Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

Scientific Community Debates on Causes and Consequences of Global Warming: Review

Birhanu Bayeh, Melkamu Alemayehu — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Global warming is a most burning topic gained the attention of many social thinkers such as scientists, policy makers, environmentalists, researchers and student worldwide. It is the increase of the average temperature on the Earth. The root cause for the increase of the temperature is global warming. As the Earth is getting warmer, disasters like hurricanes, disease and injury of heat waves, droughts, storms and floods are getting more frequent. Over the last 100 years, the average air temperature near the Earth’s surface has risen by a little less than 10C. The causes and consequences of global warming on the Earth`s environment have been reviewed in the present study. The controversy between scientists on the causes of global warming may be natural or may be caused by human interference. The natural causes were atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), Volcanic Eruptions, the dynamic system of the Earth, Sun, and Cosmos. Human activities have been emitting extra greenhouse gases, which were mostly resulted from burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil and gas). Urbanization and associated human activities like industrialization and use of cars, deforestations and land use changes and etc. have been identified as human-induced causes of global warming. About 97% of climate experts believed that human-activities are the major causes of global warming. Generally, global warming is affecting rainfall, shrinking of the ice sheets, increasing average temperature, affecting plants and animals, rising sea level and shifting seasons.

Performance of Boer and Woyto-Guji Crossbred F1 Goats (50%) under Semi-Intensive Management System in Konso District, South Ethiopia

Dereje Dea, Ermias Eramo, Mesfine Gambura, Bereket Zeleke — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The study was undertaken to evaluate at on-station growth and reproductive performance of F1 crossbred Boer-Woyto Guji goat kids reared under semi-intensive management system in Konso district, south Ethiopia. A total of 57 F1 crossbred kids were used to evaluate two independent variables: birth type and sex and ten dependent variables: age at first mating, gestation length, age at first kidding, birth weight, weaning weight, six-month weight, nine months weight, yearling weight and weight gains to weaning and yearling were analyzed. The study revealed that yearling weight of the crossbred kids was higher for males (30.72±6.29 kg) and single born (30.50±4.46) kids than females (27.74±1.67) and twins (25.67±3.54), respectively. Pre and post-weaning growth rates for Boer- Woyto-Guji F1 kids were 97.73 and 62.99 (g/day), respectively. Average age at first mating, gestation length and age at first kidding of the crossbred were 8.10±1.27, 5.03±0.02 and 12.91±1.22 months, respectively. Liter size of F1 does was 1.26. The mortality rate was higher during post-weaning (40.81%) than pre-weaning age (10.00%). Although the growth and reproductive performance were faster, the survivability of the F1 crossbred kids was under question. Hence, further comparative performance evaluation is needed with local goats under intensive management system.

Stakeholders’ Perception on Impacts of Natural Environment Deterioration and Armed Conflict on Plant Production: Case Study of North Darfur State - Sudan

Abubakr M. Juma Siam, Ibrahim Ali Elnour, Yousif M. Ishag Jimpy — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The study was conducted to assess the awareness and perception of local farmers with the causative factors of environmental degradation and to analyze the interactions of natural resources, rural livelihoods and armed conflict in North Darfur State. Six localities: El Fasher, Maleit, Malha, Kabkabia, Darsalam, and Omkadada were selected as study field using stratified random sampling method. A total of 300 interviewees were randomly selected for the household survey adopting semi-structured interviews. Questionnaires were used to collect socioeconomic characteristics. Key informants’ interviews and group discussions were also used to obtain additional information. The results revealed that great changes have been taken place in quantity and quality of natural vegetation towards negative trends according to respondents’ views. Majority of interviewees agree that the disappeared vegetation types were more palatable to livestock. About 88% of interviewees are farmers and agro-pastoralists, where their main food crops are millet and sorghum. While the cash crops are represented in groundnuts, water melons, and tobacco. However, during last decades the crop production was kept decreasing pattern due to climatic and anthropogenic factors spreading food insecurity. The impacts of ecosystem resource diminishing and armed conflict on each other and their effects on livelihoods became clear and recognizable by the local people. The community perception of ecosystem degradation in the area could be used to set strategies for conservation and rational use of natural resources. The study recommends for further investigation about the impacts of natural resource degradation on livelihood and plant productivity in the region.

Evaluation of Desho Grass (Pennisetum Pedicellatum) Productivity under Different Fertilizer Combinations and Spacing at Gamo Gofa Zone, Ethiopia

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Desho grass is a perennial drought tolerant feed to contribute a lot for dry season feed demand of Ethiopian livestock. A field experiment was conducted at Chano Substation, Southern Ethiopia, to determine dry matter yield of desho grass using factorial combination of five fertilizer rates (0:0, 11.5:43.5, 15:59.5, 20:64 and 25:91.5 kg /ha P:N) and four spacing (plant: row) (25:50, 50:75, 75:100 and 100:125 cm) in RCBD with three replications. Plant height, tiller number and dry matter yield were computed with Least Significant Difference. With increase in P: N rate from 0:0-25:91.5 kg/ha; plant height increased from 61 to 93 cm and tiller number shown an increment from 214.2 to 308.6. The respective increase in tiller number with plant and row spacing from narrower (25; 50cm) to wider (100:125 cm) was 248.5 to 346. Dry matter yield increased from 9.27 to 25.54 ton/ha for the fertilizer rate from control to 20:64 kg/ha. Dry matter yield increased for wider spacing from 25;50 cm to 75;100 cm having the yield of 14 to 26.61 ton/ha. The present experiment suggests that at low lands of Southern Ethiopia the optimum dry matter yield could be obtained at phosphorus and nitrogen rate of 20;64 kg/ ha with 75;100 cm plant and row spacing of Desho grass.

Assessments of Current Practices and Problems in the Management of Livestock in Selected Human Shelters (Refugee Camps) in Ethiopia

Kefyalew Alemayehu, Tarekegn Ayalew — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

The objective of the study was to investigate the current practices and problems in the management of animals in selected human shelters (Refugee camps). The study was conducted in three districts of Western Ethiopia namely, Sherkole in Komosha, Tongo in Mao-Komo, and Bambasi in Bambasi districts. Secondary data, desk reviews of different documents, focus group discussions, key informants interviews and field observations were used as the study methods. The findings of the study confirmed that eight humanitarian organizations operate in the refugee camps, namely ARRA, ICRC, UNHCR, IOM, UNICEF, NRDEP, WFP and RADO to supply and manage humanitarian aids. However, the livestock emergency response intervention such as health, feed, water and other conditions of animal management is not represented and documented. There is no animal welfare organization /humanitarian organization working on animal management in refugee camps. Following the culture of their ancestors and their experiences, some Sudanese refugees have brought their animals to Ethiopia. Nevertheless, the Ethiopian government do not have regulations that protect the entrance of animals with refugees. Even though the number and types of animals entering with the refugees are not well known, different species of animals are found in all the visited refugee camps. Some have brought them from their origin of country and others restocked it in the host country, Ethiopia. The major livestock species found in the refugee camps include cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys. There is no specific management given for the animals in the refuges except that the regional government provides vaccination and other veterinary services to protect the transfer of cross-border disease from the displaced to the local animals. Some of the hosting community leaders around Tongo and Bambasi are also expressing their frustration on the refugees’ livestock, mentioning that the refugees are allowing animals to graze on their crops and private grazing land deliberately. Some livestock owners confirmed that they are using traditional (herbal) medicines for disease prevention. The refugees strongly expressed the importance of regular vaccination and animal service program for their livestock. There was also interbreeding among Ethiopia and Sudanese cattle as they share the same grazing land. Zoonotic diseases are also a fear for the refugees. All the respondents explained that there are no clearly defined funds for the management of livestock in the refuges.