A high density of epigeal termite mounds is common in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia (CRVE).A survey of farmers' perceptions of termites was conducted in the CRVE using semi-structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews with farmers for documenting their knowledge about termites, identification of termite types, crops and crop growth stage susceptible to termites, perception of the role of termites, estimate of potential yield loss to the major crops, and termite management practices in field crops among others. A field survey was also conducted on maize and haricot beans on farmers' fields to assess termite damage. Farmers were knowledgeable about the existence of termites. However, they could not identify different types of termite (species). Farmers mentioned the existence of 19 different pre-harvest crop pests and 69% of them mentioned that termites are among the most important pests in their farming system after porcupine. Farmers considered termites as of no benefit to human nutrition and mound soil as fertilizer, but they acknowledged termites for the mound soil used in house construction. Maize and haricot beans were the major crops grown in the area and most of the farmers (87%) considered the crops as the most susceptible to termite damage and they estimated potential pre-harvest yield loss as 18.02 ± 2.67 and 10.58 ± 1.91 kg (mean ± SE) per hectare, respectively. Farmers complained about termite mounds as they reduce farmlands and stand as obstacle for ox cultivation. All the farmers reported that damage to the crops occurs from maturity stage onwards and this was also confirmed in the field survey. Lodging of maize plants recorded in the surveyed fields ranged between 3 and 33% which was mainly due to Macrotermes and Microtermes. Although the majority of farmers considered termites as pests, only few (9%) of them managed termites using cultural control practices such as removing lodged maize and prompt harvesting. The study has shown that farmers viewed termites as pests of crops at maturity stage.

To date Macrotermes subhyalinus and Macrotermes herus are the only two species of termites of the genus Macrotermes recorded in Ethiopia. The description given to them in terms of distribution and their mound morphology is contrary to the literature and the species checklist is not exhaustive. This paper compares mound distribution and dimensions in Western, Central, and Southern Ethiopia and provides species checklist based on external mound morphology. Four termite hotspot districts were selected from each region as replicates and an area of 100 x 100 m was delineated. All mounds in the area were counted to determine their density. Five mounds were randomly selected and their dimensions measured. External morphology of mounds was studied to determine the species. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in density and height among the mounds of the three regions in the order Southern > Central > Western. In Southern and western region, mound density was 16.7 ± 1.53 (mean ± standard error) and 5.3 ± 4.16, while mound height was 2.9 ± 1.69 and 0.3 ± 0.24 m, respectively. The checklist included seven species: M. herus from Western; M. subhyalinus, M. natalensis and M. herus from Central; M. michaelseni, M. jeanneli, M. natalensis, M. falciger, and Macrotermes SpA (an unidentified sp.) from Southern Ethiopia. Except M. subhyalinus and M. herus, the other species were recorded for the first time in Ethiopia to our knowledge.

A high density of termite mounds is common in the Maki-Batu area of the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia.To determine whether farmers consider termites as one of their problems in growi ng trees and practices they use to manage termites, short semi-structured questionnaires were distributed to farmers selected randomly. To evaluate the efficacy of some non-chemical control methods, Eucalyptus camaldulensis seedlings of five months were transplanted from nursery beds at two experimental sites. The seedlings were planted in three blocks each containing 6 treatments with 3 replicates laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD). The treatments were: wood ash, cow dung, maize stalk, wood ash + cow dung + maize stalk, Untreated/control and Diazinon 60% EC applied at 2 l/ha as spray on the soil surface and a soil pit drench as a standard check. Plant mortality assessment was recorded once every month for one year. Mortality data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) with SAS at 5% probability level. To find out the impact of termites on tree seedlings after transplanting in the area, mortality assessment was conducted at five sites on 11 species of tree seedlings transplanted from nursery beds. Termite damage on the seedlings was recorded once every month. After 12 months, seedlings of each plant species damaged during each month were summed and results were computed as percentages. To assess farmers' perceptions of termites as pests, unstructured questionnaires were distributed to 64 farmers randomly selected. Eucalyptus seedling mortality was very l ow and there was no significant difference among the treatments (P > 0.05) except at one site in which wood ash + manure + maize stover showed higher mortality. Seventy-eight percent of the farmers mentioned that they had planted tree seedlings for different purposes and 72% of them considered termites as the major cause of seedling mortality. Although, higher density of Macroterems termite mounds were found in the area and most farmers considered te rmites as one of the major constraints in growing tree seedlings, this study showed very low termite damage to the tree seedlings studied for one year after transplanting.

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Knowledge of distribution of ABO and Rh blood groups is helpful for effective management of blood banks and safe blood transfusion services. The prevalence of these blood groups varies worldwide and may not be found in equal numbers even among ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to find out the distribution of ABO and Rh (D) blood groups among students attending high schools in Bote town, Ethiopia from March-April 2017. Blood samples were taken from 392 (N = 775) volunteer students from finger-pricks and blood groups were determined on open slide by haemagglutination method using commercially available anti-sera A, B, and Rh (D). Descriptive statistics was used to calculate percentage frequencies of blood phenotype. The genotypic and allelic frequencies of the blood groups were calculated from the observed phenotypes under the assumption of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. In the ABO system, type O was the most prevalent (41.3%) followed by A (31.9%), B (21.4%) and AB the least (5.4%), in the pattern O > A > B > AB. Most of the students were found to be Rh+ (92.86%). Regarding the combined ABO/Rh blood groups, O+ was the most prevalent (38%), A+ (30%), B+ (20%) and AB+ (5%) and O-was also the most frequent (3%) among Rh-negative (Rh-) students. The allelic frequencies of O (r), A (p) and B (q), D and d were 0.64, 0.21, 0.15, 0.73 and 0.27, respectively. Genotypic frequency of I O I O was the most (0.413) frequent while that of I B I B was the least (0.021) while DD and dd were 53.3 and 7.3, respectively. The observed and expected frequencies of individuals having ABO and Rh blood were not significantly different in both blood systems (goodness-of-fit χ 2 for ABO = 0.4729, df = 3 and χ 2 for Rh = 0.0145, df = 1; P < 0.05). The present study gives vital information regarding the management of blood bank and transfusion services in the community.