Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum wheat (T. turgidum L., var. durum) constitute the majority of wheat production globally, representing up to 95% of total wheat cultivated. In Ethiopia, the leading wheat producer in Africa, efforts to enhance self-sufficiency have led to intensified breeding programs aimed at developing improved wheat varieties that maximize grain yield, disease resistance, and industrial quality. This study focuses on evaluating the proximate compositions of various wheat varieties released by the Amhara Agricultural Research Institute, employing standardized analytical methods. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed across the measured parameters, including protein content (8.4% to 14.8%), starch (64.4% to 67.6%), wet gluten (16.5% to 36.8%), fat (2.3% to 4.4%), fiber (2.3% to 4.0%), and ash (0.3% to 1.6%). Moisture content ranged from 8.1% to 11.1%, while carbohydrate levels were between 66.0% and 76.0%. Furthermore, the gross energy level of wheat samples ranged from 350.6-364.9 kcal/100 g. The varieties Kekeba, Selam, and Balcha exhibited favorable nutritional profiles based on the proximate composition results. Overall, the wheat samples demonstrated high nutritional value and energy content, making them suitable as a significant nutritional source for populations. Importantly, all assessed parameters remained within acceptable limits for human health, affirming the varieties' viability for safe consumption. In addition, the non-destructive method based on the near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) method provides a comparable result to the proximate composition but with a very short analysis time and excellent reliability as exemplified by its lower percent relative standard deviation ( < 1% for most of the samples and parameters) of the triplicate analysis data.

Economic stability is crucial for improving export performance, particularly within regional trade blocs such as the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). However, empirical studies examining how threshold levels of economic stability affect export dynamics among COMESA member states have been limited. This study explores the threshold effects of key economic indicators, economic growth, trade openness, and inflation, on export performance in COMESA countries using panel data from 2000 to 2022. Employing panel threshold regression analysis, this study investigates the nonlinear relationships between these variables, focusing particularly on the impact of inflation thresholds. The study found an optimal inflation threshold of 3.662%, aligning with the lower end of the global benchmark of 3–7% typically observed in emerging and developing economies. In low-inflation regimes (LnInfl ≤ 3.662), GDP significantly enhances export growth by 0.348% per unit increase, while trade openness yields a smaller contribution of 0.091%. In contrast, high-inflation scenarios (LnInfl > 3.662) show that GDP continues to support exports (0.779% increase), but trade openness negatively impacts export performance by 0.127%. Policymakers need to focus on maintaining inflation under the critical threshold of 3.662%, as this is vital for enhancing the benefits of GDP growth and trade openness on export performance. These insights underscore the necessity of keeping inflation in check to improve export competitiveness. Additionally, prioritizing monetary, fiscal, and institutional stability initiatives will support sustainable growth and strengthen regional trade dynamics within COMESA, as exceeding this inflation limit could impede export potential and regional integration efforts. This study offers valuable insights for developing regions aiming to enhance their trade performance through effective economic policies.

Despite the rapid expansion of E. globulus due to its biomass and other commercial benefits in the Ethiopian highlands, the factors influencing its biomass productivity remain insufficiently studied, which is critical for its sustainable biomass and bioenergy production and utilization. This study evaluates the productivity of E. globulus plantations with managerial, topographic, and socioeconomic factors in the northeastern Ethiopian highlands. The data on stand age, plantation scale, stand originality, slope, and aspect from 76 plots, alongside a questionnaire survey on 225 respondents. The study utilized MANOVA, multiple regression model, and X 2 test for analysis. A significant interaction effect (p < 0.001) was observed in plantation productivity among stand characteristics, age, topographic, and socioeconomic contexts. Large-scale coppice plantations at age six, foot slope, and northeast aspect exhibited the highest mean annual increment of 5.8 m 3 ha −1 year −1 , total biomass of 28.6 Mg ha −1 , and volume of 29.7 m 3 ha −1 . The stand age with foot slope, and northeast aspect have a great influence (p < 0.001, Adj. R 2 = 75 %, and RMSE = 1.57) on productivity of E. globulus plantation. The 98.2 % of respondents indicated that E. globulus plantations are established on marginal lands, characterized by low management intensity, quality, and productivity. Large-scale coppice plantations exhibit greater volume and biomass relatively, whereas its productivity was lower than central highlands of Ethiopia, Australia, and Brazil. The decline in biomass productivity is attributed to insufficient management and a low in extension services, highlighting the urgent need for skill development and policy reforms within the biomass plantation sector. • Biophysical and socioeconomic data on E. globulus plantations were collected from 76 plots and 225 respondents. • Significant interaction effects (p < 0.001) and high influence (p < 0.001, Adj. R 2 = 75 %, RMSE = 1.57) of management, slope, and aspect on productivity were observed. • Large-scale coppice plantations at age six, on foot slopes, and with a northeast aspect showed the highest productivity. • Respondents highlighted that low management intensity, quality, and productivity in E. globulus plantations require urgent intervention.

ABSTRACTBackground and AimsWorldwide, pneumonia was responsible for about 740,180 deaths in children under 5 year, accounting for 14% of all deaths in 2019. The purpose of this study was to identify associated risk factors of community acquired pneumonia among 2–59 months old children in Awi Zone, Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA community‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted from March to July 2023, using a multistage sampling method to select 1368 participants. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Multilevel analysis was used to identify factors associated with community‐acquired pneumonia. Variables with p‐value < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant.ResultsThe prevalence of community acquired pneumonia among 2‐59 months old was 11.33%. Primary education (AOR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.95), stunting (AOR = 6.12; 95% CI: 2.41, 15.51), having diarrhea (AOR = 5.04; 95% CI: 2.41, 10.55), history of acute lower respiratory tract infection (AOR = 20.84; 95% CI: 3.95, 109.83), use of charcoal as fuel source (AOR = 130.56, 95% CI: 5.94, 2869.18), carrying of a child on mother during cooking (AOR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.10, 4.69), and presence of separate kitchen (AOR = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.74) were associated with community acquired pneumonia.ConclusionMother education, age of child, stunting, presence of separate kitchen, previous respiratory tract infection, use of charcoal for fuel source, carrying of a child on mother during cooking, and history of diarrhea showed a significant association with community acquired pneumonia. Therefore, we recommend adequate health education on nutrition, diarrhea prevention and treatment, and reducing indoor air pollution to reduce the risk of community‐acquired pneumonia.

<title>Abstract</title> <italic>Striga hermonthica</italic>, a root hemiparasitic weed, severely limits sorghum production in Sub Saharan Africa. The use of resistant varieties is a widely adopted strategy for controlling <italic>Striga</italic>. To develop durable <italic>Striga</italic> resistant sorghum varieties, this study investigates the interaction effects between host and parasite, as well as the virulence levels of five Ethiopian <italic>Striga</italic> ecotypes. A pot trial was conducted using seven resistant sorghum varieties, two susceptible checks, and five Ethiopian <italic>Striga</italic> ecotypes. Valuable data were generated on the interaction effects between sorghum varieties and <italic>Striga</italic> ecotypes based on three resistance traits: <italic>Striga</italic> count, <italic>Striga</italic> length, and dry <italic>Striga</italic> biomass. The findings revealed variability in sorghum responses to <italic>Striga</italic> infection, with significant variety by ecotype interaction effects. Notably, the virulence levels of <italic>Striga</italic> ecotypes varied considerably across sorghum varieties; an ecotype highly virulent to one variety exhibited reduced virulence to another. Similarly, a sorghum variety highly resistant to one ecotype showed moderate or lower resistance to others. The variety Framida generally exhibited high levels of infection, whereas N13 demonstrated stronger resistance. Importantly, sorghum varieties N13 and SRN-39 consistently showed resistance across all tested ecotypes, making them prime candidates for strategic gene pyramiding. This study highlights the presence of interaction effects, which are critical for designing effective breeding strategies in future <italic>Striga</italic> resistance improvement programs. Furthermore, comprehensive studies on the genetic variability of Ethiopian <italic>Striga</italic> ecotypes will facilitate the development of durable resistant varieties.