Aegilops speltoides is an important genetic resource for wheat improvement and has high levels of heat tolerance. A heat-tolerant accession of Ae. speltoides pau3809 was crossed with Triticum durum cv. PDW274, and BC 2 F 4-6 backcross introgression lines (BILs) were developed, phenotyped for important physiological traits, genotyped using SSR markers and used for mapping the QTL governing heat tolerance component traits. A set of 90 BILs was selected from preliminary evaluation of a broader set of 262 BILs under heat stress. Phenotyping was conducted for physiological traits such as cell membrane thermostability, chlorophyll content, acquired thermotolerance, canopy temperature and stay green. Much variation for these traits was observed in random as well as selected sets of BILs, and comparison of the BILs with the recurrent parent showed improvement for these traits under normal as well as heat stress conditions, indicating that introgressions from Ae. speltoides might have led to the improvement in the heat tolerance potential of the BILs. Introgression profiling of the 90 BILs using SSR markers identified Ae. speltoides introgression on all the 14 chromosomes with introgressions observed on A as well as B genome chromosomes. QTL mapping identified loci for various heat tolerance component traits on chromosomes 2B, 3A, 3B, 5A, 5B and 7A at significant LOD scores and with phenotypic contributions varying from 11.1 to 28.7 % for different traits. The heattolerant BILs and QTL reported in the present study form a potential resource that can be used for wheat germplasm enhancement for heat stress tolerance.

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Tomato is the most widely eaten vegetable and used as a good source of vitamins A, B, C, and D and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. The study was done to evaluate the effect of Bacillus species isolated from the sediment of Lake Tana on the early growth of different tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) varieties. All Bacillus isolates significantly ( P < 0.05 ) increased the growth of all three tomato varieties in terms of shoot length, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root length, and fresh and dry weights of the root. The isolates’ efficacy varied among tomato varieties. Bacillus isolate B2 was more effective in the Maya variety, with a potency of 85% and 71.2% shoot and root lengths, respectively. Bacillus isolate B3 was more efficient in the Melkesalsa variety, with a shoot and root length efficiency of 57% and 68%, respectively. Bacillus isolate B1 was more successful in the Kochero variety with 65 and 70% shoot and root length efficacy. Individual isolates’ PGPR characteristics differed, resulting in a wide range of effectiveness among different varieties. More research studies are needed to fully know the mechanism of action and efficacy of these isolates in the field. The isolates must also be identified using molecular techniques.

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The issue of service delivery is becoming a global concern that demands continuous reform to fit the turbulent environment and changing customer needs. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess customer satisfaction on service delivery of selected public service organizations in Dire Dawa city Administration. The study employed the cross-sectional field survey method since relevant data were collected via at one point in time at public service organizations by distributing questionnaires to customers. A sample of 870 customers and 206 employees were randomly selected as study respondents in which In combination of a mixed research design was employed to quench the objectives of the study. Descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation, mean values, frequency distribution and percentages were used to analyze the responses of respondents. The results of the study indicated that the five service delivery dimensions and customer satisfaction were positively correlated; the general level of customer satisfaction and the service delivery dimensions were moderate. The major challenges in service delivery such as lack of service mentality and deterioration of employees' motivation, prevalence of corruption and rent seeking activities and behavior, absence of regular consultation with customers and stakeholders, lack of cooperation and integration among stakeholders, insufficient skilled man power, shortages of equipment and machineries, inefficient and inappropriate grievance handling systems, lack of revision of existing rules and regulations on timely basis, inability/under capacity of the middle managers to monitor and manage employees, and discrepancy between supply and demand were thoroughly identified. Finally, based on the analysis and conclusions, possible recommendations were suggested for alleviating the major challenges of service delivery processes in the study area.

Ascochyta blight disease is a major problem in faba bean (Vicia faba L) production that causes 90% to 100% yield loss. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of three fungicides with three spray frequency levels against Ascochyta blight disease of faba bean varieties. For the assessment of disease management, a total of 21 treatments were used, which comprised three fungicides, three spray frequencies, two varieties, and control. The field experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with factorial combinations of variety, fungicide, and spray frequency levels in three replications. An analysis of variance was performed for disease, yield, and yield related and plant growth parameter data, using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS, 2003) version 9.1.3 software. The economic data obtained from the field experiment was analyzed using the partial budget analysis method. The results showed that area under disease progress curve, percent severity index, disease progress rate, and percent disease incidence had strong mean significant differences ( p < 0.01 ) between treated and untreated plots. Application of fungicide significantly increased plant height, stem girth, pod per plant, grain yield, and harvesting index ( p < 0.01 ) over untreated plots. Greater total return (195,938 Ethiopian birr ha−1), net return (101,761.3 Ethiopian birr ha−1), and net benefit (34,768.17 Ethiopian birr ha−1) were obtained by EH00102-4-1 variety, in two times Mancolaxyl treatment. The linear regression analysis result (R2) indicated that the variation in average grain yield of EH00102-4-1 and local susceptible varieties, due to the mean area under the disease progress curve, was 64.50% and 68.64%, respectively. Therefore, the use of EH00102-4-1 variety, with two times Mancolaxyl spray frequency application, at early growth stage and the onset of the disease is suggested as an agronomic management option, in Northwestern Ethiopia.

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Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are beneficial soil microorganisms that colonize plant roots and enhance plant growth by a wide variety of mechanisms. In this work, five Bacillus and two Cyanobacteria isolates were successfully isolated and characterized. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of PGPR on the growth of three cultivars of rice seedlings. Pots were laid down in a complete random design and 100 ml of spore and Cyanobacteria suspension were poured on the soil surface surrounding each seedling. After 45 days, the seedlings were uprooted and shoot and root parameters were recorded. All the Bacillus and Cyanobacteria isolates showed positive effects on the growth of rice seedlings as compared to control; however, their effectiveness varies from isolate to isolate and also from cultivar to cultivar. Bacterial isolates B3 and B5 showed the highest mean value and statistically significant difference ( P < 0.05 ) in most of the root and shoot parameters of cultivars Jegna and Getachew, respectively, as compared to other bacterial isolates. Both cyanobacterial isolates showed the highest and statistically significant difference ( P < 0.01 ) in almost all the above ground and underground growth parameters compared to other bacterial isolates in all the three cultivars of rice. Similarly, C2 and C1 recorded the highest growth promotion efficacy of shoot and root length (50.07% and 78.27%) on Edget and Getachew cultivars, respectively. Hence, the present study suggests that the use of PGPR isolates such as B3, B5, C1, and C2 as inoculant biofertilizers might be beneficial for rice cultivation as they enhanced the growth of rice seedlings.