Mechanical behavior of sands reinforced with shredded face masks

The rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased municipal waste in the form of used face masks (FMs), which pose a global threat to the environment. To mitigate this, the study explores the applicability of shredded FMs as alternative reinforcing material in sands. Laboratory-grade Ottawa sand and naturally collected sea sand are adopted as the base sands for testing. The primary physical properties of the base materials and the FMs are first examined, and the soil particles are imaged via scanning electron microscopy. Thirty consolidated undrained (CU) triaxial compression tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of the weight fraction of FM, FM length, and the initial effective mean stress on the undrained shear strength parameters of the sands. The experimental results proved that FM inclusion can lead to a substantial improvement in the undrained shear strength of the sands;however, such improvement was sensitive to the initial effective mean stress, with higher undrained shear strength gains associated with lower initial effective mean stress. For a given FM content, the critical state ratio and angle of friction at the critical state increased with the FM length. Finally, the results revealed that FM-reinforced sands exhibit dilative and strain-hardening behaviors.

Consortium biofertilizers to economise nutrient use and sustain productivity in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

Climate change events and the COVID-19 pandemic have brought to focus the significance of cassava as a supplementary food crop worldwide. However, the high yield potential of the crop necessitates timely and adequate enrichment of the soil with nutrient inputs. Consortium biofertilizers offer a viable option for reducing intensive fertilizer use to sustain soil health and productivity in cassava. The efficacy of a liquid consortium biofertilizer, specifically a plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) Mix - I, in economizing nutrient use in cassava was evaluated in a 4 x 3 factorial randomized block design, replicated thrice. The treatments consisted of combinations of four levels of biofertilizers and three levels of nutrients. Biometric and yield observations were recorded, and soil properties were analyzed before and after the harvest of the crop. The results showed that the liquid biofertilizer consortium at a concentration of 5% + 75% of the recommended dose, with 37.5:37.5:75 kg NPK/ha as chemical fertilizers, recorded significantly superior tuber yield in cassava. Considering the economics, the application of the PGPR liquid formulation (5%) thrice (basal, 2 and 4 MAP) along with 37.5:37.5:75 kg NPK/ha, or at a concentration of 2% with 50:50:100 kg NPK/ha, realized higher benefit-cost ratios and can be recommended for use in cassava.

Re-evaluating the precision of yield targets set by MOET app v.2.0

This paper presents the evaluation results of the yield target setting precision of the revised MOET App (v.2.0), following the inclusion of the correction factors generated from rice biomass correlations between MOET and nutrient omission plot setups obtained from 2017 to 2018. The project started with trainings on MOET kit and MOET App use for the seed production personnel across PhilRice stations in Nueva Ecija, Negros, Bukidnon and Agusan in 2018 DS. Included in the trainings were the establishment of MOET kit tests and generation of variety- and site-specific recommendations via the MOET App for several nationally or regionally recommended varieties (NSIC Rc 122, 160, 216, 218, 222, 238, 286, 300, 358, 402, 436, 440, 442, 480, PSB Rc18 and PSB Rc82) that each PhilRice station intended to produce in the succeeding 4 cropping periods from 2019 to 2020. Relative yield advantages and economic benefits from using the MOET App fertilizer recommendations over PhilRice' current fertilizer management in seed production per station were monitored every cropping while the precision evaluation of yield target setting was done after the last cropping of 2020 WS. In 2019, relative yield advantages averaged 0.43t ha-1 in DS and 0.25t ha-1 in WS. In 2020 DS, an average relative yield advantage of 0.63t ha-1 was obtained across stations and 0.93t ha-1 in 2020 WS in Nueva Ecija only due to travel restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic benefits of using the MOET App showed an average of 0.50t ha-1 and 0.65t ha-1 yield increase over the seed production units' fertilizer management in DS and WS, respectively. While savings in fertilizer cost were better realized during the WS at an average of Php 4,126.34 ha-1 season-1 across stations. Results of the precision evaluation of the yield target showed marked improvements with a 95.24% probability of achieving 17% higher grain yields than the target set by MOET App v.2.0. However, the overall normalized Root Mean Square Error (nRMSE) of 38.14% exceeded the range for a fairly acceptable fit with the model due to large gaps between target and actual yields obtained from DS field trials.

COVID-19 pandemic and resilience in the agricultural sector: a local strategy may solve the global challenges

Agriculture remains a major engine of growth among the majority of developing and underdeveloped countries throughout the globe. But the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 has severely affected all sectors of agribusiness industries. In many parts of the world agriculture production became almost half due to the impact of this pandemic. But in two Himalayan regions of India, Darjeeling and Sikkim, mixed effects were observed during the pandemic period. Although a large number of marginal farmers were severely affected during the lockdown and even in the unlock phases, while a significant number of farmers also gained nominal to a large amount of profit;chiefly because of reliability on complete organic farming including producing organic manure and bio-pesticides by the farmers themselves, lack of competition with imported agricultural commodities into the local market due to the inter-state travel ban, marketization of the agricultural products to the consumers through Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs), NGOs and Sikkim State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation ltd. (SIMFED) and above all creation of the Farmers' Helpline at district levels by the local government bodies to solve the problems of the farmers even in the remotest regions.

Leguminous crop proteins. (L'Accademia per il post Covid-19.)

In our Country, protein crop have undergone a significant reduction since the beginning of the new millennium. Such a drastic reduction in planted areas has led, from an agronomic-environmental point of view, to an unsustainable simplification of crop rotations with serious consequences on the typical crop systems of Mediterranean agriculture. On the contrary, access to the agri-environmental subsidies requires crop rotation for farms requesting access to supplementary aid within the Rural Development Plans. It is worth mentioning that protein crops are also very suitable for "low input" itineraries. For instance, soybeans do not require specific nitrogen fertilizer, while other species perform well with minimum tillage, while others (rapeseed) with new rapid-growth hybrids, are able to assimilate important quantities of nitrates while preserving the rhizosphere from the common nutrient-loss problems. It therefore appears essential to reduce this heavy state of dependence, on the one hand by regaining space for the growing of protein crops, in particular soybean, which has undergone a significant reduction, and on the other, through a diversification of vegetable protein sources.

Summary of N-star nitrogen recommendations in Arkansas during 2021

Seeking to fine-tune nitrogen (N) application, increase economic returns, and decrease environmental N loss, some Arkansas rice (Oryza sativa L.) producers are turning away from blanket N recommendations based on soil texture and cultivar and using the Nitrogen Soil Test for Rice (N-STaR) to determine their field-specific N rates. In 2010, Roberts et al. correlated years of direct steam distillation (DSD) results obtained from 0- to 18-in. soil samples to plot-scale N response trials across the state to develop a field-specific, soil-based N test for Arkansas rice. After extensive small-plot and field-scale validation, N-STaR is available to Arkansas farmers for both silt loam and clay soils. Samples submitted to the N-STaR Soil Testing Lab in 2021 were summarized by county and soil texture, totaled 21 fields across 9 Arkansas counties, and were from 6 clay and 15 silt loam fields. Depressed sample submissions were again observed likely due to another wet spring and lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The N-STaR N-rate recommendations for samples were compared to the producer's estimated N rate, the 2021 Recommended Nitrogen Rates and Distribution for Rice Cultivars in Arkansas, and the standard Arkansas N-rate recommendation of 150 lb N/ac for silt loam soils and 180 lb N/ac for clay soils. Each comparison was divided into 3 categories based on a decrease in recommendation, no change in recommended N rate, or an increase in the N rate recommendation. In all 3 comparisons, county, but not soil texture, was a significant factor (P < 0.04) in observed decreases in N recommendation strategies demonstrating variations in the soil's ability to supply N across the state. Further stressing the potential N cost savings opportunities, reductions greater than 30 lb N/ac were recommended by N-STaR in 71%, 50%, and 74% of fields in the standard, estimated, and cultivar comparisons, respectively.

Reducing the dosage of inorganic fertilizer on purple corn plants with application of liquid organic fertilizer

The antioxidant content in purple corn makes this type of corn can be used as a food crop and is important for cultivation during the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the factors that must be considered in cultivation activities is nutrients. Continuous application of inorganic fertilizers without the addition of organic fertilizers can reduce soil quality. Improvement of soil quality can be done by adding organic matter, one of which is liquid organic fertilizer. The research design used was a Randomized Block Design (RAK) with 5 treatments in the form of reducing the dose of inorganic fertilizer with levels of 100% (control), 75%, 50%, 25% and 0% of the dose of inorganic fertilizer. Data analysis used variance and continued with the BNJ test (Tukey Advanced Test). The results showed that reducing the dose of inorganic fertilizer by adding BMW liquid organic fertilizer to purple corn had a significant effect on the variable number of leaves, cob length, cob diameter and production. The application of BMW liquid organic fertilizer on purple corn plants was able to reduce 25% use of inorganic fertilizers.

Where did the input crisis originate and what to do to mitigate its impact? [Spanish]

This article examines the increase in prices of farm inputs (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and fertilizers) in 2021 and the reasons for the increase, including the rise in energy costs, the disruption caused by outbreaks of new variants of COVID-19, and the increase in international freight prices. It is concluded that there are definitely external factors, beyond local control, that are drastically affecting the prices of farm inputs, a situation that directly harms the Colombian agri-food market by significantly increasing production costs due to the high dependence on imported products and raw materials necessary in the national agrochemical and fertilizer industry. There is a need to implement technologies and cultivation practices that lead to the reduction and/or rationalization in the use of inputs, seeking to reduce production costs and increase yields.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agriculture in India: cross-sectional results from a nationally representative survey

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted agriculture in India in many ways, yet no nationally representative survey has been conducted to quantify these impacts. The three objectives of this study were to evaluate how the pandemic has influenced: (1) cropping patterns and input use, (2) farmers' willingness to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, and (3) farmers' COVID-19 symptoms. Phone surveys were conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 with farmers who had previously participated in a nationally representative survey. Values are reported as weighted percent (95% confidence interval). A total of 3,637 farmers completed the survey;59% (56-61%) were small/marginal farmers;72% (69-74%) were male;and 52% (49-55%) had a below poverty line ration card. A majority of farmers (84% [82-86%]) reported cultivating the same crops in 2019 and 2020. Farmers who reported a change in their cropping patterns were more likely to be cultivating vegetables (p = 0.001) and soybean (p<0.001) and less likely to be cultivating rice (p<0.001). Concerning inputs, 66% (63-68%) of farmers reported no change in fertilizers;66% (64-69%) reported no change in pesticides;and 59% (56-62%) reported no change in labor. More than half of farmers (62% [59-65%]) were interested in trying sustainable farming, primarily because of government schemes or because their peers were practicing it. About one-fifth (18% [15-21%]) of farmers reported COVID-19 symptoms in the past month (cough, fever, or shortness of breath) and among those with symptoms, 37% (28-47%) reported it affected their ability to work. In conclusion, COVID-19 infections had started to impact farmers' productivity even during the first wave in India. Most farmers continued to grow the same crops with no change in input use. However, many expressed an interest in learning more about practicing sustainable farming. Findings will inform future directions for resilient agri-food systems.

Characterization of cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) fruits from plants irrigated with different regimens and calcium doses

Cape gooseberry fruits have positioned in the world market due to their excellent nutritional characteristics, because they are an ideal food that contributes to raising the defenses of the human body and helps it to face diseases such as COVID-19, they are also a natural source of antioxidants and anticancer agents. In order to avoid the physiopathy of cracking in cape gooseberry fruits, these were characterized at harvest time, coming from greenhouse plants irrigated with different applications of water levels and irrigation frequencies, as well as different calcium doses, in a design of randomized complete blocks with 12 treatments. The blocks were the irrigation frequencies (4, 9 and 14 days), while the treatments were the combination of four irrigation coefficients (0.7, 0.9, 1.1 and 1.3 of the evaporation of the tank class A) and three doses of calcium (0, 50 and 100 kg ha-1). The plants were sown in 20 L pots with peat moss substrate. Fruits were harvested at the color stage 5 and 6 of the calyx, from 19 weeks after transplanting. The different water levels and irrigation frequencies did not significantly affect the firmness of the cape gooseberry fruits, but there was a strong tendency that cracked gooseberry fruits are less firm than healthy fruits. As the irrigation coefficient increased, the total soluble solids (TSS) increased while the total titratable acids (TTA) decreased. Irrigation frequency of 14 days generated fruits with higher TSS and pH values. The calcium doses did not affect the calcium concentration in the fruits or the TSS, TTA and pH values. Therefore, it can be concluded that incremented irrigation coefficients (up to 1.3) increase the quality of cape gooseberry fruits.

Fertilisers, the much-needed boost to crops

In this article, the IFA Strategic Forum, which was held by the International Fertilizer Association (IFA), facilitated the exchange of ideas among key stakeholders in Africa to develop new partnerships. The event explored how the fertiliser industry and its partners can help in supporting farmers and strengthen food systems to unlock Africa's huge potential to sustainably feed itself and others amid climate change and COVID-19. Improving fertiliser access on the continent was one of the focuses of the forum, which looked ahead to the crucial second Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit planned for 2023. The Africa Fertilizer Map is the first-ever visualisation tool that contains the continent's fertiliser data provided by different associations - primarily AfricanFertilizer.org (AFO) and the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) - and inputs from others, the African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI), International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), African Union (AUC), and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). As an alternative, in Kenya, farmers are looking at an organic fertiliser Bokashi, which is restoring depleted soils. It is made by fermenting organic material to quickly create a nutrient-rich compost.

Infestation of pest of pulses legume grains Callosobruchus spp and substantial loss of dietary vegan protein

The current study is the reviews of the work done for pest infestation in different legume pulse grains Pulse grains have been found to have different susceptibility for the attack of pulse beetle. An insect has varied fecundity on different varieties of pulses. India is agriculture based country and agriculture is the key sector of Indian economy. Including many kharif and rabbi crops, pulses are cultivated in all parts of country. Pulse cultivation has its own significant place in agriculture as it has been considered as complimentary to cereal crop in many aspects and positioned as a second most important crop plant [1]. Study indicates 20-40% of dry matter of pulse grains is made up of beneficial dietary proteins [2]. Insufficiency of adequate amount of protein in diet may lead to protein energy malnutrition. Like poverty and hunger, to combat PEM is another great provocation for agriculture and nation. Pulse grains legumes are good source of protein and other nutrient materials. Crop plant of Arhar has its own advantage for agriculture. The leguminous plants are used in crop rotation to improve the fertility of soil as the root nodules harbor the nitrogen fixing bacteria;fixes atmospheric nitrogen to nitrogen compound about 72-350 kg/hectare/year . The current study emphasizes the different facts of pulse beetle and their infestation in arhar seed grains. About eight months of the year have been found to be susceptible for infestation;remarkable growth and development of pests continue during six months of the year. Arhar pulse grains are most suitable for pest infestation. Bold variety of arhar was identified to be the most preferred for maximum oviposition having larger and smooth surface area. Temperature suitable for oviposition was noticed between 28-370c. Developmental period was found to be of lesser duration and survival of adults was more in bold varieties as compared to the smaller variety. Developmental period was recorded as 24-30.3 days in bold legume grains and 26-32.3 days in smaller size grains. Survival of male and female insect pest was also different as male survived for 7-10.6 days and females for 8.3-12.6 days. Increased growth rate of insect population was there with the increase in temperature and humidity. Significant Weight loss, content loss and percent germination loss have been found in the pulse grains of both varieties in the current studies. Indian economy relies significantly on agriculture and loss and damage of complementary crop plant certainly affect it. At this point there is need to consider the condition of Mass poverty of India after pandemic covid -19 which has been ascertained after more than 45 years The outcome of pandemic recession is more than 2 fold increase in the number of poor from 60 million in a year to 134 million (Reports of downtoearth.org.in). Furthermore any rise in price would snatch the accessibility of the easily available protein diet from people living in indigence.

Fertilization efficiency with polyhalite mineral: a multi-nutrient fertilizer

As the world's population approaches eight billion people, there is an increasing demand for cereals, grains, vegetables, animal protein, as well as energy. At the same time, in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, world hunger has increased. After remaining virtually unchanged for five years, the prevalence of malnutrition (PoU) increased from 8.4% to about 9.9% in just one year, further adding to the challenge of achieving the Zero Hunger target by 2030. Research Findings To sustainably increase agriculture productivity, the use of best plant nutrition practices is essential. The shortage of any one nutrient has the potential to limit the growth, productivity, and quality of crops, as stated in Justus von Liebig's "Law of the Minimum". In addition to nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), attention must be paid to other macronutrients including calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S), and to the management of micronutrients as well. Balanced fertilization is essential to obtain the maximum potential for crop yield. Since 2015 a new natural mineral fertilizer, polyhalite, has stood out as an alternative fertilizer. Polyhalite provides four macronutrients in a single granule: K, Ca, Mg, and S. Polyhalite has several differential characteristics, such as a low salt content and prolonged availability of nutrients. Polyhalite has a lower carbon footprint than similar fertilizers and can be used in organic production systems. Reviewing the research into the use of polyhalite as a sustainable multi-nutrient fertilizer consistently reveals its potential to increase agricultural productivity, where it consistently and significantly improves the yield, health, and quality of a wide range of crops.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on agro-inputs distribution in Ogun State, Nigeria

This study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agro-inputs distribution and sales along the agricultural supply chain (ASC) in gun State, Nigeria. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 96 agro-dealers from the Abeokuta and Ilaro ADP zones of Ogun State. Data were collected and analysed using a computer assisted personalized interviewing (CAPI) system. Findings showed that 89% of the respondents sold agro-inputs in the shops, 26% in the rural villages, and 19.8% at market stands. Due to the lockdown, 68.8% closed down shops for 35-39 days, 92.7% found it difficult to move agroinputs from the stores to the villages, and 85.4% incurred high costs in transporting agroinputs from urban to the rural areas. Likewise, 61.5% reported low patronage of fewer than 10 customers per week while the average weekly sales dropped from 60,000 to 15,600 for maize seeds, 78,000 to 27,000 for herbicides, and 336,000 to 120,000 for fertilizers. The lockdown was significantly affected patronage (beta = 0.64) and sales (beta = 0.72). The COVID19 pandemic affected patronage and sales of agro-inputs in Ogun State.

Urban and peri-urban agriculture in Egypt

Around the world, urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) has evolved into a new socio-political manifestation that can endorse social solidarity, environmental education, and leisure activities. It is also a way to support the urban poor in middle and low-income counties and ensure food sovereignty and self-sufficiency. Furthermore, global shocks, pandemics, and crises (e.g., food crisis 2008, COVID- 19, climate change) have illustrated the vulnerability of the global food supply chain, as well as the need for resilience in cities' long-term food security, shedding more light on UPA's multiple functions in densely populated areas, offering an alternative land use and greater genuine value. Considering the present worldwide governmental push to promote urban agriculture and contemplate its consequences on urban dwellers and their environs, it is vital to investigate Egypt as one of the world's most populous countries, with densely packed cities and significant poverty rates. Using a systematic literature review, this article studies the impact of UPA in Egypt. Data were gathered using the Scopus database and supplemented with information from grey literature. The findings demonstrate that UPA can perform a wide range of socio-economic and environmental roles, including aesthetic urban design, waste management, circular economy, energy use efficiency, microclimate control, preservation of cultural heritage, biodiversity conservation, and health and well-being promotion. However, there is possible apprehension concerning soil erosion, extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides, contamination from wastewater resulting from the poor implementation. Finally, while UPA can make a beneficial difference in Egypt, socio-political, cultural, and technical hurdles may stymie its growth.

Problems and proposal of solutions in organic farming

Interest in organic farming is increasing day by day in our country. The fact that people have to keep their immune systems strong, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic process, has directed people to organic products. Due to the increasing demand for organic products, it should be required to gain momentum in its cultivation. However, organic farming growers in our country face various problems at the beginning of their work. These is generally organic seed and organic seedling supply, organic fertilization, organic spraying. This is followed by the marketing of organic products grown under very difficult conditions and informing the consumers in order to eliminate the problems in marketing. The dissemination and sustainability of organic agriculture is not possible only by increasing the production areas and amount. It is important to ensure that consumers also prefer organic products and to be informed for this purpose. Informing producers and consumers will increase the supply and demand of organic products, thus increasing both commercial production and the production of products that are beneficial to the environment, nature and human health. The aim of the study;It is to offer solutions by considering the problems faced by organic agriculture growers from the first time they start to work, until the harvest and sales point.

Improving land management and productivity of cardamom (Amomum compactum) based agroforestry system for fulfillment of anti COVID 19 biopharmaceutical raw materials

The aim of the study was to examine the benefit of combination of organic (manure) and an organic fertilizer (NPK) along with the use of biofertilizer to improve cardamon growth and performance as Covid-19 biopharmaceutical raw material. The results showed that the application of NPK fertilizer in combination with NPK fertilizer had a significant effect on the observed variables, including: plant height, number of leaves, number of shoots per clump, number of flowers per clump, but had no significant effect on the observed variable number of stems. The best treatment was found at P5 treatment (200% NPK fertilizer + 200% manure) for observation variables of plant height, number of leaves, and number of shoots per clump, while the best treatment for the observation variable of the number of flowers per clump was found in the treatment P9 (NPK fertilizer 200%). The use of multivariate analysis has been successfully grouped and positioned each treatment in 2 dimensional graphs.

Old fertilizer in new bottles: selling the past as innovation in Africa's green revolution

Rising global hunger in recent years has prompted calls for a broad reckoning over what is wrong with global food systems. Our changing climate has added urgency to the crisis. Many experts warn that our current agricultural practices are undermining the resource base - soil, water, seeds, climate - on which future food production depends. Now the global COVID-19 pandemic threatens to further exacerbate food insecurity for many of the world's poor. Africa is projected to overtake South Asia by 2030 as the region with the greatest number of hungry people. An alarming 250 million people in Africa now suffer from "undernourishment", the U.N. term for chronic hunger. If policies do not change, experts project that number to soar to 433 million in 2030. A growing number of farmers, scientists, and development experts now advocate a shift from high-input, chemical-intensive agriculture to low-input ecological farming. They are supported by an impressive array of new research documenting both the risks of continuing to follow our current practices and the potential benefits of a transition to more sustainable farming. The new initiatives have been met with a chorus of derision from an unsurprising group of commentators, many associated with agribusiness interests. They dismiss agroecology as backward, a nostalgic call for a return to traditional peasant production methods which they say have failed to feed growing populations in developing countries. For such critics, the future is innovation and innovation is technology: the kinds of commercial high-yield seeds and inorganic fertilizers associated with the Green Revolution. This paper explores the ways in which this innovation narrative flips reality on its head, presenting Green Revolution practices of the past as if they were new innovations. It does so through the lens of the battle for Africa's food future, examining the disappointing results from the Alliance for a Green Revolution for Africa (AGRA). In contrast, the real innovations in Africa are coming from soil scientists, ecologists, nutritionists, and farmers themselves who actively seek alternatives to approaches that have been failing small-scale farmers for years. A wide range of farmer organizations, scientists, and advocates offer a broad and diverse array of ecologically-based initiatives based on sound science. These are proving far more innovative and effective, raising productivity, crop and nutritional diversity, and incomes while reducing farmers' costs and government outlays.

Vegetable value chains during the COVID- 19 pandemic in Ethiopia: evidence from cascading value chain surveys before and during the pandemic

The researchers combine in-person survey data collected in February 2020 (i.e., just before the pandemic was declared) with phone survey data collected in March 2021 (i.e., one year into the pandemic) and August 2021 (i.e., approximately 18 months into the pandemic) to study how vegetable value chains in Ethiopia have coped with the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on the major vegetable value chain connecting farmers in East Shewa zone to consumers in Addis Ababa, the researchers applied a cascading survey approach in which the researchers collected data at all levels of the value chain: vegetable farmers, urban wholesalers, and retailers. In March 2021 and August 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic is having only a limited impact on this major vegetable value chain. Farmers' access to credit, labor or extension services have not markedly changed since the pre-pandemic period in February 2020. The main concern among farmers relates to the soaring prices of key inputs with prices of key fertilizers having increased by more than 40 percent between February 2020 and March 2021. Among the many pandemic related policy adjustments was the relocation of the wholesale vegetable market from a crowded area in the city center to the outskirts of Addis Ababa. Most wholesale traders viewed that while the pandemic itself has had a limited impact on their business activity, the re-location of the wholesale market had a considerably larger negative impact. Most wholesaler traders reported that they are trading less vegetables and have fewer clients to sell in March 2021 compared to the situation in February 2020. Almost all of these wholesaler traders identified the re-location of the vegetable wholesale market to the outskirts of Addis Ababa as the primary reason for the declined sales and clientele, and thus, as a major concern for their trading activities. The urban retailers seem to have been relatively more affected by the pandemic than farmers and wholesalers, although many reported to have also been negatively affected by the relocation of the wholesale market. Out of the 210 retailers interviewed in February 2020, 32 had quit their business by August 2021. Out of these 32 traders that quit, only 4 responded that the pandemic was the main factor for quitting, 9 responded at it was a factor while the remaining 19 responded that the pandemic played no role in their decision to quit. In March 2021, nearly two-thirds of the retailers reported that there is less choice with respect to transporters from wholesale markets compared to the situation in February 2020. Nearly 80 percent of retailers who reported a decrease in choice of transporters, said that the change was due to the re-location of the wholesale market, while 19 percent said it was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers document considerable volatility in prices and marketing margins using four rounds of vegetable price data collected at all levels of the value chain. For instance, onion prices soared during the first months of the pandemic when imports from Sudan came to halt. Encouraged by these price increases, many farmers began allocating more land to onions. This, together with important markets being closed because of instability and conflict in some parts of the country, led to a considerable oversupply of onions in Addis Ababa which in turn resulted a sizable drop in farm gate and final consumer prices between May 2020 and February 2021. Combined with soaring input costs, these plummeting onion prices must have led to considerable losses among farmers. This price volatility was identified by many farmers, wholesalers, and retailers as the most pressing concern to their farming or trading activities. Finally, the researchers attempted to estimate post-harvest losses along the vegetable value chain. Using the data from the March-2021 survey round, the largest losses are estimated for tomato (11.5 percent), head cabbage (11.8 percent) and Ethiopia kale (10.5 percent) and lowest for green pepper (7.2 percent) and onion (2.6 percent). Interestingly, the main origin of