Assessment of the quality of honey apiaries central agroecological zone of Yakutia

This article discusses the results of a study of the quality of honey from different apiaries of the Central agroecological zone of Yakutia. The data of organoleptic evaluation of honey samples are given. The mass fractions of water, mass fractions of recoding sugars, sucrose and insoluble substances in both samples comply with the standards. The diastase number in honey samples is higher than standard indicators, which with the above organoleptic and other physico-chemical indicators confirm the quality and high biological activity. Keywords: BEE COLONIES, APIARY, AGROECOLOGICAL ZONE, HONEY, HONEY PRODUCTIVITY, ORGANOLEPTIC INDICATORS, PHYSICOCHEMICAL INDICATORS, BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY

Determinant Factor of Plant Species Diversity in the Organic Agriculture-Dominated System of Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Agricultural intensification is a major challenge for biodiversity conservation in many parts of the world. Organic agriculture is perceived as a possible solution for biodiversity conservation in agriculture dominant systems. This study aimed at investigating the current status of plant species diversity and its determinants in organic agriculture-dominated areas of Gedeo zone, Southern Ethiopia. Multistage sampling procedures were used to obtain 108 households from three agroecological zones of the study area, and plant species data were collected from the quadrants laid in farms of sampled farmers. Besides, diversity management practice data were collected using focus group discussion. A total of 234 plant species belonging to 82 plant families were identified. Most (69.2%) of species in the system were native. The mean value of richness and Shannon index evenness for the whole system was 10.36, 2.06, and 0.89 for highland midland and lowland agroecological zones, respectively, which is relatively high compared with other agriculture-dominated systems in the tropics. The diversity of overall plant species were significantly affected by both agroecological zones and the wealth status of farmers. Midland and lowland agroecological zones had the highest richness values for total plant species than highland. Similarly, highest richness was recorded among farmers of rich and medium wealth classes than poor. The diversity of tree species was significantly affected by both agroecological zone and wealth status of farmer households. The lowland agroecological zone had a significantly higher number of tree species than midland and lowland agroecological zones, while the rich farmer had higher tree diversity compared to medium and poor farmers. The study also identified that diversity of shrubs were significantly influenced by agroecological zone. The midland agroecological had a significantly higher number of shrubs diversity compared to lowland and highland agroecological zones. In this study, herbaceous species diversity was not influenced by both agroecological zone and farmer wealth class. The function of plant species and indigenous plant species maintenance practice had its own effect on plant species diversity in the study area, since the area is dominated with organic agriculture. Therefore, to maintain the current status of the system and to improve the farmer’s livelihood, development planners may need to design agroecological-based plant species conservation strategies that give due consideration for indigenous plant species conservation practices and function of plant species.

Clay mineralogy of soils from lower atrai basin of Bangladesh

The lower Atrai basin, the study area, lies in the Agroecological Zone-5 (AEZ-5) of Bangladesh. This study reveals the clay mineral composition of top soils of seven different soil series viz. Binsara, Taras, Jaonia, Hasnabad, Laskara, Manda and Mainam developed in the basin. X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique was employed to identify and quantify the minerals. Results show that mica (41 to 59%) was the most dominant mineral among all soils except Laskara. In Laskara soils, the interstratified mica-vermiculite-smectite (41%) was the predominant mineral. Next to mica, kaolinite (10 to 12%) was found to be present in the Binsara, Taras 1, Jaonia, and Taras 2 soils. Chlorite (7 to 17%) was identified in all the soils and was found to be the second dominant mineral in the Manda and Mainam soils. In contrast, the interstratified mica-vermiculitesmectite (33%) was found to be the second dominant mineral in the Hasnabad soils. Small amounts of vermiculite mineral (1 to 13%) were identified in almost all the soils except Binsara. All the soils have interstratified mica-chlorite minerals (2 to 7%). A tiny amount of smectite (1%) was identified in Taras 1 soil. As far as the clay mineralogical composition is concerned, most studied soils were found at the initial stage of weathering, indicating the high potential to sustain low input subsistence agriculture. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(2): 293-306, 2021 (July)

Prevalence and Faecal Egg Counts of Gastrointestinal Parasites of Merino Sheep in Lesotho

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the agroecological zone, host age, and gender on the prevalence and faecal egg load of gastrointestinal parasites (GIPs) for six months (July to December) in the Maseru and Quthing districts, Lesotho. A total of 1919 faecal samples were examined using the McMaster technique. The data were analyzed through generalized estimating equations (GEE) under the binary logistic regression model to determine the significant differences for the GIPs prevalence. Moreover, faecal egg counts (FEC) data were analyzed for repeated measures using GEE. In total, three types of GIPs, namely nematodes, coccidia, and cestodes were identified in this study. The overall prevalence rates of nematodes, coccidia, and cestodes were 53.9%, 46.5%, and 4.3% in the Maseru district, respectively. Furthermore, the Quthing district indicated the prevalence rates of 65.0%, 38.2%, and 0.9% for nematodes, coccidia, and cestodes, respectively. In the Maseru district, the overall faecal egg counts for nematodes, coccidia, and cestodes were within the ranges of 0-20.3, 0-90, and 0-600 eggs per gram, respectively. Additionally, the faecal egg counts in the Quthing district ranged from 0 to 8.000, 6.700, and 2.000 eggs per gram for nematodes, coccidia, and cestodes, respectively. The majority of the Merino sheep (>69%) in both districts had lower faecal egg counts (100-800) per gram. The agroecological zone affected the nematode infestation in both districts. Coccidia in the Quthing was higher in the mountain areas. In the Maseru district, the nematode infestation was not age-dependent; however, in the Quthing district, the prevalence was higher in juveniles, compared to adults. Age and gender did not affect the prevalence and faecal egg counts of nematodes and coccidia. The coccidian faecal egg loads were higher in females, compared to males. Merino sheep in Lesotho are mostly infected with gastrointestinal nematodes and protozoal coccidia, which could have a tremendous impact on their health and productivity. It is, therefore, of significant importance to develop the deworming strategy for sheep of different age and gender groups in different agroecological zones.