Pedigree and marker information requirements to monitor genetic variability

There are several measures available to describe the genetic variability of populations. The average inbreeding coefficient of a population based on pedigree information is a frequently chosen option. Due to the developments in molecular genetics it is also possible to calculate inbreeding coefficients based on genetic marker information. A simulation study was carried out involving ten sires and 50 dams. The animals were mated over a period of 20 discrete generations. The population size was kept constant. Different situations with regard to the level of polymorphism and initial allele frequencies and mating scheme (random mating, avoidance of full sib mating, avoidance of full sib and half sib mating) were considered. Pedigree inbreeding coefficients of the last generation using full pedigree or 10, 5 and 2 generations of the pedigree were calculated. Marker inbreeding coefficients based on different sets of microsatellite loci were also investigated. Under random mating, pedigree-inbreeding coefficients are clearly more closely related to true autozygosity (i.e., the actual proportion of loci with alleles identical by descent) than marker-inbreeding coefficients. If mating is not random, the demands on the quality and quantity of pedigree records increase. Greater attention must be paid to the correct parentage of the animals

Optimierung der Proteinversorgung durch Maissilage auf ökologisch wirtschaftenden Milchviehbetrieben im Grünland

The aim of the present study was to investigate and optimize the protein supply of organic dairy cows kept in Austrian grassland regions through the inclusion of maize silage into the diet. Therefore, two feeding trials were carried out. Trial I examined the effect of a partial substitution of purchased concentrates with home grown maize silage on feed and nutrient intake, milk performance and feed efficiency. Trial II was conducted to investigate the effect of maize silage or grain as an energy supplement to grass-clover silage based diets. In trial I milk yield decreased by 10%, however concentrate intake per kg milk was markedly reduced and dietary N efficiency and energy balance tendencially improved. Trial II revealed that even a small amount of maize silage supplementation had a marked influence on nutrient (protein, fibre) intake, ruminal N balance (RNB) and milk composition (milk fat and milk urea concen-tration)

Feldstudie zu Futtereigenschaften bei federpickenden Legehennen

Feedstuffs were analysed from 9 conventional and 12 organic farms which previously reported feather pecking in their laying hen flocks. Essential amino acid contents were significantly higher in conventional than in organic diets, while the latter matched suggested nutrient contents. Declared amino acid contents and results of analyses were in good agreement. Particle size of mash feedstuffs deviated from suggested values: percentages of coarse and medium particles were higher and lower, respectively, than suggested. Severity of feather pecking slightly correlated with dietary methionine content and with methionine:ME

Genetic diversity, population structure and subdivision of local Balkan pig breeds in Austria, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and its practical value in conservation programs

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>At present the Croatian Turopolje pig population comprises about 157 breeding animals. In Austria, 324 Turopolje pigs originating from six Croatian founder animals are registered. Multiple bottlenecks have occurred in this population, one major one rather recently and several more older and moderate ones. In addition, it has been subdivided into three subpopulations, one in Austria and two in Croatia, with restricted gene flow. These specificities explain the delicate situation of this endangered Croatian lard-type pig breed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In order to identify candidate breeding animals or gene pools for future conservation breeding programs, we studied the genetic diversity and population structure of this breed using microsatellite data from 197 individuals belonging to five different breeds.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The genetic diversity of the Turopolje pig is dramatically low with observed heterozygosities values ranging from 0.38 to 0.57. Split into three populations since 1994, two genetic clusters could be identified: one highly conserved Croatian gene pool in Turopoljski Lug and the"Posavina" gene pool mainly present in the Austrian population. The second Croatian subpopulation in Lonjsko Polje in the Posavina region shows a constant gene flow from the Turopoljski Lug animals.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>One practical conclusion is that it is necessary to develop a "Posavina" boar line to preserve the "Posavina" gene pool and constitute a corresponding population in Croatia. Animals of the highly inbred herd in Turopoljski Lug should not be crossed with animals of other populations since they represent a specific phenotype-genotype combination. However to increase the genetic diversity of this herd, a program to optimize its sex ratio should be carried out, as was done in the Austrian population where the level of heterozygosity has remained moderate despite its heavy bottleneck in 1994.</p

Microsatellite diversity of the Nordic type of goats in relation to breed conservation: how relevant is pure ancestry?

In the last decades, several endangered breeds of livestock species have been re-established effectively. However, the successful revival of the Dutch and Danish Landrace goats involved crossing with exotic breeds and the ancestry of the current populations is therefore not clear. We have generated genotypes for 27 FAO-recommended microsatellites of these landraces and three phenotypically similar Nordic-type landraces and compared these breeds with central European, Mediterranean and south-west Asian goats. We found decreasing levels of genetic diversity with increasing distance from the south-west Asian domestication site with a south-east-to-north-west cline that is clearly steeper than the Mediterranean east-to-west cline. In terms of genetic diversity, the Dutch Landrace comes next to the isolated Icelandic breed, which has an extremely low diversity. The Norwegian coastal goat and the Finnish and Icelandic landraces are clearly related. It appears that by a combination of mixed origin and a population bottleneck, the Dutch and Danish Land-races are separated from the other breeds. However, the current Dutch and Danish populations with the multicoloured and long-horned appearance effectively substitute for the original breed, illustrating that for conservation of cultural heritage, the phenotype of a breed is more relevant than pure ancestry and the genetic diversity of the original breed. More in general, we propose that for conservation, the retention of genetic diversity of an original breed and of the visual phenotype by which the breed is recognized and defined needs to be considered separately

Monitoring and Progress in the Implementation of the Global Plan of Action on Animal Genetic Resources

Animal genetic resources are critical to livestock productivity and adaptability, facilitate resilience to climate change, and are a key contributor to food security and livelihoods around the world. The Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources (Global Plan), consisting of four Strategic Priority Areas (SPAs: Characterization; Sustainable use; Conservation; Policy), provides a framework to guide countries and other stakeholders on actions to improve the management of animal genetic resources. Assessing, reporting and monitoring the progress and implementation of the Global Plan are critical processes for understanding global commitments made to enhance livestock genetic diversity. In this study, three rounds of reporting (2012, 2014, and 2019) from Member Nations of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations were quantitatively analyzed to gain insight into the progress and implementation of the Global Plan by grouping questionnaires responses into quantitative indicator scores. Variations were found in indicator scores across SPAs, year, and regions, as well as within regions. Countries from North America and Europe and the Caucasus reported higher scores, while most BRICs countries (Brazil, India, China, South Africa) had high implementation scores relative to other countries in the same region. A significant positive correlation was observed between mean implementation scores in 2019 and GDP per capita (r = 0.456). Countries reporting higher implementation of in situ conservation also indicated higher proportions of breeds at risk. Significant progress was reported over the years for three of the four SPAs; SPA3 (conservation) was not found to have significantly improved. Despite the gains that have been made since 2012 in management of animal genetic resources, much remains to be done. The population status of nearly 60% of breeds is unknown while almost three quarters of breeds of known status are at risk of extinction. Efforts must continue to improve management of livestock genetic diversity, with further investments and development of approaches that support socio-economic viability of local genetic resources