Ethiopian Airlines Joins Hands with Union Pay International for Easy Online Payment

Ethiopian Airlines and UnionPay Interna- tional have signed a cooperation agree- ment that allows customers to pay with UnionPay cards when buying Ethiopian Airlines tickets online. The purchases can be made at both Ethiopian Airlines＇ Chinese website （wwwoethiopianairlines. com.cn） and English website （www.ethio- pianairlines.com）. The transactions can be made with UnionPay cards starting with 62. The two organizations announced this service jointly at the UnionPay In- ternational headquarters in Shanghai on May 12.

Preparation of the UPOV Guidelines for the Conduct of Tests for Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability–Tea Plant [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze]

Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability （DUS） testing is the technical base of Plant Variety Protection （PVP） and the scientific basis for the approval of Plant Breeder＇s Rights （PBR）. DUS Test Guidelines are not only the technical manuals for the DUS testing authorities to conduct the testing, but also the technical standards for the competent authorities to examine the DUS of new varieties of plants. Tea plant, originated from Yunnan Province, China, is a very important woody cash species in the world. The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants （UPOV） DUS Test Guidelines for tea plant is the first Test Guidelines prepared by China for the UPOV. In this article, the subject, selection, and determination of characteristics, states of expression of characteristics and the selection of example varieties, assessment of the UPOV DUS Test Guidelines for tea plant were elucidated in detail. Finally, the proposal of PVP for tea plant in China was also proposed. The preparation of UPOV DUS Test Guidelines for tea plant will have important significance both for promoting the development of PVP and increasing the status of international PVP fields for China.

Grey Crowned Crane and Shoebills Conservation Status and Linkage to Livelihoods of Lake Victoria Shores Adjacent Communities in Mayuge District, Eastern Uganda

This research was done among communities living adjacent to Lake Victoria Shores in Mayuge District to generate knowledge on Shoebill, Grey Crowned Crane conservation status and linkage to livelihoods. This knowledge was necessary to guide design and implementation of interventions that would deliver on the species conservation and adjacent communities’ livelihood benefits at the same time. We obtained information through individual interviews with 101 members of households from targeted communities and key informers-technical officials from the district, and analysed this data using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) by Bryman and Cramer, (2011) Version 20. The results were then subjected to validation using focus group discussions with 10 groups of between 8 - 15 individuals representing the targeted communities and other stakeholders and the results from this further validated with ≥250 representatives of these stakeholders in a one day workshop and with evidences collected during field observations, before synthesis. The findings show: Grey Crowned Crane habitats declining due to mining, agriculture, fishing activities by adjacent communities for their livelihoods (food and income from sale of produce obtained from the species’ habitats). The communities say they need to be engaged in development and implementation of integrated interventions that will improve their livelihoods while securing conservation for Grey Crowned Cranes. They among others propose ecotourism enterprises, training and sensitization on environment and wildlife conservation practices, policies and laws to enhance their knowledge and compliance in management. The fisher folk say fish is often found within Grey Crowned Cranes’ habitats and breeding grounds in the Lake and to avoid destroying the habitats, they need engine boats and standard fishing nets to enable fishing far away in the deeper waters. Crop farming communities say they need commercial, soil fertility improving tree species to plant boundary to the buffer zones so that they can prevent cultivation encroachment on Grey Crowned Crane habitats in the Lake Shores. The findings also reveal need for Grey Crowned Crane population structure studies, and, that of shoebill presence to determine management strategies for their survival in habitats.

Morphological Characterization of Mango （Mangifera indica） Accessions Based on Brazilian Adapted Descriptors

The aim of this study was to characterize 103 mango accessions of the field germplasm collection of Embrapa semi-arid region, located in Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil and to apply 50 morphological descriptors established by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, livestock and supply to help in the development of new mango cultivars for the Northeastern region of Brazil. Four trees were selected for each accession and eight adult leaves, eight flowers and 16 fruits were collected from each tree. Morphological characteristics ranging from plant size to seed embryo were evaluated. Simple percentages were estimated for all the descriptors. Only the descriptors for leaf symmetry and fruit waxiness did not show variability among the accessions. Eight accessions did not show fruits with fibers, while nine other accessions presented flesh firmness, which is an important characteristic to improve breeding. The soluble solids content was high, above 14 ~Brix for 95% of the accessions with Tommy Atkins showing the lowest value, 12.5 ~Brix. A great diversity was found in the color of the epidermis ranging from green to red. The accessions Amrapali and Salitre presented a dark orange flesh color. The obtained data set, are the most comprehensive so far in Brazil, it allows choosing the best parents to develop new cultivars and will also contribute to the protection of mango cultivars in Brazil.