Nangarhar University International Journal of Biosciences

Economic Burden and Preventive Strategies for Ketosis and Milk Fever in Dairy Cows: A Systematic Review

Mohammad Monir Tawfeeq — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0430

Ketosis and milk fever (hypocalcemia) are common metabolic disorders affecting dairy cows, particularly around calving. These disorders significantly impact productivity in dairy farming. They impose substantial economic burdens through direct losses such as decreased milk production and indirect costs including animal treatment, increased culling rates, and labor demands. Several causative factors have been proposed for the occurrence of these disorders in cattle. Despite their global economic importance, limited research exists on the economic and preventive implications of ketosis and milk fever in developing countries such as Afghanistan, where dairy farming plays a critical role in rural livelihoods. The aim of this study is to highlight the economic and preventive significance of ketosis and milk fever, offering insights to farmers, veterinarians, and policymakers to enhance disease management and minimize losses. This article systematically analyzed peer-reviewed studies published between 1982 and 2025, using several electronic search engines. The study found that ketosis and milk fever were prevalent in dairy farms, which result in significant economic losses. Preventive measures including proper nutritional management, use of monensin, balancing of dietary cation-anion, and timely calcium supplementation are proven effective in minimizing the incidence and severity of mentioned disorders. It can be concluded that ketosis and milk fever lead to major global economic losses in dairy farming, but targeted nutritional and management strategies can substantially reduce their burden.

Influence of Varying Nitrogen and Potassium Levels on the Agronomic Performance of Chili (Capsicum annuum L.)

Mohammad Omer Darwish, Sayed Rahim Ghafari, Ghulam Maruf Faqiri — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0430

‌The present study was conducted in 2023 to evaluate the effect of nitrogen and potassium on the growth and yield of chili crop through a randomized completely block design with three replications. The experimental design contained twelve treatment combinations, namely, four nitrogen doses (0, 45, 90, and 135 kg/ha) and three potassium dosages (0, 25, and 50 kg/ha as basal). Nitrogen was applied in two splits (transplanting and first picking) at a dose of 45 kg/ha, and in three splits (transplanting, first, and third picking) at doses of 90 and 135 kg/ha. Compared to the other nitrogen rates, 135 kg/ha of nitrogen produced superior growth and yield-contributing parameters such as plant height (81.4 cm), number of branches per plant (4.80), number of leaves per plant (37.22), leaf area index (1.404), fruit length (6.20 cm), fruit diameter (0.64 cm), number of fruits per plant (70.2), average fruit weight (2.8 g), and weight of fruit per plant (201.0 g). With respect to potassium, the application of 50 kg K₂O ha^-1 produced comparatively higher plant growth parameters, including plant height (78.8 cm), number of branches per plant (4.77), number of leaves per plant (36.25), leaf area index (1.375), fruit length (5.88 cm), fruit diameter (0.60 cm), number of fruits per plant (68.0), average fruit weight (2.8 g), and fruit weight per plant (188.8 g). In addition, the application of 135 kg of N/ha and 50 kg of K₂O/ha in chili resulted in increased production of green and red ripe fruits, which were 11.07 tons/ha and 10.71 tons/ha, respectively. In conclusion, the study recommends applying 135 kg of nitrogen in three splits and 50 kg of K₂O at base application per hectare for chili production in Ghazin province.

Evaluation of Plant Extract against Onion Thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: thripidae)

Rashid Ahmad Rashid, Mohammad Qasim Tohidyar, Ahad Gul Khadem — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0430

Thrips tabaci (Lindman) is a serious pest of onion. It sucks the plant sap, which causes chlorosis and leads to a remarkable loss in yield annually. Besides direct damage, Thrips tabaci is the vector of TSW, IYS, and TYR viruses. Application of chemical pesticide against thrips causes the more incidences of resistant individuals and causes the major environmental pollutant effects on the food safety and quality. The efficacy of four eco-friendly botanical extracts i.e. Mahanadi, Ferula-Powder, Datura and walnut along with Lemda cyhalothrin as positive and water as a negative control were applied to reduce rely on chemical insecticides against onion thrips. The experiment was conducted in RCBD design with three replications. The data was collected 24 hrs before and after 24, 48 and 72 hours of spray/treatments. There were similarities with the positive control in observed P-value with 0.388, 0.911, 0.636, and 0.474, respectively. High mortality obtained as compare to the negative control plot with the P-value 0.000, 0.001, 0.000 and 0.000) after 24-, 48-, and 72-hours timing interval, respectively. Onion yield with the P-value (0.006) has quite differences among the treatments. The yield checked with the negative control plot that significantly effected with obtained P-value 0.25, 0.002, 0.020 and 0.034. In result, the plant extracts effectively controlled the onion thrips and performed the positive role in increasing the onion yield. It has been concluded that, the botanical insecticide is the best option to substitute the chemical Insecticides with having high mortality performance and less residual effects.

Prevalence and Therapeutic Efficacy of Balantidiasis in Cattle in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0430

Balantidiasis is a widespread protozoan parasitic disease that significantly impairs livestock productivity, particularly in cattle. This study investigated the prevalence of balantidiasis and evaluated the efficacy of therapeutic agents in cattle across ten districts of Nangarhar province, including Khogyani, Pachiragam, Chaparhar, Surkhrod, Hisarak, Behsud, Kama, Khiwa, Goshta, and Mohmand Dara, between March 2022 and March 2023. A total of 384 fecal samples were collected and analyzed using sedimentation and flotation techniques, revealing that 130 samples (33.8%) were positive for balantidiasis. District-wise prevalence rates were as follows: Khogyani 31.5%, Pachiragam 26.0%, Chaparhar 23.6%, Surkhrod 36.8%, Hisarak 23.0%, Behsud 41.0%, Kama 38.4%, Khiwa 43.0%, Goshta 46.0%, and Mohmand Dara 30.7%. Age-wise analysis indicated the highest prevalence in calves aged 1 to 6 months (P < 0.01), while female cattle were significantly more affected than males (P < 0.01). The study further assessed the efficacy of three therapeutic agents. Oxytetracycline (8 mg/kg) reduced oocysts per gram (OPG) by 26.1%, 36.9%, 38.0%, and 50.7% on days 3, 7, 14, and 21 respectively. Metronidazole (25 mg/kg) achieved reductions of 40.6%, 45.7%, 49.1%, and 47.4%, whereas the herbal preparation Shatra (35 mg/kg) produced reductions of 12.3%, 24.6%, 43%, and 46.2% over the same intervals. Statistical analysis indicated that metronidazole demonstrated the highest therapeutic efficacy. In conclusion, balantidiasis remains a significant parasitic threat in Nangarhar, especially affecting young calves and female cattle. Among the treatments tested, metronidazole shows the greatest potential for controlling the disease and improving livestock productivity.