Evaluation of reciprocal F1 crosses of Fayoumi with two exotic chicken breeds 1: additive and non-additive effects on egg production traits.

The present study estimates additive and non-additive effects on egg production traits in genotypes generated through pure mating and reciprocal crossing of Fayoumi (FM) with Koekoek (KK) and White Leghorn (WL). Age at first egg (AFE) and body weight at first egg (BWAFE) were determined when the first bird in the pen laid its first egg, and egg weight at first egg (EWAFE) was the average weight of eggs laid consecutively during the first 10 days. Egg number (EN) and egg weight (EW) were recorded daily from AFE to 40 weeks of age. Egg mass (EM) was the product of EN and EW. EN of hens initially housed and hens alive during the experiment were used to calculate hen-housed egg production (HHEP) and hen-day egg production (HDEP), respectively. All the traits showed statistically significant differences among the genotypes. The results revealed the importance of additive and non-additive effects, where purebred effect (PE), general combining ability (GCA), maternal effect (ME), specific combining ability (SCA), and residual reciprocal effect (RRE) significantly affected most of the traits. The KK and WL had a higher PE, and GCA was highest in KK, with FM and WL showing a higher ME. The FM x WL had higher SCA and RRE. The KK x FM and FM x WL outperformed their main and reciprocal crosses, respectively, and purebred contemporaries. Therefore, a synthetic breeding program involving KK as a sire and FM, WL, FM x WL, and KK x FM as a dam would be feasible.

Evaluation of reciprocal F1 crosses of Fayoumi with two exotic chicken breeds 2: additive and non-additive effects on egg quality traits.

The current study evaluates additive and non-additive genetic variances for egg quality traits in six genotypes generated through pure mating and reciprocal crossing of Fayoumi (FM) with Koekoek (KK) and White Leghorn (WL). For each genotype, measurements were taken on 30 eggs randomly sampled at 32, 36, and 40 weeks of age to evaluate both external and internal egg quality parameters. The results revealed significant differences (P < 0.001) among the genotypes in all external quality traits and most internal quality traits, including yolk weight (YW), albumen weight (AW), and yolk height (YH). The results also showed that variations due to purebred effect (PE), general combining ability (GCA), maternal effect (ME), and specific combining ability (SCA) were significant in most traits, which reflects that both additive and non-additive variances are important for the inheritances of the parameters investigated. In most of the traits, the ME and PE were higher in KK and WL, while GCA was higher in KK and FM. The FM x WL had higher SCA than FM x KK. The results suggest the likelihood of genetic improvement in these genotypes through selection and crossbreeding strategies and/or a combination of the two.

A study on sheep farming practices in relation to future production strategies in Bensa district of Southern Ethiopia.

The study was carried out in Bensa district of Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia. Agro-ecologically, the study sites were classified into highland and mid-altitude. The objective of the study was to identify sheep farming practices in relation to future production strategies in the study area. A total of 128 households from four kebeles (lower administrative structure) were selected purposively based on sheep population and production potential and accessibility. Data was collected through semi-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions, and key informants. The result showed that most of the household heads were male (92.75%) and mixed crop-livestock system was the dominant production system. Among the livestock species, sheep accounted for the largest proportion across the two agro ecologies and the average sheep flock size/household was 4.6 ± 0.33 and 22 4.3 ± 0.213 in highland and in mid-altitude, respectively. The primary reason of keeping sheep was for cash income and saving across the two agro ecologies. The major feed resources for sheep during the wet and dry seasons were natural pasture and crop residues respectively across the two agro ecologies. Feed shortages, disease, parasite prevalence, and market were the major sheep production constraints in highland while feed shortage, genotype, disease, parasite prevalence, and market in mid-altitude. It can be concluded that for enhancing future production from sheep in the area, emphasis is to be given on feed availability, disease management, breeding policy, and marketing strategies.

Community-based breeding programs can realize sustainable genetic gain and economic benefits in tropical dairy cattle systems.

Implementing an appropriate breeding program is crucial to control fluctuation in performance, enhance adaptation, and further improve the crossbred population of dairy cattle. Five alternative breeding programs (BPs) were modeled considering available breeding units in the study area, the existing crossbreeding practices, and the future prospects of dairy research and development in Ethiopia. The study targeted 143,576 crossbred cows of 54,822 smallholder households in the Arsi, West Shewa, and North Shewa zones of the Oromia Region, as well as the North Shewa zone of the Amhara Region. The alternative BPs include conventional on-station progeny testing (SPT), conventional on-farm progeny testing (FPT), conventional on-station and on-farm progeny testing (SFPT), genomic selection (GS), and genomic progeny testing (GPT). Input parameters for modeling the BPs were taken from the analysis of long-term data obtained from the Holetta Agricultural Research Center and a survey conducted in the study area. ZPLAN+ software was used to predict estimates of genetic gain (GG) and discounted profit for goal traits. The predicted genetic gains (GGs) for milk yield (MY) per year were 34.52 kg, 49.63 kg, 29.35 kg, 76.16 kg, and 77.51 kg for SPT, FPT, SFPT, GS, and GPT, respectively. The GGs of the other goal traits range from 0.69 to 1.19 days per year for age at first calving, from 1.20 to 2.35 days per year for calving interval, and from 0.06 to 0.12 days per year for herd life. Compared to conventional BPs, genomic systems (GPT and GS) enhanced the GG of MY by 53%-164%, reduced generation interval by up to 21%, and improved the accuracy of test bull selection from 0.33 to 0.43. The discounted profit of the BPs varied from 249.58 Ethiopian Birr (ETB, 1 USD = 39.55696 ETB) per year in SPT to 689.79 ETB per year in GS. Genomic selection outperforms SPT, SFPT, and FPT by 266, 227%, and 138% of discounted profit, respectively. Community-based crossbreeding accompanied by GS and gradual support with progeny testing (GPT) is recommended as the main way forward to attain better genetic progress in dairy farms in Ethiopia and similar scenarios in other tropical countries.

Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory profile of patients presenting with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) in Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Data regarding patients presenting with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) illness have not adequately been documented which provides distinct insights into low-resource settings like Ethiopia. Thus, the study aimed to compare epidemiological, clinical and laboratory profiles of patients presenting with acute respiratory syndrome illness in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. METHODS: We used a comparative cross-sectional study design among patients with SARS-CoV-2 illness at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from October 2020 to September 2021. Using a structured questionnaire a consecutive sampling technique was applied to collect socio-demographic data. Additionally, nasal swabs were collected to confirm SARS-CoV-2 infection using a Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction. Blood samples were also collected from the participants for laboratory profiles (hematological tests like; white blood cell count, hematocrit, and platelet count; and biochemical and enzymatic tests like; aspartate transaminase (AST), creatinine, etc) analysis. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 and p-values ≤0.05 were considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the total 413 participants presenting with SARS-CoV-2 illness, 250 (60.5%) participants tested positive for COVID-19 disease. COVID-19 patients were less likely to use an alcohol-based method of hand washing (12.5% vs 87.5%; p = 0.048). The COVID-19 patients had a higher proportion of headache (67.3% vs 32.7%, p = 0.001), sore throat (72.5% vs 27.5%, p = 0.001), and loss of sense of taste (74.4% vs 25.6%, p = 0.002). Patients with COVID-19 have significantly higher neutrophil than their counterparts (68.2% vs 31.8%; p = 0.001). Similarly, creatinine (64.9% vs 35.1%, p = 0.001) from renal function and alkaline phosphatase (66.8% vs 33.2%, p = 0.046) in the liver function tests were significantly higher in the COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest the need to substantially consider headache, sore throat, and loss of taste as potential clinical diagnostic symptoms for early screening and testing. Elevation of neutrophil, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase profiles are also used for potential diagnostic biomarkers in screening and testing suspected patients.

Baseline and early changes in laboratory parameters predict disease severity and fatal outcomes in COVID-19 patients.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become the worst catastrophe of the twenty-first century and has led to the death of more than 6.9 million individuals across the globe. Despite the growing knowledge of the clinicopathological features of COVID-19, the correlation between baseline and early changes in the laboratory parameters and the clinical outcomes of patients is not entirely understood. Methods: Here, we conducted a time series cross-sectional study aimed at assessing different measured parameters and socio-demographic factors that are associated with disease severity and the outcome of the disease in 268 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 Patients. Results: We found COVID-19 patients who died had a median age of 61 years (IQR, 50 y - 70 y), which is significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared to those who survived and had a median age of 54 years (IQR, 42y - 65y). The median RBC count of COVID-19 survivors was 4.9 × 106/µL (IQR 4.3 × 106/µL - 5.2 × 106/µL) which is higher (p < 0.05) compared to those who died 4.4 × 106/µL (3.82 × 106/µL - 5.02 × 106/µL). Similarly, COVID-19 survivors had significantly (p < 0.05) higher lymphocyte and monocyte percentages compared to those who died. One important result we found was that COVID-19 patients who presented with severe/critical cases at the time of first admission but managed to survive had a lower percentage of neutrophil, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, higher lymphocyte and monocyte percentages, and RBC count compared to those who died. Conclusion: To conclude here, we showed that simple laboratory parameters can be used to predict severity and outcome in COVID-19 patients. As these parameters are simple, inexpensive, and radially available in most resource-limited countries, they can be extrapolated to future viral epidemics or pandemics to allocate resources to particular patients.

Effects of cultivar resistances and chemical seed treatments on fusarium head blight and bread wheat yield-related parameters under field condition in southern Ethiopia.

Fusarium head blight (Fusarium graminearum Schwabe), FHB, is considered among the economically significant and destructive diseases of wheat. Thus, the study was worked out at seven sites in southern Ethiopia during the 2019 main cropping year to decide the effects of host resistance and chemical seed treatment on the progress of FHB epidemics and to decide grain yield benefit and yield losses derived from the use of wheat cultivars integrated with chemical seed treatments. The field study was worked out with the integration of two wheat cultivars, including Shorima as well as Hidase, and five chemical seed treatments, including Carboxin, Thiram + Carbofuran, Imidalm, Proceed Plus, and Thiram Granuflo. Twelve experimental treatments were arrayed in factorial arrangement with randomized complete block design. Each experimental treatment was replicated three times and delegated at random to experimental plots within a block. Significant (P < 0.01) variations were observed among the evaluated treatment combinations for rates of disease progress, incidence, severity, the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), and yield-related parameters across the locations. Results showed that the lowest incidence was registered on Shorima treated with Thiram + Carbofuran fungicide (27.40%). The lowest mean disease severity was recorded from Shorima integrated with Imidalm (21.23%) and Shorima treated with Thiram + Carbofuran (21.78%). The AUDPC was as low as 211.27, 226.39, and 236.46%-days were recorded on Shorima treated with Imidalm, Thiram + Carbofuran, and Proceed Plus, respectively. The highest disease severity of 57.91% (Hidase) and 27.22% (Shorima), and AUDPC of 552.71%-days (Hidase) and 313.04%-days (Shorima) were recorded from untreated control plots of the two cultivars. Paramount grain yield was found from Shorima treated with Imidalm and Dynamic fungicides, each of which was noted with GY of 4.40 and 4.05 t ha-1, respectively. Results also showed the highest yield losses (21.89 and 23.23%) were computed on untreated control plots of the cultivars Hidase and Shorima, respectively, compared with maximum protected experimental treatment for both cultivars. Moreover, cost-benefit analysis confirmed that Shorima treated with Imidalm exhibited the most prominent net benefit (NB) ($67,381.26 ha-1) and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) (4.43), followed by Shorima treated with Thiram + Carbofuran (NB of $60,837.76 ha-1 and BCR of 3.98). Based on the lowest yield loss and highest economic advantage, the use of Shorima treated with either Imidalm or Thiram + Carbofuran could be suggested to the farmers in the study areas and elsewhere having analogous agro-ecological conditions to manage the disease. However, sole use of chemical seed treatment is not as effective as post-anthesis aerial application up to maturity of the crop. For this reason, post-anthesis aerial application should be considered besides chemical seed treatment for effective management of FHB.

Integration of host resistance, fungicides, and spray frequencies for managing Fusarium head blight of bread wheat under field conditions in southern Ethiopia.

A field experiment was carried out in Adiyo, Bonke, Chencha, Sodo zuriya, and North Ari districts, they are found in Southern Ethiopia, during the 2019 main production season. The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the effectiveness of the integrations of host resistance and application of fungicides with designated spray frequency on Fusarium head blight under natural epiphytotic conditions and to determine the management effects on yield and yield components of wheat. The treatments consisted of wheat cultivars (Shorima and Hidase) and fungicides (Propiconazole and Tebuconazole) with four spray frequencies, including an unsprayed one. The experiment was arranged in a split-split plot design with three replications. Wheat cultivars were assigned to the main plots and fungicides allotted to the sub-plots, while the spray frequencies were appointed to sub-sub plots. Results exhibited that integration of wheat cultivars and fungicides with spray frequencies significantly (p < 0.001) reduced disease pressure and increased grain yields across the locations. The highest disease severity (36.46%) and area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) (404.78%-day) and lowest grain yield (2.42 t ha-1) were recorded at North Ari. The lowest severity (7.70%), and AUDPC (130.26%-day), and the highest grain yield (6.68 t ha-1) were recorded in Bonke. The lowest severity (4.78 and 5.74%) and AUDPC (52.86 and 59.78%-day) were recorded from Shorima due to integrated use of Tebuconazole with three and two times spray frequencies, respectively. The highest grain yield of 5.30 t ha-1 was recorded on Shorima in combination with Tebuconazole with three times spray frequencies. The grain yield loss of 46.49% was computed on unsprayed plots of Hidase cultivar. Overall, the results exhibited a combination of moderately resistance wheat cultivars supplemented by fungicide with appropriate spray frequencies right at disease onset reduced disease pressure and increased grain yield. Planting of Shorima combined with Tebuconazole with three times spray frequencies was found effective in reducing FHB epidemics and increasing grain yield with the highest monetary advantage. Therefore, this could be recommended to growers in the study areas and similar agro-ecologies to manage F. graminearum causing FHB in wheat.