Azolla as Supplementary Cattle Feed and Possibilities of Its Value Addition

The objective of the study was to identify major marketing routes, value chain actors and distribution of costs and margin of sheep value chain in Kafa zone southern Ethiopia. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), key informant interviews and visual observations were used to collect primary data. A total of 120 farmers were interviewed. Bonga sheep one of indigenous breed that found in Southern Ethiopia of Kafa, Bench Majji, Sheka, Dawuro, Konta and South west part of Oromia region. It is one of the most prolific fat-long-tailed and fast growing breeding the country. Introduction of value adding management practices and market linkage is the most important aspect of enhancing the livelihood and source of income for smallholder farmers in the zone. The core functions in the sheep value chain of the zone are input supply, production. Smallholder farmers are the main suppliers of the animal and sale at any time when immediate income is required. The sale fast growing young animals, mainly males, are sold or slaughtered for home consumption at as early as five to eight months of age. The major sources of sheep that where sheep are channeled to four different directions: Boka to Sherada, Gojeb, Shebe; Gojjeb to Jimma town through Sherada and Shebe; to Amaya, Dawuro and Woliyita through tello and to Bonga through Merra and finally from Gojjeb to Addis Abeba, Dase (Kombolicha) and Mekele during New Year, Easter and Christmas. The analysis of costs and margins along the different sheep market channels also shows that the proportion of final sheep price that reaches producers from traders of Boka/Adiyo, Hotels/Bonga, Gojeb, Tepi, Shebe and Jimma markets were 91.42%, 74.8% ,79.3%,87.4%,77.21%and 74.85%, respectively.

Background and Aim: In the recent past, few studies have been carried out in chicken to assess the effect of Azolla meal and raw Azolla feeding on the performance of chicken. If turkeys effectively use unconventional feedstuffs like Azolla without reducing the performance, it will increase the profitability of turkey business. Hence, a study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dried Azolla pinnata vis-a-vis raw Azolla as choice feeding on the growth, feed conversion ratio (FCR), blood biochemical attributes, and immune competence traits of growing turkeys under intensive system.

Materials and Methods: A total of 72, 8-week-old grower turkey poults of black variety were randomly distributed into three dietary treatments having three replicates each with eight birds. The birds of the control group (T1) were fed a basal diet (CP - 19.71% and ME - 2789.79 Kcal/kg), while the other group (T2) and choice-feeding group (T3) were fed 5% of basal diet replaced by dry Azolla powder on DM basis and ad libitum Azolla along with basal diet, respectively.

Results: There was no significant difference among the different groups in the average weekly weight gain during the entire experiment. FCR was significantly better (p<0.05) in the choice-feeding group compared to the other two experimental groups during 8-16 weeks of age. There was no significant difference among the treatment groups in any of the blood biochemical indices except plasma uric acid, which was significantly decreased (p<0.01) in T2 compared to T1 at 16 weeks of age. HA and IgM response to 1% sheep red blood cells (log2 titer) were numerically better in T2 and T3 compared to the T1.

Conclusion: Thus, it may be inferred that choice feeding with Azolla, and basal diet may improve FCR without any adverse effect on blood biochemical attributes and immune competence traits.

Update, December 2024: New studies have concluded that "the Azolla–Nostoc azollae superorganism does not contain BMAA or their isomers DAB and AEG and that Azolla and N. azollae do not synthesize other common cyanotoxins, indicating that Azolla is a nutritious food that can be safely eaten." See the updated document for more details.

Azolla is a water fern that forms a symbiosis with nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria. Studies have shown that BMAA, a non-protein amino acid, is present in Azolla. BMAA has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinsons dementia complex (PDC). Since Azolla has been suggested as a food stuff and is used as animal fodder it is relevant to consider the relationship between Azolla, BMAA, and neurodegenerative diseases. This document attempts to answer the question wether or not there is reason to be worried about BMAA if Azolla is used as food for humans or as animal fodder. The short answer is that there is reason to be sceptical about using great amounts of Azolla as food for humans or as animal fodder but probably no reason to worry about consumption of smaller amounts of Azolla. However, without further research it is difficult to say anything for certain.

Studies were conducted to investigate the effects of different fertilizers and supplementary feed on water quality parameters. Dissolved oxygen levels were higher in nutrient rich and plankton dense ponds. There were quite minor variations in water quality parameters among treatments and different seasons of the year. Values of alkalinity and hardness remained same irrespective of the type of input. Total solids were much higher in those ponds with both types of fertilizers and supplementary feed. Differences were more prominent in the levels of plankton productivity which was always higher in nutrient dense ponds where all the proposed inputs were present. During the winter months this difference however totally mitigated indicating low metabolic and decomposition activities. So it can be concluded that water quality can be maintained within acceptable ranges if all the inputs are added in well measured and managed way. Haphazard and poorly managed activities always lead to deleterious effects.

The present study focuses on coarsening of Ag3Sn intermetallic compound in the Sn-1Ag-0.5Cu and Fe-modified Sn-1Ag-0.5Cu solder alloy. The investigations showed that the Ag3Sn intermetallics coarsened rapidly in the Sn-1Ag-0.5Cu solder alloy whereas the Ag3Sn intermetallics were found to be quite stable in the Fe-modified Sn-1Ag-0.5Cu solder alloy. The lattice strain in the Ag3Sn intermetallics and the blocking effect on Ag diffusivity in Sn matrix suggested the possible mechanisms for the coarsening suppression of the Ag3Sn intermetallics in the Fe-modified solder alloy. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925838814024621 
http://eprints.um.edu.my/11616/

Studies were conducted to investigate the effects of different fertilizers and supplementary feed on water quality parameters. Dissolved oxygen levels were higher in nutrient rich and plankton dense ponds. There were quite minor variations in water quality parameters among treatments and different seasons of the year. Values of alkalinity and hardness remained same irrespective of the type of input. Total solids were much higher in those ponds with both types of fertilizers and supplementary feed. Differences were more prominent in the levels of plankton productivity which was always higher in nutrient dense ponds where all the proposed inputs were present. During the winter months this difference however totally mitigated indicating low metabolic and decomposition activities. So it can be concluded that water quality can be maintained within acceptable ranges if all the inputs are added in well measured and managed way. Haphazard and poorly managed activities always lead to deleter...