Zones Of Ethiopia Research Articles

The effect of professional qualification and work experience on primary school principals’ instructional leadership performance in the Awi zone of Ethiopia

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of professional qualifications and work experience on school principals’ instructional leadership performance in primary schools in the Awi zone of Ethiopia. This research used a quantitative research method where the researchers collected data from school principals through a questionnaire. Thus, we found that there was a significant difference in the mean scores between groups, where the mean score for educational leadership or management professionals were higher than those of professionals in other fields. This indicates that those principals qualified in Educational Leadership or Educational Management have significantly better instructional leadership performance than principals qualified in other fields of studies. In addition, the principals’ level of experience significantly influenced their instructional leadership performance. Those principals who had more experience performed better than less experienced ones. Therefore, professional qualifications and experience are the major determinant factors of principal’s instructional leadership performance.

Evaluation of Conservation Tillage Methods for Soil Moisture Conservation and Maize Grain Yield in Low Moisture Areas of SNNPR, Ethiopia

Conservation tillage is a promising tillage practice for enhancing soil moisture conservation. The objective of the study is to evaluate conservation tillage methods on soil moisture and maize grain yield in Silte and Gurage zone of Ethiopia. No tillage, one-time tillage, two times tillage, and conventional tillage methods were evaluated. The treatments were laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications for three consecutive years (2018–2020). Besides soil moisture data, selected physical and chemical soil properties were collected. Economic analysis was also computed for each tillage method to select cost effective conservation tillage methods. The result reveals, conservation tillage methods had better soil infiltration and soil moisture content relative to conventional tillage. There was no significant difference between treatments in soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and phosphorus in the top 10 cm in the Mareko site. However, except for phosphorus, significant differences (p < 0.05) between treatments in soil organic carbon and nitrogen were detected in the 10–20 cm depth. The maize yield and yield components are significantly affected by treatments at the Mareko site and not significant at Mito. The results support that conservation tillage tested in this study could contribute to the improvement of soil properties and maize yield in study sites.

Livelihood Diversification and Its Impact on Household Food Security among Farming Households in Kalu Wereda, South Wollo, Ethiopia

Diversifying livelihoods is one of the key strategies often adopted to tackle the challenge of food insecurity. This study analyzed the existing livelihood strategies pursued by the smallholder farmers and their impact on the food security status of farm households in Kalu Wereda, South Wollo Zone in Ethiopia. Thereby two-stage sampling procedure was employed to draw 246 rural households randomly as study participants. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources using interview schedules, key informants, and Focus Group Discussion. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and econometric models. The survey result indicates that much of the rural households (62.22%) in the study area practice diversified livelihood strategies that combined on-farm activities with non/off-farm activities. Results from Propensity Score Matching shows that livelihood diversification brought a positive impact on households' food security status. It can be concluded that livelihood diversification can have a positive impact on rural households' food security status. Thus, it is advisable to encourage rural households' participation in different livelihood activities in addition to agriculture through facilitating credit services and creating market linkage for smallholder farmers in the study area. Keywords: livelihood diversification; food security; propensity score matching, Ethiopia DOI: 10.7176/JESD/13-5-03 Publication date: March 31 st 2022

Studies on Modeling and Physicochemical Properties of Oil Extracted from Moringa stenopetala Seed

Moringa stenopetala, locally known as Shiferraw, is an indigenous vegetable tree native to southern Ethiopia and grown mainly for its food value. This study deals with the investigations of physicochemical characteristics of Moringa stenopetala seeds’ oil extracted using solvent extraction with food-grade hexane as a solvent and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) of the extraction parameters. The seeds were collected from Adama located in Oromia, East Shewa Zone of Ethiopia, and they exhibit the average moisture, ash, fiber, protein, and oil contents of 6.3, 4.2, 2.3, 27.5, and 40.2%, respectively. Temperature, extraction time, and particle size had a significant p &lt; 0.05 effect on the oil yield. According to the Experimental Design Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and ANOVA analysis, the optimum process parameters’ combination to find the highest oil yield was particle size of 0.83 mm, the temperature at 78.82°C, and extraction time of 5.13 hours. The model predicted oil yield was 39.7 ± 0.32%. The oil from Moringa stenopetala seed exhibits physiochemical characteristics of refractive index (40°C), 1.4625; viscosity 49.4 Cp; density at 25 °C, 0.9317 g/cm−3; saponification value, 191.4; peroxide value, 11.52 millieq O2/kg; iodine value of 89.21; and Acid Value (AV) 2.21 mg KOH/g. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis shows that the oil contains both ester carbonyl (C=O) functional groups saturated and unsaturated fatty acid. The physicochemical properties of Moringa stenopetala seeds were compared with other edible oil properties such as sesame, groundnut, olive, and sunflower seeds. The result shows that in the future Moringa stenopetala could be used as a substitute for other oil-bearing seeds sources, such as soybean, sunflower, and groundnut.

Prevalence of Bovine Trypanosomosis and Associated Risk Factors in Jima Geneti District of the Horo Guduru Wollega Zone in Ethiopia

Introduction: Parasitic diseases are significant causes of morbidity and mortality in humans and animals throughout the world. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in Ethiopia’s Jima Geneti area of the Horo Guduru Wollega Zone from December 2017 to April 2018. The prime goal of the study was to determine the prevalence of trypanosomosis in cattle and assess potential risk factors. Buffy coat and thin blood smears were employed to identify the trypanosome species. The research district and kebeles were chosen using a purposive selection strategy, while cattle were selected by a simple random sample method. Results: In total, 25 of the 384 investigated cattle were infected with trypanosomes, leading to an overall prevalence of 6.5%. Biqiltu Qidame town had a high prevalence of 10.4%, while Adileqa Tuluchali had a low prevalence of 3.5%. The study area had the highest prevalence of Trypanosoma congolense (60%), followed by Trpanosoma vivax (28%) and Trpanosoma brucei (12%) The prevalence of trypanosomosis in cattle was statistically significant (P&lt;0.05) with age, body condition, and packed cell volume (PCV) in the study area. Conclusion: Bovine trypanosomosis was prevalent in the researched area that had a severe impact on livestock production. To increase the livestock’s health and production in the study area, strategic disease prevention and control programs are necessary.

Balanced fertilization increases wheat yield response on different soils and agroecological zones in Ethiopia

AbstractThe response of wheat to the application of different rates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sulfur (S) under balanced fertilization on different soil types and agroecologies has not been well studied in Ethiopia. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) determine soil-specific responses of wheat to N, P, K, and S under balanced fertilization; (2) quantify agroecology-specific N, P, K, and S response of wheat under balanced fertilization; and (3) determine nutrient use efficiency of wheat on different soil types under balanced fertilization. Trials were conducted on farmers’ fields across 24 locations covering 4 soil types and 5 agroecological zones (AEZs) from 2013 to 2017. The mean grain yields of wheat significantly varied with applied N and P fertilizer rates with soil types and AEZs. With balanced application of other nutrients, the optimum N rates for wheat were 138 kg N ha−1on Cambisols and Luvisols, 92 kg N ha−1on Vertisols, and 176 kg N ha−1on Nitisols, while the optimum P rate was 20 kg P ha−1on Cambisols and Vertisols. The nutrient dose–response curve did not reveal consistent pattern for K and S applications on all soil types. The agronomic efficiency of wheat decreased with increasing rates N and P on all soil types. The highest agronomic efficiency of N (15.8 kg grain kg−1applied N) was recorded with application of 92 kg N ha−1on Vertisols, while the highest agronomic efficiency of P (49 kg grain kg−1applied P) was achieved with application of 10 kg P ha−1on Cambisols. We conclude that applications of 92–138 kg N ha−1, 20 kg P ha−1, 18 kg K ha−1, and 10 kg S ha−1under balanced application of zinc and boron could be recommended depending on soil type for wheat production in the study areas.

In-service teachers' professional development and instructional quality in secondary schools in Gedeo Zone, Ethiopia

The study aimed to assess the relationship between in-service teachers' professional development and instructional quality in secondary schools in the Gedeo zone in Ethiopia. The study used a quantitative research approach with descriptive and co-relational survey designs to attain its goal. A combination of stratified random and purposive techniques was employed to select samples. Quantitative data were collected using the standard Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), while qualitative data used semi-structured interviews. Based on the nature of the data, percentage, mean, and ordinal regression were utilized for quantitative data, while themes for qualitative analysis. According to the findings, the contribution of in-service professional development to instructional quality varies across dimensions. It contributes more to assessment (33.7%), followed by planning (32.9%), and less to the teacher as a person (29.1%), implementation (32.6%), and classroom management (32.6%). Besides, professional development activities such as seminars, curriculum meetings, action research, staff training, reflection, mentoring, and school visits are perceived to have little impact on teaching quality. However, an increase in age was associated with the likelihood of diminishing professional development's contribution to instructional quality (p < .05). Finally, teachers' professional development's impact on instructional quality varied by age, program type, and qualification level of secondary school teachers (p < .05). As a result, school leaders, local government, and Dilla University advised providing training to rethink the relationship between professional development activities and instructional quality in the study area. • The contribution of in-service professional development to instructional quality appears to be small. • Relatively, professional development contributes more for assessment, and less for a teacher as a person. • Professional development activities related to group work perceived to have little impact on teaching quality. • Age is commonly and negatively associated with teachers’ perception toward professional development. • Induction program and experience are positively associated to perception toward professional development contribution to planning and implementation.

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

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

Assessments of the Current Agricultural Extension Systems and Recommended for Interventions in Gurage Zone Ethiopia

This paper anticipated to identifying the existing extension systems, problem unhindered and recommends the interventions which contribute to improve or enhance the extension systems in the study area. From a total of twelve districts in Gurage zone the study covers agro ecologically classified seven districts with a total of twelve villages. FGD (Focus group discussion), key informant, DAs(Development agent), university lecturers and concerned bodies were participated to generate these valuable findings. In Gurage Zone a total of 1070 multidisciplinary professionals extension workers were working with 408 FTCs (Farmers training center) to deliver extension service for a total of 236929 smallholders farmers. Regardless of the significance of FTCs in the provision of extension service, it was observed that they are not functioning at full capacity to deliver the expected service due to a number of constraints such as professional turnover, awareness problem, budget shortage and weak monitoring system, information and skill gap. Our study underline that based on group discussion, personal observation and key informant question confirmed that all FTCs are not actively involved with full capacity and also all smallholder farmers do not participated training which was conducted in FTCs. Our survey results showed that there are a number of constraints affecting the performance of the extension service in the study area major extension and socioeconomic focus have been considered as the constraints which were identified in Gurage zone for possible research and development interventions which are likely to improve smallholder farmers production and productivity. Keywords: Agricultural Extension, Intervention DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/12-1-01 Publication date: January 31 st 2022

Formalization of communal land tenure and expectations for pastoralist livelihoods

Despite progress towards recognizing communal land rights, there may be unintended outcomes, and for pastoral areas there is a need to be aware of how this may affect evolving pastoralist livelihoods. This paper examines trends in pastoralist livelihoods, perceptions and aspirations of pastoralists in a setting where a new communal property rights framework is in the early stages of implementation. The study was carried out in Dirre, a grazing unit of the Borana Zone in Ethiopia. It employed a mixed methods approach that included key informant interviews, focus group discussions, a workshop, a household survey and feedback sessions. The findings show that current livestock herd sizes make it difficult for pastoralists to rely only on livestock keeping, and have necessitated diversification. Crop production is increasingly becoming an alternative livelihood source, and most respondents reported wanting to expand their farms. Pastoralists also expect land certification to help secure land rights and enable better management of rangelands. However, there is also a widely held view that by providing security, certification will also make it easier for them to continue diversifying their livelihoods. This suggests that communal land certification is not likely to end the push to individualization of land and the transition to agropastoralism; it may even accelerate it. The strengthening of communal land rights can thus be used to guide this transition so that it represents a reorganization rather than a collapse of pastoralism. The focus of formalizing land rights for pastoralists should not be saving pastoralism or reversing the agropastoralist trend, but rather securing land rights to enhance the pastoralists’ capacity to make sound livelihood decisions.

Land Use Land Cover Mapping with Change Detection: A Spatio-temporal Analysis of Ambo Woreda, Ethiopia from 2000 to 2020

The main aim of this present study is to identify and detect the land use, land cover changes occurred in the Ambo Woreda of West Shewa Zone in Ethiopia and to integrate the Remote Sensing and GIS data for analyzing and evaluating the changes in land-use of study area. Based on remotely sensed data, the Land Use Land Cover (LULC) maps and field records have been considered for investigation. Landsat7 ETM+ image of 2000 and Sentinel 2A image of 2020 are the two remotely sensed images of study area used in this study. The supervised classification based on maximum likelihood classifier in ArcGIS 10.3 has been used to identify the five major categories of LULC. The observation on the period of twenty years reveals that the agricultural land and built-up areas have stretched rapidly to the adjacent fallow lands. Also, there is significant loss in Hilly Vegetation due to settlements and industrial expansion in the fastest growing region of the Oromia Zone.

Maternal satisfaction with intrapartum care and associated factors among postpartum women at public hospitals of North Shoa Zone Ethiopia.

BackgroundMaternal satisfaction is an essential indicator of the quality and the efficiency of the health care systems. At a time when efforts are being made globally to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, assessing maternal satisfaction is essential. There is a dearth of studies on maternal satisfaction with intrapartum care, particularly in the study area. This study aimed to assess maternal satisfaction with intrapartum care and associated factors among postpartum women at public hospitals of North Shoa Zone Ethiopia.MethodsA facility-based cross-sectional study with a systematic random sampling technique was conducted from May1-30/ 2020. Data were entered into EpiData version 4.6 and analyzed using a statistical package for the social sciences version 25. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were employed. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, level of statistical significance was declared at variables with p < 0.05 and the strength of the association was measured by an adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval.ResultOf the total 394 participants, 111 (28.2%) [95% CI: 23.9, 32.5] of postpartum women were satisfied with the intrapartum care. Place of residence [AOR: 1.934; 95% CI (1.183, 3.162)], planned status of the pregnancy [AOR: 2.245; 95% CI, (1.212, 4.158)], number of antenatal care visit [AOR: 2.389; 95% (1.437, 3.974)] and duration of labour [AOR: 2.463; 95% (1.378, 4.402)] were factors significantly associated with maternal satisfaction with intrapartum care.ConclusionThe proportion of maternal satisfaction with intrapartum care was low. Therefore, designing strategies to enhance maternal satisfaction by strengthening adherence to antenatal care visits, provision of family planning to prevent unplanned pregnancy, and strict utilization of partograph to prevent prolonged labour and childbirth-related complications are crucial.

Bacteriological quality of household drinking water in North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia; a community-based cross-sectional study

Ethiopia is one of the developing countries where only 52% of its population have access to safe drinking water. To determine the level of faecal contamination in drinking water, the E. coli has been found to be the most specific indicator. The purpose of this study was to determine household bacteriological drinking water quality and its associated factors in rural North Gondar Zone Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in rural parts of North Gondar Zone from April to June, 2016. Water samples from water storage at household level were taken using standardized water sampling techniques to determine the level of faecal contamination. Face-to-face interview using structured questionnaires and checklist were used to identify the associated factors. A total of 736 households participated in this study. The prevalence of positive faecal coliform in the households is found to be 72.6% (95%C.I; 69.4–75.8). In multivariate analysis; occupational status [AOR; 0.35, 95%; CI (0.16,0.77)], income [(AOR);0.45, 95%; CI (0.3, 0.68)], type of solid waste disposal habit [AOR; 0.16, 95%; CI (0.36, 0.66)], source of water [AOR; 0.42, 95%; CI (0.28, 0.65)], shortage of water [AOR; 2.8, 95%; CI (1.88, 4)] were variables identified as predictors for faecal coliform contamination of water in the household. There is high level of faecal contamination of household drinking water in North Gondar Zone. Occupational status, income, solid waste disposal habit, sources of drinking water, and shortage of water were predictor for presence of faecal coliform contamination in household drinking water.

Health care providers' perceptions and experiences related to Midwife-led continuity of care-A qualitative study.

Though Midwife-led care remains a key to improving the health status of pregnant mothers, in Ethiopia, maternity care has traditionally been based on a model in which responsibility for care is shared by hospital-based midwives, nurses, general practitioners, and obstetricians. This type of care has been seen as representing a fragmented approach. The aim of this study was to explore health care providers' perceptions and experiences related to Midwife-led continuity of care at primary hospitals in the north Shoa zone Ethiopia. A qualitative approach was selected as the methodology for this study. Data were collected from 25 midwives and 8 integrated emergency surgical officers (IESO) and medical doctors working in maternal health care units in four primary hospitals in the north Shoa zone, Amhara Regional State. Four focus group discussions and eight individual interviews were conducted. The facilitator utilized a set of open-ended questions for the focus group discussion. Semi-structured interview questions were used for the interviews and thematic data analysis was done. The main theme extracted was "Midwives welcome consideration of a Midwife-led model that would provide greater continuity of care, but they expressed concerns about organisation and workload". The midwives said that they would welcome working with the midwife-led care model, as they believed using it could lead to improving the quality of maternal health care, provide greater continuity, and improve coverage, birth outcomes, and maternal satisfaction. The midwives could become more autonomous and be able to take more responsibility for maternity care. The group of 25 midwives and the group of 8 IESO and medical doctors perceived that working procedures and changes in the organization of care in the health facility would have to be studied carefully before any changes can be considered. In this study, we found that replacing the existing system of maternal care with a Midwife-led model would require careful analysis of how this model of care might be implemented in Ethiopia. Further investigation will be of great importance in providing insights that will help in developing a final model.

First report of Didymosphaeria rubi-ulmifolii associated with canker and dieback of apple trees in southern Ethiopia

Cultivation of apple trees in the highlands of Ethiopia began in 1955. In 2014, blistering of the bark due to cankers on the main stems mostly below the grafting points, followed by dieback and eventually death of apple trees, was observed in apple orchards in the Hadiya Zone in Ethiopia. This study aimed to identify the causal agent of canker and dieback symptoms on the apple trees. Symptomatic trunks from 20 trees (ten per cultivar) were sampled. Isolations were performed from ten trunks (five per cultivar). Fungus colonies with similar cultural features were obtained from all the samples, and the morphology of a representative isolate was characterized. Phylogenetic analyses of the concatenated internal transcribed spacers 1 and 2 and 5.8S rRNA gene, large subunit and actin gene regions confirmed the identity of two isolates as Didymosphaeria rubi-ulmifolii. Pathogenicity was confirmed for one isolate by inoculations of healthy branches of ‘Anna’ and ‘Dorsett Golden’ apple trees resulting in lesion formation, and subsequent re-isolation of the inoculated fungus. This study is the first report of D. rubi-ulmifolii associated with dieback of apple trees. This pathogen caused death of more than 26% of apple trees in one commercial orchard, and could cause severe losses for smallholder apple growers in Ethiopia. Future studies are required to assess the magnitude, distribution and management options of this economically important canker disease in Ethiopia.

A mixed-methods study exploring adherence to the referral of severely sick children in primary health care in Southern Ethiopia

BackgroundWe have shown that Ethiopian primary healthcare providers refer only half of the severely sick children who, according to guidelines, should get an urgent referral. Frequently parents of referred ill children don’t bring their children to the next level. We aimed to describe the referral of severely ill Ethiopian children based on primary healthcare register reviews and explore health care providers’ and parents’ perceptions regarding factors that hinder or enhance referral.MethodsA mixed-methods study was conducted in 11 districts and a town administration of the Hadiya zone in Ethiopia’s Southern region from May to June 2019. Data collection included interviews and focus group discussions with healthcare providers, key informant interviews with parents of sick children who had been referred, and reviewing registers of sick children treated during the last 12 months at health posts and health centres. We analysed the association between healthcare providers’ and sick children’s characteristics and providers’ compliance with referral guidelines for sick children 0–59 months old. Content analysis was undertaken to explore the perceived factors that influenced referral and adherence to referral from providers’ and parents’ perspectives.ResultsHealthcare providers did not refer nearly half of the severely ill children that should have been referred, according to guidelines. Providers who had received in-service training on child healthcare were more likely to adhere to referral guidelines. The severity of the child’s illness and mobile phone communication and transport availability were perceived to be positively associated with adherence to referral guidelines. Lack of knowledge of treatment guidelines and skills, and high health worker workload, were among the factors perceived to be linked to lower adherence to guidelines. The healthcare providers considered parents of referred sick children as having low compliance with the referral advice. In contrast, parents had the opinion that compliance with a referral for sick children was high. Perceived awareness of severity of the child’s illness, ability to afford referral costs, and availability of transport or ambulance services were perceived to motivate parents to take their children to the referral facility. Traditional illness perceptions, lack of confidence in the referral site’s medical care, and a long distance were perceived to hurdle caregivers’ referral compliance.ConclusionsWe found that the healthcare providers’ adherence to referral guidelines was not optimal. Care providers and parents had divergent opinions on parents’ compliance with referral advice. Factors related to the health system, family economy, and available ambulance services influence whether care providers and parents pursued severely ill children’s referral. Adequate referral of sick children is an aspect of primary healthcare quality that is essential to avoid unnecessary under-five deaths.

Assessment and Distribution of Foliar and Soil-Borne Diseases of Capsicum Species in Ethiopia

Diseases caused by fungi and oomycetes lead to reduced productivity of pepper (Capsicum spp.) in Ethiopia. Currently, knowledge about severity and geographical distribution of fungal diseases in pepper producing areas is limited. Thus this study was aimed: to map the geographical distribution of economically relevant Capsicum diseases and to identify, document, prioritize, and update the status of fungal infectious diseases across the country. A survey was conducted throughout major pepper agro-ecological zones in Ethiopia for two consecutive years, 2018 and 2019/20. Districts were surveyed based on pepper production at intervals of 4 to 10 kilometers from each sampling zone of major pepper growing areas. Global positioning system (GPS) was used to mark each sampling point using a GPS receiver for altitude and coordinates. Nine major pathogenic fungi were identified in samples collected from different pepper-producing areas across the country. Cercospora leaf spot caused by Cercospora capsici was found prevalent in 39.8% of the 133 fields studied, followed by Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. capsici, and Phytophthora collar, root, and fruit rot caused by Phytophthora capsici, prevalent in 21.1% and 15.8% fields, respectively. The maximum overall mean percent severity index (69.5%) was recorded for Fusarium stem and root rot (Fusarium solani) followed by damping-off (56.7%) and Fusarium wilt (55.4%). The current study indicated the importance of fungal diseases, particularly soil-borne diseases. The molecular characterizations, primers development for important pathogens, and genome-wide screening of Capsicum genotypes in Ethiopia required to advance environmentally safe and affordable disease control methods.

Planting Material of Enset (Ensete ventricosum), a Key Food Security Crop in Southwest Ethiopia, Is a Key Element in the Dissemination of Plant-Parasitic Nematode Infection.

Enset (Ensete ventricosum), is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the family Musaceae, along with banana and plantain. Despite wild populations occurring in eastern, central and southern Africa, it is only in Ethiopia that the crop has been domesticated, where it is culturally and agriculturally symbolic as a food security crop. Although an under-researched orphan crop, enset serves as a staple food for about 20% of the Ethiopian population, comprising more than 20 million people, demonstrating its value in the country. Similar to banana and plantain, enset is heavily affected by plant-parasitic nematodes, with recent studies indicating record levels of infection by the root lesion nematode Pratylenchus goodeyi. Enset is propagated vegetatively using suckers that are purposely initiated from the mother corm. However, while banana and plantain suckers have proven to be a key source of nematode infection and spread, knowledge on the infection levels and role of enset suckers in nematode dissemination is lacking. Given the high levels of plant-parasitic nematodes reported in previous surveys, it is therefore speculated that planting material may act as a key source of nematode dissemination. To address this lack of information, we assessed enset planting material in four key enset growing zones in Ethiopia. A total of 340 enset sucker samples were collected from farmers and markets and analyzed for the presence of nematodes. Nematodes were extracted using a modified Baermann method over a period of 48 h. The root lesion nematode P. goodeyi was present in 100% of the samples, at various levels of infection. These conclusive results show that planting material is indeed a key source of nematode infection in enset, hence measures taken to ensure clean suckers for planting will certainly mitigate nematode infection and spread. The effect of nematode infection on yield and quality on enset remains to be investigated and would be a way forward to complement the nematode/disease studies conducted so far and add valuable knowledge to the current poorly known impact of pests and diseases.

Effects of exotic plantation expansion and management intervention on woody plant species diversity, regeneration and soil seed bank in Tarmaber district, Ethiopia

This study was carried out to determine the effect of plantation forest with management intervention on woody plant species diversity in Tarmaber district north shewa zone Ethiopia, regeneration and soil seed bank species composition in five different forest types. A total of 75 circular sample plots of 314 m2 were established along a transect lines. Soil seed bank analysis was done from soil samples collected in each of the plots (225 samples). Different diversity index and ANOVA was used in SPSS software for analysis. The result showed that a total of 51 woody plant species was recorded in adjacent natural forest (41), managed C. lusitanica (27), not managed C. lusitanica (9), managed E. globules (22) and not managed E. globules (13) species. Regeneration of seedlings were 3538, 5567, 707, 1462 and 2524 mean stems ha-1 for natural forest, managed C. lusitanica, not managed C. lusitanica, managed E. globules and not managed E. globules respectively. Unmanaged C. lusitanica plantations had significantly lower densities of mature tree stems ha-1 as compared to managed C. lusitanica, managed E. globules and adjacent natural forest (F=14.03, p&lt;0.05). Similarly in terms of sapling density ha-1 unmanaged C. lusitanica was significantly lower from other forest types (F=7.37, p &lt;0.05). However managed C. lusitanica had significantly higher seedling regeneration (stem density ha-1) than other plantation and adjacent natural forests (F = 16.11, p &lt; 0.05). Generally mean stem densities including tree, sapling and seedling of woody species among different forest types managed C. lusitanica was significantly higher among different forest types (F= 13.01, p&lt;0.05). From the soil seed bank a total of 22 plant species (20 native and 2 exotic) species were recovered. In different forest types the number of species recorded was in adjacent natural forest (19), managed C. lusitanica (11), unmanaged C. lusitanica (4), managed E. globules (7) and unmanaged E. globules (5). Generally, with appropriate management intervention, undergrowth vegetation and soil seed bank status in plantation forest had good species composition and diversity.

Constraints of small-scale irrigated fodder production and nutrition assessment for livestock feed, a case study in Ethiopia

Livestock is an integral part of the agricultural system in sub-Saharan Africa, serving as a food source, income, fertilizer, and power for farming and transportation. However, the productivity of the livestock system has been hampered due to a lack of sufficient quantity and quality feed. This study evaluates the gaps and constraints of fodder and nutritional potential for livestock feed using small-scale irrigation (SSI). The study comprised of 30 randomly selected farmers from two different ecological zones in Ethiopia. Half of the farmers cultivated Napier grass ( Pennisetum purpureum ) in the Robit watershed in northern Ethiopia, and the other half cultivated mixed vetch ( Lathyrus cicera) and oats (Avena sativa) in Lemo watershed in southern Ethiopia. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) were applied in an integrated manner to assess the impacts of SSI at the watershed and field-scale levels, respectively. The watershed-scale analysis showed that there is a substantial amount of surface runoff and shallow groundwater recharge that could be used for dry season fodder production using irrigation. Field data calibrated APEX model indicated that Napier yield could be maximized with 550 mm of water in Robit watershed. While in the Lemo watershed, maximum vetch and oats yield may be achieved with 250 mm of water. The major constraints for Napier and oats production in the study sites were soil fertility, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, and vetch production was limited by high temperature. Fodder samples were collected at the time of harvest to evaluate feed quality. The nutritional analysis indicated that Napier grass has a higher dry matter and ash (mineral) content compared to oats and vetch. However, vetch has higher crude protein content (18%) compared to Napier (10%) and oats (6%). Overall the study indicated that cultivating vetch provided superior performance in terms of providing quality feed and environmental services. • We selected 30 farmers randomly to grow fodder crops in two zones in Ethiopia; • The gaps and constraints of fodder production and nutritional potential were evaluated; • The biophysical models were used to assess potential resources and constraints; • Among the fodder crops, vetch provided superior performance in terms of providing quality feed and environmental services;