Homecoming of Brachiaria: improved hybrids prove useful for African animal agriculture

Species of the genus Brachiaria originate primarily from Africa, where they are constituents of natural grasslands. Due to their adaptation to acidic, low-fertility soils, millions of hectares of Brachiaria species have been sown as improved pastures in South and Central America, especially B. brizantha cv. Marandu and B. decumbens cv. Basilisk. Due to B. decumbens' susceptibility to spittlebug insect pests in the Americas, CIAT in Colombia and EMBRAPA in Brazil initiated breeding programs in the 1980s. First cultivars released from CIAT's breeding program, cvs. Mulato and Mulato-II, have also been investigated in African countries. They have been examined for integration in conservation agriculture systems (Madagascar), for drought and acidic soil tolerance (Rwanda) and for intercropping forages in dairy systems (Uganda, Madagascar), among others. Seed sales to African countries suggest that an area of at least 1,000 ha has been sown so far. Largest adoption of cv. Mulato-II is currently happening in eastern Africa, where it is used by over 20,000 farmers as trap plant in the push-pull system for control of maize stem borers and parasitic Striga weed. Cv. Mulato-II's particular advantage is relatively high crude protein content due to greater leafiness and thinner stems than those of traditional Napier grass, resulting in higher nutritive quality. Yet, new pest challenges have emerged requiring further research attention. Though, diverse hybrids are in the pipeline for release, among them such suitable for cut-and-carry systems prevalent in eastern Africa. This paper reviews research, development and incipient adoption of new Brachiaria hybrids in African countries. (Résumé d'auteur

Homecoming of Brachiaria: Improved hybrids prove useful for African animal agriculture

Species of the genus Brachiaria originate primarily from Africa, where they are constituents of natural grasslands. Due to their adaptation to acidic, low-fertility soils, millions of hectares of Brachiaria species have been sown as improved pastures in South and Central America, especially B. brizantha cv. Marandu and B. decumbens cv. Basilisk. Due to B. decumbens' susceptibility to spittlebug insect pests in the Americas, CIAT in Colombia and EMBRAPA in Brazil initiated breeding programmes in the 1980s. First cultivars released from CIAT's breeding programme – cvs. Mulato and Mulato-II – have also been investigated in African countries. They have been examined for integration in conservation agriculture systems (Madagascar), for drought and acidic soil tolerance (Rwanda) and for intercropping forages in dairy systems (Uganda, Madagascar), among others. Seed sales to African countries suggest that an area of at least 1,000 ha has been sown so far. The largest adoption of cv. Mulato-II is currently happening in eastern Africa, where it is used by over 20,000 farmers as a trap plant in the push-pull system for control of maize stem borers and parasitic Striga weed. Cv. Mulato-II's particular advantage is its relatively high crude protein content due to greater leafiness and thinner stems than those of traditional Napier grass, resulting in higher nutritive quality. Yet new pest challenges have emerged, requiring further research attention. Diverse hybrids are in the pipeline for release, among them those that are suitable for cut-and-carry systems which are prevalent in eastern Africa. This paper reviews research, development and incipient adoption of new Brachiaria hybrids in African countries. (Résumé d'auteur

Nutritional Characterisation of Introduced Improved \u3ci\u3eBrachiaria\u3c/i\u3e Grasses in Rwanda

A study aimed at characterising nutritive value of introduced Brachiaria grasses in Rwanda was conducted. Four Brachiaria grasses including, Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk, Brachiaria brizantha cv. MG4, Brachiaria brizantha cv. Piata and Brachiaria cv. Cayman with Panicum coloratum as control were planted in two contrasting environments of low rainfall in Kirehe district and acidic soils in Nyamagabe district. The experiment was set in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications and the treatments were harvested after 60 days and 90 days. Data collected were dry matter (DM), crude proteins (CP), organic matter (OM), cellulose, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and ash content. Also, in vitro gas production was used to estimate metabolisable energy (ME), organic matter digestibility (OMD) and kinetic parameters. The results showed that the DM, CP, NDF, ADF, OM, Cellulose and ash were significant difference (P\u3c 0.05) among improved Brachiaria grasses and increased from 60 to 90 days of harvest except CP which declined with harvesting time. There was significant difference (P\u3e 0.05) among Brachiaria grasses for ME and OMD. Quickly degradable fraction (A) and slowly degradable fraction (B) did differ significantly (P\u3e 0.05) but rate of degradation (C) varied among species and with harvesting time. Time required producing half of the gas volume (T1/2) declined as grasses matured. All improved Brachiaria grasses had better nutritional attributes than Panicum coloratum. Grasses planted in the low rain-fall had high nutritive values compared to those planted in acid soil prone areas of Rwanda. Nevertheless, the results suggested that improved Brachiaria grass could be an alternative forage for dairy farmers in both contrasting environments

Prevalence of Kidney Disease in HIV-Infected and Uninfected Rwandan Women

Background: In the United States, HIV-related kidney disease disproportionately affects individuals of African descent; however, there are few estimates of kidney disease prevalence in Africa. We evaluated the prevalence of kidney disease among HIV-infected and uninfected Rwandan women. Methods: The Rwandan Women's Interassociation Study and Assessment prospectively enrolled 936 women. Associations with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)<60 mL/min/1.73 m$^2$ and proteinuria were assessed in separate logistic regression models. Results: Among 891 non-pregnant women with available data, 2.4% had an eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73 m$^2$ (calculated by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation, MDRD eGFR) and 8.7% had proteinuria $\ge$1+. The prevalence of decreased eGFR varied markedly depending on the estimating method used, with the highest prevalence by Cockcroft-Gault. Regardless of the method used to estimate GFR, the proportion with decreased eGFR or proteinuria did not differ significantly between HIV-infected and -uninfected women in unadjusted analysis. After adjusting for age and blood pressure, HIV infection was associated with significantly higher odds of decreased MDRD eGFR but not proteinuria. Conclusion: In a well-characterized cohort of Rwandan women, HIV infection was associated with decreased MDRD eGFR. The prevalence of decreased eGFR among HIV-infected women in our study was lower than that previously reported in African-Americans and in other Central and East African HIV populations, although there was substantial variability depending on the equation used to estimate GFR. Future studies are needed to optimize GFR estimates and to determine the impact of antiretroviral therapy on kidney disease in this population

Factors Influencing Current and Future Prospects for Intensive Dairy Production in Rwanda

Intensive mixed crop-dairy systems dominate smallholder agriculture in Rwanda. However, factors that influence the intensification and crop-dairy integration in Rwanda have not been examined. The objective of this study was to determine factors that are influencing the current and future prospects for intensification and mixed crop-dairy production systems in Rwanda

Agronomic and Nutritional Characteristics of Selected \u3cem\u3eBrachiaria\u3c/em\u3e Hybrids and Varieties Harvested at Three Stages of Growth

Shortage of quality feed is a persistent livestock productivity constraint and it is accentuated by climate variability and increased unpredictability of precipitation in many areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. Improved Brachiaria genotypes are some of the interventions that can improve feed security and contribute to the global climate change mitigation efforts

A systematic review of the effects of exercise interventions on body composition in HIV+ adults

Over the years, physical activity and exercise have been used to positively impact the health and quality of life of persons infected with HIV and, more recently, has been associated with a spectrum of body composition changes. The aim of this review was to examine the effects of various exercise interventions on body composition in HIV positive adults, using a search strategy of randomized, controlled trials (RCTs). A systematic review was performed by five independent reviewers using a predetermined protocol adapted from previous research for assessing the articles for inclusion, the extracted data, and methodological quality. Eight RCTs involving 430 (26% female) HIV positive adults performing exercise a minimum of thrice weekly for at least six weeks were finally selected: Four were progressive resistance training (PRT) studies, three were aerobic training (AT) studies, and one involved yoga. In the PRT studies, there were significant increases in three anthropometric measures, namely, body mass, sum of skinfolds and sum of limb girths. In the AT studies, significant decreases were found in seven anthropometric measures, namely, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, body mass, triceps skinfold, waist circumference and sum of skinfolds. With yoga, the changes were nonsignificant. Exercise contributes to improved body composition and, when applied safely, appears to be beneficial for adults living with HIV/AIDS. However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the relatively few RCTs published to date. Future studies would benefit from increased attention to sample size, female participants, participant follow-up, complete statistical analysis and intention-to-treat analysis.Scopu