Association of traits in Ethiopian fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) genotypes regarding to seed yield by using phenotypic data

<p>Shortage of information on association of traits is one of the problems in fenugreek productivity. Field experiment was implemented at Jamma district of South Wollo Administrative Zone of Amhara National Regional State, in 2018/19 main rainy season to examine the nature and extent of correlation, direct and indirect effects among yield and yield related traits. Sixty-two nationally collected fenugreek genotypes along with standard and local checks were evaluated in simple lattice design. Seed yield plot^-1 was significantly and positively correlated to biomass yield^-1 (r = 0.5) and harvest index (r = 0.6***) at genotypic level. Seed yield was also significantly and positively correlated with harvesting index (r = 0.6***) and weakly and negatively (r = -0.01) correlated to biomass yield at phenotypic level. Path coefficient analysis revealed that biomass (0.951), harvesting index (0.283) and pod length (-0.163) had contributed the maximum positive and negative direct effect on seed yield respectively, at phenotypic level. At genotypic level biomass yield ha^-1 (0.816) and harvesting index (0.930) had contributed strong positive direct effect and plant height (-0.004) had revealed weak negative direct effect.</p>

AVAILABILITY OF FEED RESOURCES FOR GOATS IN PASTORAL AND AGRO-PASTORAL DISTRICTS OF SOUTH OMO ZONE, ETHIOPIA

A survey was conducted in Hamer and Bena-Tsemay pastoral and agro-pastoral districts of South Omo zone, south western Ethiopia in between January to May 2011 with the objective to describe availability of feed resource for goats. Data were collected from the two districts by informal and formal survey methods using focused group discussion and semi-structured questionnaire administered to 250 households. Natural pastures from rangelands are major feed sources for goats. Higher feed availability is reported in March to April (during the main rainy season). However, availability of feed extends up to October in Bena-Tsemay district due to the higher rainfall in the district. In both districts, the hot dry season (November to February) is the period of feed scarcity and during which high mortality of goats have been reported. Crop residues and some food left over are also available for supplementing animals especially in the agro-pastoral areas. The efficiency of goat production in the studied districts could be increased by optimizing goats breeding season with the availability of feed resources.

Climate resources analysis for use of planning in crop production and rainfall water management in the central highlands of Ethiopia, the case of Bishoftu district, Oromia region

Agricultural practices and water resources management in the central highlands of Ethiopia is highly dependant and associated with climatic resources and their pattern and hence wise use of those resources is a priority for the region. Accordingly, a study was conducted to asses and critically quantity the climate resources of the central high lands of Ethiop, Bishoftu district. Thirty three years of weather record data has been used for the work. The onset, duration and end of the growing seasons were defined and quantified based on FAO and Reddy models while the dry and wet spell distributions and the drought events were calculated using the Markov chain models and the standardized precipitation index (SPI) respectively. The results revealed that the mean onset of the main (Kiremt) growing season was found to occur during the second meteorological decade and ended during the end of September. Similarly, though unreliable and only few occurred during the entire study period, the mean onset of the shorter (Belg) season was found to occur during the beginning of the first decade of April. The length of the growing season during the main rainy season, (Kiremt,) ranged from 112 to 144 days with a standard deviation of 9.6 days and coefficient of variation of 7.5%. However, the mean growing length during the Belg season was found to be 22.4 days with a standard deviation of 27 days and coefficient of variation of 122%. The results of analysis obtained both from the Markov Chain and Reddy models indicated higher probabilities of dry spell occurrences during the shorter season (Belg) but the occurrences of the same in the main rainy season (Kiremt) was very minimal. Like wise, the SPI model detected some drought events ranging from mild to severe classes in both seasons based on one a month time scale analysis. A considerable attention of maximizing crop harvest during the main rainy season is practically important.

Control of Avicennia germinans recruitment and survival by Junonia evarete larvae in a disturbed mangrove forest in Colombia

In the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, a brackish lagoon system on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, about 60% of the mangrove forests died from hypersalinization. The die-back was first encountered in 1964 and mass mortality started in the late 1960s. Although efforts are being made to reestablish the destroyed areas, regeneration is slow, which may be partly due to Junonia evarete caterpillars defoliating Avicennia germinans seedlings. The interaction between insects and seedlings was studied. Both J. evarete butterflies and caterpillars were abundant during the main rainy season, the time of highest fruit production in A. germinans. During the dry season the herbivore disappeared. The caterpillars fed exclusively on A. germinans propagules, seedlings, and pneumatophores. They preferred young seedlings to older plants and did not feed on trees. At some sites, 100% of the A. germinans seedlings died due to the caterpillar attack. Seedlings at open, disturbed sites were attacked more than seedlings protected by small roofs and trenches or those under a closed canopy. Only seedlings protected by insect nets or seedlings germinating at the beginning of the dry season had good chances of survival. The results suggest that in the highly disturbed areas of the Ciénaga Grande regeneration of A. germinans is strongly inhibited by the feeding behaviour of J. evarete caterpillars.

Pollination of Amorphophallus johnsonii (Araceae) by carrion beetles (Phaeochrous amplus) in a Ghanaian rain forest

ABSTRACTAmorphophallus johnsonii (N. E. Brown) flowers during April in the main rainy season in Ghana. Anthesis starts at dusk with fluid oozing from the upper spadix accompanied by a strong aminoid odour. Just after dark large numbers of carrion beetles (Phaeochrous amplus) and occasional dung fly species (Hemigymnochaeta unicolor and Paryphodes tigrinus) visit the inflorescences. The beetles become trapped in the lower spathe overnight and remain in the spadix until the following evening. Between 1630 and 1645 h the following day, the anthers produce long threads of sticky pollen. The trapped beetles escape just after dark by crawling up the spadix, past the dehisced anthers and fly away from the spadix tip. Marked beetles were seen to transfer pollen from male phase to female phase inflorescences. Successful fertilisation was only effected if pollen was transferred on the same night from a male inflorescence 30 m or less away. Pollen is psilate and typical of beetle pollinated Araceae. Berries ripen approximately 70 d after fertilization and ripen basisetally in the infructescence.

Observations on the Behaviour of some Mosquitos of the Kenya Coast

The mosquitos of two villages on the Kenya coast were studied over a period of two and a half years, which included years of very light, average and very heavy rainfall. A survey was made of the species occurring in the bush and in the houses, and in addition 24-hour biting catches were done and window-trap catches were examined to obtain information on the movement of species in and out of houses.Sixty five species were taken in net catches in the bush but only 19 were taken regularly; five (Taeniorhynchus uniformis (Theo.) and T. africanus (Theo.), Aëdes woodi Edw., Culex invidiosus Theo. and C. guiarti Blanch.) were abundant. In the houses, two species, C. pipiens fatigans Wied. and Aë. aegypti occurred regularly, the former being abundant and the latter not uncommon. Anopheles gambiae Giles and A. funestus Giles were seasonal; A. funestus appeared only after exceptionally heavy rain. The in-going window trap attracted only an occasional mosquito seeking shelter during the day and only six species were taken. Thirty species were found in the out-going trap but only seven occurred regularly. A. gambiae, A. funestus, T. uniformis, T. africanus and C. p. fatigans were most active during the hours of darkness, with the main activity in the four hours before dawn. Aë. aegypti had two waves of activity, in the four-hour periods before dawn and before sunset, respectively; the sunset peak was higher and the main activity probably occurred between 18 and 19 hr., as previously recorded for this species in Mombasa.Thirty five species were taken biting in the 24-hour catches in situations designated bush, house and compound, respectively. The biting cycles of A. gambiae, Aë. aegypti and C. p. fatigans have been compared in the three situations. The biting rhythm of each species was much the same in the different environments but the time and magnitude of the main peaks varied. In the case of Aë. aegypti, which probably includes two different forms, there is a marked difference in the magnitude of the evening peak in the bush and house. The biting cycles in the bush are given for A. squamosus Theo., T. uniformis, T. africanus, Aë. fryeri, Aë. metallicus (Edw.), Aë. albicosta (Edw.) and C. antennatus (Becker) and their occurrence in the other two situations is noted. The cycles of T. uniformis and Aë. fryeri agree with previous findings, but that of T. africanus differs from other cycles recorded for this species by having the main biting after midnight. The remaining species were rare, but one catch of 274 specimens of A. funestus was recorded.Resting mosquitos were more numerous in the second half of the year from August to December, a period of light rainfall and high temperatures. Biting mosquitos were more commonly taken, especially in the bush, in the second quarter of the year, during the main rainy season. The biting activity of some species increased in the houses in the second half of the year, when there are high winds, and biting in the bush was minimal.