Plant species used in traditional smallholder dairy processing in East Shoa,Ethiopia

Plant species used in traditional dairy processing were studied in three districts (Bosset, Ada, and Gimbichu) in Eastern Shoa, Ethiopia, from October 2007 to March 2008. A total of 300 smallholders were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires, and three focus group discussions were conducted, followed by plants specimen collection and identification. A total of 36 plant species, falling under 24 plant families, were identified. Nearly half of the identified plant species had more than one use types. Eleven plant species were/are used for washing (scrubbing) dairy utensils, ten plant species for smoking dairy utensils, 12 plant species in butter making, 15 plant species in ghee making, and five plant species for packaging (wrapping) butter and cheese. The plant species that had the highest overall citations from each use category were Ocimum hardiense, Olea europaea subspecies africana, Trachyspermum copticum, Curcuma longa, and Croton macrostachyus. The plant species used in the three study districts, representing different agro ecologies, showed some similarities, but levels of uses differed significantly (P < 0.05). Higher informant citations might indicate their better efficacy, however need to be further investigated to determine their effects on milk and milk product quality and to make sure that they are innocuous to human and animal health. Finally, as the present study tried to document natural products used in traditional dairy processing, it could be considered as part of the global efforts aimed at promoting organic food production.     

Evaluation of sampling methods to quantify abundance of hardwoods and snags within conifer-dominated riparian zones

? Aims

Six sampling alternatives were examined for their ability to quantify selected attributes of snags and hardwoods in conifer-dominated riparian areas of managed headwater forests in western Oregon.

? Methods

Each alternative was simulated 500 times at eight headwater forest locations based on a 0.52-ha square stem map. The alternatives were evaluated based on how well they estimated the number of hardwoods and snags per hectare and their basal area per hectare using root mean square error and percent bias.

? Results

In general, 3.6-m wide systematic strips oriented perpendicular to the stream outperformed the other alternatives. However, the variance of all six sampling alternatives was quite high and further research is needed to determine an optimal sampling method for quantifying hardwood and snag attributes in forests dominated by live conifers.

? Conclusion

When sampling snag and hardwood as a minor component of the overall forest composition within a riparian area, we suggest using 3.6-m strips perpendicular to the stream.     

Lateral growth of a wheat dough disk under various growth conditions

Numerous studies have tried to understand and model bubble growth inside dough. Experimental studies are inconvenienced by the methods’ inability to capture the dynamic phenomena. In this paper, a versatile experimental method was developed to allow for macroscopic expansion of wheat dough. The study evaluates expansion of a dough disk under varying: moisture content (40, 41, 42, 43, and 44% wb), leavening acid concentration (30, 40, and 50% db), pressure schemas, pressurizing gas (compressed air and CO₂), and lubrication (Teflon^® film coating and Pam^® aerosol lubricant). Dough expansion increased 22.6% by increasing moisture content from 40 to 44%. Increased baking powder formulation (40% db) was used to enhance initial growth conditions and CO₂ production. ‘Pressure pulse’ and ‘pressure vacuum methods’ added pressurization alternatively with full vacuum. The former method included a rest period before vacuum application, and increased expansion by 10.8%. Teflon^® and Pam^® reduced friction between the dough and acrylic plate and increased the final expansion by 14.7% compared to no lubricant following the ‘standard pressurization method’. ‘Pressure pulse’ and ‘pressure vacuum’ experiments decreased expansion by 28.4 and 38.2%, respectively compared to ‘standard pressurization’ while using Teflon^® and Pam^®.     

Assessment of the nutritional status of indigenous scavenging chickens in Ada’a district,Ethiopia

The nutritive values of scavenging feed resource bases and effects of season and chickens age on the latter were studied in smallholder farms in Aad’a, Ethiopia. The study included 210 households and 208 chickens. The mean weight of crop contents in all age groups ranged from 26.2 to 28.2 g, while it was 29.8 g and 24.7 g in the harvesting and non-harvesting seasons, respectively. Grains represented 48–49% of the mean weight of crop contents in all age groups and it was significantly higher (P < 0.05) during the harvesting season than the non-harvesting period in both age groups. Kitchen wastes were next in abundance (26–29%) and were significantly more abundant in non-harvesting season in growers only and in hens than in growers (P < 0.001). The dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, calcium, phosphorous and metabolizable energy levels of crop contents were 91.1–92.5%, 12.9–15.5%, 4.17–7.07%, 0.43–0.90%, 0.28–0.38% and 3404.3–3636.2 Kcal, respectively. Crude protein, calcium and phosphorus levels were below the requirements for egg production and growth. The scavenging feed resource base was critically deficient in these nutrients during the harvesting season. As these nutrients are vital for production, supplementary feeds rich in these nutrients would probably result in increased egg production and optimum growth.