Current Status, Economic importance and Management of Dodders (Cuscuta Spp) of Important Crops

Dodders (Cuscuta spp.) are one of the worst weeds that causes economic damage to economically valued crops. Cuscuta campestris, C. kilimanjari, C. reflexa, C. australis, C. suaveolens, C. hyalina, C. cassytoides, C. epilinum and C. planiflora are the most widespread Cuscuta species globally. Most of them are originated in North America and later distributed to many countries in the world. Coffea spp., Camellia sinensis, Glycine max, Allium cepa and Phaseolus spp. are the major hosts of the weed. Dodders are holoparasites, which lack chlorophyll and derive all their resources from their host and impose serious damage to their hosts. Cultural practices such as planting non-host cereal crops by removing host plants; regular monitoring and removal of new dodder weeds and mixed cropping of host crop with non-host crops is effective in managing the weed. Besides, biological control by use of parasitic fungi (Alternaria destruens, Fusarium tricinctum, Alternaria alternata, Geotrichum candidum and Alternaria spp and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) play a role in managing the weed. In addition, chemical control with pre-emergence herbicides (pronamide, trifluralin and pendimethalin) and post-emergence herbicides (pelargonic acid, imazamox, imazethapyr and paraquat) are effective to control dodders in many crops in extreme cases. Integrated use of herbicidal and mechanical control measures is effective in control, economically safe, socially acceptable and environmentally friendly than a single control measure. Moreover, host specific integrated Cuscuta Spp. management should be designed. Keywords: Cuscuta campestris, Hautoria, Holoparasite, Parasitic weeds, Stem parasite DOI: 10.7176/ALST/87-04 Publication date: April 30th 202

Current Status of Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in Ethiopia: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects: A Review

Water hyacinth is one of the rapidly spreading aquatic weeds, both globally and in Ethiopia, causing adverse effect on ecosystem and human benefits. It directly and indirectly affects fish, crop and livestock productions, electric power generation, irrigation, waterway transportation, tourism and human health. It is an invasive weed that is native to Amazon basin and introduced as an ornamental species to decorate the water bodies in Ethiopia. The weeds’ fastest growth, ways of reproduction, ability to adapt to wide range of climatic conditions and nutrients, and complex root system made its management difficulty. However, Manual removal of water hyacinth in small areas at early time is effective in controlling the weed for short period of time. Use of biological control agents; arthropods (Neochetina brunchi and Neochetina eichhorniae) and parasitic fungi (Alternaria alternata, Alternaria sp., Alternaria tenuissima and Neofusicoccum parvum) play a role in controlling specifically water hyacinth in Ethiopia at experimental level. In addition Chemical control with 2, 4-D dimethyl amine, glyphosphate and acetic acid are effective to control water hyacinth in extreme cases. Integrated use of herbicidal and mechanical control measures is effective in control, economically safe and environmentally friendly than a single control measures. Weed removing machines and integrated managements should be designed based on Ethiopian water bodies’ conditions in the future research. The release of promising biological control agents should be encouraged by the Ethiopian government. Keywords: Alien weeds, Aquatic weeds, Ethiopia, Invasive weeds, Neochetina spp., DOI: 10.7176/JEES/10-12-03 Publication date: December 31st 2020

Occurrence, Distribution, Biology and Management of Coffee Thread Blight (Corticium koleroga (Cke) Hoehnel): A Review

Coffee is the key cash crop and top foundation in the world economy. Coffee thread blight caused by Corticium koleroga (Cke) Hoehnel is a devastating disease that causes severe damage to Coffee in major coffee producing countries. The disease is reported in India, Trindad, Tobego, Guatemala, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Birazil, Ethiopia, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Venezuela, Mexico and United States. It infects areal parts of various crop species as Coffea spp., Camellia sinensis, Diospyros kaki, Pipper nigrum, Theobroma cacao, Citrus spp., Zingiber officinale, Mangifera indica and Hevea brasiliensis. The Corticium koleroga is characterized with colony colour ranging from white to floral white, with circular to irregular form and filiform to entire in margin on PDA plates. Growth rate of the pathogen is ranged between 6 and 9 mm/day in diameter. Basidiospore size ranged from 10 to 13.75 x 3.75 to 5μ. Use of improved cultural practices (pruning out blighted twigs and shade tree management), use of resistant varieties, biological control by use of parasitic fungi (Gliocladium spp., Trichoderma spp., Verticillium spp.) play a role in controlling the disease. In addition Chemical control with cupric compounds, propiconazole, Agrozim, Bavistin, Bayleton, Foltaf, Plantvax, Tilt and Topsin-M are effective to control thread blight in coffee in extreme cases. Keywords: Basidia, Basidiospore, Black rot, Hyphae, Koleroga, Mycilium DOI: 10.7176/JEES/9-2-0

Environmental Management System: During Imperial, Derge and EPRDF Periods in Ethiopia: Review Paper

Before World War II was considered as “Dark Age” of environment in Ethiopia. Even if some researcher identified the awareness of environment was during the Minlik II regime with the growing fuel wood crisis and became public officials increasingly convinced of the need for state protection of the country’s forests and forest resources. Greater emphasis given after www II during the 1960’s.  It is deemed to be the result of misguided and unregulated modification of the Ethiopian environment, in particular the vegetation, soils and natural ecological processes, increased human and animal population, has led to their fast depletion and serious environmental degradation. And has been and still is beyond their "self-replicating capacity".This paper briefly reviews the environmental management during imperial, Derge and the current periods in line with the environmental concerns and policies and economy. Ethiopian environmental concerns in the 20th century were poor. This was due to donor driven environmental advisees and policies, the ignorance of the indigenous knowledge of the local community, top –down approach of the policies and legislation without the consent of the farmers and the community at large. The imperial period famine, the food for work approach of the Derg, villegization, collectivization and for example exacerbates the environmental degradation. There has been no land tenure security in Ethiopia. However, the current Ethiopian government undertakes the land registration that maximizes the user’s right. After Kyoto protocol, Ethiopia explicitly recognizes that environment is a vital and important pillar of sustainable development and incorporates in the development planning like the CRGE documents (which emphasis on mitigation than adaptation) to reduce the effects of climate change on water, forests, climate change, and biodiversity conservation for sustainable use.  In addition,  the economic appraisal of development projects, the costs of environmental and natural resource benefits forgone as a result of the projects' activities are started to  included in the calculations through  environment policy and environmental impact assessment  of for development projects and enacted policy, laws and establish institution to the managements of environments. However, the concern of environmental management is global and unanimous agreement among developed and developing countries. Keywords: Environment Management System, Environmental Paradigm, Climate Change, Adaptation, Mitigation, CRGE, Ethiopi

Origin, Distribution, Impact and Management of Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Martius) Solm): A Review

Water hyacinth is one of the world’s worst invasive weeds. It is native to South America and extremely invaded many tropical and subtropical countries of all the continents. The ability to produce via runners, stolons and seed; fast growth; seed persistence in the soil and its beautiful flower facilitates the spread of the weed from region to regions from time to time. Blockage of irrigation, electric power generation, fish production and water way transportation are the major economic impacts of the weed. Manual and mechanical removal of water hyacinth in small areas at early time is effective in controlling the weed for short period of time. Use of biological control agents; arthropods (Neochetina brunchi, Neochetina eichhorniae, Niphograpta albiguttalis and Orthogalumna terebrantis) and parasitic fungi (Cercospora rodmanii, Alternaria alternata and Alternaria eichhorniae) play a role in controlling the weed. In addition Chemical control with 2, 4-D dimethyl amine, glyphosphate and acetic acid are effective to control water hyacinth in extreme cases. Integrated use of herbicidal and mechanical control measures is effective in control, economically safe and environmentally friendly than a single control measures. Keywords: Alternaria, Aquatic weed, Invasive weed, Neochetina, Weed control, Weevils DOI: 10.7176/JEES/10-10-02 Publication date:October 31st 202

The Current Practices of Instructional Supervision Approaches and Teachers’ Professional Development in Secondary Schools of Bale Zone of Oromia Region

The research is financed by Haramaya University Abstract The purpose of the study is to investigate the current practices of instructional supervision approaches in secondary schools of Bale Zone. The study particularly focuses on the practices and contributions of instructional supervision approaches, and the factors affecting their implementation in promoting teachers professional development. The study has employed a descriptive survey design, which was supplemented by qualitative research to enrich quantitative data. Data were gathered from nine randomly selected secondary schools in Bale Zone. The respondents included 182(52.8%) teachers were selected using systematic random sampling technique. In addition 54 instructional supervision committee members were included in the study. All nine principals and, eight secondary school supervisors had participated. Questionnaire was the main instrument of data collection supplemented with interview method. Frequency, percentage, and chi-square analysis were employed to analyze the data. While the qualitative data obtained through interview was analyzed using descriptive narrative method. The results of the study reveal that the practices of instructional supervision approaches and their contribution to teachers’ professional development were low. Instructional supervisors were found to get involved in the difficult task of supervision without having prior trainings, and their contributions were also unsatisfactory in promoting professional development of teachers. Furthermore, the study shows that: lack of trained supervisors, lack of supervision manuals, lack of training, shortage of budget, and high teaching load of supervisors and assignment of small number of supervisors hinder proper implementation of instructional supervision. As a result, awareness on the part of instructional supervisors and teachers through seminars, workshops and discussion forums about the different approaches of supervision in order to bring professional growth of teachers and improving their instructional practices were recommended. Moreover, suggestions were forwarded to solve the factors that hinder proper implementation of instructional supervision practices. Keywords: instructional supervision, Teachers professional development, Supervision approach DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/9-9-01 Publication date:May 31st 201

Striga (Witchweed) Threats to Cereal Crops Production and Its Management: A Review

Striga (witchweed) is one of the most successful parasitic weeds of cereal crops in Africa. It is ‘a poor farmer’s problem’ as there is a near perfect ecological overlap between areas of Striga infestation and where hunger prevails. It is originated in Semien hills of Ethiopia and the Nubian hills of Sudan and later expanded in about 42 African countries. Striga hermonthica, Striga asiatica, Striga gesnerioides, and Striga aspera constitute the greatest economic threat to cereal crops’ yield losses. They are obligate root parasites causing growth inhibition and yield losses of 20-100% in maize, rice, sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, sugar cane and cowpea. Cultural practices such as long-term rotational cultivation of cereal crops with legume crops unaffected by the parasite is effective in managing the weed. Besides, biological control by use of parasitic fungi (Fusarium oxysporum and Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza) play a role in managing the weed. In addition, chemical control with imidazolinone herbicide, ethylene gas, dicamba and 2,4-D are effective in managing striga in cereal crops in extreme cases. Integrated use of striga resistant crop varieties with water conservation practices, soil fertility amendment and use of parasitic fungi (Fusarium oxysporum and Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza) is effective in control, economically safe, socially acceptable and environmentally friendly than a single control measure. Therefore, the promising integrated striga management practices should be highly promoted. Moreover, host and Striga species specific integrated Striga management should be designed. Keywords: Haustoria; Obligate parasite; Root parasite; Strigolactones; Witchweed DOI: 10.7176/ALST/88-02 Publication date:July 31st 202

Architecture of the chromatin remodeler RSC and insights into its nucleosome engagement.

Eukaryotic DNA is packaged into nucleosome arrays, which are repositioned by chromatin remodeling complexes to control DNA accessibility. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae RSC (Remodeling the Structure of Chromatin) complex, a member of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeler family, plays critical roles in genome maintenance, transcription, and DNA repair. Here, we report cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and crosslinking mass spectrometry (CLMS) studies of yeast RSC complex and show that RSC is composed of a rigid tripartite core and two flexible lobes. The core structure is scaffolded by an asymmetric Rsc8 dimer and built with the evolutionarily conserved subunits Sfh1, Rsc6, Rsc9 and Sth1. The flexible ATPase lobe, composed of helicase subunit Sth1, Arp7, Arp9 and Rtt102, is anchored to this core by the N-terminus of Sth1. Our cryo-EM analysis of RSC bound to a nucleosome core particle shows that in addition to the expected nucleosome-Sth1 interactions, RSC engages histones and nucleosomal DNA through one arm of the core structure, composed of the Rsc8 SWIRM domains, Sfh1 and Npl6. Our findings provide structural insights into the conserved assembly process for all members of the SWI/SNF family of remodelers, and illustrate how RSC selects, engages, and remodels nucleosomes

Evaluation of Quality and Dormancy Period of Improved and Local Potato (solanum tuberosum l.) Cultivars Grown in Eastern Ethiopia

Field experiments were conducted at Haramaya and Hirna with the objective of assessing the quality and dormance period of local (farmers’) and improved potato cultivars during the main cropping season of 2011. The treatments consisted of five released cultivars (Badhasa, Chala, Chiro, Gabbisa, Zemen) and four local (farmers’) potato cultivars (Batte, Daddafa, Jarso, Mashenadima). The experiment was laid out as a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Chala at Haramaya produced the highest specific gravity (1.105) and dry matter content (27.10%) and Daddafa produced lowest (1.061) and (21.05%), respectively at Hirna. Tubers of the local cultivars had generally shorter dormancy whereas tubers of the released cultivars had longer dormancy. Keywords: potato (solanum tuberosum l.), yield Performance, Improved, local, Ethiopi

Farm-level Determinants of Farmers’ Adaptation Decisions to Climate Variability and Change in Didessa Basin, Ethiopia

Ethiopia has been identified as one of the sub-Saharan African countries, expected to suffer the most from negative impacts of climate change and variability due to its high reliance on climate variations. This study examines the determinants of farmers' adaptation decisions and constraints to long-term changes in climate variability and change using data collected through semi-structured questionnaires, focused group discussions and field observations from a survey on 450 farm-households in three agro-ecological zones located in Didessa sub-basin. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Farmers noticed a decrease in precipitation and an increase in temperature over the past 20 years.  In response, it was found that the common adaptation options include: planting, Soil and water conservation, improved technology, use of different crop varieties, and a combination of strategies. However, the remedial actions to the changes are less. The main barriers to successful adaptation cited by farmers were Shortage of land (21.78%), lack of credit/ money (19.11%), lack of information (13.56%), and shortage of farm inputs (17.56%) and other institutional and cultural beliefs. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to examine the factors influencing farmers' decision to adapt to changing climatic conditions including socio-economic, demographic; farm characteristics, institutional and climatic variables. We conclude that concerned bodies need to create empowering environment which can promote adaptation options and support constraints farmers face in taking up adaptation to climate change. Also, the government needs to create access to socio-economic and institutional variables appropriate to reach small scale farmers, with limited resources to confront climate change and enhance the livelihood of the households in the study area