Increasing Livestock Water Productivity under Rain Fed Mixed Crop/Livestock Farming Scenarios of Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review

The advancement of the livestock farming in sub-Saharan Africa is restricted by tick infestation. With conventional pesticides posing a threat to human and the environment, natural products are alternative anti-tick source. This study characterized the essential oils from Tithonia diversifolia, Lavandula angustifolia and Cymbopogon citratus leaves by GC-MS and, for acaricidal and repellence of R. appendiculatus. GC-MS analysis detected various chemical compounds, some of the isolated compounds have anti-tick properties. The repellence of T. diversifolia essential oil at 5% v/v was the weakest against adult ticks. All essential oils at 15% v/v paralysed nymph after 20 mins, with C. citratus after 24 h causing high mortality of nymph and adult ticks. Exposure to L. angustifolia did not achieve 50% mortality after 24 h. All essential oils caused complete inhibition of moulting of engorged larvae. The study demonstrated that the essential oils of the ethno-veterinary plants may be a source of anti-ticks agents.

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Deficit irrigation as a sustainable option for improving water productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa: the case of Ethiopia. A critical review

Environmental Research Communications ◽

10.1088/2515-7620/ac2a74 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Desale Kidane Asmamaw ◽

Pieter Janssens ◽

Mekete Desse ◽

Seifu Tilahun ◽

Enyew Adgo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Critical Review ◽

Deficit Irrigation ◽

Water Productivity ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Sub Saharan

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First report of Theileria annulata in Nigeria: findings from cattle ticks in Zamfara and Sokoto States

10.1101/2020.11.10.376624 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Adamu Haruna Mamman ◽

Vincenzo Lorusso ◽

Babagana Mohammed Adam ◽

Abraham Goni Dogo ◽

Kevin J Bown ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tick Species ◽

Theileria Annulata ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Livestock Farming ◽

Tropical Theileriosis ◽

First Report ◽

Cattle Ticks ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Hyalomma Rufipes ◽

North Western

AbstractBackgroundTicks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) represent a significant economic burden to cattle farming in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria. However, in the northern part of this country, where the largest livestock population reside, little is known about the contemporary diversity of ticks and TBPs. This area is particularly vulnerable to climate change, undergoing marked transformation of habitat and associated flora and fauna that is also likely to include ticks. This study aimed to document the occurrence of tick species and Apicomplexan TBPs in cattle from North-Western Nigeria.MethodsIn 2017, ticks were collected from cattle in Zamfara and Sokoto States and identified morphologically. Additionally, a subset of ticks were screened molecularly for the detection of Apicomplexan DNA.ResultsA total of 494 adult ticks were collected from 80 cattle in Zamfara and 65 cattle in Sokoto State. Nine tick species were encountered, including seven Hyalomma spp. (i.e. Hyalomma dromedarii, Hyalomma impeltatum, Hyalomma impressum, Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma rufipes, Hyalomma truncatum and Hyalomma turanicum), Amblyomma variegatum and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus. All species were present in Zamfara, whereas only five species were found in Sokoto. Hyalomma rufipes was the most prevalent tick infesting cattle in Zamfara State (76.2%), while H. dromedarii was the most prevalent in Sokoto State (43.7%), confirming the widespread transfer of this species from camels onto livestock and its adaptation to cattle in the region.Of 159 ticks screened, 2 out of 54 (3.7%) from Zamfara State and 29 out of 105 (27.6%) from Sokoto State harboured DNA of Theileria annulata, the agent of tropical theileriosis.ConclusionsThis study confirms the presence of a broad diversity of tick species in cattle from North-Western Nigeria, providing the first locality records for Zamfara State. The occurrence of H. turanicum, recorded for the first time in Nigeria, indicates a distribution of this tick beyond Northern Africa.This study provides the first report for T. annulata in Nigeria. Given its enormous burden on livestock farming in North Africa and across Asia, further investigations are needed to better understand its epidemiology, vector transmission and potential clinical significance in cattle from Northern Nigeria and neighbouring Sahelian countries.

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Conservation Agriculture in mixed crop–livestock systems: Scoping crop residue trade-offs in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

Field Crops Research ◽

10.1016/j.fcr.2012.02.022 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 132 ◽

pp. 175-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 160

Author(s):

Diego Valbuena ◽

Olaf Erenstein ◽

Sabine Homann-Kee Tui ◽

Tahirou Abdoulaye ◽

Lieven Claessens ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Asia ◽

Crop Residue ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Mixed Crop ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Livestock Systems

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Understanding Farmers’ Trait Preferences for Dual-Purpose Crops to Improve Mixed Crop–Livestock Systems in Zimbabwe

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13105678 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 5678

Author(s):

Mequanint B. Melesse ◽

Amos Nyangira Tirra ◽

Chris O. Ojiewo ◽

Michael Hauser

Keyword(s):

Crop Improvement ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Livestock Farming ◽

Dual Purpose ◽

Improved Varieties ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Mixed Crop ◽

Improvement Programs ◽

Trait Preferences ◽

Livestock Systems

Competition over land between food and fodder production, along with recurrent droughts and increasing population, has put mixed crop–livestock farming systems in the drylands of sub-Saharan Africa under pressure. Dual-purpose crops hold huge potential to ease this pressure and simultaneously improve food and fodder availability in these systems. We investigated farmers’ preferences for dual-purpose maize, sorghum, and groundnut traits, and analyzed linkages of stated trait preferences with production of dual-purpose crops and adoption of improved varieties involving 645 households from two districts in Zimbabwe. The three target crops cover more than 75% of households’ cropping lands. Highly preferred stated traits of dual-purpose crops include yield, disease resistance, and drought tolerance. Highly appreciated feed attributes encompass stover yield and digestibility. The adoption of improved varieties is high for maize but low for sorghum and groundnut. Trait preferences are correlated with the production of dual-purpose crops and the adoption of improved varieties of the crops. However, the strengths of these correlations differ for maize, sorghum, and groundnuts. We discuss these linkages and suggest why crop improvement programs should reconcile trade-offs between grain and feed attributes to support mixed crop–livestock systems in Zimbabwe successfully.

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Harnessing benefits from improved livestock water productivity in crop–livestock systems of sub-Saharan Africa: synthesis

The Rangeland Journal ◽

10.1071/rj09023 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 169 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Tilahun Amede ◽

Katrien Descheemaeker ◽

Don Peden ◽

Andre van Rooyen

Keyword(s):

Water Scarcity ◽

Agricultural Sector ◽

Water Productivity ◽

Landscape Management ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Feed Water ◽

Infrastructure Development ◽

Veterinary Services ◽

Sub Saharan

The threat of water scarcity in sub-Saharan Africa is real, due to the expanding agricultural needs, climate variability and inappropriate land use. Livestock keeping is the fastest growing agricultural sector, partly because of increasing and changing demands for adequate, quality and diverse food for people, driven by growing incomes and demographic transitions. Besides the economic benefits, rising livestock production could also deplete water and aggravate water scarcity at local and global scales. The insufficient understanding of livestock–water interactions also led to low livestock productivity, impeded sound decision on resources management and undermined achieving positive returns on investments in agricultural water across sub-Saharan Africa. Innovative and integrated measures are required to improve water productivity and reverse the growing trends of water scarcity. Livestock water productivity (LWP), which is defined as the ratio of livestock outputs to the amount of water depleted, could be improved through: (i) raising the efficiency of the water inputs by integrating livestock with crop, water and landscape management policies and practices. Improving feed water productivity by maximising transpiration and minimising evaporation and other losses is critical; (ii) increasing livestock outputs through improved feed management, veterinary services and introducing system-compatible breeds; and (iii) because livestock innovation is a social process, it is not possible to gain LWP improvements unless close attention is paid to policies, institutions and their associated processes. Policies targeting infrastructure development would help livestock keepers secure access to markets, veterinary services and knowledge. This paper extracts highlights from various papers presented in the special issue of The Rangeland Journal on technologies and practices that would enable improving water productivity at various scales and the premises required to reverse the negative trends of water depletion and land degradation.

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