Poisonous Plants Seem to Affect Livestock in the Borana, Southern Ethiopia: An Ethnic-Toxicological Approach

Abstract

Introduction

Toxic plants are plant species that cause harmful consequences to animals, including physical discomfort, decreased productivity, and death after being consumed or absorbed.

Objective

The study aimed to identify toxic plants in the area, assess their consequences, identify factors causing livestock predisposition to toxic plants, and identify control and prevention methods.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2019 to June 2021 in the Dire, Dubluk, Yabello, and Moyale districts of the Borana Zone and to collect quantitative and qualitative data, a semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussions (FGDs) were used.

Results

Thus, based on qualitative analysis, 95% of participants identified harmful plants in the area that could potentially pose significant health risks to animals, out of a total of 120 individuals (46 (38.33%) females and 74 (61.67%) males) in the study area. According to the quantitative study, 31 plants in the study area were identified as toxic to livestock. Among the identified toxic plants were Pavetta gardeniifolia (23.63%), Loudetia flavida (10%), Euphorbia tirucalli (1.36%), Solanum somalense (3.2%), Eragrostis cilianensis (17.72%), Sorghum arundinaceum (17.72%), Acokanthera schimperi (4.1%), Capparis tomentosa (3.63%), and Teclea salicifolia (2.27%). The main factors that exposed livestock to toxic plants were a lack of feed combined with nutritional deficiency (73.6%), sudden ingestion with grass (98.2%), and fresh evergreen and matured attractive whole parts of toxic plants (52.6%). About 41.1% respondents indicated that animal was predisposed during the rainy season. A 42.9% of respondents replied as livestock grazed frequently in the forest area/plateau can affect and cattle (72.8%), which were the most frequently affected animals.

Conclusion

The present study identified different poisonous plants for livestock and their responsible factors based on the community assessment and plant survey.

Recommendations

Therefore, more intervention on the major toxic principles and phytochemistry of the identified plants must be studied.

Keywords:

• assessment
• borana
• identification
• pavetta gardeniifolia
• toxic plant
• Ethiopia

Data Sharing Statement

Upon request, the corresponding author can obtain the study’s datasets by email at [email protected].

Ethical Statements

The study proposal has been evaluated and accepted by the Oromia Agriculture Research Institute’s review committee with Ref.1/2019. The committee approved the verbal informed consent and Pastoralists were verbally told about the study’s objectives before it began because they could not write or read, and the only household representative signed the consent form supplied for the survey. A consent form was included in the proposal write-up during the proposal development process. The review committee approved the study after reviewing the consent form (IQQO/2019). The information obtained was kept confidential and was not shared with a third party. We assure that we accept and agree study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki on the publication of the article.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Oromia Agriculture Research Institute for supporting this study. Pastoralists are greatly appreciated for providing valuable information during interviews.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, and acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation. In all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicting interests in this work.