Gross and microscopic pulmonary lesions of camels from Eastern Ethiopia

Camels are important animals for pastoralists in the northeastern, eastern, southeastern and southern parts of Ethiopia. This paper reports on abattoir study of respiratory lesions in 104 adult camels at the Dire Dawa abattoir (88 male and 16 female). The study showed 98% of the examined lungs had one or more lesions. The most common lesions were pulmonary fibrosis (50.00%), pneumoconiosis (34.62%), hydatid cyst (30.80%), pulmonary abscess (3.85%) and parasitic bronchopneumonia (0.96%). The distribution of pneumoconiosis and hydatid cyst varied significantly (p < 0.05) among different lobes, the highest being seen in the caudal lobe. For the different lesions there was no significant (p > 0.05) difference in distribution among male and female camels. Possible explanations for the occurrence of the lesions are discussed. And recommendations forecasted are made.     

Evaluation of indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) for the diagnosis and screening of lumpy skin disease using Bayesian method

The performance of indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) for serological diagnosis and screening of lumpy skin disease (LSD) was evaluated using methods without gold standard. Virus neutralization test (VNT) was used as the second test and the study sites were selected from two different geographical places in Ethiopia to get different disease prevalence. The analysis of conditional dependent Bayesian model for the accuracy of IFAT showed that sensitivity, specificity, prevalence of the population Pi₁ and the population Pi₂ were 0.92 (0.89–0.95), 0.88 (0.85–0.91), 0.28 (0.25–0.32) and 0.06 (0.048–0.075), respectively. The posterior inferences obtained for VNT sensitivity, specificity and conditional correlation between the tests for sensitivity (rhoD) and specificity (rhoDc) were 0.78 (0.74–0.83), 0.97 (0.95–0.99), 0.052 (−0.03–0.15) and 0.019 (−0.01–0.06), respectively. The interval estimation of conditional correlation for both sensitivity and specificity clusters around zero and thus conditional dependence between the two tests was not significant. Although accuracy measure would not be the only basis for test selection, the result of our study demonstrated that IFAT has a reasonable high accuracy to be used for the diagnosis and sero-surveillance analysis of LSD in the target population.     

Deforestation and degradation of natural resources in Ethiopia: Forest management implications from a case study in the Belete-Gera Forest

The major causes of deforestation and degradation of natural resources in the Belete-Gera Forest of Ethiopia are coffee production activities and encroachment into forestland to expand farmland and pasture. Population growth, and the government’s land-reform and re-settlement programs have caused local residents to lose harmony with the land. Forest management in this area hasn’t yet been fully developed. The objectives of this study are to identify the extent of deforestation and natural resource degradation, in preparation for a sound management plan. Encroachment of farmland and pasture into natural forest during the past four years has been identified through interviews and aerial photo interpretation. The encroachment rate is 1.45% per year. Encroachment occurred mostly on areas with gentle slopes adjacent to populated villages and along roads and footpaths. The extent and impact of coffee production activities were examined through agency documents, forest survey data and vegetation survey. It is estimated that up to 49% of the accessible natural forest is under the influence of coffee production activities, among which collecting of naturally grown coffee beans has the least and the coffee plantations has the most impact on the natural forest. Coffee plantations in natural forest have reduced the forest density and species diversity. Age structure of the trees is limited to mature and old classes only, which eventually endangers their function as shade for coffee plantations. This project was funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.     

Soil and water conservation in Tigray (Northern Ethiopia): the traditional dagat technique and its integration with introduced techniques

Between the cultivated fields in the highlands of Tigray, one finds, besides the recently introduced stone bunds, many lynchets, with a height ranging from 0·3–3 m. Grasses occupy the riser and a more or less large strip on the shoulder. Traditionally, farmers established an untilled strip of about 2 m wide at the lower plot limit. This grass strip reduced runoff velocity, allowed for water to infiltrate and trapped sediment. Year after year, these lynchets, locally called dagat, continued to grow. In this study, the dagat technique is characterized and its evolution and reasons for partial destruction are outlined. Stereoscopic aerial photo analysis shows for the study area near Hagere Selam (13 °39′N, 39 °10′E, 2650 m a.s.l.) that 20·7 per cent of the major dagats (more than 1 metre high) have disappeared between 1974 and 1994. These lynchets, however, remain an important linear element in the landscape (22·7 m ha⁻¹, i.e. their density on cultivated fields is much higher). Of the smaller lynchets, a great proportion has been levelled in order to increase plot surfaces and spread fertile soil over the field. Famines and impoverishment caused the farmers to increase short‐term agricultural production in this way. Since the 1980s, the farmers built stone bunds on most of the cultivated land. Their average length equals 56·1 m ha⁻¹ in the study area. The establishment of stone bunds results in the development of small terraces. Especially during recent years, there is a tendency to integrate the traditional knowledge of dagat with the building of stone bunds. A quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of both techniques must be made. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Recent Evidence of Animal Exploitation in the Axumite Epoch, 1st– 5th Centuries AD

This study reports evidence of animal exploitation during the Axumite era based on a survey of architectural features, rock art and artefacts recovered from the archaeological site at Axum, northern Ethiopia. Animals and agricultural tools were identified from materials not previously examined. Pottery, rock art and animal remains revealed a range of zoological species. Agricultural implements and sacrificial vessels also provided indirect evidence of animal exploitation. It is concluded that, in addition to plough-based agriculture, the hunting of large wild animals, such as elephants and lions, and the exploitation of domestic cattle, small ruminants and poultry were part of the Axumite subsistence regime. Although it is difficult to reconstruct an overall subsistence pattern based on this study alone, the physical and biological evidence suggests that the Axumites practised combined cultivation and animal herding. Further investigation is required to study the types and breeds of animals and their distribution in time and space.     

Study on Coccidiosis of Scavenging Indigenous Chickens in Central Ethiopia

An investigation was made into coccidiosis of 190 scavenging indigenous chickens between September 2000 and April 2001 in three selected agroclimatic zones, in central Ethiopia. This was done through clinical, postmortem and microscopic examinations. Data were processed by chi-square and Mantel-Haenzel test. The study indicated that 25.8% (49/190) of the chickens were infected with coccidiosis and found to harbour one to four different species of Eimeria. Of these infected chickens, 30 (15.8%) and 19 (10.0%) were positive for clinical and sub-clinical coccidiosis, respectively. There was a significant altitude difference (chi2 = 14.7, p <0.001) in coccidiosis prevalence: 42.2% in chickens from highland region followed by 21.5% in mid-altitude and 13.1% in low-altitude areas. When quantified, the prevalence of coccidiosis was 2.66 and 4.83 times higher in the high-altitude than in mid-altitude (odds ratio, OR = 2.66, p<0.05) and low-altitude (OR = 4.83, p<0.001) chickens. The pathogenic Eimeria species responsible for clinical coccidiosis were E. necatrix, E. acervulina, E. maxima and E. tenella. With increasing demand for poultry products in developing countries, knowledge of production constraints in traditional management practices could help devise control strategies for constraints on backyard poultry production systems.     

Effect of indigenous stone bunding (kab) on crop yield at Mesobit‐Gedeba,North Shoa,Ethiopia

Stone bunding ( kab ) is an age‐old local conservation practice at Mesobit‐Gedeba. This study was conducted to assess the effect of this indigenous practice on crop yield. We compared original ground slope, terrace width, and slope position of the terraced area. The effect of slope width and slope position were found significant (p < 0·05) for both grain and biomass yields of the terraced sites. The mean grain and biomass yields decreased as the original ground slope of the terraced site increased. Both grain and biomass yields decreased with the width of the inter‐terrace area. Significant differences (p < 0·05) in mean grain and biomass yields were observed between the three slope positions. They decreased as one moved up the slope within the inter‐terrace area. In general, the study indicated that indigenous stone bunding has a positive effect on sorghum yield. Future studies should address different locations and crops and ways of integrating indigenous stone bunding with the current conservation programmes of the region. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of entomopathogenic fungi against Cataenococcus ensete [Williams and Matile-Ferrero, (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae)] on enset

Enset root mealybug, Cataenococcus ensete Williams and Matile-Ferrero, (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) is an economically important pest on enset. Adults and nymphs of overlapping generations feed on the corms and roots of enset and are difficult to control once established. Isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnickoff) Sorokin that originated from Ethiopia were evaluated for their efficacies against enset root mealybugs under laboratory, pots and field conditions. Of the tested isolates, two strains (FF and PPRC-56) of B. bassiana were found to be highly pathogenic to adults, causing 97 and 100% mortality, respectively 20 days after inoculation under laboratory conditions. On the other hand, the isolates PPRC-56, FF, PPRC-6 and Mm induced mean mortalities of 97, 95, 96 and 83%, respectively, to the adult enset root mealybugs on the pot experiment, and 51.33, 38.67, 29.33 and 19.33% mortality at the first site and 54.00, 42.67, 32.00 and 25.33% at the second site, respectively, in field experiments. The study showed B. bassiana and M. anisopliae can be used in the integrated management of enset root mealybug.     

Utilization of durum wheat landraces in East Shewa,central Ethiopia: Are home uses an incentive for on-farm conservation?

The study was conducted in East Shewa, central Ethiopia, where durum wheat landraces were once popular, but were displaced and re-introduced. Combinations of survey techniques are employed to document the different home uses of durum wheat landraces and to assess whether these serve as an incentive to on-farm conservation. The findings reveal that wheat landraces have multiple dietary and sociocultural uses that contribute to the maintenance of landraces on-farm. Temporal analysis of historical information showed that (1) richness in food traditions is associated with a high level of landrace diversity on-farm; (2) food traditions in East Shewa did not change radically as a result of the integration of farmers into the market economy; and (3) farm households still have an appreciation of, and a preference for, the home-use related qualities of the landraces, this despite their long term disappearance and the subsequent availability of several improved wheat varieties. The study illustrates the relationship between the local availability of landrace wheats and their on-farm survival. The home uses of landraces plays an instrumental role in the promotion of on-farm (in situ) conservation. Augmenting conservation activities with non-breeding approaches (e.g., awareness-creation) would support the survival of wheat landraces for the foreseeable future. Bayush Tsegaye (PhD) is a graduate from Noragric – the Department of International Environment and Development Studies, of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Prior to joining the University, she was engaged in various development programs in Ethiopia affiliated with government institutions as well as national and international non-governmental organizations. Her research interests include community management of plant genetic resources, food security, and gender issues. Trygve Berg is an Associate Professor at Noragric – the Department of International Environment and Development Studies, of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. His research interests focus on the management of plant genetic resources and participatory plant breeding.