Background: The third round of the global pulse survey demonstrated that the abrupt and rapid progression of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted childhood immunization in many countries. Although Cameroon has reported over 120,000 COVID-19 cases, the reported national childhood vaccination coverage during the pandemic seems to have increased compared to that during the pre-COVID-19 period. Indeed, the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis-containing vaccine (DTP-1) coverage increased from 85.4% in 2019 to 87.7% in 2020, and DTP-3 coverage increased from 79.5% in 2019 to 81.2% in 2020. The paucity of literature on the impact of COVID-19 on childhood vaccination in COVID-19 hotspot regions poses a challenge in developing a context-specific immunization recovery plan, hence the need to conduct this study. Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional study using 2019 (pre-pandemic period) and 2020 (pandemic period) district childhood immunization data from the DHIS-2 database, weighted using completeness for each data entry against regional data completeness in 2020. Based on COVID-19 incidence, two hotspot regions were selected, with all districts (56/56) included in the final analysis. The Chi-square test was used to compare DTP-1 and DTP-3 coverage during the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. Results: In the two hotspot regions, 8247 children missed DTP-1, and 12,896 children did not receive DTP-3 vaccines in the pandemic period compared to the results from the pre-pandemic period. Indeed, there was a significant drop in DTP-1 and DTP-3 coverage of 0.8% (p = 0.0002) and 3.1% (p = 0.0003), respectively, in the Littoral Region. Moreover, the Centre Region reported a 5.7% (p < 0.0001) and 7.6% (p < 0.0001) drop in DTP-1 and DTP-3 coverage, respectively. Most districts in the hotspot regions reported a decline in childhood immunization access (62.5%) and utilization (71.4%). Indeed, in the Littoral Region, 46% (11/24) and 58% (14/24) of districts experienced decreased vaccination access and utilization, respectively. Meanwhile, 75% (24/32) and 81% (26/32) of districts in the Centre Region experienced a drop in vaccination access and utilization, respectively. Conclusion: This study reported a situation where the national immunization indicators mask the impact of COVID-19 on childhood immunization in heavily hit regions. Therefore, this study presents valuable information for ensuring continuous vaccination service delivery during public health emergencies. The findings could also contribute to developing an immunization recovery plan and informing policy on future pandemic preparedness and response.

Public concerned about food safety and quality have raised interest in manipulating soil nutrients management strategies that could reduce potential threat on environment and sustain food production. Recently, the application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)as bio-fertilizer has gained recognition especially, in low-input agriculture. The fungi are known to improve plant nutrition and growth. However, this effect may differ according to soil properties and nutrients concentration. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of AMF and poultry manure (PM) on growth and nutrients contents in maize compared to chemical fertilizer; and to determine the effect of soil properties on colonization potential of AMF. The experiment consists of 13 treatments combinations in 2 soil types (loam and peat), viz; 6 application rates of composted PM in tones (t) ha-1 (0, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12) and 2 levels of AMF; inoculated (+AMF) and un-inoculated (-AMF) plus recommended dose of NPK (RD NPK). Un-inoculated plants showed no symptoms of root colonization and recorded no AMF spore under both soils. Addition of PM stimulated AMF colonization and sporulation, the highest root colonization (RC %) and spore counts were recorded at 8 t PM+AMF under loam and 12 t PM+AMF in peat soils. Shoot dry biomass at 8 and 12 t PM+AMF under loam and peat were comparable to RD NPK. Applying 8 and 12 t PM+AMF in loam and peat recorded the highest N& K comparable to RD NPK. However, P content in shoot were statistically higher at 8,10 & 12 t PM+AMF in loam and at 12 t PM+AMF in peat compared to RD NPK. Application of 10 & 12 t PM+AMF in loam significantly decreased plant growth, lowered AMF RC%, and nutrient content (N & K). There was a strong positive correlation between shoot dry biomass and RC % in loam (R2= 0.740 P<0.01) and peat (R2=0.884 P<0.01). From the results of this study, it could be concluded that AMF have increased the efficiency use of PM and their integration have the potential to improve plant growth due to enhanced nutrients  uptake and stimulated RC% in both soils. Results also indicated significantly higher shoot dry biomass, nutrients content (N, P, & K), spore counts and RC % in loam soil compared to peat, indicating that soil properties has a significant influence on effectiveness AMF.Â

Ridge tillage (RT) and organic manure management are among promising agronomic practices for conserving soil moisture and improving soil physical environment in arid and semiarid rain-fed areas. The studies were conducted during the year 2020 farming season with two soil types from northeastern part of Nigeria to compare the relative efficacy of RT with and without organic manure in improving soil physical properties and root growth of millet under rain-fed semi-arid condition. The effects of the RT treatments in combination with organic manure were compared to the conventional flat-bed treatment (control, FB). The soil types chosen for the study were sandy loam soil located at the University of Maiduguri (Unimaid) and sandy clay loam located at Alakaramti village, respectively. The other land configuration and manure treatments compared were: open-ridge (OR), tied-ridge (TR), flat bed + manure (FBM), open-ridge + manure (ORM), and tied-ridge + manure (TRM) each laid out in randomized complete block design with four replicates. The combination of RT (open or tied) plus organic manure (ORM & TRM) performed better in terms of all measured parameters: bulk density (Bd), porosity (Tp), mean weight diameter (MWD), soil water content (SWC) and root growth as measured with root mass density (RMD) than the bare ridge-tilled (OR & TR) or flat bed with manure (FBM) and without manure (FB) treatments, irrespective of differences in soil type. The improvement in soil condition resulting from combining the practices of RT with organic manure application as reflected by reduced Bd, increased Tp, and higher profile SWC has enhanced millet root growth under the water limited rain-fed farming system of the study area. In regions like northeast Nigeria where low and variable rainfall often limits crop production, the practice of combining RT(open or tied) with organic matter input could be recommended as an optimal agronomic practice for improving drought resilience of crops like millet.

A pot experiment was carried out at screen house, Faculty of Agriculture University of Maiduguri to compare the effect of NPK, bio-fertilizers and manures applications on growth and nutrient uptake by maize. The experiment consisted of 9 treatments of combined application of NPK at half and full recommended rates for maize, Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus megaterium and Pseudomonas fluorescence biofertilizers and cow dung and poultry manures and replicated three times in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Result of the treatment having half recommended dose of NPK, biofertilizers and poultry manure recorded the highest plant height at 3, 6 and 9 weeks after planting (95.19 cm, 148.63 cm, 149.63 cm, respectively) the highest total shoot and root fresh and dry weights (74.40 g, 196.93 g, 28.83 g, 46.93 g/plant, respectively). Higher nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents of the soil (2.76 g/kg N 0.13 mg/kg P2O5 and 1.41 Cmol/kg K2Osoil) were also recorded with the above treatments.

Aims: Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi or previously known as the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi, is a type of endomycorrhiza that closely associates with most species of plants. Meanwhile, they significantly improve the nutrients uptake in exchange of photosynthates and decrease the stress caused by both biotic and abiotic factors through symbiosis relationship. However, the understanding of indigenous AM fungi species present in its host plants are comparatively inadequate, hence this research study concentrated on indigenous AM fungi population in some selected plants that contribute to agricultural sector in Malaysia and phytochemical properties of soil that affect the colonization rate of AM fungi. Methodology and results: Bamboo, banana, coconut, sugarcane, papaya, lemongrass, pandan and tapioca plant were selected in this study. The soil and plant roots were sampled and the fungi spores were extracted by applying Wet sieves and decantation techniques then further purified by sucrose density centrifugation. Genera Glomus, Funneliformis, Rhizophagus, Acaulospora and Dentiscutata were isolated and Glomus was determined as the dominant genera followed by Acaulospora in these selected plants. Soil pH were found to be significantly affecting the AM fungi population and the root colonization percentage of AM fungi in the plants analysed. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: From this study, tapioca recorded the highest percentage of AM fungi root colonization rate with 20.00% in root while banana recorded the lowest rate of 3.33% only. Based on this study, tapioca is recommended for the propagation of AM fungi for biofertilizer usage in agricultural sector in future.