Abstract: Coffee (Coffee arabica L.) Coffee accounts thirty three percent of Ethiopia’s total export earnings and sustains the livelihoods of more than one million coffees growing households. Besides its importance coffee production treated with number biotic factors of which diseases are major. Coffee is prone to a number of diseases that attack fruits, leaves, stems and roots, and reduce yield and spent of additional management costs. Major coffee diseases in Ethiopia are Coffee berry diseases (Colletotrichum kahawae), Coffee wilt disease (Gibberella xylarioides) and coffee leaf rust (Himalia vestatrix) however, the rest diseases including thread blight considered minor. However, the prevalence and economic importance of re-emerging coffee diseases in Limmu coffee plantation industry is a challenge and not sufficiently studied. The aim of this paper were assessed the re-emerging infections of coffee diseases leaf rust and threadblight to determine the intensity of the disease and their effects. The research conducted in Gomma-1 coffee farm for leave rust assessments and Suntu coffee farm for thread blight disease (black rot). The sampling method for selecting locations and farm were selected using purposive sampling method and a predetermined criterion, where distance between the blokes, five coffee tree were random sampled with in a plot. The survey result showed that, mean disease incidence and severity coffee leave rust at Gomma-1 41.1% and 11.5% respectively. Thread blight mean disease incidence 31.8%, range (15% - 52%). The data showed that estimated loss due to thread blight reach 4% from annual coffee production at Suntu coffee farm or ($101,791) revenue. These epidemics should be considered as a warning for the future, as they were enhanced by weather conditions consistent with climate change. Appropriate actions need to be taken in the near future to address this issue including: the development and establishment of resistant coffee cultivars; the creation of early warning systems; the design of crop management systems adapted to climate change.Abstract: Coffee (Coffee arabica L.) Coffee accounts thirty three percent of Ethiopia’s total export earnings and sustains the livelihoods of more than one million coffees growing households. Besides its importance coffee production treated with number biotic factors of which diseases are major. Coffee is prone to a number of diseases that attack fruits, lea...Show More
Abstract: Information on soil fertility status and crop response to different soil fertility management is very important to come up with sustainable crop production plan. A study was conducted in Gechi District on farmers' fields to find out the combined effects of vermi-compost (organic fertilizer) and NPS (inorganic fertilizer) rates on soil chemical properties and bread wheat production. The treatments consisted of three levels of vermi-compost (0, 1.5 and 3 t ha-1) and three levels of NPS fertilizer (0, 100 and 200 kg ha-1). The experiment was laid out in RCBD design in factorial combination with three replications., laboratory analysis results of composite soil samples collected before sowing showed deficiency in soil chemical properties. However, analysis of variance of post-harvest composite soil samples collected from each plot indicated significant differences in soil pH, available P, OC, TN and CEC while, soil exchangeable acidity showed positive improvement as compared to the initial one. The analysis of variance among the treatments showed significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) on almost all the bread wheat characters tested. The highest and lowest bread wheat grain yield (5722.2 kg ha-1) and (750.0 kg ha-1 were obtained from the treatment combination of 3 t ha-1 vermi-compost with 200 kg ha-1 NPS and 92 kg ha-1 N, and control plot, respectively. Therefore, the present study revealed that combined fertilization of vermi-compost and NPS fertilizer enhanced bread wheat productivity and soil fertility status in the study area but indicated that bread wheat productivity in the study sites was reduced due to high demand for external nutrient inputs. Hence combined fertilization of 3 t ha-1 vermi-compost with 200 kg ha-1 NPS and 92 kg ha-1 N could improve crop productivity and soil chemical properties, and is recommended for the study area (Gechi District) and similar agro-ecology. The result also showed that the soils of the study sites had poor chemical fertility and integrated soil fertility management practices can improve the current situation.Abstract: Information on soil fertility status and crop response to different soil fertility management is very important to come up with sustainable crop production plan. A study was conducted in Gechi District on farmers' fields to find out the combined effects of vermi-compost (organic fertilizer) and NPS (inorganic fertilizer) rates on soil chemical prop...Show More
Abstract: Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a herbaceous annual crop which in a symbiotic relationship with specific soil bacteria, ‘fixes’ atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into amino form that can be used for plant growth. Three common bean varieties were used in the field experiment to determine the effects of shade and Rhizobium inoculation on nodulation, yield, and yield components. The experimental treatments include three common bean varieties (Hawassa Dume, Nasir and Ibbado). Two levels of inoculation (inoculated and non-inoculated), and two levels of shade (25%shading and noshading). Arandomized complete block design with four replications was used to setup the experiment. The outcome demonstrated that Rhizobium strainHB-429 inoculation of common bean considerably affected all parameters as compared to the non-inoculated plants in the field. The common beans 100-seedweight, grain yield, leaf area and leaf area index are influenced by interactions between inoculation, variety, and shade. The rhizobium –inoculated plots had the highest nodule number, where as the 25% shaded treatments had the lowest nodule number on the other hand nodule dry weight was significantly affected by the main effect of Rhizobium inoculation and shade Similar to this, the inoculated Hawassa dume variety of open treatments generated the highest grain yield, but the non-inoculated Ibbado variety of 25% shade treatments produced the lowest grain yield. The variety Hawassa dume produced the highest grain when it was treated with rhizobium strain HB-429 in the open.Abstract: Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a herbaceous annual crop which in a symbiotic relationship with specific soil bacteria, ‘fixes’ atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into amino form that can be used for plant growth. Three common bean varieties were used in the field experiment to determine the effects of shade and Rhizobium inoculation on nodulation, y...Show More
