Search

ABSTRACTThe study investigated, for fixed time artificially inseminated (AI) Menz ewes in field trials, the reproductive performance of prostaglandin-based treatments simultaneously to the standard ‘P4+eCG’ protocol. A total of 483 Menz ewes were assigned to either the ‘P4+eCG’ protocol, using progesterone impregnated intravaginal sponges in combination with equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) injection at sponge withdrawal, or the ‘PGFs’ treatment where sheep received a single injection of prostaglandin or ‘PGF7’ and ‘PGF11’ where ewes were synchronized with 2 injections of prostaglandin 7 or 11 days apart, respectively. AI was implemented with fresh semen at 55 ± 1 h after the end of the hormonal treatment. Conception rate (CR; 60.87 ± 4.2) was highest for PGF11ewes (P < 0.05); PGFsewes had the lowest CR (34.07 ± 4.1). Other factors did not affect variation in CR (P > 0.05). A higher proportion of ewes in the P4+eCG group yielded twins and triplets compared to the 3 prostaglandin-based protocols (P < 0.01). Nevertheless, a higher (P = 0.02) proportion (17.11 ± 4.3) of PGF11ewes yielded twins by comparison to their PGF7counterparts (2.50 ± 2.5). PGF-based protocol with 2 injections 11 days apart, preceded by a careful selection of non-pregnant ewes for cervical fixed-time AI, is a feasible reproductive management for sheep breeding programmes in Ethiopia.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify sources and quantifying distortions to agricultural incentives to produce along the small ruminant value chains in Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach: National and district level average nominal rate of protection (NRPs) were computed for a five-year period (2010–2015). The authors developed four scenarios based on combinations of the different data generation processes employed in relation to each of the key variables. Findings: The NRPs at farm gate and retail market for both sheep and goats are negative indicating a strong deviation of producer and retailer prices from the comparable export prices over the five-year period. Policy induced distortions were separated from market inefficiencies through use of data on access costs throughout the value chain. These access costs are positive and significant in value. It is clear that market inefficiencies are also due to government policy to a certain extent. Research limitations/implications: This study focuses only on sheep and goat value chains and covers only five-year period. This certainly limits the extrapolability of the results. Originality/value: This study presents the extent to which smallholder livestock keepers are discouraged through disincentives in a unique context. This is the first study done on small ruminant value chains in the developing world.

•The information from this study is important for helping promote a more sustainable use of resources, such as grasses and shrubs, and in increasing an understanding of the utilization dynamics and their impact on potential recovery in the study area and beyond.•This study contributes insight toward ensuring the achievement of conservation measures outside protected areas to restore biodiversity in degraded habitats, through comparing the plant characteristics between a protected and unprotected site.•This study substantiates other findings, which suggest that using protected areas is one of several strategies that need to be adopted for recovering lost biodiversity and ensure their effective management.•This study improves our understanding of how shifts in vegetation characteristics resulting from land use change and management can modify the recovery of, in the case of Cholistan, previously grazed vegetation.

•Elicited goat trait preferences of pastoralists with all-levels and end-point choice experiments.•All-levels design explained pastoralists’ choice behavior better than end-point design.•Drought tolerance, white coat, and disease tolerance are the most preferred traits of bucks and does.•Pastoralists have clear hierarchy for the traits in choosing the next generation of goats.

In this study, we report the results of a survey of Hyalommaticks infesting one-humped camels in southern Tunisia. Examinations were conducted every second or third month on 406 camels in Tataouine district from April 2018 to October 2019. A total of 1902 ticks belonging to the genus Hyalommawere collected. The ticks were identified as adult H. impeltatum(41.1%; n= 782), H. dromedarii(32.9%; n= 626), H. excavatum(25.9%; n= 493), and H. marginatumfor a single specimen. Although the camels were infested by ticks throughout the year, the highest overall infestation prevalence was observed in April 2018 (p< 0.01). The overall infestation intensity varied between 2.7 and 7.4 ticks/animal. There were no statistically significant differences in tick infestation prevalence based on age categories of the camels, and the overall infestation prevalence was between 82.7% and 97.4%. Female camels were significantly more infested with ticks (88.3%) than males (65.5%) (p< 0.01). The infestation prevalence of camels varied significantly according to the region where sampling took place (p< 0.01), but no correlations were found with abiotic factors. The preferred attachment sites for adult Hyalommaticks were the sternum (38.3%; n= 729/1902), around the anus (36.2%; n= 689/1902), udder (18.4%; n= 350/1902), and inner thigh (6.9%; n= 132/1902). Morphological classification of ticks was corroborated by sequencing the cytochrome c oxidase I (Cox1) and 16S rDNA genes, and these sequences were also used to infer phylogenetic relationships. A single H. dromedariiseemed to be a natural hybrid with H. rufipes. More attention should be devoted by the veterinary services to the infestation of camels by ticks.

Abstract: In most Arab countries, domestic agricultural production is insufficient. The gap between production and demand is likely to increase due to climate change and other factors. This review paper examines the challenges and possible solutions to ensuring food security in the future. It focuses on rainfed agriculture, which accounts for two-thirds of the region’s cropland, the bulk of its food staples, and almost all its rangelands. Given the scarcity of water and arable land, there are few opportunities in the region to expand cultivated area. But numerous effective, proven technologies are available that can increase productivity per unit area of land or volume of water. Crop technologies include, for example, new stress-tolerant varieties, supplemental irrigation and other techniques to increase water productivity, and conservation agriculture and other land management methods. Livestock nutrition and productivity could be increased with new forage or dual-purpose varieties, and greater use of alternative feed sources such as feed blocks made from crop by-products. The paper describes some of these technologies, and summarizes results obtained from on-station and on-farm testing. The key issue is poor adoption of available technologies. The priority for researchers and policy makers must therefore be to scale up investments in research and extension; encourage private sector participation; and create enabling policies to encourage technology adoption, market participation and more sustainable use of natural resources, by smallholder farmers.