How Azolla can combat malaria and other mosquito borne infection.

Malaria is a global issue with about 200 million people infected yearly ,all hands are on deck to eradicate malaria completely by control of mosquitoes,production of vaccine,provision of nets for prevention of bites and education on sanitation to destroy breeding sites of mosquitoes. 

 Mosquitoes also are linked to Zika virus infection, chikungunya, dog heartworm, dengue, yellow fever,eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, La Crosse encephalitis, this clearly shows why eradication of mosquitoes is very important. 

Mosquitoes also affects animals resulting in death if critical cases,in poultry avian malaria is a subtle killer while horses react to bites with hypersensitivity reaction and encephalomyelitis in severe cases. see 

The host range of mosquitoes are widespread making them a public health concern and hence a major target to ensure health care for all and pet wellness and animal welfare as a whole. 

The azolla fern can eradicate mosquitoes without use of chemicals and also not disrupt ecosystem . The azolla fern is a miracle fern that has found usefulness as livestock feed,bio fertilizer,biogas substrate and mosquito repellent. 

The harvested Azolla fern can be dried and spread around premises to repel mosquitoes. Azolla can be used to eliminate mosquitoes on a larger scale by forming dense mat on the surface of the water, preventing adult mosquitoes from laying eggs and also reducing the emergence and development of mosquito larvae.

Azolla as a feed ingredient in broiler ration.

Azolla as a feed ingredient in broiler ration. A study was carried out to determine the viability of adding Azolla to broiler diet on performance and cost analysis.

 The study reported in International Journal of Poultry Science 1: 29-34, 2002 ,shows that a 5% inclusion rate of Azolla in broiler ration is viable both for performance and cost implication. 

 The experiment was conducted with 120 seven days old Vencobb commercial broiler chicks and continued up to 42 days of age to determine the feasibility of Azolla as a feed ingredient in broiler ration. The broilers are randomly allotted to four dietary treatments; T (control diet without Azolla meal), T (diet with 5% Azolla meal), T (diet with 10% Azolla 1 2 3 meal) and T (diet with 15% Azolla meal) diets replacing sesame meal by Azolla meal. The composition of Azolla meal contained 4 25.78% crude protein, 15.71% crude fibre, 3.47% ether extract, 15.76% ash and 30.08% nitrogen free extract on the air-dry basis. Live weight, production number and protein efficiency were (P< 0.01) significantly improved at the level off 5% Azolla meal in broiler ration. Feed conversion ratio and energy efficiency were significantly (P< 0.01) improved in diet with 5% Azolla meal and control diet. 

The study concluded that the use of up to 5% Azolla meal in a broiler ration may help improve performance and this inclusion rate in a broiler diet is also determined as a safe level. Azolla meal had no deleterious effect on the palatability of broiler diets.

 A farmer using Azolla shares her experience; farmer from sunshine chickens harvest a lot of Azolla to feed the three (3) batches of Sunshine Chicken they have in the farm. They are fed pails and pails of it daily..

 All ages eat azolla ,not limited to broilers as layers also feed on Azolla with bigger eggs as an advantage. Continue

Azolla: the miracle fern and animal feed.

The cost of feed of livestock coupled with climatic changes has pushed farmers to look inwards and promote innovative practices to keep their flock and also create wealth.

 

Azolla: the miracle fern and animal feed.

 Farmers have sought out practices like hydroponics,which they have used to make fodder for livestock and also vegetables for man. see and also  are

Farmers have also embraced aquaponics and aeroponics to grow vegetables and legumes for man and livestock to create wealth and ensure food security.

The race to feed the estimated 9 billion by 2050 and the pressure on land and ecosystem at large has pushed more green initiatives to farmers to cut losses and conserve the environment. 

The Azolla fern is a miracle fern that has been incorporated into agriculture in  India,China, Vietnam e.t.c.  The aquatic plant is easy to cultivate and nurture and requires no extensive preparation/processing before been fed to animals. 

 Azolla can be fed wholly to cattle and pigs without any additional feed as it provides necessary nutrients needed for growth and development. Azolla farming is cheap,easy and readily available for farmers. 

 Azolla is an aquatic fern usually referred to as the miracle fern because its rich in organic nutrients and usefulness  as feed and fertilizer. Azolla contain 25-30 % protein, essential amino acids, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and Beta- Carotene, calcium and iron minerals . 

 Azolla contains phosphorus, potassium, ferrous, copper, magnesium, bio-active substances and it is this what makes Azolla a perfect organic fertilizer.

 Azolla can be used as a cattle feed and research has shown that Azolla helps to increase the milk production. Its also used as a feed to quail, rabbit, fish, duck, pig etc.

When fed to hen on a daily basis, Azolla promotes production of good quality of eggs. Azolla has Anabena that helps to absorb nitrogen, and the nitrogen absorbed is converted to protein and amino acid which is later stored in the leaves. 

 Nitrogen is one main factor that helps in a plant’s growth this makes Azolla, a high standard fertilizer that aid in the growth of a plant. 

 Azolla also act as a mosquito repellent , the dried Azolla is also used as a partial substitute to Groundnut meal in feed compounding. 

When Azolla is produced in excess it can be dried and stored in plastic bags for preservation. The inclusion of Azolla in poultry diet, is the in dried form and added ratio is 5% of normal ration.

Illustrated experiment: modifying mosquitoes to save millions of lives.

Malaria, a disease transmitted by a type of mosquito called Anopheles, kills 500,000 people every year, most of them in Africa. But Andrea Crisanti, professor of molecular parasitology at London's Imperial College, has a plan to eradicate it in many countries. pquZbK1DQ30/WNsr6J_DMGI/AAAAAAAAH_E/s0UHE6vR4fs5uvFkn10minXTENaKF58YQCLcB/s320/mal7.jpg" width="320" height="157" /> more

Researchers have discovered a map on the hunt for malaria vaccine.

Researchers using the Australian Synchrotron, mapped the parasite protein CyRPA in atomic detail for the first time, and established how antibodies that block the function of CyRPA disrupt the parasite's ability to bind to and infect human red blood cells. Plasmodium falciparum is the most deadly strain of malaria parasite, and is predominantly found in Africa, where it causes up to half a million deaths each year. It is widely accepted that malaria vaccines will play a crucial role in eliminating malaria infections, and the eventual eradication of the parasites. The study published in the journal eLife shows that CyRPA forms a complex with two other parasite proteins – PfRh5 and PfRipr – and together the complex is essential for the parasite to be able to burrow into red blood cells.This study has shown at atomic level how key antibodies block the parasite from infecting the human red blood cell which was previously unknown.

Malaria parasites walk through cell walls to infect humans.

A new study has identified proteins that allow malaria parasites walk through cell walls to infect humans.The research has identified two parasite proteins that are the key to this superpower,the findings were published in the journal Cell Reports. The proteins could be targeted to develop much-needed antimalarial drugs or vaccines. Malaria causes more than 650,000 deaths each year, predominantly in children and pregnant women, and there is an urgent need for new malaria vaccines and treatments in an effort to eradicate the disease. When a person is infected with malaria, the parasite silently invades and multiplies in liver cells, but doesn't cause disease. The parasites then burst out of the liver and infect the blood, causing symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue and muscle and joint pain that are characteristic of malaria. The research confirmed the deadly malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum had the ability to 'walk through cell walls' as it sought out liver cells where it could hide and multiply. The study identified that P. falciparum parasites traverse human cells - effectively walking through cell walls - using two proteins called SPECT and PLP1 to achieve this superpower. This allows parasites to get from the skin to the liver very quickly following a mosquito bite.

Cattle associated antibiotics disturb soil ecosystems.

A new study has shown that cattle associated antibiotics disturb soil ecosystems.Manure from cattle administered antibiotics drastically changes the bacterial and fungal make-up of surrounding soil, leading to ecosystem dysfunction, according to a Virginia Tech research team.Their findings were published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The team analyzed soil samples from 11 dairy farms in the United States, and found that the amount of antibiotic resistant genes was 200 times greater in soil near manure piles compared with soil that wasn't. Furthermore, microbes with greater antibiotic-resistance showed higher stress levels. Soil microbial communities are important for sustaining ecosystem services such as climate regulation, soil fertility, and food production. Perturbations, such as antibiotic exposure, can have marked effects on soil microbes and these services. The development of antibiotic resistance can be an energy-sucker for a microorganism, and would explain why we've seen higher stress levels because microbes with greater antibiotic-resistance showed higher stress levels.