onion yield and its net return with two adjustments of drip lateral spacing at full irrigation application viz., lateral placed in every row and between two rows. The performance of drip lateral spacing system was evaluated on the basis of parameters like emitter flow rate (q), emission uniformity (EU), emitter flow rate (qvar), coefficient of variation (CV), uniformity coefficient (CU). The mean values of upper, middle, and lower lateral spacing showed non- significant (P ≥ 0.05) difference in emission uniformity of drip lateral spacing. An average emitter uniformity parameter value was 93.66%, 96.28%, 12.05 %, 1.68 % for emission uniformity, uniformity coefficient, emitter flow variation and coefficient of variation respectively. The designed drip lateral spacing was operated excellently as all values of emitter uniformity parameter were in the recommended range in each case. The average basic infiltration rate was found to be 18 mm/hr. From the result, onion yield and yield parameters was affected by the effects of drip lateral spacing. Maximum onion bulb yield of 41.44t ha-1 and 25.83t ha-1 were obtained from lateral spacing in every row and between two rows respectively. Total bulb yield was reduced by 37.65% when drip lateral between two rows was used. But the cost of drip lateral between two onion plant rows was 26.14% less than drip lateral in every onion plant rows. Therefore, onion could be irrigated by drip lateral spacing in every row to get better onion bulb yield.

Water abstraction of invasive Prosopis juliflora and native Senegalia senegal trees: A comparative study in the Great Rift Valley Area, Ethiopia

Besides direct water abstraction, natural water scarcity in semi-arid and arid regions may be further exacerbated by human-assisted changes in vegetation composition, including the invasion by non-native plant species. Water abstraction by the invasive tree Prosopis juliflora and by the native Senegalia senegal was compared in the dry Great Rift Valley, Ethiopia. Transpiration rates were quantified using the heat ratio method on six trees each of P. julifora and S. senegal, growing adjacent to each other in the same environment. Water use for P. juliflora trees ranges from 1 to 26 L/day (an average of 4.74 ± 1.97), and that of S. senegal trees from 1 to 38 L/day (an average of 5.48 ± 5.29 during two study years). For both species, soil heat, latent heat, and soil moisture status influenced the rates of sap flow of trees; in addition, water use by P. juliflora trees was related to vapor pressure deficit; the higher the vapor pressure deficit, the higher the water abstraction by P. juliflora. Stand densities of pure P. juliflora and S. senegal were 1200–1600 trees and 400–600 trees per ha, respectively. At the stand scale, P. juliflora consumed approximately 6636 L/day/ha (transpiration: 242 mm per year) and S. senegal stands consumed 2723 L/day/ha (transpiration: 87 mm per year). That is, P. juliflora stands consumed three times more water than S. senegal stands, because of two reasons: (1) P. juliflora stands are denser than S. senegal stands, and denser stands consume more water than less dense stands, and (2) P. juliflora is evergreen and uses water all year-round, while S. senegal sheds its leaves during the peak dry seasons. Our findings suggest that, compared to S. senegal, P. juliflora invasion results in severe impacts on groundwater resources of the drylands of Ethiopia, with direct and indirect consequences to ecosystem services and rural livelihoods.

Assessment of on-farm performance of common bean in central rift valley areas of Ethiopia

Assessment of on-farm performance of common bean in central rift valley areas of Ethiopia

No evidence of Rift Valley fever antibodies in veterinarians and sheep in Northern Palestine.

Background and Aim:Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a vector-borne virus that causes RVF in humans and ruminants. The clinical symptoms in humans and animals are non-specific and often misdiagnosed, but abortions in ruminants and high mortality in young animals are characteristic. Since the initial outbreak in the Rift Valley area in Kenya, the disease has spread to most African countries and the Middle East. The presence and epidemiological status of RVFV in humans and animals in Palestine are unknown. This study aimed to investigate the presence and risk factors for RVF seroprevalence in veterinarians, as occupational hazard professionals, and sheep, as highly susceptible animals, in Northern Palestine.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data and blood samples of 280 Assaf sheep and 100 veterinarians in close occupational contact with sheep were collected between August and September 2020 using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results:No evidence of RVF antibodies was found in any human or animal sample.Conclusion:Our results suggest that RVFV has not circulated in livestock in Northern Palestine, yet. Surveillance and response capabilities and cooperation with the nearby endemic regions are recommended. The distribution of competent vectors in Palestine, associated with global climate change and the role of wild animals, might be a possible route for RVF spreading to Palestine from neighboring countries.

Experimental Analysis on Mechanical Characteristics of Foundation Soil in Rift Valley Area of Kenya Nairobi-Malaba Railway

The Rift Valley section of Kenya Nairobi-Malaba Railway locates in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, with complex engineering geological conditions and well-developed geological structures. During the rainy season from March to May 2018, four large-scale ground fissures were formed in the first-stage project of the Nairobi-Malaba Railway of the valley floor section, accompanied by uneven surface settlement and trenches, seriously endangering the safety of the railway and its nearby projects. Through field investigation, it is preliminarily considered that the main reason induced ground fissures and surface settlement is the underlying soil layer being eroded by groundwater. The gully is further formed by surface water erosion on a base of uneven surface subsidence. The geological exploration trench at DK77 ground fissure revealed that the overlying soil layer is respectively grayish-yellow silty clay, cyan-gray volcanic ash, and brownish-yellow silty clay from top to bottom, and the underlying bedrock is volcanic tuff with wide cracks. The fluid flows out or into the bedrock through the cracks developing channels for groundwater up-down flowage. Under the erosion of groundwater to the underlying soil, this study proved the possibility of the occurrence of uneven settlement. When exposed to the groundwater, the underlying soil will exhibit special physical and mechanical properties which are conducive to the occurrence of ground cracks and subsidence. The conventional geotechnical tests are conducted for the three types of overlying soil, and the results reveal the causes of ground fissures and surface settlement from the physical and mechanical properties of the overlying soil and provide a basis for the further qualitative analysis of the mechanism of ground fissures and surface settlement.

Analysis of the Mechanism of Ground Fissures in the Nairobi–Malaba Railway Rift Valley Area in Kenya

During the rainy season from March to May 2018, four ground fissures were generated in the rift valley area along the first phase of the Nairobi–Malaba Railway in Kenya, among which the ground fissures B3 highway, DK76, and DK77 were larger in scale, which seriously endangered the safety of the railway. According to the author’s previous study, the ground fissure B3 highway belongs to a typical fault-type fissure, and the ground fissures DK76 and DK77 are qualitatively concluded to be generated under the groundwater erosion of collapsible soils. To quantitatively summarize the mechanism of ground fissures, DK76 and DK77, physical model tests on the overlying soil properties, compactness, the intersection angle between hidden cracks and the water flow direction, the height of confined water level, and the groundwater flow rate are conducted to analyze the effect of these factors on the formation and expansion of ground fissures. The test results show that the soil with strong collapsibility under the action of underground erosion produces fissures, collapses, and holes similar to those in the rift valley area along the first phase of the Nairobi–Malaba Railway in Kenya; the loose overburden is conducive to the occurrence of surface collapse; the collapse of the soil surface is the most severe when the underlaid cracks are parallel to the water flow direction; the higher confined water level and faster inflow rate will aggravate the collapse of the overlying soil layer.

Effect of Plant Densities and Nitrogen Rates on Yield and Yield Components of Sorghum Varieties (Sorghum bicolor. L Moench) in Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Plant density (PD) and nitrogen (N) fertilizer are considered the most important crop management practices in improving sorghum grain yield. In line with this a field experiments was conducted at Melkassa Agricultural Research Center (MARC) and Mieso research sites in the central Rift Valley (CRV) areas of Ethiopia during the main rainy season of 2016 to study the effects of PD and N fertilizer rates on growth, yield and yield components of sorghum. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design in factorial arrangement with three replications. Two Sorghum Varieties, a hybrid (ESH-1) and an open pollinated variety (Teshale) were used with three plant densities (66,666, 88,888 and 133,333 plantsha-1) and four N rates (0, 23, 46 and 69 kg ha-1). Biomass, head weight and grain yield (t/ha) were significantly affected by main factor effects. Moreover, interaction effect of location by variety affected almost all yield related parameters except thousand seed weight. Interaction between variety and density significantly affected biomass, head weight and grain yield with the highest results for ESH-1 at the highest density. Better grain yield, with a profitable marginal rate of return was achieved for the hybrid ESH-1 variety with application of 23 Kg N ha-1 and the highest plant density (133,333) at MARC while it was obtained with application of 69 Kg N ha-1 at the lowest density (66,667) for the same variety at Mieso.

Response of Plant Densities and Nitrogen Rates on Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor. L Moench) Growth and Nutrient use Efficiency in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Plant density (PD) and nitrogen (N) fertilizer are considered the most important crop management practices in improving sorghum grain yield. In line with this a field experiments was conducted at Melkassa Agricultural Research Center (MARC) and Mieso research sites in the central Rift Valley (CRV) areas of Ethiopia during the main rainy season of 2016 to study the effects of PD and N fertilizer rates on growth and nutrient use efficiency and uptake. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design in factorial arrangement with three replications. Two Sorghum Varieties, a hybrid (ESH-1) and an open pollinated variety (Teshale) were used with three plant densities (66,666, 88,888 and 133,333 plantsha-1) and four N rates (0, 23, 46 and 69 kg ha-1). Growth parameters (LAI, crop growth rate and net assimilation rate) were significantly affected by all main factors and their interaction effects. Nutrient concentration and uptake were variable across main effects; it increased with nitrogen rate while decreased with plant density and was higher for Mieso than MARC as well as for ESH-1 than Teshale.

Veterinary Drug Prescribing Practices at Selected District Veterinary Clinics of Rift Valley Areas of Ethiopia.

The rational use of drugs in veterinary medicine has various significances, such as reducing the risk of drug resistance, increasing efficacy, reducing drug residue, and decreasing adverse drug reactions. A retrospective study was conducted to assess veterinary drug prescribing practices at Batu and Arsi-Negelle district veterinary clinics in the rift valley areas of Ethiopia. A total of 2,464 cases were recorded from the case registration books at both the clinics for diseases treated between September 2012 and February 2015. The study results showed that for a total of 2,464 cases diagnosed at both clinics, 3,811 different drugs were prescribed, with an average per encounter of 1.6. Among the total drugs, oxytetracycline, ivermectin, penstrep, sulfa drugs, and albendazole were the most leading prescribed drugs with a frequency of 43.0%, 17.6%, 10.2%, 6.5%, and 1.3%, respectively. All drugs were prescribed by the generic name without any laboratory support of the disease. About 68.3% of the cases were diagnosed by unspecified professionals, whereas 21.7% and 10.1% were done by animal health assistants and veterinarians, respectively. The prescribing practices showed 61.0% of antibiotics and 29.7% of anthelmintics where 45.3% and 54.7% of antibiotics and 17.8% and 82.2% of anthelmintics were given at Batu and Arsi-Negelle veterinary clinics, respectively. Of the prescribed drugs, 4.6% oxytetracycline and 2.6% penstrep were prescribed irrationally to treat diseases that were tentatively diagnosed as parasitic cases. Similarly, 40.5% ivermectin and 17.7% albendazole were prescribed for bacterial infections. In conclusion, this study revealed problems in antibiotics and anthelmintics use, description of routes of administration and length of treatment, and shortage of laboratory diagnostic facilities. Therefore, veterinary drugs, particularly antibiotics and anthelmintics, should be used appropriately to safeguard the public from residual drug impacts and resistance development.

Location and plant spacing affect biomass yield and nutritional value of pigeon pea forage

AbstractAn experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of row spacing (RS) and interplant spacing (IPS) on the yield of total biomass, leaf, and edible twigs, and nutritive value of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) at three locations in the Rift Valley area of Ethiopia. The authors used a randomized completed block design with three replications in 3 × 3 factorial arrangement: three RS (25, 50, and 75 cm) and three IPS (15, 30, and 45 cm). Row spacing × IPS of 25 × 30 cm and 50 × 15 cm gave greater total biomass yield than the other RS and IPS combinations. A similar result was found for edible plant yield. At Hawassa, the greater leaf crude protein was found for the wider IPS of 45 cm than the narrower IPS of 30 cm (318 vs. 303 g kg–1). At Wondo‐Genet, the greater leaf in vitro digestible organic matter (597 vs. 582 g kg–1) was found for the wider RS of 75 cm than narrower RS. Similar to leaf, a better nutritional value of edible twigs was found for a wider RS and IPS than narrower RS and IPS at Hawassa and Wondo‐Genet. In contrast at Aliyu‐Amba, a better nutritional value of edible twigs was found for narrower RS and IPS than the wider spacing. Thus, it can be concluded that RS × IPS of 25 × 30 cm or 50 × 15 cm are advisable for pigeon pea forage production.

Implications of Environmental Pollutions on Ethiopian Fisheries: Review Study

The objective of this review article was to summarize the current impacts and its implications of environmental pollution on the fisheries sector in Ethiopian fisheries. The materials for this review were kinds of literature (published and unpublished) including internet access and personal experiences were used for the source to obtain applicable data. Ethiopia has a potential source of water used for fisheries and irrigation-based agriculture. The Ethiopian Rift Valley is one of the potential sources used for fisheries purposes and it is also the most environmentally vulnerable water source in the country. Climate changes and environmental pollutions affect the fisheries and aquaculture sector directly by influencing the fish stocks and the comprehensive supply of fish for consumption. In Ethiopia, environmental pollutions are significantly affected the fisheries sector, especially in the Rift valley areas which come from different sources. 92.8% of the liquid sewages released from Addis Ababa city enter into rivers and rain-water channels having a chain with Lakes along with the downstream with above the maximum permissible levels of BOD and COD. And, applications of commercial agricultural fertilizers including pesticides and floriculture significantly affected the water qualities of Ethiopian water bodies especially the central Rift Valley lakes and, currently, the affluence and availabilities including the fish quality and the ecosystem services under the down streams are found at risk. The accumulation of nutrients affects biodiversity and fisheries. Under Rift valley lakes, 73% of the fish landing is sold nearby markets and the consumption of fish that are contaminated through different concentrations of heavy metals above permissible levels is going to be toxic for human beings. Therefore, the government and respective bodies should give more emphasis on the mitigations and management’s especially with agricultural, floriculture, and urbanization related waste entered into the water bodies; affects the ecosystem and the fishery sector in the country. Keywords: Environment, pollution, climate change, fisheries, water bodies, Ethiopia DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/11-17-02 Publication date: September 30 th 2021