Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important leguminous crop grown in different parts of Ethiopia.It is a nutritionally valued and N 2 -fixing legume which forms a symbiotic association with Mesorhizobium. This study was conducted to characterize and evaluate symbiotic efficacy of chickpea rhizobia isolated from soil samples collected from the study area. Seventeen chickpea rhizobia were isolated by soil host plant trap method and characterized for edaphic stress tolerance. Five of the isolates were grown at high temperature of 45°C and salt concentration of 6%, whereas seven were grown at acidic pH of 4, and four were grown at basic pH of 9. All isolates were not resistant to kanamycin, while fair resistance to erythromycin and streptomycin and modest resistance to ampicillin and azithromycin were observed. Furthermore, most of the isolates showed a variation in nodulation with higher (22 NN/p) and lowest (9 NN/p) scores. Shoot dry weight (SDW) of the plant ranged from 1.18 to 1.84 g/p and isolates showed effective (67%) to highly effective (100%) N 2 -fixing performance. From these, four isolates showed multiple edaphic stress resistance and are recognized as promising candidate for chickpea production in stressed soil; however, further study in the filed is required.

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 vaccine is one of the key measures to control the disease. However, some people are hesitant to take the vaccine. The objective of this study was to assess COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and associated factors among adults in Hawassa City Administration, South Ethiopia.MethodFrom March 1 to 30, 2022, we conducted a community-based cross-sectional study among randomly selected 622 adults in Hawassa City Administration. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to recruit the study participants. Data were collected through a pretested structured questionnaire that was administered by four trained high school graduates. Data entry and analysis were done using the SPSS version 20 statistical package. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were performed. Statistically significant associations were reported at p-value <0.05.ResultAmong the participants, 400 of them (64.3%) had a high level of knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccine) and 425 of them (68.3%) had a positive attitude toward the COVID-19 vaccine. The level of vaccine hesitancy was 165 (26.5%) and vaccine acceptance was 457 (73.5%). The main reason for willingness to take the vaccine was to protect oneself from COVID-19 (364 participants, 58.5%), and for unwillingness, it was fear of the vaccine (154 participants, 24.8%). Mass media was the main source of information about the vaccine (472 participants, 75.9%). Age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2–3.7), religion (AOR: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.1–5.9), history of COVID-19 disease (AOR: 4.6, 95% CI: 1.4–14.9), knowledge related to the COVID-19 vaccine (AOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.2–3.1), and attitude toward the COVID-19 vaccine (AOR: 13.2, 95% CI: 8.3–20.9) were factors associated with vaccine hesitancy.ConclusionA low proportion of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was observed among our study participants. Improving people's awareness could help to improve vaccine acceptance. It is important to focus interventions on the identified risk factors of vaccine hesitancy.

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