Sennar State Research Articles

CROP RESIDUE AS OPTIMUM FEED SOURCING FOR LIVESTOCK KEPT UNDER FREE RANGE CONDITIONS WITHIN THE BLUE NILE BASIN OF SUDAN

The present study was initiated show that the best feed sourcing for animal production could crop-livestock under rangeland conditions of arid environment within the Nile basin ecosystem. For crop-livestock production systems, livestock water productivity (LWP) was used to indicate water utilized by the animal converted to useful products. Parameters measured were: biomass availability from rangelands and crop residues, supply versus demand for the different animal species and treated crop residues to improve animal performance. Trends in rangeland productivity, crop residue biomass and animal’s number and herd structure were measured through the years 2014 – 2018 in seven localities of Sennar state. Total biomass in the form of crop residues and biomass from range was calculated to determine the livestock demands during the dry season; this was done by utilizing Tropical livestock unit (TLU) equivalents and basal metabolic rates. Rangeland status was estimated using remote sensing. using multiple sets of Sentinel-2 and Landsat images (in case of cloud cover in the Sentinel-2 image). Crop production was projected for the summer season from the ‘Ministry of Agriculture’, Further available crop residues were calculated as: 1kg sorghum seed gives 3kg sorghum straw, 1kg millet seed gives 3 kg straw, 1kg ground nut pod gives 2kg straw. The biomass demand was calculated based on the data from Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development that annual animal unit demand is 2.4 tons. This was translated to the biomass demand of approximately 6.5 kg per day per animal unit. The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) estimation of animal maintenance energy of 11,000 Kcal per LTU per day for grazing cattle in Africa, for maintenance energy, would require about 5 kg per tropical livestock unit per day of feed for maintenance. The amount of evapotranspiration required to produce this feed would be about 1.25 cubic meters per TLU per day or 450 cubic meters per tropical livestock unit per year. This compares with 25–50 liters a day or 9–18 cubic meters per tropical livestock unit per year for drinking water. Hence for each locality biomass demand was calculated as: No. of AU in the locality x 6.5 kg dry matter/day. Animal experimentation utilized 2 dairy goats fed with straws treated with 5% urea and Student t-test was used to obtain the significance between the control and treated animals. The results showed that contribution of crop residue to the biomass was very important and increased over the years for Abu Hougar it was maintained around 90%, for El Dali increased from 3% to 888% in year 2018. For El Dinder, El Souki and Sinnar increased to reach 454%, 775%, 219% respectively in the year 2018. However, Singa showed a decline in crop residue from 526 to 163%. Availability of the biomass showed high variability among the localities. Animal’s number changed slightly over the years. Except for Sharg Sinnar. Sheep population was the highest while camels were the lowest in all localities, but herd structure was not the same where cattle, sheep and goats were comparable at El Souki and Singa. Camels and goats were comparable in El Dinder only. Abu Hougar and El Dali showed lower population of cattle and goats. At Sinnar, goats and cattle population was nearly the same. Sharg Sinnar showed comparable ratios for sheep, cattle and goats. As for animal experimentation where dairy goats were used to test the crop residue treated with urea on food intake and milk yield, it was found that while food intake decreased significantly (P<0.05), milk yield increased significantly (P<0.001). It could be concluded that for crop livestock-water ecological system, crop residues as feed sourcing is considered the optimum biomass supply for animals during the summer season where there is no additional water is required, livestock water productivity (LWP) could be increased with better management of soildegradation, water runoff and rangeland conservation.

Factors influencing water strategy objectives fulfillment: A survey findings from Sudan

AbstractChallenges faced by countries in their struggle for economic and social development are increasingly related to water. Developing and managing water resources requires an appropriate water strategy. However, many factors influence the achievement of desired goals of water strategies. This qualitative study analyzes factors influencing water strategies to promote appropriate water management. Data was collected during 2019 from 10 states of North Kurdufan, White Nile, Gezira, Sennar, Gedarif, Khartoum, Kassala, Red Sea, River Nile, and Northern state in Sudan. A total of 300 people including water officials, water supply engineers, and community leaders were interviewed. Water availability, community participation, coordination between water institutions, integrated water resources management (IWRM), and finance were identified as factors influencing water strategy objectives fulfillment. Out of 300 respondents in all states, a group of 149 (49.7%), mentioned that water strategy objectives were fulfilled and more than half of the respondents 151 (50.3%) evaluated that water strategy objectives were not fulfilled. A multiple regression statistically significantly predicted water strategy objective achievement, F (5, 295) = 57.6314 p < .005, R = .704. R2 = .485, from water availability, coordination between water‐related institutions, IRWM, and availability of finance. Results show that community participation, water availability, coordination between water‐related institutions, and availability of finance are insignificantly (p > .005) influenced water strategy objective fulfillment. The findings will contribute to the social dimension of water resources management and development.

Effects and Season and Sex on Some Blood Parameters of Saw Scaled Viper Echis Carinatus at Sennar State Elsuki Locality (Central Sudan)

Effects and Season and Sex on Some Blood Parameters of Saw Scaled Viper Echis Carinatus at Sennar State Elsuki Locality (Central Sudan)

Environmental detection of eumycetoma pathogens using multiplex real-time PCR for soil DNA in Sennar State, Sudan

BackgroundMycetoma is a chronic disease affecting the skin and subcutaneous tissue endemic in the tropical and subtropical regions. Several bacteria and fungi can cause mycetoma, but fungal mycetoma (eumycetoma) is challenging because the treatment requires a combination of a long-term antifungal agent and surgery. Although the transmission route has not yet been elucidated, infection from the soil is a leading hypothesis. However, there are few soil investigation studies, and the geographical distribution of mycetoma pathogens is not well documented. Here, we used multiplex real-time PCR technology to identify three fungal species from soil samples.MethodsIn total, 64 DNA samples were extracted from soil collected in seven villages in an endemic area in Sennar State, Sudan, in 2019. Primers and fluorescent probes specifically targeting the ribosomal DNA of Madurella mycetomatis, Falciformispora senegalensis, and F. tompkinsii were designed.ResultsMultiplex real-time PCR was performed and identified the major pathogen, M. mycetomatis that existed in most sites (95%). In addition, two other pathogens were identified from some sites. This is the first report on the use of this technique for identifying the eumycetoma causative microorganisms.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that soil DNA investigation can elucidate the risk area of mycetoma-causative agents. The results will contribute to the design of prevention measures, and further large-scale studies may be effective in understanding the natural habitats of mycetoma pathogens.

Soil monitoring and land cover/land use assessment on the Blue Nile River Watershed, Blue Nile State – Sudan/ using remote sensing and other techniques

The study was carried out along the course of the Blue Nile from the Ethiopian-Sudanese border in the south to the borders of the Blue Nile state with Sennar state in the north. The study area was determined by establishing a buffer around the course of the Blue Nile, with a width of 20 km (10 km at each side of the river), Blue Nile state. The study attempted to update some information in the study area regarding land use/ land cover, soil properties and contour map. To facilitate forest inventory and field work. The study area was divided into equal area to four zones (A, B, C and D), 783 sites and soil sample samples were taken and classified using the land cover classification system (LCCS). The fieldwork and survey began with four practical groups, a group for each zone within the period 1 December 2015 to 5 March, 2016 in a total area of approximately 346483.42 ha. Remote sensing and fieldwork data analysis showed that there are significant changes in land use/ land cover and soil properties are in the study area (1990 to 2015). Zones A and B (South of Rosieris Dam) are mainly composed of clay soil, while the soil of Zones C and D (North of Rosieris dam) is mainly loamy soil. the study indicate that 13%, 11%, 22% and 19% from zone A, B, C and D respectively lies within the slightly acidity (pH 5.5 to 6.5), while 87%, 87%, 78% and 81% of the same zone respectably was natural soil and 2% of zone B classified as Slightly alkaline soil (pH 8) and more than 50% of the total area classified as neutral to slightly acidity, which is suitable for most crops and natural vegetation covers. SP% analysis showed that more than 80% of soils samples in the study area have SP% values greater than 40% which characterized combination of silt, loam and clay. The study indicate that the change in the patterns of land cover/ land use systems is found to be mainly due to civil war and economic crises with no clear signs of climatic change.

Efficacy of the Mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis (Baird and Girard) in the Control of Anopheles and Culex Mosquito larvae in Sennar State, Sudan

This laboratory and semi-field studies were designed toexplore the larvivorous potential of Gambusia affinis and ways this fishmight be employed in an ongoing Sennar state mosquito control program.The present experiments were conducted on G. affinis feeding patterns.The mean number of larvae consumed by G. affinis was 132 larvae during24 hours. Additionally, G. affinis had a tendency to feed on early instarsthan the late ones under both laboratory and semi-field conditions inSennar state. The percentages of larval consumption were 98% (±4),86.2% (±13.6), 77.4% (±7.3) and 63.6% (±32.5) for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and4th instars, respecti`vely. The percentage of larvae consumed of variedinstars was 87.4% (±21.8). Moreover, total consumption of the immaturestages of mosquito larvae can be achieved as the number of Anopheleslarvae consumed ranged between 46.7% and 100% (mean 72.68%±20.04) and of Culex larvae between 54.2% and 100% (mean 86.7%±20.27). This study suggests that G, affinis could be a useful tool in theongoing Sennar state vector control program. Further studies should beperformed to assess the ecology, seasonality and to be conducted underlarge scale

Methods of Cultivation and Crop Productivity in Rain-fed Mechanized Schemes in Sennar State, Sudan

The objective of this study was to obtain baseline informationabout the methods of cultivation and crop productivity in the RainfedMechanized Schemes (RMS) in Sennar State. Forty farmers were selectedfrom Eldindir, Singa and Sennar localities. The data collected was in theform of questionnaires, meetings and group discussion with farmers. Thequestionnaire was designed to obtain information about the area perscheme, areas allocated for cultivation, cultural practices, crops grown,and their yields. SSPS software programme was used for data analysis.The results revealed that the largest scheme areas were at Singa followedby EL Dindir and the smallest areas were at Sennar. Farmers at Sennarallocate all the area for crop cultivation, whereas at EL dindir and Singa,53.4 and 66.7% of the farmers allocate area for cropping and the rest forforest, respectively. Sorghum and millet are grown in all localaties, whilesesame and sunflower are grown only at EL dindir and Singa localities.Land preparation in all locations started by clearance of trees andperennial bunch grasses. Sowing is by wide level disc planter in ELDindir and Singa, while in Sennar, sowing is by seed broadcast andridging. In all localities weeding is manually after two or three weeksfrom sowing and some farmers use herbicides in combination withmanual weeding. None of the farmers use fertilizers and pesticides. Noproper crop rotation is applied in all localities. All farmers harvestsorghum and millet manually and mechanical threshing, while sesame isharvested manually and sunflower mechanically. The yields of all growncrops are low and not exceeding an average of 414, 252, 207 and 255 kgseeds per feddan for sorghum, millet, sesame and sunflower,respectively.

Selected Farming Systems for Improving Crop Production and RainWater Productivity in Semi-Arid Zone, Sudan

The problem of water shortages for rainfed agricultural production is due to low rainfall and uneven distribution throughout the rainy season makes rainfed agriculture a highly risk enterprise. Appropriate farming systems and soil conservation measures are the only opportunity to reduce the high risk of crops yield losses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of three farming systems; Conventional Farming (CF), Conservation Agriculture (CA), and in-field rain Water Harvesting (WH); on the yield and water productivity of sorghum, sesame and cowpea crops. Field experiments were conducted in semi-arid area of Sennar State, Sudan for two consecutive seasons (2015 and 2016). Three different planting machines were used. The CA recorded higher crop yield for sorghum (2594 kg/ha) followed by in-field rainwater Harvesting (WH) which gave 2362 kg/ha, while CF has the lowest crop yield (2072 kg/ha). For the sesame crop the WH gave the highest crop yield (740kg/ ha) followed by CA (718 kg/ha) and the lowest crop yield was obtained by CF (602 kg/ha). The highest cowpea crop yield was obtained by WH (927.kg/ha) followed by CA farming system (847 kg/ha) and the lowest crop yield was obtained by CF (785kg/ha). The CA farming system recorded the highest water productivity for sorghum (1.081 kg/m3) compared to the WH and CF, while the WH farming system recorded the highest water productivity (0.32 and 0.366 kg/m3) for sesame and cowpea respectively compared to the CA and CF. WH is best recommended farming system in semi-arid areas and CA the best recommended practice where annual rainfall is relatively high.

Role of socioeconomic factors in developing mycetoma: Results from a household survey in Sennar State, Sudan.

Mycetoma is a chronic, progressively destructive disease of subcutaneous tissues and bones caused by certain species of bacteria or fungi. We conducted a cross-sectional community-based study alongside mapping of mycetoma in five administrative units with high mycetoma endemicity in the Eastern Sennar Locality, Sennar State, Sudan. A household survey was administered which included questions about the household members, household characteristics, economic activity and history of mycetoma. A clinical examination was conducted on all members of the household. If mycetoma was suspected, an individual questionnaire was completed collecting demographic, clinical and epidemiological data as well as information on the use of health care and associated costs. Geographical coordinates and photos of the lesions were taken, and the affected persons were referred to the medical centre for confirmation of the diagnosis and treatment. We compared the characteristics of households with confirmed cases of mycetoma with those without confirmed cases, and individuals with confirmed mycetoma with those in whom mycetoma was not confirmed. In total 7,798 households in 60 villages were surveyed; 515 suspected cases were identified and 359 cases of mycetoma were confirmed. Approximately 15% of households with mycetoma had more than one household member affected by this disease. Households with mycetoma were worse off with respect to water supply, toilet facilities, electricity and electrical appliances compared to the survey households. Only 23% of study participants with mycetoma had sought professional help. Of these, 77% of patients travelled an average of six hours to visit a medical facility. More than half of patients had to pay towards their treatment. The estimated average cost of treatment was 26,957 Sudanese pounds per year (566 US dollars, exchange rate 2018). Results of this survey suggest that agricultural practices and reduced access to sanitation and clean water can be risk factors in developing mycetoma. Poor access to health care and substantial financial costs were barriers to seeking treatment for mycetoma.

Individual Risk Factors of Mycetoma Occurrence in Eastern Sennar Locality, Sennar State, Sudan: A Case-Control Study.

Mycetoma is a serious chronic subcutaneous granulomatous inflammatory disease that is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions, where it impacts profoundly on patients, families, and communities. Individual-level risk factors for the disease are poorly understood. To address this, a case-control study was conducted based on data collected from 60 villages in Eastern Sennar Locality, Sennar State, Sudan. Based on the presence of swelling in any part of the body, or sinus formation with or without grain discharge evident from the lesion by ultrasound examination, we diagnosed 359 cases of mycetoma. For each case, we included three healthy sex-matched persons, with no evidence of mycetoma, from the same village as the control group (n = 1077). The odds for mycetoma were almost three times higher in individuals in the age group 16–30 years (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.804, 95% CI = 1.424–5.523) compared to those in age group ≤ 15 years. Other factors contributing to the odds of mycetoma were history of local trauma (AOR = 1.892, 95% CI = 1.425–2.513), being unmarried (AOR = 3.179, 95% CI = 2.339–4.20) and owning livestock (AOR = 3.941, 95% CI = 2.874–5.405). In conclusion, certain factors found to be associated with mycetoma in this study could inform a high index of suspicion for mycetoma diagnosis, which would improve early case detection. Other factors found to be associated could inform the development of an interventional program for mycetoma control in Sudan, including education on healthy farming practices and the risks of puncture wounds for individuals residing in endemic areas. However, this work was conducted in one endemic state, while mycetoma cases occur in all states of Sudan. Replicating this study over a wider area would give a fuller picture of the situation, providing the control program with more comprehensive information on the risk factors for the disease.

The use of cholera oral vaccine for containment of the 2019 disease outbreak in Sudan.

A cholera outbreak in Blue Nile and Sennar states, south-eastern and southern Sudan, took place during September-December 2019. An outbreak surveillance sample collection was made. Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa was isolated from clinical samples of all confirmed 200 and 132 cases in Blue Nile state and Sennar state, respectively. The case fatality rate was higher in Blue Nile state, 4% compared with only 2.3% in Sennar state. The Euvichol-Plus oral cholera vaccine was rapidly deployed for the first time in Sudan to the most at-risk populations in the two affected states, 1 471 188 and 1 546 542 individuals in Sennar and Blue Nile states, respectively. The rapid deployment of cholera vaccines as the major prevention and control strategy was successful and helped greatly with the containment of this epidemic. In-depth genomics studies are crucial for understanding the disease dynamics in Sudan by identifying locally circulating strains of the bacteria and further improving prevention and control strategy by characterising the susceptibility and resistance of these locally circulating strains to currently used antibiotics.

Blood meal profile and positivity rate with malaria parasites among different malaria vectors in Sudan

BackgroundMalaria is a life-threatening public health problem globally with particularly heavy burden in the sub-Saharan Africa including Sudan. The understanding of feeding preference of malaria vectors on different hosts is a major challenge for hindering the transmission cycle of malaria. In this study, blood meals taken by blood-fed Anopheles mosquitoes collected from the field in malaria endemic areas of Sudan were analysed for source of blood meal and malaria parasite presence.MethodsAnopheles mosquitoes were collected from different regions in Sudan: Khartoum state, Sennar state, Northern state, and El Gedarif state between September 2020 and February 2021. Anopheles mosquitoes were collected using the standard pyrethrum spray catch and back-pack aspirator. Mosquito samples were sorted and morphologically identified to species level using international identification keys. Morphologically identified mosquito species were also confirmed using PCR. Genomic DNA was extracted from mosquitoes for molecular identification of blood meal source and parasite detection. The presence of Plasmodium species DNA in each mosquito sample was investigated using semi-nested PCR. Frequency of each blood meal source, Anopheles mosquito vector, and malaria parasite detected was calculated. Positivity rate of each fed female Anopheles mosquito was calculated for each species.ResultsA total of 2132 Anopheles mosquitoes were collected. 571 (26.8%) were males and 1561 (73.2%) were females classified based on their abdominal status into 1048 (67.1%) gravid, 274 (17.6%) fed, and 239 (15.3%) unfed females. Among the blood fed Anopheles mosquitoes, 263 (96.0%) were morphologically identified and confirmed using PCR to Anopheles arabiensis, 9 (3.3%) to Anopheles stephensi, and 2 (0.7%) to Anopheles rufipes. Of 274 blood-fed An. arabiensis, 68 (25.9%) fed on mixed blood meals from human and cattle, 8 (3.0%) fed on cattle and goat, and 13 (4.8%) fed on human, cattle and goat. For single blood meal sources, 70 (26.6%) fed on human, 95 (36.1%) fed on cattle, 8 (3.0%) fed on goat, and 1 (0.4%) fed on dog. While An. rufipes and An. stephensi fed on dog (2; 0.75%) and cattle (9; 3.3%), respectively. Plasmodium parasite detection in the blood meals showed that 25/274 (9.1%) An. arabiensis meals were positive for Plasmodium vivax and 19/274 (6.9%) An. arabiensis meals were positive for Plasmodium falciparum. The rate of positivity of An. arabiensis with any Plasmodium species was 16.7%. However, the positivity rate with P. falciparum only was 7.2%, while P. vivax was 9.5%. Both An. rufipes and An. stephensi were having positivity rates of 0.0% each.ConclusionsThis study which was mainly on blood-fed Anopheles mosquitoes showed a diversity in the type of diet from human, cattle, and goat. Anopheles mosquitoes especially An. arabiensis in Sudan, are opportunistic blood feeders and can feed broadly on both human and cattle. The application of blood meal identification is not only important in malaria vector epidemiological surveillance but also is very useful in areas where arthropods exhibit zoophilic feeding behaviour for mammals.

Detection of multiple mycetoma pathogens using fungal metabarcoding analysis of soil DNA in an endemic area of Sudan

Mycetoma is a tropical disease caused by several fungi and bacteria present in the soil. Fungal mycetoma and eumycetoma are especially challenging to treat; therefore, prevention, early diagnosis, and early treatment are important, but it is also necessary to understand the geographic distribution of these pathogenic fungi. In this study, we used DNA metabarcoding methodology to identify fungal species from soil samples. Soil sampling was implemented at seven villages in an endemic area of Sennar State in Sudan in 2019, and ten sampling sites were selected in each village according to land-use conditions. In total, 70 soil samples were collected from ground surfaces, and DNA in the soil was extracted with a combined method of alkaline DNA extraction and a commercial soil DNA extraction kit. The region for universal primers was selected to be the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer one region for metabarcoding. After the second PCR for DNA library preparation, the amplicon-based DNA analysis was performed using next-generation sequencing with two sets of universal primers. A total of twelve mycetoma-causative fungal species were identified, including the prime agent, Madurella mycetomatis, and additional pathogens, Falciformispora senegalensis and Falciformispora tompkinsii, in 53 soil samples. This study demonstrated that soil DNA metabarcoding can elucidate the presence of multiple mycetoma-causative fungi, which may contribute to accurate diagnosis for patient treatment and geographical mapping.

Efficacy of Indoor Residual Spray (Bendiocarb 80%) for Malaria Control in Sennar State, Sudan

Malaria is a worldwide public health problem, in 2017, and an estimated 237 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide compared with 211 million cases in 2010 and 219 million cases in 2015. Several countries used Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) (Bendiocarb 80%) to combat Malaria. The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of IRS (Bendiocarb 80%) applied in Sennar state, Sudan in which Malaria is endemic. We used Pyrethrum spray collection, Bio efficacy of IRS using Cone methods and Malaria cases reporting to evaluate the efficacy of Indoor Residual Spray. The efficacy of IRS was tested by cone bioassay for four months (August- November 2017) for susceptible strains of Anopheles Mosquitoes. The recorded mortality of the 4 months was 99±1.23, 95±5.14,48±18.37, 23±9.26 respectively and mortality for the field strain of Anopheles mosquito in the study period was 100±0.0; 88.5±7.4; 43.8±20.1; and 0.7±0.8 respectively. The Malaria incidence rates for four months after application of Indoor Residual Spray in Sennar State (September, October, November and December 2017) were (5.18±3.4; 5.0±3.3; 4.31±3.1; and 5.15±3.9 respectively). This study found that there was a reduction in the total number of the collected Anopheles gambiae, female mosquito from 143 to 46, in unfed mosquitoes (UF) from 22 to 0, in fresh feed mosquitoes (FF) from 60 to18, in half gravid mosquitoes (HG) from 0.29 to 18, in gravid mosquitoes (G) from 32 to16, in density/room from 4.1 to 1.3, and in Man Biting Rate (MBR) from 2.5 to 0.7.Data analysed using statistical package for social sciences, version (22), Chi- square test used for the analysis of comparison, probability value of less than 0.05 considered statistically significant. The study concluded that there was a reduction in (Anopheles gambiae) density and Malaria cases after Indoor Residual Spray application in Sennar state, Sudan

Clinical epidemiological characteristics of mycetoma in Eastern Sennar locality, Sennar State, Sudan.

Mycetoma epidemiological features remain uncharacterised. Few studies have been conducted in a community-based setting to explore the epidemiological features and risk factors for mycetoma in Sudan. To bridge this gap, this study was conducted in Eastern Sennar Locality, Sennar State, Sudan, to report the clinical, epidemiological characteristics of mycetoma patients and the disease burden in the state.We used cluster sampling; sixty villages were randomly selected across the locality’s five administrative units, and a household-to-household survey was conducted. We collected data using pre-designed questionnaires at the community, household, and individual levels. We performed descriptive analyses of the data and produced prevalence maps using ArcGIS 10.5 ([ESRI] Inc., Redlands CA, USA).A total of 41,176 individuals were surveyed, and 359 mycetoma patients were identified. The overall prevalence of mycetoma was 0.87% (95%CI = 0.78–0.97%), the prevalence among males was 0.83% (95%CI = 0.71–0.96%), and females 0.92% (95% CI = 0.79–1.06%). Individuals in the age group 31–45 years had the highest prevalence among the different age groups (1.52%, 95% CI = 1.23–1.86%). The prevalence map showed patients clustered within the central and north-eastern part of the locality, while villages in the south-western part had few or no cases.In conclusion, this clinical epidemiological study is pioneering and shows that mycetoma is prevalent in certain parts of Sudan. This data obtained will support the design of measures to reduce the disease burden in the state. The survey procedures and protocols can be adopted for further studies in Sudan and beyond.

Flood Impact Assessment Using HEC-RAS and GIS Techniques Dinder River, Southeast Sudan

Abstract: Dinder River is largest tributary of the Blue Nile. It is seasonal river that flows from June to November and reaches its high peak in September. Frequently, the water level exceeds the normal height causing over bank flow and consequently floods. The floods generally ring about losses properties and crops close to river banks. This study is attempts to figure out the river flow behavior and find out the aerial extent of inundated lands in four flooding seasons. The investigated area is located in Sennar State, SE Sudan. Discharge data collected over the period from 2015 to 2018 and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) have been used to model the River flow regime, while land cover data was used to determine the affected LU/LC types in the area. HEC-RAS software was used to create 2D unsteady flow model in order to simulate Dinder River flooded area in four seasons. The largest flooded area extent in each season was used as input in GIS environment for further spatial analysis. Statistical computation for the affected area and consequent analysis revealed that: the affected urban area in 2018 was around 28.152km2, in 2017 was 29.205 km2, in 2016 was 16.531km2, and in 2015 was 10.422km2. Similar calculations were carried out for the other LU/LC types. According to the present study, the year 2017 witnessed the largest extent of flooding in the area.

Molecular and morphological identification of suspected Plasmodium vivax vectors in Central and Eastern Sudan

BackgroundIn spite of the global effort to eliminate malaria, it remains the most significant vector-borne disease of humans. Plasmodium falciparum is the dominant malaria parasite in sub-Saharan Africa. However, Plasmodium vivax is becoming widely spread throughout Africa. The overuse of vector control methods has resulted in a remarkable change in the behaviour of mosquito that feeds on human as well as on vector composition. The aim of this study was to identify Anopheles mosquito species in vivax malaria endemic regions and to investigate their role in P. vivax circumsporozoite protein (Pvcsp) allele diversity.MethodsMosquito samples were collected from Central Sudan (Rural Khartoum and Sennar) and Eastern Sudan (New Halfa, Kassala state) using pyrethrum spray catch (PSC) and CDC light traps. Mosquitoes were identified using appropriate morphological identification keys and Anopheles gambiae complex were confirmed to species level using molecular analysis. A subset of blood-fed anopheline mosquitoes were dissected to determine the presence of natural infection of malaria parasites. In addition, the rest of the samples were investigated for the presence of Pvcsp gene using nested-PCR.ResultsA total of 1037 adult anopheline mosquitoes were collected from New Halfa (N = 467), Rural Khartoum (N = 132), and Sennar (N = 438). Morphological and molecular identification of the collected mosquitoes revealed the presence of Anopheles arabiensis (94.2%), Anopheles funestus (0.5%), and Anopheles pharoensis (5.4%). None of the dissected mosquitoes (N = 108) showed to be infected with malaria parasite. Overall P. vivax infectivity rate was 6.1% (63/1037) by Pvcsp nested PCR. Co-dominance of An. arabiensis and An. pharoensis is reported in Sennar state both being infected with P. vivax.ConclusionThis study reported P. vivax infection among wild-caught anopheline mosquitoes in Central and Eastern Sudan. While An. arabiensis is the most abundant vector observed in all study areas, An. funestus was recorded for the first time in New Halfa, Eastern Sudan. The documented Anopheles species are implicated in Pvcsp allele diversity. Large-scale surveys are needed to identify the incriminated vectors of P. vivax malaria and determine their contribution in disease transmission dynamics.

Mycetoma spatial geographical distribution in the Eastern Sennar locality, Sennar State, Sudan.

Mycetoma is a unique neglected tropical disease caused by a substantial number of different fungi or bacteria. Many of the disease's epidemiological characteristics are an enigma. Hence, understanding the spatial geographic distribution of mycetoma may clarify the association between the local environmental indicators, the spatial geographical distribution of mycetoma and its epidemiology. This study set out to determine the spatial geographical distribution of mycetoma in the Eastern Sennar locality, Sennar State, one of the highly endemic states in Sudan. It included 594 patients with confirmed mycetoma seen at the Mycetoma Research Centre, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan, from 1991 to 2020. The spatial geographical distribution of these mycetoma patients was studied. The study area geographic information system data, which included geological, soil, temperature and land cover details, were collected in different geographic information forms. Different geographical analytical techniques were used. The patients' demographic characteristics were similar to those of the general characteristics of mycetoma patients in Sudan. Eumycetoma was the predominant type of mycetoma encountered in the studied patients. The data studied showed that most patients were located in the southern part of the locality along the Blue Nile river. The study showed an association between patients' spatial geographical distribution and soil types. Most patients' localities had light clay soil (475 patients [80%]), followed by sandy loam soil (79 [13%]) then loam soil (40 [6.71%]). Also, 85% of patients' localities had the same land cover and vegetation. There was no significant correlation between patients' localities with temperature or any other geological characteristic. The present study showed certain associations between mycetoma spatial geographical distribution and certain environmental indicators. However, a further in-depth study to provide greater insight into the disease's epidemiological characteristics is needed.

Characterizing Forest Cover Changes Based on Satellite Images cum Forest Dependents' Data

While the reliable and consistent information on forests dynamic as well as communities living in their vicinities are fundamental to sustain their socioeconomic and environmental benefits, these information are lacking in Wad Al-Bashir Forest (WF) area that located in Sennar State of Sudan. Thus, this study assessed the land use/land cover (LU/LC) changes cum forests’ dependents needs (FDNs) as well as forestland-related-activities (FRAs) using geospatial techniques alongside key informant interview (KII) cum structured questionnaire, respectively. For assessing the LU/LC, Landsat images of the years 1985, 2001 and 2017 have been downloaded and analyzed using ArcMap 2015 and ERDAS 2015 software, where supervised classification was applied with GPS points verification. While the assessment of FDNs and FRAs has done by which 61 respondents and 5 key informants were questioned and interviewed through random and purposive sampling respectively, and subsequently, descriptive analysis was carried out using SPSS. Results of LU/LC have shown considerable changes during the two study periods, where 2001 made a considerable forest cover (72.2%) compared to 1985 and 2017 (63.8% and 58% respectively), whereas 2017 encompasses vast farmland area (38%) than 1985 and 2001 which have been driven by some FDNs and FRAs. The major FDNs were needs for energy sources, farmland, building materials, and animals fodder respectively, while the main FRAs were crop farming inside forestland, illegal trees cutting as well as uncontrolled grazing. Decisively, conducting a small scale LU/LC detection (like WF) will give a genuine status of forest cover as well as the real FDNs and FRAs of the peoples living in the vicinity of the forest areas, and hence, this study recommends this method for further studies especially for establishing a baseline for forest monitoring and policymaking purposes. Keywords: Land use, land cover, forests’ dependents needs, geospatial techniques, Wad Al-Bashir forest.

Effect of Cultivar performance on Conservation Agriculture on Sorghum Yield in Rain-fed Areas, Sennar State, Sudan

Effect of Cultivar performance on Conservation Agriculture on Sorghum Yield in Rain-fed Areas, Sennar State, Sudan